Elon Musk’s DOGE puts government agencies in Spokane Valley, Lapwai, Pomeroy on notice for building lease terminations

Several federal agencies in Washington and Idaho are on notice that their office leases in local buildings will be terminated as the Trump administration searches for ways to cut costs.

Using the Department of Government Efficiency Service, the Trump White House has been continually updating its “savings” website with government leases set to be scrapped. It’s unclear where the employees who work in those buildings would go, especially after an executive order Trump signed that requires all federal employees to physically return to work rather than work remotely.

One of those leases on DOGE’s website points to a U.S. Forest Service building in Pomeroy. The building is more than 10,000 square feet, two stories tall and is the office setting for employees and seasonal workers coming and going, said Tina Keller, the Port of Garfield’s administrative assistant.

The building’s lease is set for termination at the end of September.

Pomeroy’s forest service building is the only other district building in Washington that serves the Umatilla National Forest. The closest building is over an hour away in Walla Walla, and the rest of the Umatilla National Forest is served by ranger districts in the state of Oregon.

The Port of Garfield, which owns the building, received a letter on Feb. 26 from the U.S General Services Administration with the title, “All parties have completed official notice of exercise of termination right” under the building’s lease number.

“Dear Port of Garfield,” the letter reads. “This letter shall serve as written notice of the government’s exercise of its termination rights in accordance with the lease contract … No rent shall accrue after the effective date of this termination.

“Thank you for your cooperation and for making your space available to the government.”

The letter was signed by Glenn Harvey, a member of the GSA.

Keller said the monthly lease is around $9,000. The monthly user fee, which includes services like paint, carpet, maintenance or general upkeep to keep the building in working order, is around $6,000 a month. DOGE claims the government will save $1,453,106 based on Pomeroy’s ranger station, even though the lease is around $181,000 a year.

It’s unclear how the government would save over a million dollars from that lease. DOGE and its leader, Elon Musk, have been criticized for exaggerating the saving from lease terminations as well as overstating savings from other measures such as cutting programs and contracts, the New York Times reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey Building located at 11103 E. Montgomery Drive in Spokane Valley is also on DOGE’s list. The USGS declined to give any information about the employees or the lease.

“We are actively working with General Services Administration to ensure that every facility and asset is utilized effectively, and where necessary, identifying alternative solutions that strengthen our mission,” USGS said in a statement via email. “These efforts reflect our broader commitment to streamlining government operations while ensuring that our scientific endeavors remain strong, effective, and impactful. This process is ongoing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

Across the border in Lapwai, Idaho, DOGE posted the Bureau of Indian Affairs building costs $112,000 to lease annually and is slated for termination. Located on Nez Perce trust land on the Nez Perce Reservation, the 6,000-square-foot office building lease belongs to the Northern Idaho Agency that administers services for the Nez Perce Tribe and Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. The agency directed questions to a general BIA number. No one responded to requests for comment Friday.

William Barquin, attorney for the Kootenai Tribe, said Thursday the tribe had just heard about the potential closure.

“The Northern Idaho Agency provides critical services to the Kootenai Tribe and the closure will have an impact on our Reservation and citizens,” Barquin said in an email. “We are getting in touch with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs and our Congressional Delegation to obtain additional information.”

Another BIA agency serves the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Plummer, Idaho. The BIA has 83 local agencies that work with tribal governments on programs like employment training, law enforcement, economic development, tribal governance and natural resources management.

David Aiken, superintendent of Lapwai School District, said the Northern Idaho Agency provides information needed to apply for federal impact aid that makes up 31% of the school district’s budget.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray criticized the potential closure of local government buildings across Washington, calling it an attempt to hurt taxpayers and “rip away” necessary services.

“Two billionaires with no clue what the federal government does are right now pushing to sell dozens of federal properties in Washington state – with absolutely zero consideration for how it will hurt the people who rely on the services provided from these buildings,” Murray said in the release.

The Spokane Valley USGS center helps collect, analyze and disseminate hydrologic data and information to manage water resources across the Northwest, like groundwater and aquatic ecosystems, she added.

“Their work helps protect endangered salmon and steelhead, ensure dam operators have the information needed to operate safely, and protects farmers and their crops,” Murray said in the release.

Murray also named the Pomeroy ranger district station in the same release.

“Rangers play a crucial role in protecting natural resources and managing public lands, encompassing tasks like fire prevention, law enforcement, and public support like trails maintenance, patrol duties, and other safety measures,” the release said.

In Dayton, Washington, DOGE lists a U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service center lease for $41,342. The property is owned by the Port of Columbia. Google Street View shows the building is a modest pole barn with a garage door.

Jennie Dickinson, director of the port, said she was notified by a form letter on Feb. 25 that the lease will be terminated as of Aug. 31, 2025. The letter said the department is closing leases for buildings that are run down or not public facing. Neither of those reasons apply, she said. The building was remodeled in 2015 and serves local farmers.

Dickinson said she emailed the department back with suggestions about how to reduce the costs of the lease.

Because it is a full-service lease, the port has to pay for someone to take out the trash every day, whether it is needed or not, even though only six people work in the office. The lease also had a strict maintenance schedule that required new paint and new carpet, even when it wasn’t needed. All those costs to the port were passed on through the lease with higher rent.

“Not very efficient,” Dickinson said.

The staff don’t know what will happen to their jobs, she said. They found out about the lease from her.

She is concerned about the local farmers who use the office to sign up for things like crop insurance. The next closest center is 30 miles away in Walla Walla.

Other buildings in Washington set for closure include the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Renton, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Olympia, the Small Business Administration in Seattle, Employment Standards Administration in Tacoma, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Richland and others. Terminations for the Yakama Agency in Toppenish, Washington, and the Flathead Agency in Pablo, Montana, are also listed on DOGE’s website.

In Boise, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are set for possible closure, according to DOGE.