The commission warns the move could jeopardize public safety, land management and the region’s tourism-based economy.
The appeal follows a sweeping cost-cutting initiative led by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE — a Trump administration agency headed by Elon Musk with a broad mandate to eliminate what it deems wasteful federal spending. One of DOGE’s priorities: reducing the government’s leased office footprint nationwide.
DOGE initially published a list of 793 federal lease terminations on March 2, estimating potential savings of roughly $500 million. By late March, the agency revised the list, removing 136 leases and reducing the projected savings by $150 million. The exact reasons for the removals were not disclosed, though some facilities were reportedly taken off the list following public and political pushback.
As of April 18, DOGE’s website lists 653 lease terminations nationwide, with projected savings of about $350 million. Two facilities in Moab remain on the list, along with four others in Utah.
The county commission responded by voting 6-0 to approve a letter at its April 15 meeting urging Utah’s federal representatives to take seriously the potential consequences of closing three Moab-based federal offices with upcoming expiring leases this year and next year.
The letter, addressed to Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis and Rep. Mike Kennedy, outlines the value of the local offices used by the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey — including their roles in flood monitoring, ecological research, park operations, river rescue and public land management.
“These offices house employees who provide directly to the safety of our community and provide critical services for our public lands that drive our tourism economy,” the letter states. “We strongly urge you to seriously evaluate these closures and the impacts that these closures will have on the general safety of our visitors and community, coupled with the economic impacts on our tourism-based economy.”
Read the full report at moabtimes.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.