The New Mexico senator criticized proposed staffing cuts, wildfire reorganization plans and the elimination of research and forestry programs during a Senate hearing Wednesday.

Organ Mountain News report

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday, calling it “a roadmap on how to dismantle the Forest Service” during a Senate committee hearing on wildfire and land management funding.

During opening remarks before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich warned that proposed staffing reductions, wildfire program restructuring and the elimination of several federal forestry programs could weaken the agency’s ability to manage forests and respond to increasingly severe wildfire seasons.

“Last year, I found the proposed budget deeply troubling,” Heinrich said. “This year, when taking into context [the] relentless series of attacks we’ve seen on our public lands, the budget seems disappointing and irresponsible.”

Heinrich said the Forest Service has already lost thousands of employees through firings, deferred resignations and retirements, and warned that further cuts would affect both wildfire response and long-term forest management efforts.

“Ultimately, we saw a loss of well over 5,000, roughly 5,800, Forest Service employees,” Heinrich said.

The senator also criticized the administration’s proposal to move the wildland fire program to the Department of the Interior, arguing the change lacks a clear public plan and could undermine wildfire preparedness during an already dangerous fire season.

“When we are spending our time on make-believe budgets and moving deck chairs around on the deck of the ship, it means we're not preparing to fight fires,” Heinrich said.

According to Heinrich, the proposed budget would eliminate the Forest and Rangeland Research program and cut State, Private and Tribal Forestry programs that support collaborative land management efforts across federal, tribal and private lands.

Heinrich also questioned Forest Service claims that hazardous fuels treatment efforts remain on track, noting the number of acres treated reportedly fell by nearly 30 percent in 2025 compared with 2024.

“I want to empower the Forest Service,” Heinrich said. “I want them to be able to manage our forest.”