One year later, DOGE cuts to Montana federal leases never materialized

It's been almost a year since the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced it was cutting more than a dozen federal building leases in Montana as part of its goal to slash federal spending. But in the months that followed, the plans largely fizzled and many of the leases on the chopping block remain active.

A review by Lee Montana found that of the roughly one dozen leases slated for removal, DOGE said it has canceled four office leases so far, saving an estimated $748,184 of the initial $2.7 million of cuts planned in 2025.

But those numbers appear to conflict with public documents, as at least one agency in Montana whose lease was listed as cut by DOGE secured new office space.

The General Services Administration (GSA) manages federally owned buildings and leases across the country, including 31-owned buildings and 89 leases in Montana, according to its website.

Jorge Pineda, a public affairs officer for the GSA, declined to answer Lee Montana's questions on why certain leases did not get cut, including whether DOGE is still evaluating new lease cancellations.

Instead, GSA associate administer of strategic communication Marianne Coperhaver said in a statement that the GSA is working with federal agencies to "right size" their workspace needs.

"Over the last year, GSA has actively managed our leased portfolio and generated approximately $730 million in cost avoidance by optimizing our lease portfolio including terminating unneeded leases, reducing leased space where appropriate, and negotiating leases with better terms,” Coperhaver said in a statement.

The work of DOGE largely faded away from its original public facing form aimed to cut government waste when billionaire Elon Musk stopped working with the federal government in May, according to the Associated Press.

An analysis by the New York Times showed many of the cuts made by DOGE were riddled with errors and exaggerations, although the department still made more than 29,000 cuts across the federal government.

Some proposals to remove western Montana Social Security offices were quickly removed following public backlash and recommendations from Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican.

Others appear to have been quietly taken off the DOGE list, and continue to operate today.

A spreadsheet managed by the GSA lists many of the remaining leases, but the data appears missing or outdated, like the inclusion of former Rep. Matt Rosendale, who left office in 2025, as the current representative for eastern Montana.

What was cut 

The largest savings reported by DOGE comes from one of the two U.S. Fish and Wildlife buildings in Bozeman, where DOGE said it saved in total $682,681 by canceling its annual $244,292 lease, according to its website.

The Bozeman Fish Technology Center sits on land owned by the Fish and Wildlife Service northwest of the city, while the Bozeman Fish Health Center leases a building west of Montana State University.

According to DOGE, the building lease for 7,853 square feet was canceled amid a mass lease cancellation order in February 2025, although the GSA's database showed it still has a lease for a building with the same square footage through July 2028.

When a Lee Montana reporter visited the building on Friday, the space was empty. An Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Assistance Center was also located in the building, and a sign said the space closed in February 2024.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not respond to Lee Montana's request for comment.

After Lee Montana published its initial story on the lease removals last March, DOGE added a new shuttered lease for the U.S. Trustee Program in Great Falls, which permanently closed in September 2025.

The canceled lease saved $39,374 in total, which comes from an annual lease of $21,514, according to DOGE. The office was one of seven trustee offices that permanently closed across the U.S., according to the Department of Justice.

The program is part of the U.S. Department of Justice and means to supervise the administration of bankruptcy cases, according to the department's website.

The Great Falls office was the only Montana field office for the program, and a statement from the Department of Justice said all documents related to Montana cases should be sent to its office in Boise, Idaho, instead.

"The United States Trustee Program has closed the field office located in Great Falls, Montana, effective September 30, 2025," the statement read. "The USTP will continue to provide oversight and appear in bankruptcy cases filed in the District of Montana."

Matthew Nies, a public affairs specialist for the Department of Justice, declined to provide further comment of information to Lee Montana.

Another DOGE cut closed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration office in Helena, which saved $26,129 and had a total annual lease cost of $39,248.

The office was located within a U.S. Forest Service Office in Helena, Lee Montana previously reported.

The safety administration, which falls under the U.S Department of Transportation, is responsible for regulating large commercial vehicles that conduct interstate commerce.

Despite its office closure, a new office has been established at a different address, according to the administration's website. The office appears to sit within an existing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building.

Cicely Waters, a spokesperson for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, declined to comment on the lease system, and referred the Missoulian to the GSA for comment.

GSA lease documents show that both the former space and current space for the administration are still active.

DOGE also closed a U.S Border Patrol Station in Shelby, but it remains unclear whether the station was in use at the time of the lease termination. The closure saved $0, according to DOGE.

DOGE initially said canceling the Shelby Border Patrol Station lease would save $1,817,795, with an annual building lease of $363,559.

Several leases left undisturbed 

Both the Missoula and Kalispell Social Security Offices continue to operate in western Montana. DOGE initially planned to cut the leases to save a total of $150,724, the Lee Montana previously reported.

While both offices are still in use, GSA documents show the Missoula Social Security Office's lease expires on March 31, while the Kalispell office started a new 10-year lease in July 2025.

The small Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Pablo, which serves the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, still has a lease through July 31, according to a review of GSA leases.

DOGE initially planned to close the office by June 30, 2025. The office is roughly 600 square-feet and sits within a larger tribal government center. DOGE estimated the cut would save $868, with a total lease of $10,418.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service research center in Great Falls was also removed from the proposed cuts list. The savings from closing the lease was estimated at $21,021.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Billings remains active after its lease was initially considered for a cut.

The service “protects the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources,” according to the Department of Agriculture website, like providing animal care, biotechnology regulations, veterinary support, and managing disease outbreaks such as avian influenza.

DOGE said the cut would save $65,258, the annual lease contract for the building.

The Missoula Natural Resources Conservation Service remains active after it was also considered for a lease cut. The service also houses the Farm Service Agency and other rural development programs.

According to DOGE, the annual cost of the lease is $275,892. The building is 8,310 square feet.

DOGE also eyed cutting the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman, which has an annual lease of $369,838. Lee Montana previously reported closing the building would save $0.