In May, billboards appeared in Reno depicting Death Valley National Park. Their purpose was not to encourage visitation to the park, however. Over a stunning photo of mountains and desert expanse, the text reads: “Heat Deaths Rise, Safety Staff Cut; Made possible by DOGE.”
The goal was to encourage public interest in fighting back against the recent Department of Government Efficiency cuts across national parks.
These billboards—and others across the country depicting national parks—were funded by More Perfect Union, a nonprofit advocacy journalism organization that aims to “build power for the working class.” The organization normally focuses on worker exploitation and corporate accountability. Founder and executive director Faiz Shakir believes that limited access to public land is a threat to providing equal access to public goods…