Offices that help fight climate change and support efforts to protect and restore South Florida鈥檚 sprawling wilderness are on the chopping block as the Trump administration continues scaling back government amid widespread lease terminations.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary will shutter its Key Largo office 鈥� if a planned lease termination goes through. So will offices staffed by federal wildlife law enforcement officers in Doral and Army Corps staff in Jacksonville.
News of the lease terminations came as a shock to those who work closely with the agencies.
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"We can invest billions of dollars at the state and federal level, but without the Park Service and the Army Corps, Everglades restoration is just a dream, not a reality," National Parks Conservation Association's Care Capp said in a statement. "And we will all be less safe.鈥�
Last week, the Trump administration issued a wave of layoffs that included nearly two dozen scientists who work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A spokesman for the Sanctuary was unaware when asked about the planned lease termination for the Key Largo office, located in an old Koehler plumbing showroom on the Overseas Highway. After checking with his boss, spokesman Scott Atwell said officials were aware 鈥渢hat these leases are under review and we鈥檙e trying to get guidance on what鈥檚 next.鈥�
According to the latest update on the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency website, the lease on the nearly 8,000-square foot office costs more than $252,000 a year and cancelling it would save nearly $1.4 million. It鈥檚 not clear where workers assigned to the office would work. The Sanctuary鈥檚 only other office is located in Key West.
"We can invest billions of dollars at the state and federal level, but without the Park Service and the Army Corps, Everglades restoration is just a dream, not a reality. And we will all be less safe.鈥�National Parks Conservation Association's Care Capp
A source said the lease is now planned to be terminated at the end of August.
The lease is one of several slated for termination for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed on the DOGE website. The site also lists office space west of Tampa that houses NOAA鈥檚 seafood inspection program, along with a Sunrise office that houses law enforcement. A source said the terminations are planned for June and September.
The list published by DOGE also includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 Doral office that acts as a hub for law enforcement in South Florida. Agents working out of the office helped crackdown on illegal lobster harvesting, among other things.
The list also includes two offices leased by the National Park Service, including Everglades National Park's 21,000-square foot Homestead office that houses scientists working on Everglades restoration. A Naples office is also on the list along with the Park Service鈥檚 Archaeological Center in Tallahassee that holds millions of artifacts from national parks across the Southeast.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville office that covers nearly 200,000 square feet is also on the list. The Corps鈥� Jacksonville district helps oversee Florida鈥檚 massive $23 billion Everglades restoration effort that in recent years has received record funding as the state and federal government push to speed up work. Ending the lease would save the government $9.4 million, according to the DOGE website.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he plans to ask the White House to hand control of managing the work to the state of Florida.
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