Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Yesterday, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, when speaking before the National Petroleum Council, claimed that nearly one-third of the staff at the Interior Department are “not loyal to the flag.” He even went so far to claim that people at Fish and Wildlife Service “hated people to a degree.” Earlier this month, Zinke called for the largest rollback of protections for America’s public lands and national monuments ever. In a leaked copy of Zinke’s report shared by the Washington Post, he calls for stripping protections from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, Cascade-Siskiyou in Oregon, Gold Butte in Nevada, Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts near Massachusetts and Rose Atoll and Pacific Remote Islands. Zinke has also made clear his intention to open our public lands to more oil and gas drilling, including the the sensitive coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , beginning with seismic testing that could permanently mar one of the country's last wild places.
In response, Sierra Club Military Outdoors Campaign Representative and veteran Rob Vessels released the followings statement:
“Ryan Zinke is all too quick to tout his patriotism for serving in the military, but he fails to recognize the patriotism in protecting America’s public lands. Serving our country is patriotic, but so is working on behalf of the American people at the Department of the Interior, so is protecting our public lands for everyone to enjoy, and so is calling for our government to be better at working for every single person here. Given the groups Zinke has chosen to speak to and meet with as Secretary, we know where his loyalties currently reside. I, and millions of Americans wish that it was with us the people, and not with the fossil fuel industry.”
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.