The Sierra Club and other partners are suing Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency over the mass firing of federal workers across multiple agencies. The groups contend the purge will have devastating impacts on Arizona's public lands and parks.
Sierra Club Managing Attorney Gloria Smith predicted that severe reductions in funding and staffing will affect visitor safety, wildlife protection, wildfire prevention and proper maintenance of lands.
"The trails are likely not to be maintained. There is a good chance campgrounds will not be cleaned up and cared for," she said. "There is a lot of work that goes into making a park presentable and safe for the high season, when millions and millions of people visit."
The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are two of the large federal employers responsible for hiring wildland firefighters. If hiring stalls, it could spell trouble for the 40% of public land in Arizona. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has said she "will ensure critical services remain uninterrupted."
Smith said their legal complaint is similar to other efforts that argue Musk was appointed to his role illegally, and call for the court to stop firing federal employees. This week, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan granted 14 states, including Arizona, the right to obtain critical documents and information on exactly what Musk's "DOGE" team is doing.
"Obviously, this is of the highest importance," she said. "People have lost their jobs. This is going to affect communities, people's families - they can't pay their rent or their mortgages - and so, we anticipate us doing what we can to move the case along, and we trust this judge will do the same."
The National Weather Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been the latest target for cuts. Smith said real-time weather service data is vital and should not receive the ax.
"For example, on a rafting trip, if there's a huge storm," she said, "then there are flash flood risks."
