BOZEMAN — By now you may have heard that the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to shut down multiple Montana government offices, one of which is the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman. But something that hasn’t been talked about a lot yet is what the outcome of these closures could look like.
“These people aren't sitting around playing cards all day. They’re doing things for us, for the people that live in Montana,” says Chris Servheen.
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Since the news came to light last week, many people have expressed concerns regarding DOGE shutting down at least 12 Montana government facilities in an effort to reduce federal spending. For Chris Servheen, a retired Fish and Wildlife Service employee of 35 years? He is especially concerned about the future of the U.S Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, or NOROCK.
“I have a lot of worry about, what does it mean for all those scientists there? If you shut down their offices what happens to the people,” says Chris.
Although Chris never worked directly with NOROCK, he was the grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service. He understands how important the research done at their facility is.
“Those scientists contribute a tremendous amount to the management and conservation of wildlife and natural systems, in not only Montana but in multiple areas of the northern Rockies,” Chris explains.
Some work done at NOROCK includes research on invasive species such as zebra mussels and brucellosis, researching climate change, monitoring the status and health of the grizzly bear population in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and more. Which is why one of Chris’s biggest concerns?
“The people that are making these cuts have no idea about all these issues that we face in Montana. But our congressional delegation supposedly does. So why aren't they speaking up and saying, ‘Hey wait a minute, this can’t happen,'” he says.
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Last week, a spokesperson for Congressman Ryan Zinke sent me a statement regarding DOGE cuts. Part of that statement read, “Paying for empty buildings is not in the best interest of Montana taxpayers."
Similar statements were made by Sen. Steve Daines at a recent press conference. Chris’s response to that?
“Well, the USGS in Bozeman is on the campus there by MSU, and it’s not empty. It’s full."
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I reached out to both Bozeman offices that are on DOGE’s chopping block, NOROCK as well as The Bozeman Fish Health Center. I have yet to hear from either agency. So, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about who is in these buildings and what their future holds. But Chris says if you aren’t at least a little bit concerned like him?
“If you don’t care, then you don’t care about healthy wildlife in Montana. You don’t care about healthy streams and healthy fisheries. And I would ask people, if you don’t care about any of those things then why do they live in Montana?”
But Chris tells me if you do care, “What the public needs to do is contact their congressional delegation, and say, ‘Where are you guys? Why don’t you speak up and help us out?'”.
