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Bernhardt is The Worst Secretary of Interior ever--Worse than Zinke! Why Bernhardt Should Be Impeached: Read below the numerous documented reasons why David Bernhardt is not fit to be Secretary of Interior.
Bernhardt #213: BLM has been ordered by judge to review their plan to end Obama moratorium on coal leasing but they want to do “internal review” (i.e., so energy dominance lackeys will find in favor of ending it) while they should do a full NEPA environmental impact statement. As usual, no concern in Bernhardt Admin. for conservation. Impeach him! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/23/stories/1060386227 Bernhardt #212: Bernhardt uses fees from National park visitors for daily expenses rather than for future projects & maintenance! Why? Will help to keep parks open when Trump shuts down government & part of plan to eliminate Congressional funding of Interior except for funds from energy leasing & visitor fees. One more reason why Bernhardt should be impeached! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/23/stories/1060385493 Bernhardt #211: Read about Bernhardt squirming in meeting with Senators on Reorg., Climate Change, and FOIA! On his FOIA proposal to disallow “burdensome” searches” he is considering whether to scrap, keep, or modify it! Impeach this slimy doubletalker! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/22/stories/1060379529 Bernhardt #210: Rep. Grijalva introduced legis. To protect species following UN Report on threats. Bernhardt’s USFWS director, Aurelia Skipwith, who trained with Monsanto (as did Bernhardt’s Deputy Director) are silent on extinction crisis. USFWS, like the rest of Interior, is now devoted to Energy Dominance & threats to species no longer concerns them. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/23/stories/1060380657 Bernhardt #209: In meeting with Congress, Bernhardt says be believes in climate change but Interior opposed leading review of coal to see if climate impacts addressed as well as fair return to public. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/22/stories/1060380299 Bernhardt #208: Bernhardt approves $ for Nevada-Cal. Projects but actually these are DELAYED expenditures that should have occurred 2 years ago & phony Bernhardt acts like he is doing something special! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/22/stories/1060380121 Bernhardt #207: Bernhardt uses taxpayer funds to prepare leases for monuments lands to coal industry. Dems ask for GAO Review but Bernhardt says instead he will “personally study issue.” Guess whose interest Bernhardt’s “personal” study will favor! Impeach the creep! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/23/stories/1060381285 Bernhardt #206: Bernhardt’s Interior lets political appointees review FOIA requests they call an “Awareness Review!” This delays FOIA responses & appears to be used to keep info from being released at all. Add on top of this that Bernhardt-Jorjani (His Solicitor) want to reduce FOIA requests & you see that Bernhardt is stone-walling & opaqueness personified. He must be impeached! See http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/interior-department-policy-let-political-appointees-review-foia-requests Bernhardt #205: Secretary David Bernhardt maintained a private calendar on a single Google document that his staff overwrote repeatedly. The department says its legal team believes the practice was legal. Right—public records being destroyed regularly is legal! 1984 language! Impeach the creep! See http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/interior-department-policy-let-political-appointees-review-foia-requests Bernhardt #204: Obama Admin. phased out neoncotinoids in National Wildlife Refuges but Bernhardt’s USFWS reversed course to allow them on “case by case basis.” His Deputy is from Monsanto! One more reason why he should be impeached. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/22/stories/1060374619 Bernhardt #203: Glad that House is moving to protect Chaco Canyon & asking for details on LCW from Bernhardt & phony reorganization. But what about getting testimony & documents on his ethical misdeeds?! It’s no accident he is resisting so hard because they will show he is guilty! He has tried to flatter Grijalva into holding back. Don’t do it, Raul! It’s time to get this info & impeach this lackey! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/21/stories/1060373529 & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/22/stories/1060375007 & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/22/stories/1060375007 Federal Court preserves important ban aimed at helping threatened vaquitas. Trump’s NOAA Fisheries wanted to scrap the ban. Shows that nothing Trump agencies will not do to destroy protections for species. https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/20/stories/1060368369 Bernhardt #202: Bernhardt’s New Interior Dept Solicitor, Daniel Jorjani, worked for Koch brothers & has continued to serve them—opposes compendatory mitigation for destruction of habitat, allowing killing of birds, mining near Boundary Waters, wants to cut FOIA. See #165, $112, & #112 below for details. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/21/stories/1060373595 Bernhardt #201: Bernhardt wants transparency—for environmental organizations at the same time that he REFUSES to release documents on his ethical misdeeds & testimony by Interior employees about them. Once again & always, he’s hypocrite. & Jorjani, his Interior lawyer, who weakened Intl. Treaty on Bird Migration, does his bidding. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/17/stories/1060351121 & # 190 below for his stonewalling. & following for demand for transparency from evmntal orgs: https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/17/stories/1060351083 Bernhardt #200: Bernhardt says he wants to have new grant oversight “to reduce fraud.” Well, start with himself!: Here is What Bernhardt-Zinke have done: “The Interior Department will now funnel certain grants through a political screening intended to ensure the federal dollars "better align" with the administration's "priorities," according to a newly revealed memo. The move invests considerable power in a senior Interior Department adviser named Steve Howke, who will be reviewing grants including those above $50,000 for universities, land acquisition purposes and nonprofits that can engage in advocacy.” Howke is a political hack! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/01/09/stories/1060070507 Bernhardt #199: Interior defends record on Native Americans! Well, let’s see what USFWS does about Arizona tribes trying to halt copper mine near their burial & archaeological sites. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/16/stories/1060345287 Bernhardt #198: USFWS received 900,000 comments opposing removal of gray wolf Federal protections proposed by Bernhardt. However, Bernhardt does not listen to “public comments” no matter how large and overwhelming but follows the advise of those who “matter:” ranchers, trophy hunters, and Republican western state politicians who hate wolves & have been consistently trying to remove protections. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/16/stories/1060344505 Bernhardt #197: Bernhardt appoints Casey Hammond as acting BLM director. Hammond just deleted language that said BLM mission is to helping conserve public lands for future generations in keeping with Bernhardt's devotion to energy dominance. He led Zinke’s efforts to weaken protections for sage grouse & has pushed for property rights over environmental protections. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/16/stories/1060344589 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/casey-hammond/ Bernhardt #196: Bernhardt appoints a lobbyist as chief of staff, Todd Willens, who is dedicated to destroying End. Species Act, favors giving Fed. public lands to states, fought manatees endangered status, opposed Everglades put on UN list of Endangered Sites, lobbied against animal welfare rules. In other words, Bernhardt loves this guy’s policies! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/17/stories/1060350293 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/todd-willens/ Bernhardt #195: Bipartisan Congress wants to provide repair $ for Nat. Park Service—they say “it should be a no brainer.” But Bernhardt provides doubletalk instead—he wants to provide help “in some significant way!” but not from his own budget. He wants to take the money from either energy companies drilling public lands and/or fees for entering the parks. He wants to minimize the cost of Interior’s non-energy programs that have little or no priority. The goal is to make Interior funding mostly dependent on oil-gas-coal-drilling & mining. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/15/stories/1060339225 Bernhardt #194: Bernhardt’s nominee for Solicitor approved mining near Boundary Waters. He said he did “not have the right to block it.” This is same lackey who found good reasons to weaken Intl Migratory Bird Treaty so that corps. Would not be responsible for “incidental killing of birds.” Jorjani, like ALL of Bernhardt’s appointees, is a former energy (Koch brothers in this case) employee. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/15/stories/1060339457 Bernhardt #193: Bernhardt on offshore drilling: He can’t provide the plan—the only thing he can guarantee is that no plan will be released before Nov 2020 that will hurt Trump’s reelection. Once election over, drilling everywhere will commence. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/16/stories/1060340251 Bernhardt #192: Bernhardt often talks about “talking with Native Americans” but almost none of the tribes says they were consulted on decisions affecting them—unless it was after the decision had already been made & done merely for “appearances.” They should understand that Bernhardt only consults with the energy industry & its lackey politicos in western states. Once again, Bernhardt proves he is a phony & liar. