The Department of the Interior is terminating 43 partnerships with outside organizations as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to realign federal programs with its policy priorities, according to details released by the agency.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the review, which department officials said identified partnerships that were no longer consistent with the administration’s goals. The move will eliminate more than $4 million in planned funding tied to programs involving diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, environmental justice efforts, and services connected to illegal immigrants.
In a statement, the department said several of the agreements were operating in ways that conflicted with its mission.
“Under Secretary Burgum, the Department of the Interior is ending partnerships with groups that no longer represent the priorities of the American people,” the agency said. Interior officials added that the department is terminating the agreements and removing references to the affected organizations from agency websites.
The decision follows a department-wide review launched in March that examined nearly 3,000 active agreements involving approximately 2,000 organizations. Those partnerships included nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, and private entities.
According to Interior, the review found that some organizations did not provide a clear benefit to the department’s objectives or were pursuing goals that conflicted with administration priorities.
Among the organizations cited was the Hispanic Access Foundation, which the department said offers scholarship opportunities for illegal immigrant Latino students and has partnered with the National Park Service on educational and cultural initiatives. Latino Outdoors was also identified. Interior officials said the organization has distributed information related to avoiding detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has opposed certain oil and gas development projects.
The American Alliance of Museums was another group targeted by the review. The department pointed to the organization’s involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion programming through National Park Service initiatives and referenced its previous “Facing Change” program, which promoted DEI efforts within museums.
Environmental organization Conservation International also appeared on the list. Interior officials cited the group’s advocacy for phasing out fossil fuels and its support for environmental justice policies. The department noted the organization’s public statements describing fossil fuels as a primary source of carbon emissions contributing to climate change.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation was likewise included among the terminated partnerships. Interior officials highlighted the group’s opposition to several Trump administration initiatives, including legal action involving changes at the Kennedy Center and criticism of plans for a White House ballroom project.
Matthew Middleton, the department’s principal deputy communications director and director of research, said the administration is seeking to ensure federal resources support policies favored by President Trump and Secretary Burgum.
“As part of that commitment, the Department is ending relationships with organizations whose advocacy for phasing out baseload energy, defunding law enforcement services, and promoting racially preferential programs directly conflicts with this administration’s priorities,” Middleton told Fox News Digital.
Other organizations listed among those losing partnerships include the National Wildlife Federation, National Geographic Society, Clean Ocean Action, California Native Plant Society, Green Schools Alliance, and the Doris Duke Foundation.
