Certified fire incident communicators work within federal agencies to keep the public informed about fires via television, radio, and the press. Unfortunately, Interior Secretary Burgum has pulled many of these specialists away from their agencies. https://ow.ly/Ubkq50Z2e7S #Wildfire

A year ago, the Interior Department pitched a sweeping reorganization as a way to save money and streamline operations. On The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton, PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse joins to look at what the evidence shows about how that reorg played out. https://ow.ly/9tUE50Z1jv1

Endangered Species Day reminds us what’s at stake. But this year, the reminder arrives with added urgency: the systems designed to protect wildlife are being systematically dismantled. https://ow.ly/PL7Y50Z0bVX #EndangeredSpeciesDay

HUD has quietly waived flood protection standards for new housing built on floodplains and in coastal hazard areas. Under prior regulations, housing built in areas prone to flooding had to be elevated at least two feet above the “base flood elevation” for the area. https://ow.ly/ORY850YZyFG

PEER and Salinas City Councilmember Andrew Sandoval have filed a legal petition requesting that California’s Dept. of Pesticide Regulation re-evaluate Indaziflam, a widely used herbicide linked to newly found health and environmental risks. peer.org/call-for-cal...

The Trump administration is systematically dismantling the federal government's role as a collector and disseminator of information. PEER guest contributor and environmental economist Keith Kozloff lays out what’s at risk, what's been lost, and who's fighting back. https://ow.ly/ImMu50YYiBp

PEER has filed a lawsuit over the Department of the Interior's refusal to release key documents related to President Trump's controversial and secretive Freedom 250 initiative. https://ow.ly/MWEb50YXQr4 #america250 #freedom250

National parks are supposed to be a sanctuary for wildlife. But right now, that sanctuary is being eroded. In his latest commentary, PEER Senior Counsel Jeff Ruch breaks down the rollbacks impacting wildlife in national parks. https://ow.ly/EH7Y50YWC75 #WildlifeProtection #NationalParks

Tony Irish, a longtime Department of the Interior attorney with more than two decades of experience in federal administrative law and government oversight, has joined PEER as Senior Counsel. https://ow.ly/p8HS50YVxFP

During Trump’s second term, the number of peer-reviewed studies authored by EPA scientists has dramatically declined. This diminished production reflects a steep reduction in the scientific research being conducted at EPA. https://ow.ly/UwXL50YV1p5

The House voted to remove troubling language that aimed to shield chemical manufacturers from lawsuits related to harm caused by their products — a move that received bipartisan support. Thank you to everyone who reached out to your representatives. Your voice made a difference!

A recent episode of Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley examines the sweeping changes at EPA and the impact on employees at the agency. We represent 2 employees who were fired and 1 who was demoted after signing the letter of dissent mentioned early in the episode. https://ow.ly/y28a50YStBz

112 million+ acres of national forest, or roughly 65% of all National Forest System lands, are now operating under an "emergency" designation. We've filed a series of FOIA requests to find out exactly how the Forest Service is using these expanded powers. https://ow.ly/iRRa50YR5sV #PublicLands

One year ago, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum initiated the largest reorganization in the agency’s history, claiming it would produce big savings by eliminating redundancies. Now, Interior admits it has no evidence of those promised efficiencies. https://ow.ly/BxkW50YNZ3g

🚨 ACTION ALERT 🚨 Our national forests and the people who protect them need your advocacy now more than ever before. Send our pre-filled, customizable letter urging your representatives to stop this administration's plan to dismantle the Forest Service. 🔗 https://ow.ly/WbCO50YK5Xl #ForestService

The Trump administration is embracing a new policy of maximizing commercial livestock operations on federal rangelands, even as rangeland health is in serious decline due to overgrazing. https://ow.ly/eaFH50YIQ0K #grazing #livestock #publiclands

What can Rachel Carson, a federal marine biologist credited with sparking the modern environmental movement, teach us about staying strong right now? Guest contributor Keith Kozloff shares Carson's story to offer a strategy for personal resilience in challenging times. https://ow.ly/KZRY50YH32I

The Forest Service's research program has existed since 1915 and is critical to addressing the growing threats to forest health from wildfires, disease, and climate change. Without agency scientists, these threats don't disappear. They just go undetected.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been leading the President’s playbook of undermining confidence in the U.S. renewable energy industry and giving unbridled support to the fossil fuel industry. His targeting of offshore wind is especially concerning. https://ow.ly/UmHY50YGw5R

PEER is looking for a Litigation Assistant to join our team! If you're an organized team player with at least one year of experience as a paralegal or legal assistant in a litigation setting, we want to hear from you. https://ow.ly/gve850YEYer

Newly obtained internal EPA emails, published by E&E News, reveal that senior legal officials were explicitly warned not to take retaliatory action against employees who signed a public letter raising concerns about agency policies. https://ow.ly/OOux50YCvKe #FreeSpeech #StandUpForScience

As part of a wide-ranging reorganization and headquarters move from DC to Utah, the U.S. Forest Service is shuttering more than 57 research stations and eliminating a significant number of forestry scientists. https://ow.ly/HE8i50YCiQl #ForestService #NationalForests

Under Interior Secretary Burgum’s leadership, the National Park Service is being dismantled piece by piece—through political interference, workforce depletion, corruption, and the systematic erasure of American history. https://ow.ly/hO1y50YBPaY #NationalParks #PublicLands

PEER and DarkSky counter that Reflect Orbital, a company seeking FCC approval to launch a prototype satellite equipped with massive mirrors to reflect sunlight back to Earth after dark, is misreading the law when it claims that its project isn't covered by NEPA. https://ow.ly/ln2o50YBcQ6