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/15/stories/1060339113 Bernhardt # 191: Bernhardt officially states that BLM is not dedicated to Conservation. His BLM removed conservation language that said purpose was to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands…” from its mission statement! Bernhardt honestly would like to reword it as follows: BLM’s Mission is to do everything possible to achieve energy dominance & will try to help trophy hunters & welfare ranchers as long as they don’t interfere with dominance.” See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/15/stories/1060338603 Bernhardt #190: Bernhardt appeared before Committee with “Honorable” sign in front of his name—should have said “Despicable”! He cut funds for LCW program that has strong bipartisan support but no support by Davy—best he could do: he would “spend them” if appropriated! He talks about ethics programs but refuses to provide documents, wants to cut FOIA, & will not provide Interior officials to testify or give them his documents on his transgressions. What more does this lackey have to do to be sanctioned by Congress? See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/15/stories/1060338525 Bernhardt #189: Bernhardt’s BLM & Forest Service said bills to protect Ruby Mountains in Nevada & Chaco Cultural Park in New Mexico “unnecessary” because will not lease these areas! Davy ONLY cares about energy dominance & that’s why protection of these lands is ABSOLUTELY necessary to stop his energy friends from drilling them. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/15/stories/1060335143 Bernhardt #188: Bernhardt is GUILTY! Without providing any justification, Bernhardt has refused to have Interior officials testify about his alleged ethical transgressions & also has refused to provide documentation about these incidents. Why? What else, the pudgy little Energy lackey is guilty and he should resign immediately or be impeached. Congress should no longer put up with stonewalling by this creep. Impeach Bernhardt! Bernhardt #187: Democratic House bill would boost spending for LWCF and conservation funding by Interior Dept. Remember how Bernhardt boasted about LWCF bill passed by Congress (which he NEVER proposed or supported!)? Here’s a chance for Davy to show he stands up for conservation! Actually, Bernhardt has proposed cuts for all Interior conservation-related programs. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/14/stories/1060333577 Bernhardt #186: Bill to destroy ESA in Congress: Texas Sen. Cornyn has introduced a bill that would give veto power of ESA court settlements to counties & states. Background: USFWS has never conformed with preserving species & has had to be prodded by courts to get them to save wildlife. This bill would destroy ability of courts to force USFWS to comply & thus undermine ESA & destroy species that dominant politicos dislike because they claim interfere with development or hunting. Irony is that majorities in all of these anti-ESA states APPROVE of ESA & MORE protections for endangered species. But this bill is just what Bernhardt is looking for—more giveaways to industry & trophy hunters. Impeach Bernhardt! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/14/stories/1060332645 Bernhardt #185: Bernhardt believes in state wildlife management—unless it interferes with energy dominance! After Wyoming & other states had worked hard to forge a compromise agreement to preserve sage grouse, Bernhardt-Zinke are leasing core area habitat for oil-gas in the Golden Triangle of sage grouse habitat & loosened rules on mitigation for lost habitat—banishing it to remote areas far from the Triangle. Even the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation org. that supported Bernhardt for Secretary object to this destruction of Triangle & poor mitigation. Shows once again that Bernhardt doesn’t give a damn about major function of Interior, conservation, & should be impeached for this & many other reasons listed below. See https://www.wyofile.com/gordon-poised-to-put-his-stamp-on-sage-grouse-plan/ Bernhardt #184: Bernhardt’s “Chief Congressional Aide” Rojewski said it was “shocking” and “Strange” that House Democrats should require that documents & testimony should be provided by Interior employees. What? It is the RESPONSIBILITY of Congress to investigate possible ethics breaches & there is plenty of evidence to suggest Bernhardt violated them. Bernhardt wants a “accommodation process”—what the hell is that? Does that mean that Bernhardt is not subject to the CONSTITUTIONAL authority of Congressional oversight?! It’s time to cut both Bernhardt and Rojewski’s salaries from Interior’s budget—they are violating the Constitution & do not deserve their jobs. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/13/stories/1060326835 Bernhardt #183: Dems should ream Bernhardt who has been stonewalling Dems—refusing to provide Interior employees or records. Bernhardt thinks he is a Tyrant-tough guy using “executive privilege” to refuse requests. It’s time to show this lackey who’s boss. Indeed, it’s time to impeach him—not only for this but refusal to release oil drilling plan, trying to cut FOIA, ethics abuses, & total ignoring of conservation. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/13/stories/1060310279 Plus the 182 reasons below! Bernhardt #182: Bernhardt: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire: Bernhardt doesn’t have the ocean drilling plan ready for inspection but he continues to carry out seismic testing???!!!. More lies from Bernhardt. When will the plan be ready? Not until after Nov. 2020 election or possibly before if they are only going to drill off states Trump won’t try to win. And once again shows how Bernhardt, the mighty trophy hunter is an utter coward. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/10/stories/1060309879 Bernhardt #181: Bernhardt-Zinke allow former coal lobbyists to allow pollution of West Va. Streams & rivers threatening crayfish. Wash Post has DETAILED based on FOIA discovery (No wonder Bernhardt wants to weaken INTERIOR FOIA!) how Tucker Davis, former West Va. Coal rep. given Interior top staff position & worked overtime to overrule the stream protection rule Obama Admin. had issued. Article details how not only Davis but another Interior official, Vincent DeVito, convinced USFWS head, Aurelia Skipwith, to go along with coal. Afterwards, DeVito left Interior to work for an offshore drilling firm! Bernhardt heads the biggest SWAMP in Wash. D.C. And, once again, shows that USFWS no longer work to preserve species—they are all about energy dominance too. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-the-west-virginia-coal-industry-changed-federal-endangered-species-policy/2019/05/10/56d28de0-4bf0-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html?utm_term=.4e45ec66fa2b&wpisrc=al_environment__alert-hse&wpmk=1 Bernhardt #180: Bernhardt’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Reduced to Disgrace. The UN released a report showing major threats of extinction from not only climate change but mining and agriculture. What has USFWS & Bernhardt done? They have cut their budget by 14% and have not made a single statement about the UN report. Apparently, no conservation professionals left in USFWS! Sad! See https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-interior-chief-blames-congress-for-his-inaction-on-climate-change?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #179: Bernhardt Interior Temps Make Policy forever: Article shows how though there is a Federal Vacancies Reform Act law that prohibits temporary officials from making decisions for more than short time, it has been TOTALLY ignored by Bernhardt’s Interior Dept. The law states that any decision made after 300 days of temp. should “have no force or effect & can be challenged in court.” Interior’s “spokesperson” (i.e., official liar) provided the following double-talk defense of illegal use of temps: “However, recognizing the practical difficulty of this, the VRA permits a department head to delegate to a subordinate the authorities and duties of such an office that are not otherwise required by law to be performed exclusively by the official who would inhabit such an office." See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/09/stories/1060297171 Bernhardt #178: Bernhardt vs. Science: Interior David Bernhardt personally intervened to block the release of USFWS report that found 2 widely used pesticides harmed >1200 species-boon to pesticide industry. Bernhardt’s appointed Deputy Secretary who is a former Monsanto employee. One last time: When will Interior hire anyone who is not a lackey of a polluting wildlife-killing industry? Not until there ‘s a new presidential Administration! See https://psmag.com/environment/the-trump-administrations-policies-are-fueling-the-extinction-crisis Bernhardt #177: Bernhardt made one of tiny # of “conservation moves” by promising grants for restoration of coastal wetlands. Note $ are not from Interior’s own budget but Excise taxes. Need for restoration will be HUGE after Bernhardt drills 90 percent of Continental Shelf as he has promised. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/08/stories/1060298095 Bernhardt #176: Bernhardt’s doubletalk #1: In his recent appearance, he “took offense at a congressman’s charge that he was at Interior to “do energy industry’s bidding.” Refutation: Energy industry’s are “giddy” about all that Interior is doing for them & fact that ALL of his top staff are from industry. See #101 below & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/08/stories/1060294015 Bernhardt Double Talk #2: He is refusing to provide info on his proposal to cut FOIA & provide info to Congress. His reply: “we’ve offered material (see #173 below—the “material offered was crap”) & “it’s not appropriate time for interviews.” Translation: “I not giving you anything & I MAKE DECISIONS on transparency, not you, Congresspeople!” Solution: Cut Bernhardt’s & his top staff’s salary from Interior’s budget! https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/08/stories/1060294015 & https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/07/stories/1060291955 Bernhardt Doubletalk #3: Bernhardt hasn’t provided any plan or justification for Reorganization & still refuses to do so. Solution: Make Interior give back the $14 million they received for 2019 spending on it & give them the $28 Million they requested for FY 2020. (Note: Transfer the money to conservation-related spending which Bernhardt has cut at every opportunity.) https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/08/stories/1060294015 Bernhardt Doubletalk #4: Problem: Bernhardt still can’t provide an offshore drilling plan even though he has decided to drill 90% of the Continental Shelf & has had staff working overtime even during the shutdown for permits for preparing for this drilling. Solution: Don’t provide any $ in budget for drilling or sonar testing for drilling. