Valley Stream U.S. Fish and Wildlife office on DOGE chopping block
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Valley Stream office is on a list of federal agencies targeted for closure by DOGE. Credit: Newsday / Howard Schnapp
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Valley Stream is on a list of facilities targeted for closure as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to "optimize the federal footprint" nationwide and shrink the size of government.
The lease runs out Sept. 30 on the 9,493-square-foot space used by the agency in an office building at 70 Sunrise Hwy., according to the management company and an Associated Press story, citing a March 10 memo from the General Services Administration, which manages federal office space.
The move provides no direct financial benefit to the federal government, which has paid roughly $345,000 annually for its lease, according to the website for the Department of Government Efficiency.
Also known as DOGE, the agency is led by billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to search for ways to reduce the federal government.
It remained unclear Wednesday what lies ahead for the staff and services of the Valley Stream office, one of several federal Fish and Wildlife facilities across Long Island.
"We were a little shocked," said Joseph Scimone, chief financial officer at Lighthouse Realty Partners LLC, which manages the property.
"They didn't give us a reason," Scimone said in a phone interview Wednesday. "They didn't ask us anything" except "to say we're terminating the lease."
Scimone said the GSA sent a letter a week or two ago giving them six months notice that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be leaving the building. The agency has been a tenant for more than 20 years.
The agency oversees national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, conservation projects and other operations at facilities across the country, according to its website.
The service did not confirm the closure of the Valley Stream office or say how it would affect employees.
"We are actively working with GSA to ensure that every facility and asset is utilized effectively and where necessary, identifying alternative solutions that strengthen our mission," the agency said in a statement.
A GSA spokesperson also did not confirm the cancellation of the lease but said in a statement Wednesday to Newsday that it is reviewing "options to optimize the federal footprint and building utilization," and actively "managing lease contracts by leveraging existing contract cancellation rights."
The office’s expected closure comes as Musk's group has sought to close nearly 50 Social Security Administration offices and end other federal government real estate leases, the AP said. Government offices across the country are on the website's list, including for the Internal Revenue Service, Food and Drug Administration and Federal Highway Administration.
On Long Island, the cutbacks have sparked concerns over the future for federal services of all kinds. Last week, the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site said it planned to cut hours at President Theodore Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay home and decrease hours at its Old Orchard Museum after the Trump administration let go of roughly 1,000 employees of the National Park Service, Newsday previously reported.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service website, the agency has several locations on Long Island, including the Long Island Ecological Services Field Office in Shirley, Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge in Huntington and the Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge in North Sea.
Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), whose district includes portions of Valley Stream, called the announcement of the possible closure "abrupt" and "chaotic."
"I’ve relayed my concerns to the Administration over DOGE’s abrupt indication that they will terminate the lease on the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream," Gillen said in a statement to Newsday. "Long Islanders deserve more than this chaotic announcement — I’ll continue to closely track how this will impact my constituents as details around this office closing emerge."
The GSA spokesperson also said it is "sending letters of intent to customer agencies to inform them GSA is considering lease termination."
"Actively managing leases gives GSA the opportunity to work closely with our partner agencies on their evolving and longer-term needs and will often allow us to enhance space utilization and secure better terms for the government — including better pricing," the spokesperson added.
Typically, before a tenant terminates a lease, the company will request lower rent, Scimone said. That was not the case with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's two suites in Valley Stream.
"They just sent a letter that they were terminating the lease — period. End of conversation. Not a lot of small talk," he said.
When Scimone reached out to the GSA, a contact there "didn’t know anything about it," and had "no information to give us."
The GSA was paying far below rentable market rates — usually 20% less, Scimone, added, because the government only pays for usable space and not for shared spaces like elevators or hallways that other nongovernmental clients pay for.
"I don’t really know why they are vacating," he said. "They have an awful good deal."
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Valley Stream is on a list of facilities targeted for closure as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to "optimize the federal footprint" nationwide and shrink the size of government.
