U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Palm Springs faces closure

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - The Trump Administration's Department of Government Efficiency plans to terminate lease contracts and close multiple federal agency offices in California, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Palm Springs.

According to the Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife Office (PSFWO) website, the office focuses on wildlife conservation related to renewable energy development, Habitat Conservation Planning, and interagency cooperation in the areas served by the office. These areas are Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and the desert portions of Kern, Los Angeles, and Inyo counties.

The PSFWO partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office in Carlsbad, with the goal to conserve, manage and enhance habitats to support native wildlife across more than 50,000 square miles of Southern California.

Critics argue the closures of the offices undermine California's climate policies and weaken environmental protections.

News Channel 3 reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Palm Springs and we are awaiting a response.