While free speech, democracy, and the rule of law are under attack, it may seem that what has been happening at the Department of the Interior since January is the least of our worries. However, a recent trip to Mount Rainier prompted a deep dive into DOI activities led by former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

The moment I walked in the restroom at Mount Rainier, I realized I was experiencing the impacts of the DOI budget cuts firsthand. There was toilet paper strewn across the floor of each stall, the sanitary bins were overflowing, many of the toilets appeared clogged, and some stalls didn’t even have toilet paper in the dispenser. Based on the visual description, you can imagine the smell.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, the National Park Service lost 24% of

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