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/08/stories/1060294015 Bernhardt #175: Federal courts rule again that Bernhardt’s Interior illegally permitted mines & fracking in New Mexico. This follows upon Federal courts finding ocean drilling illegal. Bernhardt supposed to be smart lawyer demonstrates once again that he is INCOMPETENT & should be removed from office. See https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/u-s-land-managers-ordered-to-review-several-drilling-permits/article_af0f203c-17b4-5bd7-ac11-f3651d7daa97.html Bernhardt #174: Bernhardt to cover BLM lands with Cows to fight wildfires! BLM will EXPAND grazing area for convicted arsonists & welfare ranchers, the Hammonds, supposedly to fight fires! Actually, grazing cows damage riparian areas & deplete water sources, helping to cause wildfires. (See Lynn Jacobs, Waste of the West, 1991, p.54). So a bizarre new excuse for Bernhardt-Trump to give more public land to UNPRODUCTIVE grazing that only exists due to Federal support. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/07/stories/1060291307 Bernhardt #173: Bernhardt to Congress & FOIA: “Go to hell!” Bernhardt has refused to have 4 Interior officials testify about his move to cut FOIA & instead of producing documents requested, offered 27,000 pages of UNREQUESTED materials! So, opaque Bernhardt refuses to produce info on his move to cut FOIA! He should be impeached. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/07/stories/1060291955 Bernhardt #172: Bernhardt Determined to Kill Species: The UN Report tells of how habitat destruction is leading to “unprecedented species loss” and the main cause are spread of agriculture and disruption of marine environments. Main solution: set aside marine and land areas for the “benefit of plants and animals with exploitation banned or severely limited.” Bernhardt-Trump: They could care less about species loss—Bernhardt leading effort to weaken Endangered Species Act & are cutting monuments and exploiting public lands and want to drill our oceans. In other words, they are LEADING efforts to destroy species and biodiversity. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/06/stories/1060285071 Bernhardt #171: Bernhardt claims that he is “very different” from Zinke??! He continues to have energy dominance as major priority, kept Interior open to make permits for public land & ocean drilling, hires all industry employees as staff, loosens restrictions on ocean drilling, keeps the Safari Club “Intl Wildlife Council,” etc. etc. —yes, he’s different—he’s even WORSE than Zinke! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/06/stories/1060285393 Bernhardt #170: Bernhardt-Trump want to loosen regulations on offshore drillers but a recent report by USGAO shows that existing oversight of oil and gas is totally inadequate. GAO found that Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) responsible for safety “did not have the capability for analyzing incidents that occur on the Outer Continental Shelf and has reversed its oversight of operator compliance with environmental standards”—weakening it! It has “staffing shortfalls that prevent it from environmental oversight”! It has made no “progress in addressing long-standing deficiencies.” This report shows that Bernhardt is either a totally incompetent administrator or doesn’t give a damn about dangers from oil-gas drilling (or more likely, both are true!) See the report at https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/683868.pdf Bernhardt #169: Who should head Fish, Wildlife & National Park Service? Bernhardt names long-time lobbyist, Robert Wallace, for energy industry—he has a petroleum engineering degree degree & lobbied for years for energy industry! He will maintain what Bernhardt considers the proper “balance” in Interior—that is prioritizing energy dominance over anything else that interferes with it. One would think that some day by chance Bernhardt would hire somebody who prioritizes conservation but Davy proves once again he is a total oil-gas lackey. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/03/stories/1060268745 Bernhardt #168: Bernhardt awards Millions $ grants for “big-game corridors.” The only “conservation” (a misnomer for many of these) orgs. that supported Bernhardt were big game hunters like Rocky Mountain Elk Fdtn. & Boone & Crockett. He’s paying them back by giving them grants. Nothing but cuts for non-game species—Bernhardt wants to weaken End. Species Act esp. for predators like wolves that compete with big game hunters. This is what Bernhardt calls a “balanced” approach—this pudgy moon-faced trophy hunter doesn’t just favor oil-gas industry but also big game hunters. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/03/stories/1060267999 Bernhardt #167: Bernhardt’s USFWS which used to be a professionally led org. dedicated to conservation now once again has reversed policy & approved a permit for an Arizona San Pedro River-Sonoran Desert project that would harm jaguars and rare birds & had previously been rejected by Obama’s professional Interior staff. High Country News has an article which details the doubletalk used by Bernhardt’s BLM staff to try (and fail) to justify the turnaround. There are apparently no professionals left in USFWS who are willing to speak for conservation. Their proposed new leader is a former Monsanto lackey. See https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.1/fish-and-wildlife-service-retracts-its-concerns-about-a-massive-arizona-housing-proposal?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #166: Former BLM employees say that state officials already have the delegated authority to make decisions at state level—Thus No benefit & no excuse for spending millions on Bernhardt's phony reorganization. Wasteful & only purpose is political. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/02/stories/1060259959 Bernhardt #165: Even Joe Manchin, Dems. Senator from “Coal Country” can’t stomach Jorjani—the nominee for solicitor from Koch Brother Inc. who allowed “unintentional killing” by industry of birds, weakening Intl. Migratory Bird Treaty. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/02/stories/1060259983 & #112 below for details Bernhardt #164: Bernhardt like Zinke has pretended to honor Native Americans while he has either ignored them totally in dmking as in Bears Ears or talked to them only to “check a box.” US GAO did a study confirming Interior ignored them. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/02/stories/1060255411 GAO report at https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/697694.pdf Bernhardt #163: Interior Dept. Loosens Offshore-Drilling Safety Rules Dating From Deepwater Horizon. Justification: “In the final rule, the Interior Department noted that the changes were expected to save the oil industry about $824 million over 10 years.” Bernhardt-Trump Reasoning: Nothing too much for oil-gas industry, nothing too little for conservation. See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/climate/offshore-drilling-safety-rollback-deepwater-horizon.html?emc=edit_th_190503&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654190503 Bernhardt #162: Bernhardt’s Forest Service on How to log Los Padres National Forest without proper environmental review? Use fire-fighting as excuse even tho no evidence that it would work. Logging will affect California Condors but they have less influence than industry! See https://lpfw.org/forest-service-approves-expedited-commercial-logging-project-in-condor-habitat/ Bernhardt #161: While Bernhardt refuses (& fears political consequences of) to release ocean drilling plan, Interior continues to process permits for seismic testing in Atlantic. Shows once more how cowardly & what a liar pudgy trophy hunter Bernhardt is. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2019/05/02/the-energy-202-seismic-mapping-in-atlantic-could-still-pose-trouble-for-republicans-on-campaign-trail/5cc9e0e51ad2e506550b2ede/?utm_term=.12f9a4bf103e&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 Bernhardt #160: Bernhardt’s hires Deputy Secretary, Katharine MacGregor. She qualified for the job by “canceling a Nat. Acad. Sciences review of mountaintop-removing mining” proving that she is Bernhardt’s type of administrator. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/05/01/stories/1060253765 Bernhardt #159: Interior to downlist species despite science showing threatened. Doug Domenech & Susan Combs, both top officials but formerly with Texas Public Policy Fdtn. that opposes End. Species Act & protections for the species. The protections “delay or restrict” oil-gas dev., the only priority that Bernhardt Interior cares about. See details at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/01/stories/1060252887 Bernhardt #158: Reorganization of Interior: They admit there “no quantifiable benefits”—only excuse is “closer proximity to stakeholders!” Who are stakeholders of national parks, monuments, & wildlife refuges? U.S. public—not tiny group of politicos heading western states & their industry friends! Bernhardt commissioned “3 assessments” that MAY be available in September—Note: They will be available AFTER Interior tries to get $ spent on it & ONLY if they are positive. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/05/01/stories/1060248175 Bernhardt #157: Bernhardt is eliminating funding for Landscape Conser. Cooperatives that have helped Native American & other communities on projects. It is part of Bernhardt’s overall plan to eliminate conservation from Interior so that it can better serve its primary goal: energy dominance. See https://www.ucsusa.org/center-science-and-democracy/attacks-on-science/trump-administration-has-undermined-nationwide?