Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** DOGE plans to shutter Utah national park hub
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Tuesday, April 15, 2025
National Park Service office in Moab, Utah. NPS ([link removed])
Utah's largest national park office is currently being ([link removed]) target ([link removed]) ed ([link removed]) as part of Trump and Musk's DOGE cuts. In March, DOGE announced ([link removed]) it would terminate the lease for the Moab office that houses operations for four of Utah’s largest and most visited national parks and monuments. While some targeted facilities have been removed from the list since the announcement, the Moab office remains on the public DOGE list ([link removed]) of lease cancellation targets. The building is the headquarters for the Southeast Utah Group ([link removed]) , a National Park Service region that includes Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national
monuments. Over 2.5 million people visit the area annually.
“The Southeast Utah Group is operating with a whole lot of administrative efficiency by grouping all of these things together,” said Cassidy Jones ([link removed]) , a former NPS park ranger in Utah and a program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association. “The concept that eliminating this building would contribute to government efficiency just doesn’t really ring very true in this case.”
The 35,000-square-foot facility houses office space and equipment for engineers, resource crews, search and rescue teams, wildfire response teams, archaeological surveyors, and more. If the lease is terminated, employees and equipment will be displaced, and archaeological artifacts—which require temperature and humidity-controlled spaces—will have nowhere to be stored.
** Quick hits
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Trump and Musk’s DOGE ‘functionally destroying’ historic Yellowstone grizzly science team
WyoFile ([link removed]) | Mountain Journal ([link removed])
Tribal nations send letter defending Chuckwalla National Monument
KESQ ([link removed]) | Desert Review ([link removed])
Opinion: National Park Service veterans lament state of agency, parks
National Parks Traveler ([link removed])
Trump’s economic tumult tests the oil industry’s patience
Politico ([link removed])
Lawsuit attacking Colorado oil and gas rules echoes Trump’s push to roll back local green laws
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Trump’s push for more LNG exports risks domestic price surge
E&E News ([link removed])
Former national forest supervisor fears for future of public lands amid drastic budget, staffing cuts
Aspen Journalism ([link removed])
Colorado counties take control of wildfire protection as DOGE slices federal funding
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” I believe public lands in America are part of the strength of America. It’s a uniquely American ideal.”
—Scott Fitzwilliams, former White River National Forest Supervisor, Aspen Journalism ([link removed])
** Picture This
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[link removed]
@deathvalleynps ([link removed])
The heat has arrived in Death Valley, and you know what that means! It’s lizard time!
Death Valley National Park is a place lousy with lounging lizards! Lizards are ectotherms, or animals that need an external heat source to warm up. If you look closely in Death Valley, you will likely see a few lizards warming up on rocks or sand! They have evolved over many generations to enjoy the sun in Death Valley, and we can learn a thing or two from them.
Lesson 1: Enjoy the sun at the right times of day: Just as lizards like to warm up in the early morning and evening, Death Valley is best enjoyed in the cooler parts of the day. Try to limit hiking to the mornings and evenings when it is cooler and safer.
Lesson 2: Know when to cool off: When lizards start getting too hot, they will retreat to a burrow or another shady spot. We as humans should also take regular breaks from the heat to rest and get out of direct sunlight.
Lesson 3: Stay hydrated: Lizards in Death Valley rely on the moisture from their food for water. This often includes flowers, leaves, and insects. As a park visitor you shouldn’t eat these things, but you should carry lots of water. We recommend drinking at least one gallon of water per person per day.
📍 Death Valley National Park
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