The lease runs out Sept. 30 on the 9,493-square-foot space used by the agency in an office building at 70 Sunrise Hwy., according to the management company and an Associated Press story, citing a March 10 memo from the General Services Administration, which manages federal office space.
The move provides no direct financial benefit to the federal government, which has paid roughly $345,000 annually for its lease, according to the website for the Department of Government Efficiency.
Also known as DOGE, the agency is led by billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to search for ways to reduce the federal government.
It remained unclear Wednesday what lies ahead for the staff and services of the Valley Stream office, one of several federal Fish and Wildlife facilities across Long Island.
Longtime tenants
"We were a little shocked," said Joseph Scimone, chief financial officer at Lighthouse Realty Partners LLC, which manages the property.
"They didn't give us a reason," Scimone said in a phone interview Wednesday. "They didn't ask us anything" except "to say we're terminating the lease."
Scimone said the GSA sent a letter a week or two ago giving them six months notice that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be leaving the building. The agency has been a tenant for more than 20 years.
The agency oversees national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, conservation projects and other operations at facilities across the country, according to its website.
The service did not confirm the closure of the Valley Stream office or say how it would affect employees.
"We are actively working with GSA to ensure that every facility and asset is utilized effectively and where necessary, identifying alternative solutions that strengthen our mission," the agency said in a statement.
A GSA spokesperson also did not confirm the cancellation of the lease but said in a statement Wednesday to Newsday that it is reviewing "options to optimize the federal footprint and building utilization," and actively "managing lease contracts by leveraging existing contract cancellation rights."
The office’s expected closure comes as Musk's group has sought to close nearly 50 Social Security Administration offices and end other federal government real estate leases, the AP said. Government offices across the country are on the website's list, including for the Internal Revenue Service, Food and Drug Administration and Federal Highway Administration.
Concern over cutbacks
On Long Island, the cutbacks have sparked concerns over the future for federal services of all kinds. Last week, the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site said it planned to cut hours at President Theodore Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay home and decrease hours at its Old Orchard Museum after the Trump administration let go of roughly 1,000 employees of the National Park Service, Newsday previously reported.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service website, the agency has several locations on Long Island, including the Long Island Ecological Services Field Office in Shirley, Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge in Huntington and the Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge in North Sea.
Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), whose district includes portions of Valley Stream, called the announcement of the possible closure "abrupt" and "chaotic."
"I’ve relayed my concerns to the Administration over DOGE’s abrupt indication that they will terminate the lease on the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream," Gillen said in a statement to Newsday. "Long Islanders deserve more than this chaotic announcement — I’ll continue to closely track how this will impact my constituents as details around this office closing emerge."
The GSA spokesperson also said it is "sending letters of intent to customer agencies to inform them GSA is considering lease termination."
"Actively managing leases gives GSA the opportunity to work closely with our partner agencies on their evolving and longer-term needs and will often allow us to enhance space utilization and secure better terms for the government — including better pricing," the spokesperson added.
Typically, before a tenant terminates a lease, the company will request lower rent, Scimone said. That was not the case with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's two suites in Valley Stream.
"They just sent a letter that they were terminating the lease — period. End of conversation. Not a lot of small talk," he said.
When Scimone reached out to the GSA, a contact there "didn’t know anything about it," and had "no information to give us."
The GSA was paying far below rentable market rates — usually 20% less, Scimone, added, because the government only pays for usable space and not for shared spaces like elevators or hallways that other nongovernmental clients pay for.
"I don’t really know why they are vacating," he said. "They have an awful good deal."
Education: Howard University
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.
Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation; New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting; Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.
This is a modal window.
NTSB urges look at risky bridges ... NYPD needs new squad cars ... Seaford preschool closing ... Disabled allegedly excluded from LI public housing
Top Stories
This is a modal window.
NTSB urges look at risky bridges ... NYPD needs new squad cars ... Seaford preschool closing ... Disabled allegedly excluded from LI public housing
Most Popular
