Ranking Member Heinrich Urges Interior Secretary Burgum to Classify Interior Employees as Essential to Protect Access to Public Lands, Keep Americans Safe During Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is calling on U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to classify the Department’s staff as essential during the Republican government shutdown to maintain the health and safety of Americans who visit public lands, wildlife refuges, and national park sites.  

Experts warned that the ecological and cultural damage — from vandalism to trampling and illegal harvesting — could take centuries to repair. Meanwhile, with rangers, emergency medical technicians and other critical staff being furloughed, search-and-rescue and emergency response capability was reduced, leading to delayed rescues, and even incidents of injured wildlife.   

Just last week, the Department of the Interior reported that national park visitation spending alone contributed $56 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024. Shutdowns cut into that growth, and those losses can’t be recovered — businesses and gateway communities are never paid back for the revenue they lose. 

“Our public lands are the physical manifestation of our nation’s democracy, and they support jobs and local economies across the country. And with hunting season underway, essential services will be curtailed during a shutdown, hitting rural communities in the wallet and leaving small businesses that rely on visitors with less income.  

“Another shutdown with no staff helping to maintain our national parks and other public lands will cause irreparable damage to our treasured places and put Americans’ health and safety at risk.  

“That’s why I’m calling on Secretary Burgum to deem Department of Interior staff as “essential” in order to ensure that our parks, refuges and public lands are protected, visitors are safe, and rural communities can continue to thrive.”