ICYMI: Zinke’s Week Reveals Risky Future for Interior Department, Animals and... Trump?

Washington, DC-- Ryan Zinke has continued to work tirelessly to show his true self as he reveals his future political ambitions. Last Friday, it was revealed that Zinke has said diversity is not important nor a priority for his department-- clarified by his actions that disproportionately affect Native Americans and women working at the department.

And on Wednesday, news leaked of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s secret intention to gut a key rule under the Endangered Species Act that protects threatened species from harm. That rule has protected iconic species like the Northern Spotted Owl, Gunnison Sage Grouse and Mojave Desert Tortoise.  If the rule is changed, new species listed as threatened will not automatically receive protection, leaving them vulnerable, especially in areas where key wildlife habitat crosses Zinke’s blind push to drill, mine and frack. From 1973 to 2013, the Endangered Species Act prevented extinction for  99 percent of species under its protection. Zinke’s decision to tap Susan Combs as acting secretary for fish, wildlife and parks-- a noted and aggressive opponent of the Endangered Species Act, the implementation of this successful law and our country’s wildlife are at risk.

Zinke is also making moves through the Department of Justice to challenge an effort by the state of California to prevent public lands from being sold off for dirty fuel development. He appears to have no such qualms about state actions on public lands when it comes to Utah, which has offered legislation in support of handing over public lands to the highest bidder.

At the same time, the Des Moines Register reported Zinke is testing his name recognition in Iowa-- signaling he may have intentions to make a presidential run in 2020.

In response, Athan Manuel, director of Public Lands Protection for Sierra Club issued the following statement:

“It’s becoming clearer by the day that Ryan Zinke’s focus is on himself and his political future, not his duty to the American people or the man who tapped him for the job. In his pursuit to build his name as perhaps the most incompetent Interior Secretary in history, Zinke is now attempting to gut one of the most successful and bipartisan environmental protections in history-- the Endangered Species Act, while selling out public lands.

“Zinke has yet again selected the fox to guard the hen house. No different from the majority of this administration, Susan Combs represents someone who wants to dismantle the mission of her respective agency. Little did Trump know, Zinke might be using that same ‘fox guarding the hen house’ strategy to steal his job.”