DOGE has reduced staffing at the National Park Service by more than 10% over the last three months, but on Thursday Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a secretarial order that gives DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen the responsibility for “consolidation, unification and optimization of administrative functions.” The National Park Service is part of the Interior Department. Some of our most important historical sites associated with the Civil War and Reconstruction are administered by the National Park Service (NPS). These include Fort Sumter, Manassas, Chickamauga, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Shiloh, Monocacy, Petersburg, Appomattox, Reconstruction National Park, and dozens of other sites including sites including where presidents lived, forts, armories, and other historic properties.
Tyler Hassen is a former oil executive who was president of Basin Energy, an oil field equipment company. The Interior Department oversees 500 million acres of land across the United States. Critics of Burgum’s move say that assigning the oil executive Hassen the powers to decide how to cut costs and layoff staffers is illegal. DOGE was not established under U.S. law and Hassen was not appointed by Congress. Environmental critics say that Hassen is now empowered to “dismantle our national parks and public lands.” Hassen told FOX News that he will review “every single contract, every single grant” at the Interior Department. In emails sent out by DOGE, Hassen is looking for $30-$50 million in grants to be terminated immediately. DOGE is also looking to cut funding for National Parks and other sites in Maine because of the state’s refusal to discriminate against Trans people.
DOGE has also sought access to the Interior Department’s payroll system. When a long-time career attorney for the department, Anthony Irish, raised questions about the propriety of giving DOGE free reign over this highly personal information, attorney Irish was placed on administrative leave. Hassen has accused Irish of “subverting, obstructing and delaying” DOGE’s work and he is seeking Irish’s removal. This retaliatory firing is unheard of because agency attorneys are supposed to raise legal concerns about their superiors’ actions. This may cut off any potential questions within the department.
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