Environmental groups are going to court against Elon Musk’s effort to gut the federal government by slashing funding and firing staff at agencies like the National Park Service.
In their lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Sierra Club and other groups said actions by Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, have harmed the public’s ability to enjoy the nation’s public lands.
“Firefighters and forest management staff have been dismissed as families remain on edge from the threats wildfires pose,” said Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, in a statement. “Families wanting to enjoy our national parks, forests and monuments are being welcomed with closed signs, long lines, and unmaintained trails — before the parks’ busiest season has even begun.”
Jealous continued: “Without the workers to staff and support our public lands, communities will face more dangerous and deadly fires, park visitors will face unsafe conditions, and local economies that rely on national parks will struggle. Only Trump and Musk would try to threaten America’s best idea.”
