A former petroleum executive and representative of the team of the Elon Musk Government Ministry was largely authorized to make significant changes to the Interior Department, the agency responsible for supervising national parks and more than 500 million acres of federal land.
This decision alarmed conservation groups, including some who accused the interior secretary Doug Burgum of having broken out to give Musk and his “carte blanche” team for possibly the guards of the fire park, public land directors and forest fire specialists across the country.
The prescription was signed Thursday by Burgum, giving Tyler Hassen Sweeping Authority to “make the consolidation, unification and optimization of administrative functions” in the interior department.
The order gives Hassen the power to make changes to the funding and the directives of the ministry.
Hassen was recently appointed assistant secretary to policy, management and budget in the interior department.
Before this position, Hassen was Managing Director of Basin Energy. In its website, the company describes itself as “an exploration and development company of green energy metals”. Hassen was previously financial director of Basin Holdings, “a global game of game and diversified industrial services”, according to his Linkedin page.
But more recently, Hassen was photographed in an article on Doge’s social networks on the organization’s efforts to increase the amount of water pumped by the federal government to south of California in January.
This decision had been pushed by President Trump during California forest fires. Trump said troops had been used to force the state to increase the amount of water pumped. The Los Angeles Times noted that the pumping installation of the federal government had delivered less water due to routine maintenance. The California Department of Water Resources also refuted the president’s complaint, noting that the pumps have been offline for three days due to the interview.
In a press release, the Center for Western priorities, which is described as an organization of non -partisan land conservation policy, criticized the order giving Hassen such a great authority over the department.
“If Doug Burgum does not want this work, he should quit smoking now,” Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the organization said in the press release. “Instead, it seems that Burgum plans to sit near the fire eating hot cookies while Elon Musk lacans dismantle our national parks and our public lands.”
The decision said that Rokala said in the press release, in fact placed non -elected officials of the DOGE in charge of the national parks.
“They do not know how to manage a forest or prepare for fires in the Wildland-Urban interface,” said Rokala. “But Doug Burgum just gave Doge Free Rein.”
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry criticized the Center for Western Priories, appealing to an “anti-Trump organization that pleads against practical and affordable energy development”.
“The order of the secretary orders (deputy secretary for policy, management and budget) to ensure that the executive order of President Donald J. Trump to restore responsibility to the American pubic is carried out,” said Kathryn Martin, spokesperson for the interior department. “Thanks to this optimization effort, the ministry will continue to prioritize the conservation of the first stakeholders, parks and services and energy production employees.”
Other conservation groups have already brought legal action on DOGE actions affecting national parks.
In March, the Sierra Club, as well as the Union of concerned Scientist, Japanese American Citizens League and Asian Pacific American Advocates, filed a complaint against Musk and Doge, alleging that they had acted beyond their power after having led mass license in agencies supervising national parks.
The pursuit also appointed the office of staff management, the Ministry of Education, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the national ocean and atmospheric administration as defendants.
Athan Manuel, director of land protection for the Sierra Club, said that recent layoffs and the decision to allow a DOGE official to make many changes compared to the department was worrying, in particular given the difficulties of national parks across the country.
“Even before Trump arrives, our public parks have missed staff, in any way you look at him,” he said. “This is something that will worsen a bad situation.”
Among the biggest concerns, Manuel said that an official of the Doches and the White House would have such a big word to say on the Ministry of the Interior without having experience on the agency and the departments it supervises.
“Stephen Miller will inform them (presidential advisor) or another ideologist in the White House to simply cut, cut the cup, without understanding what are the consequences on the ground,” said Manuel. “You direct the Ministry of the Interior – you are in charge of Yosemite (National Park), Sequoia (National Park), the statue of Liberty. Treating them how they treat them is really insulting for the country and citizens. ”
California Daily Newspapers