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tw Bernhardt #156: House NR Committee Grijalva is trying to get Bernhardt to testify before the committee—Davy refused two previous requests! Davy doesn’t want to answer tough questions like his drilling plan for coastal U.S. & his justification for spending big bucks on reorg. After all, he has made energy industry so happy they are laughing—what more does he need to do? See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/30/stories/1060242951 Bernhardt #155: Bernhardt is going to have to replace Brian Steed, BLM’s top official, who left to head Utah’s Dept. Nat. Res. Steed is famous for paper that argues “conservation can negatively affect communities.” Utah’s Farm Bureau praised him for being “very accommodating.” Great fit with Utah politicos who loved taking back land from monuments. Bernhardt will assiduously find someone who is accommodating to industry as Steed. Major qualification: No interest whatsoever in conservation! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/30/stories/1060247011 Bernhardt #154: Bernhardt provides B_____T to FOIA! Not only has Bernhardt failed to provide documents to justify Grand-Escalante Monument but the pages provided have tons of same documents “repeated many times” to make it look like they are providing a lot. Who’s surprised that Opaque Bernhardt is unresponsive to FOIA—he wants to cut it! The only ones he “accounts to” are his buddies in the energy industry. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/29/stories/1060241119 Bernhardt #153: Bernhardt wants to spend BIG dollars on moving to western states but can’t provide justification. While he cuts dollars for conservation, he wants to spend big buck on reorg. With no purpose other than turn over public lands to western states & industry to do as they please. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/29/stories/1060235909 Bernhardt #152: Bernhardt pushes ONLY fossil fuel energies on public lands! Dems are trying to broaden but Davy opposed—only approved 2 solar projects in 2 years. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/29/stories/1060235935 Bernhardt #151: Bernhardt Interior nominees love to help energy industry such as allowing “unintentional killing” of migratory birds by companies to undermine Intl. Migration Treaty. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/29/stories/1060224373 Bernhardt #150: Bernhardt’s BLM tried to allow motorized vehicles around Steens Mountain in Oregon. The Courts ruled that they failed to explain “good reasons for this new policy.” Real reason? Davy likes to promote access by motorized vehicles & ORVs to any public land—wilderness without roads is not to be allowed under him! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/26/stories/1060223269 Bernhardt #149: Confirmation of the real reason why Bernhardt delaying oil drilling plan: He & Trump are cowards afraid of reaction of coastal states. Will wait until after election to do the harm. See https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-25/trump-said-to-push-offshore-oil-expansion-to-after-2020-election Bernhardt #148: Bernhardt to give “relief” to oil-gas industry by ignoring safety rules for blowouts. The new rules “closely match the oil industry own standards,” which helps make industry happy—Bernhardt’s top priority for Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/26/stories/1060211207 Bernhardt #147: As predicted yesterday (see #146 below), cowardly Bernhardt has postponed ocean drilling plan—excuse is court ruling on Arctic but main issue is Trump’s reelection. He doesn’t dare hurt Trump even for his energy buddies. However, soon after November 2020 election, Bernhardt will then bravely announce widespread ocean drilling plan. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/04/25/stories/1060218639 Bernhardt #146: Judge overrules Bernhardt’s Interior giveaway to oil-gas-coal industry that allowed it to dodge full compensation for harm done to communities. Obama had put rule into effect but Bernhardt-Zinke abolished it to help industry profits. Will Davy appeal this? Seems like it would not be good politics for 2020 election! See https://www.hcn.org/articles/energy-and-industry-judge-orders-industries-to-pay-for-public-land-extraction?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #145: Bernhardt once again shows he believes in public input—if it’s by energy-welfare rancher industries. His New Advisory Committee for Bears Ears is loaded with people who welcomed cutback & lacking in conservationists & Native Americans who make up the majority in the area. For details on this outrage, see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/25/stories/1060217961 Bernhardt #144: Bernhardt may be dragged kicking & screaming into protection of giraffes? Trophy hunter Davy who just bragged about action on trafficking has had to be sued by environmentalists to protect endangered giraffes. His intl. wildlife council made up of Safari Club types will not be happy! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/25/stories/1060217683 Bernhardt #143: Mr. Non-Transparency Davy Bernhardt doesn't want to provide information on one of his former clients, Garrison Diversion District, about his violation of ethics. His defense: Interior had already cleared him on this! Let’s see the record & let us, not his energy lackey appointees, judge! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/04/24/stories/1060212773 Bernhardt #142: Bernhardt protects Viet Nam lizards but he & his Intl Wildlife Council allow importation of elephant, lion, giraffe & other big game trophies. Trophy hunter Bernhardt willing to stop trafficking—unless it’s big game. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/24/stories/1060211917 & https://www.nrdc.org/court-battles/natural-resources-defense-council-v-r-zinke-et-international-wildlife-conservation Bernhardt #141: Congress confirms Bernhardt & then Inspector General looks into his unethical deeds for lobbyists by him & 6 other staff! Makes sense, doesn’t it? Why put off confirmation of someone when he can continue to do more favors for his former lobby partners! This is Bernhardt’s plan to revise ethics for the dept: Have inappropriate meetings to test surveillance capabilities of IG! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/04/23/stories/1060206845 Bernhardt #140: Bernhardt is confirmed & pledges allegiance to big oil. He will ensure a “culture of compliance” with their clients: Energy Industry, Welfare Ranching, & Trophy Hunters. See photo of this mighty trophy hunter: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/23/stories/1060205963 Bernhardt #139: Bernhardt & Decline in Wolf Numbers: Recent reports show that wolf numbers in Yellowstone Park are down to less than half their peak mark in the park. This poses a threat because Bernhardt wants to cut ESA protections & hand over decisions to states—many of whom want to keep MINIMUM # required to avoid relisting and are aching to increase wolf takes to reduce competition for big game & just because of plain hatred of this species. See Bernhardt #90 below for documentation of this point. With weakening of ESA protections & handover to states, wolves are threatened by Bernhardt—a trophy hunter who views wolves as competitor. The dominance of trophy hunters in Bernhardt’s Interior is anomalous because the vast majority of public especially those who visit Yellowstone & other western parks & refuges, want to see Live Wolves! It’s time for Congress to step in & question Davy about protecting species like wolves. See http://www.powelltribune.com/stories/wolf-numbers-in-yellowstone-park-decline,18572 Bernhardt #138: The only protections against Bernhardt-Trump & environment disaster are Federal judges and science. There have been some important rulings against them concerning moratorium on coal mining on public lands and oil-gas drilling in Arctic. However, these wins are fragile—Trump is nominating & McConnell’s Senate are confirming judges who will be more than happy to sacrifice public lands & oceans to energy industry. See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/climate/court-trump-coal-mining-setback.html Bernhardt #137: Bernhardt’s Dilemma: Energy Chums vs. Welfare Sheep Herders! It must be excruciating for poor Davy! His only “conservation” interest is to provide access to big game trophy hunters & he has tried to set aside a few tiny areas to do that. But Wyoming’s public land welfare sheep herders don’t want to have even these tiny corridors preserved so he has withheld action on them! Most of U.S. population enjoy non-consumptive watching of wildlife but they are totally ignored by Bernhardt whose latest nominee to head U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has no background in conservation—she specializes in Monsanto! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/19/stories/1060183047 https://www.dcreport.org/2019/01/09/polluters-friend-poised-to-take-the-reins-of-fish-and-wildlife-service/https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/aurelia-skipwith/ Bernhardt #136: Bernhardt nominates another industry lackey to head USFWS! Aurelia Skipwith is former Monsanto employee. She has no history of working for wildlife conservation-she has been entirely devoted to agricultural-pesticide industries. Whatever happened to the idea that USFWS head should be a wildlife professional? What the hell do any professionals in USFWS think about this—or have they all left? See https://www.dcreport.org/2019/01/09/polluters-friend-poised-to-take-the-reins-of-fish-and-wildlife-service/ https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/aurelia-skipwith/ Bernhardt #135: Bernhardt, Master of Delaying Politically Sensitive Reports! Recently released emails show that Zinke Interior officials considered delaying report on monument over fear that it could undermine Trump cutbacks but some staff insisted on releasing report anyway. By way of contrast, Bernhardt’s has successfully resisted releasing his ocean drilling report because it could have threatened his confirmation since even Republican states are opposed to the drilling. Bernhardt once again proves he’s the master of sneaky, underhanded politics. It should shame senators who voted for this phony. