Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) commended the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for their focus on national parks, which he said are in “pretty good shape” after recent workforce cuts.
The Trump administration fired approximately 1,000 National Parks Service employees following spending cuts suggested by DOGE.
The park service recently announced they’d be reinstating about 5,000 seasonal jobs that were put on hold after a spending freeze at the direction of President Trump according to the Associated Press.
“I think the parks are pretty good shape, because Doug Burgum is no one better in our parks,” Zinke, the former secretary of the interior during Trump’s first administration, said during a Tuesday evening appearance on The Hill on NewsNation. Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, is now secretary of the Interior Department.
“And look, he’s got a lot of advice, and we want to make sure our parks are healthy and last in the future, because they are America’s greatest,” Zinke continued.
Zinke’s state is home to Glacier National Park and part of Yellowstone National Park, two of the country’s most popular, visited and historic parks. He defended DOGE’s actions, saying he wasn’t concerned about the job cuts and that there was too much waste in the government.
“I like what DOGE is doing. Let’s shake it up, because business as usual is not working in the great outdoors,” Zinke said during a Tuesday evening appearance on The Hill on NewsNation.
“We’re burning our forests up. We’re not using our resources wisely, and I think everyone can say there’s a lot of room for improvement, but first, let’s get rid of the fraud, waste and abuse,” he added.
