Despite news last week stating US Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers was being tapped to lead the Interior Department, today new reports say Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana will be nominated as the Secretary of the Interior. As a lifelong hunter and fisherman, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation hopes Zinke will listen to the needs of the sportsmen community and continue to protect public lands.
The Secretary of the Interior oversees the Department of the Interior (DOI), which manages one-fifth of America’s public lands. That’s all of our BLM lands (approximately 13 million acres in New Mexico alone), national parks, preserves and monuments, wildlife refuges, 35,000 miles of coastline, and 1.76 billion acres on the outer continental shelf. DOI is also entrusted to honor our agreements with 562 Indian Tribes, and to conserve fish, wildlife, and their habitats, responsibilities that affect millions of sportsmen and women. DOI also manages national public lands and minerals, and is responsible for the endangered species conservation act, as well as other environmental conservation efforts.
Unlike previously proposed Interior appointees, Zinke has a history of defending public access to federal lands. Zinke went so far as to quit his position as a member of the GOP platform-writing committee after they included language to transfer federal lands to state control. He has also been in favor of fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a critical bill that helps fund conservation measures. With this appointment, we hope president-elect Trump is sticking to his previous statements saying he will protect public lands for hunters and anglers across the country.
While Zinke’s position on public lands is encouraging, he has criticized rules meant to curb methane pollution, opposed efforts to curb coal production on public lands, embraced fossil fuels, and opposed President Obama’s important Waters of the United States rule. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation is not against energy production and mineral development, but we strongly believe a balanced approach is needed when it comes to the management of our public lands and our national natural resources. It is crucial to make sure energy production/mineral development is expanded in a sustainable way that does not adversely impact critical wildlife habitat and watershed integrity. To fully protect public lands, the environment must be protected as well. We hope as Secretary of the Interior, Zinke fully commits to protecting our public lands by standing up to the fossil fuel industry when necessary.
If appointed, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation welcomes the opportunity to work with Zinke on the issues that matter to hunters and anglers across the country. As a self-described Teddy Roosevelt Republican, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation will be “the man in the arena,” holding the incoming Secretary of the Interior accountable to this massive legacy.