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/19/stories/1060183169 Bernhardt #134: Bernhardt’s BLM “fights wildfires” by allowing convicted arsonists, the Hammonds, to ranch on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge! The claim to use welfare ranching to fight fire is ridiculous. U.S. GAO studies proved that the quality of public rangelands has been terribly harmed, not helped, by ranching. BLM now trying to use fear of wildfires to push for more ranching on public lands, reversing attempts to improve quality of habitat! See https://www.gao.gov/products/CED-77-88 https://www.gao.gov/assets/140/138981.pdf For full documentation of the harmful effects of public lands ranching, See book by Lynn Jacobs. (1991). Waste of the West Bernhardt #133: Bernhard’s all out energy dominance fixation means that protection of sacred sites such as near the Chaco Culture National Park must be sacrificed to his energy industry friends. Other than small attempts to help trophy hunters, conservation has vanished as priority. See https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/13/oil-gas-development-chaco-culture-national-park/ Bernhardt #132: Bernhardt has cut the budget of all of the conservation-related agencies in Interior & shown total indifference to protecting species such as USFWS ignoring protection of threatened species. He is ignoring the “backlog” in species listings—the only delays that Bernhardt cares about are delays in allowing the energy industry to exploit public lands & oceans. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/04/17/stories/1060174891 Bernhardt #131: Bernhardt, supposed smart administrator has 8 “quasi-officials” in charges of its bureaus that manage more than 450 million acres of public lands! Interior is in this dubious position because Bernhardt appoints unqualified people who will have trouble getting Senate approval—one more reason why his confirmation was a HUGE mistake. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/17/stories/1060174219 Bernhardt 130: Trump brags about lifting ban near Boundary Waters: Bernhardt’s Forest Service halted study of mining ban so mining can go forward. This is the guy that Whit Fosburgh of Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Consortium (& others like Ducks Unlimited) supported. Great choice—if you prefer Energy Dominance to Conservation. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/16/stories/1060169863 Bernhardt #129: Wyoming seeks to have THE PRIMARY role in National Environmental Act reviews! This is in accordance with Bernhardt’s vision for Interior—turn over decisions to states. Wyoming’s decisionmaking is dominated by state lawmakers who are ranchers like Albert Sommers whose cattle graze on Federal lands. Guess what priorities he's going to put first when it’s a question of his cattle versus wildlife like grizzlies or wolves? He’s angry that his plans to graze on Federal lands belonging to ALL Americans have been "hobbled"! See https://www.wyofile.com/experts-question-wyo-quest-to-run-feds-environmental-reviews/ Bernhardt #128: Bernhardt’s Defense: His involvement in Westlands project involved interests of larger group—not just Westlands! Does this make sense? So, he can help Westlands as long as its bad effects are broad?! This is the guy redoing Interior Ethics! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/16/stories/1060169731 Bernhardt #127: IG NOW opens Bernhardt investigation AFTER he already has been confirmed! Demonstrates Idiocy of Senate confirmation demonstrated—confirm before inquiry & before Ocean drilling! Shame to Senators who confirmed this industry lackey. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/16/stories/1060169731 Bernhardt #126: The detailed-oriented Bernhardt says he wasn’t aware of meetings on Migratory Bird Treaty between Interior officials & Intl Petroleum Asso. that cut protections for birds until "he read about it in the news"! One more reason why he should not have been confirmed—it would suggest he is incompetent, though of course, no one really believes this liar about this statement. Furthermore, he’s looking for “technology” to solve Interior’s ethics problems! The MAJOR ethical problem is that Bernhardt & all the others making decisions are all past employees/lobbyists for the industry. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/15/stories/1060165373 Bernhardt #125: Bernhardt’s looking for an “ethics app” to help with ethical problems in Interior!!! Here is the algorithm for app that Interior needs: Hire somebody who has not been employed by the Energy or Rancher industries. Would make for huge improvement in the quality of its staff and its decisionmaking! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/12/stories/1060155917 Bernhardt #124: Dems are trying to provide more money for FOIA “transparency.”!!! Don’t they know that Bernhardt abhors transparency?! Wonder what the Opaque Davy Bernhardt will do with this money? Probably use it for travel to his former lobby partners but hide this use describing it vaguely as “internal” or “external” activity! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/12/stories/1060154807 Bernhardt #123: Bernhardt officially becomes Worst Secretary of Interior Ever. Previously, Ryan Zinke held this dishonor with 224 documented reasons why he was the worst. But Bernhardt was Zinke’s Deputy & thus major “accomplisher” of this misdeeds & since he has been serving as temp, he accumulated 122 Documented actions against conservation. This is a day that will live in infamy for conservationists. All of these Senators who voted for him, especially the Democrats & Angus King, will be called to account for his new attacks on Conservation, public lands, and oceans. Bernhardt #123: Bernhardt officially becomes Worst Secretary of Interior Ever. Previously, Ryan Zinke held this dishonor with 224 documented reasons why he was the worst. But Bernhardt was Zinke’s Deputy & thus major “accomplisher” of this misdeeds & since he has been serving as temp, he accumulated 122 Documented actions against conservation. This is a day that will live in infamy for conservationists. All of these Senators who voted for him, especially the Democrats & Angus King, will be called to account for his new attacks on Conservation, public lands, and oceans. Bernhardt #122: On day on which Bernhardt appears likely to be confirmed, several good new examples of why he is unfit for the job occurred: Bernhardt cuts Interior budget but spends big $ on reorg. Without any details! Reorganization was announced in 2019 but still no info! One more reason why Bernhardt’s unfit to be Secretary. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/11/stories/1060154287 Berhardt, mover behind monument cuts & no input from Native Americans on them, provides garbled documents to House Committee. He provided 100 pages of undecipherable documents. As with his poor documentation of his calendar, Bernhardt who is supposed to be Great Administrator focusing on small details, somehow can’t provide information that would reveal his ethical misdeeds. He is a sneaky, untrustworthy lackey of energy industry & not qualified to be Secretary. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/11/stories/1060153133 Bernhardt only likes to get input from industry & is trying to systematically limit public input on leasing and drilling. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led 13 senators in a letter to Bernhardt seeking clarity on what they called his decision to "systemically limit public input" on proposals to open more public lands for oil and gas leasing. One more reason why Bernhardt will be a disaster as Secretary of Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/10/stories/1060152723 Heinrich votes for Bernhardt: Admits that he’s an “industry guy” but he “returns my phone calls” so he votes for him. He asked Bernhardt for stop on drilling near Chico Canyon but didn’t get clear answer from him. Scott & Rubio of Florida voted for him but never got any clear response on ocean drilling. All of these Senators will reap their just disappointments because if Trump & industry demand drilling, Bernhardt, the “industry man” as Heinrich acknowledged, will do their bidding gladly. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/11/stories/1060153357 Bernhardt #121: Lying Davy Bernhardt’s Non-Transparent Calendars: Interior furnished documents on Davy’s missing schedules but review by CQ Roll Call found "at least 260 differences from Bernhardt's original schedules, with the newest records showing meetings previously described as 'external' or 'internal' were actually with representatives of fossil fuel, timber, mining and other industries." Read the double talk by Interior to explain why his meeting with former clients did not violate his recusals--Bull____! This is a guy who is trying to rewrite his record of ethical violations! Who trusts this guy? Senators voting for him with expectations that he will deliver on offshore drilling & other promises deserve the betrayals they will reap! See https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/bernhardt-schedules-undisclosed-contacts-industry & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/09/stories/1060151047 Bernhardt #120: Bernhardt vs the Truth: Spring 2019 issue of Audubon Magazine tells how Interior report on Alaska fuel production that falsely claimed that it would stop foreign countries from using their own reserves! Yet, they used this analysis to approve the project. This is one more example that Bernhardt will stop at no lie to help his lobby pals while harming the environment. See https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2019/how-us-agencies-are-fudging-numbers-environmental Bernhardt #119: Bernhardt versus Science: he cancelled a National Academy of Science study to be made of the effects of mountain top removal on health of those in areas around them. At time, Bernhardt said it as canceled due to internal review but there is NO EVIDENCE of such a review! One more lie from coal-oil lackey Bernhardt who doesn’t give a damn about illness if it’s caused by his favorite industries! