Interior Department Cuts Ties with 43 Organizations

The Interior Department has announced it will discontinue 43 partnerships with various outside groups, a decision attributed to a misalignment with the current administration’s priorities. This move, which will eliminate over $4 million in funding, affects programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), environmental justice, and support for illegal immigrants.

Under Secretary Doug Burgum’s leadership, the department stated that these agreements “work in direct opposition” to its mission. They’ve expressed a commitment to ending contracts with organizations that don’t reflect what they see as the priorities of the American public. Consequently, they plan to remove any mentions of these entities from their website.

The partnerships being ended previously facilitated internship programs, conservation endeavors, research initiatives, and collaborative efforts.

A comprehensive review commenced in March revealed around 3,000 active agreements with close to 2,000 external parties, including nonprofits, NGOs, and educational institutions. A subsequent investigation concluded that many of these groups either lacked clear benefits or were not aligned with the department’s core objectives.

Some notable organizations targeted include the Hispanic Access Foundation, known for providing scholarships to undocumented Latino students, and Latino Outdoors, which offers guidance on avoiding detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Latino Outdoors has been vocal against oil and gas development, while the Hispanic Access Foundation has engaged in educational and cultural outreach with the National Park Service.

The department also referenced a partnership with the American Alliance of Museums aimed at developing a DEI program designed to benefit the community, citing past initiatives that aimed at enhancing DEI efforts in museums.

Among the groups impacted are also Conservation International, which advocates for a complete phase-out of fossil fuels due to their role in climate change, and the Cultural Landscape Foundation, which has opposed several administration actions, including a lawsuit concerning the Kennedy Center and a project highlighting threatened cultural landscapes.

Matthew Middleton, principal deputy communications director, indicated that the department is actively realigning its partnerships to support the administration’s goals. This includes distancing itself from organizations that push for policies perceived as opposing interests, such as defunding law enforcement or advocating for racially selective programs. The department intends to focus on partnerships that enhance access to public lands and promote responsible resource management.

In addition to the previously mentioned groups, the Interior Department is severing ties with several other organizations, including the Green Schools Alliance and the Doris Duke Foundation. This decision reflects a broader trend within the administration aimed at curtailing DEI initiatives, tightening immigration enforcement, and advancing energy development initiatives.