Bonnie Rice, bonnie.rice@sierraclub.org , (406) 640-2857
Washington, DC-- Yesterday, the Hill reported that Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk revealed that he was being forced out of his post by the Trump administration and that he will be replaced by August. Several reports stated that Wenk is unhappy with the forced transfer to Washington, D.C. under Secretary Zinke’s direction and believes the transfer may be a punitive action for his support of wild Yellowstone bison. The Superintendent has served in the National Park Service for over 43 years.
In response, Bonnie Rice, Senior Representative for the Sierra Club’s Greater Yellowstone Campaign released the following statement:
"Dan Wenk has been a visionary steward of Yellowstone and he is a well-respected leader. This is not how you treat someone who has given his life to public service and stewardship of our national parks and wildlife, and the American public shouldn't stand for it.
“Secretary Zinke clearly has no respect for what it means to be a true conservationist. This is part of a pattern of selling out our parks, public lands and iconic wildlife to his industry and trophy hunter buddies. His decision to force out the Superintendent of the world's first national park should be seen for what it is: political interference and retaliation for a Park Service leader standing up for parks and wildlife rather than special interests.”
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.