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/04/stories/1060142483 Bernhardt #118: Bernhardt cut NPS budget by Half-Billion including 2/3 cuts in historic preservation programs—Bernhardt’s NPA dir. admitted that they had NOT consulted with tribes. Bernhardt & NPS oppose new parks for U.S. So, what does this all mean? It is standard operating procedure for Bernhardt who only cares about ENERGY dominance—he is saying we don’t need funding for parks unless its from drilling-mining & we don’t need new parks despite growing population! Sen. Angus King—this is a guy who is opposed to major function of the agency he is supposed to head so vote against the creep! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/04/stories/1060142243 Bernhardt #117: Bernhardt’ BLM deputy Director Steed announced Melhoff will be taking over Colorado BLM office. Qualifications for Melhoff? Steed says he’s a “fourth generation mining, farming, and ranching family." Yes, ONE MORE INDUSTRY LACKEY in top Interior position. Steed himself, like Bernhardt, is known for opposition to Grand Escalante & other “wilderness areas because they hurt economic growth” (Note: they don’t—just the opposite!). Interior has ALL of their top posts occupied by INDUSTRY lackeys—no exceptions! Once again we understand why Industry is gleefully laughing about their “access” (actually should be CONTROL) to (of) Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/04/stories/1060143423 Bernhardt #116: An invoice shows that Bernhardt lobbied for client after he said he had ended his activities. His defense—it was “mislabeled” & he only attended meeting but didn’t lobby! What a phony! Will Angus King & Martin Heinrich vote for this unreliable crook? Why confirm this creep until his offshore drilling plan is released & these ethical issues are resolved. He’s already said he’s given assurance to King that Maine is off limits. Of course, Zinke said Florida was off-limits but it turns out it isn’t. There is NO REASON OR EXCUSE for any Democrat or Republican with slightest hope for Conservation credentials to vote NOW on his confirmation. Doing so should assure that they will be contested by a more conservation-minded candidate either in their primary or the general election. See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/climate/david-bernhardt-interior-lobbying.html?emc=edit_th_190405&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654190405 & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/04/05/stories/1060144137 Bernhardt #115: One more proof that Bernhardt IS the SWAMP! Somebody should ask Trump about why “revolving” door in Interior is WORSE than ever before! Bernhardt’s old lobbying (Yes, he is a lobbyist first & foremost!) firm (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck) has quadrupled its business since he took charge. With all of the unanswered questions about him, there is NO EXCUSE for not delaying his confirmation vote. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/04/03/firm-that-once-employed-trumps-pick-run-interior-is-making-millions-lobbying-it/?utm_term=.c038442d2dc7 Bernhardt #114: Manchin & Murkowski: Approve Bernhardt & Combs because they have “Plenty of experience!” Yes, they have experience giving energy industry all they want so much so they are laughing about the Dept! Let’s have Manchin or Murkowski give examples of how Bernhardt & Combs have supported conservation! Of course, neither Senator gives a damn about that—only they see are $ for their favorite industry! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/04/stories/1060143459 Bernhardt #113: Bernhardt pushes ethics reform!!s—his solution? An “ethics app!” Better solution: Don’t put people in charge who have clear conflicts of interest with Department’s business like Bernhardt & ALL of his staff like Combs & Jorjani. This industry lackey should not be approved until the many ethical questions surrounding his tenure are thoroughly studied as Sen. Wyden has said. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/03/stories/1060141877 Bernhardt #112: Jorjani is Bernhardt’s kind of lawyer—no wonder he wants him to be Solicitor for Interior! Jorjani’s chief “credits” for his Interior work includes his killing of protections for migrating birds and allowing mining near Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness! Just like Bernhardt, Jorjani can’t do too much for energy & too little for conservation. Neither of them deserve to serve! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/04/02/stories/1060140301 Bernhardt #111: Bernhardt Loves Trophy Hunters--U.S. public doesn't: Bernhardt says Land & Water Conservation bill was approved because it had some clauses that would improve access of hunters to public lands. (Note: the high approval had nothing to do with access for hunters—this was the first major conservation initiative in the last couple of years and it was not initiated by the Trump Administration—the support was for steps such as CREATING NEW MONUMENTS. He is under the delusion that trophy hunting is popular and, of course, himself is a trophy hunter. His few tiny conservation efforts have been to provide corridors for big game hunters. Survey data shows CONCLUSIVELY that the general public DISAPPROVES of trophy hunting. Stephen Kellert, the major authority of attitudes of public towards wildlife issues conducted a NATIONAL survey based on personal interviews with over 3100 persons that matched well with the population of the U.S. He found the following results for support of hunting: 85% approved hunting for meat (22% strongly). But hunting for a trophy such as horns or a mounted animal was approved by only 18 percent (Only 2 percent strongly approved trophy hunting). By way of contrast, 80 percent disapproved of trophy hunting, 44 percent of them strongly disapproving. In short, the U.S. general public does not like or approve of trophy hunting. Someone please inform mighty trophy hunter Davy Bernhardt of this reality as is indicated by the reaction of Americans (and the World) to stories about the American dentist killing Cecil the lion in Africa & resignation of Idaho wildlife commissioner who photographed his "trophy:" killed baboon family. Yet Bernhardt's Intl Wildlife Council is loaded with Safari Club types! The results are taken from: Stephen R. Kellert. Public Attitudes Towards Critical Wildlife and Natural Habitat Issues. Phase One. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. #024-010-00-623-4, 1979. p. 105 & Table 45, p. 106. Note: The survey was conducted in 1978-79 when hunters constituted a much larger proportion of the population than they do now so, if anything, the results would be expected to be even more lopsided against trophy hunting. See https://www.apnews.com/1a6728f219f941fdb05ba356e8e64ad5 & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Cecil_the_lion Bernhardt #110: Bernhardt wants to hand Nat. Evmnt. Protection Act (NEPA) over to states just as he also wants to do with Endangered Species Act. He wants Wyoming to be primary reviewer to “speed NEPA process.” So Wyoming pols will decide where & what will be drilled or mined, what species will be killed on public lands, what types of development will occur, etc. Despite overwhelming evidence that the general population of western states cares about the environment, their state politics are dominated by energy industry and rancher-farmers. This is the NATIONAL Environmental Protect Act we are talking about! Do we want Utah politicians like Gary Herbert, Rob Bishop, & Mike Lee making decisions about NATIONAL parks, monuments, and lands in Utah? Note that Zinke & now Bernhardt want to locate Interior offices in western states confirming their idea that western public lands are the property of Western energy-ranching industry politicos and don’t belong to the broader U.S. public that pays the majority of U.S. taxes! It’s time to reject Bernhardt & save public lands and environment. For Bernhardt’s idiotic & dangerous proposal, see https://www.wyofile.com/wyo-bernhardt-eye-state-primacy-on-environmental-reviews/ Bernhardt #109: Trump’s Order to Open Arctic Waters to Oil Drilling Was Unlawful, Federal Judge Finds. One more example of how the only obstacle standing between Trump, Bernhardt, energy industry & pollution of unique waters & public lands are the courts. Let’s hope the Yahoos on the Supreme Court don’t mess this up. See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/climate/trump-oil-drilling-arctic.html Bernhardt #108: Article describes Bernhardt’s war on wildlife—leading charge to weaken End Species Act & making decisions that harm threatened species like American eel, Delta smelt, San Joaquin Fox, Gray Wolf, Porcupine Caribou, Sage Grouse, & Migrating Birds, etc. This is guy Teddy Roosevelt. Conservation Consortium & Whit Fosburgh supports! Disgraceful! See https://medium.com/westwise/david-bernhardts-war-on-wildlife-105860cfef2b Bernhardt #107: Federal Court saves Alaskan Refuge—they invalidated the land-swap deal that Bernhardt is trying push thru for road. Goes to show that Bernhardt-Interior are enemies of conservation & wildlife—Only courts stand between public lands being covered with road & wells. But warning: McConnell busy pushing through Republican conservative judges, so next time decision may be different. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/29/stories/1060134445 Bernhardt #106: Senators should also ask what staff Bernhardt has hired whose PRIMARY background & commitment is to CONSERVATION rather than energy dominance, welfare ranching, or trophy hunting! See below for discussion of his hiring of one after another industry lackeys such as #96, #92, and #57 for his staff. Bernhardt #105: Bernhardt’s confirmation should be delayed until thorough investigations done of his role in delaying pesticide study, unethical work on Westlands, & efforts to hide meetings & detailed calendars. There is no reason to rush person with such ethical questions hanging over him. See below #92 where he hired pesticide industry consultant for his staff-no wonder he hid the study! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/29/stories/1060134379 Bernhardt #104: Bernhardt’s own Interior Budget zeroed out funding for LCW tho Bernhardt claims that he’s “A true believer” in it! Wow, what courage from this pudgy trophy hunter—he couldn’t stand up for program he “truly believes in.” Phony!!! