Former Interior official warns of public land rollbacks and launches advocacy group
Jacob Malcom, who resigned from the U.S. Interior Department after being ordered to fire staff without cause, has formed a nonprofit to raise awareness of the agency’s role and support displaced employees as Trump administration policies reshape public land management.
Shaun Griswold reports for High Country News.
In short:
- Malcom left Interior in February 2025 after refusing to carry out politically ordered layoffs he believed were unjustified.
- He founded Next Interior, a group focused on educating the public about Interior’s work and supporting current and former employees during policy upheaval.
- He warns that public lands are being leased for fossil fuel development at low cost and used to support immigration enforcement, eroding protections for wildlife and parks.
Key quote:
“There’s a massive contradiction between what’s being said and what’s being done.”
— Jacob Malcom, founder of Next Interior
Why this matters:
The Interior Department manages one-fifth of U.S. land, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and energy reserves. Decisions about leasing and staffing reverberate far beyond Washington, shaping ecosystems, tribal relations, and rural economies. Increased fossil fuel development and border construction on public lands can fragment wildlife habitat, threaten cultural sites, create pollution, and reduce access for recreation and subsistence hunting. Cuts to park rangers and scientific staff also limit the government’s ability to manage wildfires, monitor endangered species, and uphold treaty obligations to Native nations.
Related: House GOP pushes steep EPA and Interior cuts in 2026 budget plan
