Interior’s new Fire Service could siphon off thousands of BLM staff

"There are definitely concerns on this change because fire crews are used to help with work in the field like clearing trails or repairing fences when there is down time and no one is sure if that practice will be able to continue."

The ambitious consolidation of fire employees could set up friction with some members of Congress, who recently denied an effort by the Trump administration to create a wildfire agency at Interior to take over fire management from the U.S. Forest Service, which is under the Agriculture Department. Congress instead ordered the Interior Department to study the concept.