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/28/stories/1060132835 Bernhardt #103: Opaque Non-Transparent Bernhardt suppressed USFWS report on harm done by pesticide chlorpyrifos—1400 species are threatened by the poison. Bernhardt reviewed the report & then prevented it from being released. This is just the latest in Bernhardt’s non-transparency—cutting FOIA, hiding his calendars, & cutting time for public comments on controversial projects. He proves once again he is not worthy of public service much less being Secretary of Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/27/stories/1060129821 Bernhardt 102: Bernhardt should not be confirmed until his detailed calendars are available for the many months where he hid meeting with industry & until details of his unethical work for Westlands. They are dragging their feet on FOIA until this industry creep is confirmed. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/25/stories/1060128091 Bernhardt #101: Bernhardt claims “robust clearing process” for conflicts of interest. That’s why Industry can’t believe how the great time they are now having with Interior & Davy: “We know him very well, and we have direct access to him, have conversations with him about issues ranging from federal land access to endangered species, to a lot of issues.” Too bad opaque Bernhardt won’t let us find out about these great conversations he’s having with them! “Oil executives were…giddy at the prospect of high-level executive branch access of the sort they hadn’t enjoyed..” Bernhardt has repaid industry many times over, rescinding rules on fracking, methane gas release, compensatory mitigation, protections for migratory birds, etc. For more details of how energy industry is laughing at how great Bernhardt & Interior are treating them, see https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-oil-industry-execs-marvel-at-their-access-to-interior-department?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #100: Trump issued order to promote free speech & transparency on campuses at the same time Bernhardt & Trump ban mention of climate change or dissension from Energy Dominance priority by Interior staff or on their websites. Freedom is okay on campuses but not in Interior & other Trump agencies. Bernhardt, it should be noted, is FAMED for his LACK OF TRANSPARENCY—that’s one of the reasons Trump nominated him! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/21/stories/1060127895 Bernhardt #99: Bernhardt signs secretarial order promoting access for 4% of population that hunt. He kept migration for BIG GAME on hold because welfare sheep ranchers in Wy object! As hunter pop. continues to drop despite large $ spent by states to recruit them, Bernhardt-Trump continue to toady more & more to them. Indeed, they are the only “outdoor” constituency Bernhardt cares about. Trump lackeys like Whit Forsburgh praised the move tho he didn’t mention the hold on BIG GAME—typical lack of courage by this head of Teddy Roosevelt-named conservation organization. See following story that has photo of pudgy Bernhardt with his kill: https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/21/stories/1060127891 Bernhardt #98: Interior Asst Sec of Land &Minerals, Joe Balash, another oil industry lackey of Bernhardt’s, said he was “thrilled that Trump distracted media/public from attention to his permitting ocean drilling permits—he concluded Trump’s style “made it easier to execute energy dominance agenda.” Bernhardt, Mr. Untransparent, also loves Trump for this. Two phonies in love with Trump’s Butt! But it brings up a serious issue: Major mass media do not pay due attention to what Trump is doing to the environment. I watch & generally enjoy Lester Holt & NBC but their coverage is shallow to nonexistent of environment. They pay EXTRAORDINARY attention to Weather Events. Indeed, if I ever meet Lester Holt, I will say, “Yes, I know you—you announce for the Weather Channel!” Liberal-leaning news such as MSNBC are ALL about Trump’s latest tweets & exemplify what Balash is saying—they virtually ignore environmental issues. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/03/16/trump-administration-opens-millions-new-acres-drilling-thats-just-start/?utm_term=.525a01eb4c32&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/joseph-joe-balash/ Bernhardt #97: Bernhardt-Interior pay 291 Million for coal cleanup on money from coal company fund but slashes funds from Treasury’s own budget. Just as with conservation, cleaning up the mess left by “energy dominance” is slight of hand trick by Oily Bernhardt. Of course, much of the devastation by oil-gas-coal are uncovered by the Feds—see #95 below. Pretty soon, Interior will have no budget of its own—it will all come from funds derived from drilling. For Bernhardt budget tricks, see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/20/stories/1060127763 Bernhardt #96: Brief but revealing account of Rep. Cummings interviewing Rachel Spector, the Interior Department’s new Acting Deputy Chief FOIA Officer—shows she is in no hurry to find out if the Opaque One, Davy Bernhardt, modified and/or deleted his previous calendars. Bernhardt sure knows how to pick staff—who look the other way like Spector! See https://medium.com/westwise/track-changes-what-david-bernhardt-really-wanted-to-say-about-his-calendar-d06f472de27b Bernhardt #95: As Bernhardt covers the West with new mines, citizens should read article that shows that continuing pollution from these mines contaminates the environment of these states and so-called “reclamation bonds” fail to cover the costs or are not resorted to until the company is bankrupt thus leaving the cleanup to citizens. Energy Dominance becomes Energy Pollution! See https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-mining-companies-pollute-western-waters-citizen-pay-for-the-clean-up?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #94: Bernhardt-Trump want to spend more $ on offshore drilling from Interior Dept Budget even as its overall funding was cut 14%--especially Conservation $. We know their priorities. The top priority of environmentalists should be to get rid of Bernhardt & then Trump. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/18/stories/1060127557 Bernhardt #93: Bernhardt recently bragged about devoting more $ to trafficking of wildlife but his new budget makes major cuts to Multinational Conservation Fund, USAID Biodiversity Prog, & Global Environment Facility (GEF) that fight trafficking. As with LCW fund, phony Bernhardt gives with one hand & takes away with other. See https://secure.wcs.org/campaign/tell-congress-hold-line-tigers-elephants-turtles-and-more?ms=M_EML_ADV_01_F02_appropriations_alert_fy20-update&af=JAUukyc0K0XpLq4BdNdrSbVRPm4vW1XrFmzN2ZAxMRcYJ4uemtQavjXxE9eeFAjKVluFBr%2FHc6U%2Bmbtjz%2F2GNdb5cWGIWuEv0uMc5mD%2Bjs2F6xLH%2F%2BM4Gu8cFY6DaxvjPcIyS2fAHvCBvTL3qf83v1dQ83PB0yCWz%2FFXya6DuCJpkI1LlhSwFiQAcf16xJke&utm_content=2019-3-18_wild-act-update-law&utm_medium=email&utm_source=WCS-EmailCampaign&utm_campaign=owned Bernhardt #92: U.S. Gen. Accountability Office (GAO) has found that Interior needs to strengthen its ethics procedures. No wonder given Bernhardt’s ethical conflicts! So who does Bernhardt put in charge of t this? Scott Cameron—political appointee who has lobbied for pesticide, Shell Oil, and Shale companies! Fox guarding the henhouse! What else do you expect from Interior that has ALL of its top staff from industries! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/18/stories/1060127537 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/scott-cameron/ Bernhardt #91: Analysis shows that oil and gas companies with ties to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt own 20.4 percent of all federal oil and gas leases that overlap with sage-grouse habitat across five Western states. How can this walking swamp creature be Secretary of Interior? Furthermore, he has hired underlings who are all tied to industry. https://medium.com/westwise/analysis-bernhardt-linked-oil-and-gas-companies-own-more-than-20-percent-of-all-oil-and-gas-47f5c3b5ba90 Bernhardt #90: Bernhardt Hands Wolves over to States so they can kill them. Facts are clear: States only avoid killing wolves due to fear of Feds relisting. E.G., Wyoming’s 2017 goal was to reduce wolf pop. By 50 wolves—just enough to avoid relisting. Top priority of USFWS such as Margaret Everson, UFWS dep. dirctor & formerly of Ducks Unlimited Hunting group, is to make hunters happy—she kept Wildlife Refuges (a misnomer under the Bernhardt-Everson Admin.!) open during the government shutdown to keep hunters happy. Bernhardt is also actively seeking to weaken the ESA so that states make all the decisions about all species, getting rid of them if they hurt the profits of ranchers, farmers, developers, and energy industry. See Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management 2017 Annual Report. Accessed 2/21/19 from https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/PDF/Wildlife/Large%20Carnivore/2017-Wyoming-Wolf-Annual-Report_FINAL_2018-04-10.pdf p. 14-16 Bernhardt #89: Bernhardt’s Office of Inspector General did not reveal BLM directed to exclude coal-lease areas from revised Grand Escalante monument despite priceless dinosaur remains in it—One more Example of Hiding of Information by sneaky, opaque Bernhardt & why he’s not worthy of confirmation. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/14/stories/1060127237 Bernhardt #88: Bernhardt’s own Chief Interior FOIA Officer doesn’t know anything about Bernhardt’s calendar being deleted—she has “Some Familiarity” with the issue! This lackey hid all of his communications with industry & now trying to hide his hiding! This sneaky fraudster is NOT worthy of confirmation! