The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has seen a 35% decline in staffing in Utah, representing a loss of 26 employees, according to federal data obtained by the nonprofit conservation group Center for Biological Diversity. This decline is part of a broader trend of staff reductions across the Western United States.
Data obtained via public records request by Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, shows that the agency has lost 3,600 staff members during the second term of President Donald Trump.
In the West, several states reported significant losses since 2024. Oregon saw a 40% decline, dropping from 434 staff members to 257. Washington reported a 38% decline with 222 staff lost, while Alaska saw a 36% decline, losing 220 staff members.
Nationwide, the agency has lost 1,900 scientists, including biologists, foresters, and wildfire managers. Among these losses are 95 scientists who worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service in various Oregon offices, including Portland, Bend, and Roseburg.
The staff reductions are attributed to employees taking buyouts or early retirements, or cuts made by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a commission created by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending.
According to Greenwald, the loss of expert scientists constitutes a brain drain that may be difficult to reverse. Analysis of the agency's own database by Greenwald suggests that the Trump administration has listed fewer vulnerable species for federal protection than any other administration since the Endangered Species Act was passed by Congress.
