Wildlife and conservation scientists are next in line for Trump's chopping block

Scientists responsible for crucial fish and wildlife research projects in the West are next in line for the Trump administration’s chopping block.

Experts say laying off employees from the US Geological Survey Cooperative Research Units could actually end up costing taxpayers more.

It's still unclear exactly how deep the cuts could be, although the Department of Interior told the USGS and cooperative units to present plans to slice their budgets by 10 percent , 25 percent , and even 40 percent .

Western states and nonprofits are bracing themselves for the worst.