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/14/stories/1060127267 Bernhardt #87: Bipartisan Environmental Legislation & Cautions for Conservationists. Congress has been congratulating itself for passing “bipartisan” environmental legislation funding the Land & Water Conservation Act. The Act does have some important positive contributions to expanding monuments and providing funds for possible acquisition of more public lands. However, it also has some negative consequences. Interior continues to cut their own operating budget for conservation including protection of species & public lands relying instead totally on revenues from oil-gas-coal leases on public lands & oceans. In many cases, these lands may be perfect for such activity because they are devoid of important habitat & don’t affect parks-monuments and other valuable and sensitive lands-oceans. But the Bernhardt-Trump Admin. has shown that they are willing to exploit lands & oceans that have very harmful effects on important habitat as well as putting them near important parks and other valuable places such as the Boundary Waters, Grand Canyon, & many others. Does this legislation place any restrictions on such exploitation? Given Bernhardt & ALL of his staff are lackeys of the oil-gas-coal-ranching industries, it is a deal with the Devil. Those interested in conservation need to push for limits on leasing on these lands and oceans. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/11/stories/1060126879 Bernhardt #86: Zinke-Bernhardt’s Interior hid positive comments on impacts of Grand Escalante such as scientific discoveries & no reduced grazing on public land due to monument. Another example of opaqueness & lying by Bernhardt’s Interior. Interior just hired new PR person—she’s worked for Rep. Steve King & Fox News—thus she's well-equipped to lie for Bernhardt. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/12/stories/1060127109 https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/13/stories/1060127183 Bernhardt #85: Bernhard’s new budget cuts billions—less than last year’s budget but highlights spending on drilling, law enforcement, & reorganizing dept. Cuts money for new land-habitat. No wonder that Congress including Repubs scoff at his budget! How can this loser who Congress ignores be confirmed? See details at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/11/stories/1060126951 & https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/11/stories/1060126971 Bernhardt #84: Bernhardt, model of opaqueness, had BLM’s report on proposed drilling in ANWR hide criticisms by scientists. One more example of how sneaky Bernhardt opposite transparent, cuts FOIA, comment times for controversial projects, hides communications with lobbyists. For details of hiding ANWR report, see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/12/stories/1060127067 Bernhardt #83: NYT reported that Trump's budget "targeted the Interior Department for a 14 percent decrease, dropping its overall budget to $12.5 billion." Bet sycophantic Davy protested about this, right? Ha, he begged for more cuts in conservation & then kissed Trump's butt! See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/us/politics/trump-budget.html?emc=edit_th_190312&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654190312 ernhardt #82: See the account by Wyoming resident & volunteer on how Bernhardt is destroying previous agreement to protect sage grouse habitat in the state’s “Golden Triangle” area. He doesn’t listen to local input—unless by energy companies! See https://www.wyofile.com/defend-wyomings-homegrown-grouse-plan-from-federal-meddling/ Bernhardt #81: Trump’s latest budget contains big cuts for environmental programs. But we can rest assured that Davy Bernhardt, Acting Secretary of Interior, will defend the environment & conservation—right!!!???? No, Bernhardt’s idea of conservation program is building target ranges for gun enthusiasts on public lands and building roads through forests to make access to big game easier for hunters! Other than for guns enthusiasts & trophy hunters, he has not shown the slightest interest in conservation. Let’s hope the Democrats & a few (there are only a few) conservation-minded Republicans will rectify these harmful cuts. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/11/stories/1060126889 Bernhardt #80: Evidence shows Bernhardt rushed to take water from Northern California to help his former lobby partners and wealthy farmers. No confirmation until your ethical misdeeds are investigated! See https://www.kqed.org/science/1938750/trump-pressure-on-california-water-plan-excludes-public-rushes-science-emails-show#nws=mcnewsletter Bernhardt #79: Bernhardt versus Endangered Species Act: He is pushing several measures that would destroy the protections it offers: allow cost benefit analysis to extinguish species (this is Bernhardt's idea of "balance"), eliminate other rules that protect threatened species, & allow destruction of critical habitat under another rule change. For excellent article summarizing these harmful proposals, see https://medium.com/wild-without-end/death-by-one-thousand-cuts-how-the-trump-administration-is-using-rulemaking-to-kill-the-endangered-a0af8689d9de Bernhardt #78: Analysis of Interior 2019 budget shows he cut budget for conservation-habitat programs by 60 Million, & even cut Land & Water Conservation from its own operating budget (oil-gas-lease funds separate). Despite bragging about big game corridors. Overall Interior's leasing is affecting millions of acres of corridors—far more than tiny areas protected. Once again, shows Bernhardt shows that he is a big liar, & his idea of “balance” is to weight oil-gas-coal 99% versus 1% for conservation See https://medium.com/westwise/will-acting-interior-secretary-david-bernhardt-put-some-money-where-his-mouth-is-16a0ea330c5b Bernhardt #77: Bernhardt orders fast cut to Northern Ca. water to please agric.-water lobbies. Will do with less transparency, scientist scrutiny. This will endanger salmon & other species. One more reason to reject this lobbyist! Everyday brings more anti-conservation measures! See https://www.kqed.org/science/1938750/trump-pressure-on-california-water-plan-excludes-public-rushes-science-emails-show#nws=mcnewsletter Bernhardt #76: A preview of what will happen if ANWR is drilled—Alaska has had to order the shutting & plugging of 14 wells that leaked and contaminated Prudhoe Bay. Climate change has cause leaking permafrost that helped cause the problem. Bernhardt will proceed anyway—he is owned lock, stock, & BARREL by oil industry. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/07/stories/1060123399 Bernhardt #75: Bernhardt’s Bureau of Ocean Management would not give any guarantees on protecting states from offshore drilling. The Senate should give no guarantees on confirming Bernhardt. Even better, they should ask Trump to withdraw this oil lackey nomination! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/07/stories/1060123385 Bernhardt #74: A Bill in the House proposes to spend more to hire more scientists & professionals with expertise in botany. Great idea since revenues devoted to conservation & endangered species way down in Trump Ad. But sad—Bernhardt only cares about Big Game Species & hates anything associated with science—after all, he is a climate and science denier. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/06/stories/1060123309 Bernhardt #73: Bernhardt’s Kowtowing Once Again to Trophy Hunters/Welfare Ranchers: He wants to hand over protections of wolves handing to states. As shown in #72, states such as Wyoming & Idaho are “protecting” wolves to avoid relisting under ESA. Without protection from Feds, people like Butch Otter, Governor of Idaho who sent hunters into Frank Church Wildlife refuge to kill wolves & would be glad to render them extinct again. The craziness behind this decision is that vast majority of public support wolf expansion as proven by surveys & comments to states and USFWS. Proof: revenues from viewing them FAR EXCEED costs to livestock/hunting revenues lost (see proof in #72 below). But small numbers of farmers & hunters totally dominate policy in these states. Ask anyone who has visited parks where wolves & grizzlies exist—visitors want to SEE them—ALIVE far more than any other animals or sites. Bernhardt #72: Bernhardt lifts protections for wolves to make trophy hunters happy—they don’t want competition. Western state wildlife departments current goal (example: Wyoming’s) is to keep their numbers just at the level required so as not to be listed under ESA. Bernhardt is also trying to weaken ESA, handing off decisions to state departments. The funny thing is that surveys throughout Western states consistently show big majorities favor wolves (and grizzlies). Wolves & other predators are worth far more alive than dead! Example: Alaska, which has the most wolves: Revenues from hunting: .5 Billion, Revenues from Wildlife Viewing: 2.5 Billion! Source: Alaska Office of Management & Budget. So what will happen to wolves & grizzlies! Sorry to see you go! See https://www.omb.alaska.gov//html/performance/details.html?p=63#td9256 Bernhardt #71: Bernhardt-Zinke One Claim to Wildlife Conservation Also Flawed: The only area related to conservation that Bernhardt-Zinke showed any interest in & took action on concerns corridors for Big Game animals such as elk, pronghorn, and mule deer. They did set aside some small areas free from leasing & bragged about this to their trophy hunter followers. However, the real story is that their feverish lease of lands throughout the West overwhelms the small areas they have protected and thus there will be fewer of these game animals. For example, they are making huge cuts in protected habitat for sage grouse which also helps ungulates and other wildlife. When this happens, who will they blame? No doubt about: wolves and grizzlies! See story on Wyoming feeble attempts to provide game animal corridors. https://www.wyofile.com/game-and-fish-proposes-new-migration-corridor-protections/ & https://www.wyofile.com/blm-leases-23k-acres-in-sage-grouse-golden-triangle/ Bernhardt #70: Real Story on Guns on Public Lands. Bernhardt has claimed overwhelming support by the public for guns on public lands because overwhelming votes for the recent Land Conservation Bill. Of course, like all Bernhardt statements, this is a total lie. The support for the bill was primarily due to conservation measures unrelated to guns such as expanding or creating new monuments. Only NRA gun types were focused on the expansion of guns on public lands and there is no doubt that if the public voted on this part of the bill, it would have failed. There is overwhelming data that the percentage of Americans hunting has fallen steadily so that it is a small minority of the U.S. population. By way of contrast, the percentage of people WATCHING wildlife has grown. Dollars spent on hunting: 26 Billion, Dollars spent on Watching wildlife: 76 Billion. