The Trump administration is considering a major restructuring of the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with Interior Department officials preparing meetings to discuss what the department describes as a “realignment” of the two agencies.

Internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post indicate that staff members from both agencies are scheduled to meet over the next two weeks. A planned National Park Service session will address “pending duty station changes,” referring to the locations where employees are assigned to work. The documents do not specify whether the proposal would close or relocate offices or eliminate additional positions.

The discussions follow a broader restructuring effort at the U.S. Forest Service, which operates under the Agriculture Department. The administration has also been considering changes to the National Park Service since last year, although it remains unclear how the latest proposal compares with earlier plans.

The Fish and Wildlife Service released a report Friday titled “Rooted in Purpose,” outlining 29 recommendations intended to strengthen wildlife habitat management and improve operations across the agency. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik announced the recommendations at a wildlife refuge in North Dakota.

The report calls for reducing staff at the agency's headquarters and regional offices while shifting more positions to national wildlife refuges. The additional personnel would support on-the-ground responsibilities, including habitat management, facility maintenance, and expanding public access. The Fish and Wildlife Service oversees more than 500 national wildlife refuges covering approximately 93 million acres.

Previous proposals for the National Park Service have included a “hub and spoke” management structure that would replace its existing regional system. Under a draft plan reported by NOTUS in September, designated hub parks would oversee operations at surrounding parks. The extent to which the current discussions reflect that earlier proposal has not been established.

The Park Service has already experienced significant staffing losses since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. Federal personnel data cited by NOTUS indicates the agency has lost nearly one-quarter of its permanent, full-time workforce through firings, buyouts, deferred resignations and early retirements. Layoff plans developed last year were not implemented, according to The Washington Post.

The administration's fiscal year 2027 budget request also proposed eliminating nearly 3,000 additional Park Service positions. That proposal drew bipartisan opposition from senators during an April hearing with Burgum, reflecting concerns about the potential impact on park operations and staffing.

Former park leaders have also cautioned against another major reorganization. In September, a coalition of 20 former National Park Service superintendents, including leaders who previously oversaw Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Acadia national parks, urged Burgum to reconsider the effort. They warned that restructuring could make it more difficult for the agency to effectively serve the parks under its responsibility.

Federal law requires the Interior Department to notify Congress of any planned reorganization. The timing could bring additional scrutiny from lawmakers, as Democrats are set to take control of both chambers following their victories in the November 3 midterm elections. They will assume leadership of congressional committees overseeing the Interior Department in January.