A coalition of state legislators & public health groups, led by PEER, is urging Colorado Governor Jared Polis to act on PFAS by regulating pesticides used across the state. https://ow.ly/kHvX50YAWWo #Colorado #ForeverChemicals

"Given the increasing violence across the world, it is essential that the international community more seriously address the environmental impacts of war as a persistent threat to the biosphere." - Rick Steiner, PEER Board chair

America’s vast western rangelands are in sharp decline, yet the Trump administration wants to end a BLM program that monitors the health of these landscapes. https://ow.ly/1bQ850Yzl5I

ICYMI: the recording of this week's webinar is now online! Watch to learn what we can do in the U.S. to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the important role the federal government must play in addressing the climate crisis. https://ow.ly/xWpU50YzjLz

If approved by the FCC, a SpaceX proposal would result in the launch of up to a million satellites directly into Earth’s orbit. https://ow.ly/a4Bn50Yy6BY

📢 We're hiring! PEER is seeking a Staff Counsel to defend public employees who protect the environment, natural resources, and public health. Apply now to join our team at this critical time, or help us find the right person by sharing this opportunity. https://ow.ly/CAyj50YxMOR

Tomorrow! Join PEER, @enviroprotnet.bsky.social, and guests for a webinar on what we can do to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the important role the federal government must play in addressing the climate crisis. 🔗 https://ow.ly/g4VP50YuSZk #ClimateAction

Tell Congress to prioritize your health over chemical companies! ✍️ Send our pre-filled letter urging the House to reject provisions in the Farm Bill draft granting chemical companies legal immunity and undermining local governments' authority to protect their communities. https://ow.ly/5ueu50Yw0VZ

PEER has filed a federal appeal seeking a ruling that EPA is legally obligated to act to prevent contamination from high levels PFAS in sewage sludge used as fertilizer. https://ow.ly/pLFc50YvR45 #Biosolids #ForeverChemicals

📚 PEER Science Policy Director Kyla Bennett shares her insights on the challenges facing EPA’s chemicals division and how it could be improved in Marina Schauffler's latest book, "Inescapable: Facing Up to Forever Chemicals." Buy the book: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53860/inescapable

When EPA employees sought advice from agency ethics officials before signing the “Declaration of Dissent”, they were told it raised no ethics or Hatch Act concerns, according to E&E News. https://ow.ly/tFPu50YtrJM

Today, PEER filed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests with EPA seeking records related to the use of AI within its workforce and regulatory programs. https://ow.ly/o34650YpFro #AI #FOIA

Today, PEER and a coalition of unions and labor federations filed an updated legal challenge to Schedule P/C—the Trump-Vance administration's effort to unlawfully convert potentially tens of thousands of civil servants to at-will employees. https://ow.ly/Q3fz50YpocO #FederalEmployees

Webinar | Tues, 3/24 | 4pm ET Join PEER, @enviroprotnet.bsky.social, and special guests for a discussion on what we can do to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the role the federal govt must play in addressing the climate crisis. https://ow.ly/aMUW50Yocca

Federal workers are being punished for speech, not misconduct. When agencies punish speech they don’t like, silence becomes the norm. And when silence becomes normal, everyone loses. https://ow.ly/VRlb50YnfNU #FreeSpeech #PublicEmployees

PEER has filed a series of FOIA requests related to the Department of the Interior’s role in the creation, funding, and operation of “Freedom 250,” a private and partisan entity now playing a central role in planning America’s 250th anniversary. https://ow.ly/z7ry50Ymsb9 #Freedom250

Today, Dr. Shannon “SJ” Joslin, a ranger and biologist at Yosemite National Park, filed a lawsuit challenging their illegal termination. Dr. Joslin was fired and criminally investigated for unfurling a trans pride flag on El Capitan last May. https://ow.ly/kVRI50YkkTq

ICYMI: PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse testified before Congress about the growing role of Freedom 250, a private, Trump-aligned company, in planning the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. https://peer.org/commentary-testimony-freedom-250-transparency-america-semiquincentennial/

Last week, PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse testified before Congress on the troubling lack of transparency around funding for the United States' 250th anniversary celebration. #America250 #Freedom250

⚖️ Today, PEER sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after it failed to produce evidence backing Administrator Lee Zeldin’s claims of widespread absenteeism and ghost employees at the agency. https://ow.ly/akvE50Y8STg #FOIA

We're excited to welcome Aaron Lloyd as PEER's newest Senior Counsel! Aaron is a seasoned public employee who comes to PEER with more than two decades of experience in whistleblower protection and labor law. https://ow.ly/Ulxp50Y5qeR

Tomorrow at 2pm ET: What happens when public employees speak out? Join us to hear from civil servants who've faced retaliation for exercising their First Amendment rights, and from legal experts breaking down the complex landscape impacting free speech. https://ow.ly/Cs8e50Y3U60 #FreeSpeech

A new PEER analysis reveals that civil prosecutions of illegal pollution plummeted to historically low levels during the first year of President Trump’s second administration. The DOJ settled just 15 of the cases referred by EPA for civil prosecution during that period. https://ow.ly/9Aru50Y1eo3

Today, PEER sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanding transparency about Freedom250, a separate entity that reportedly received taxpayer funds appropriated by Congress for the America250 commemoration program. https://ow.ly/LqfR50XXlKE #Freedom250

🗓️ Webinar | Thurs, 1/29 | 2pm ET Join us to examine the increasingly complex legal, political, and social landscape impacting federal employees’ free speech rights—and why freedom of speech in government is critical to protecting the environment. https://ow.ly/1L9m50XX0W3 #FreeSpeech

“Ironically, this outrageous waste of human capital – when key federal agencies such as the National Park Service were horribly understaffed – was done in the name of government efficiency,” said PEER Senior Counsel Peter Jenkins.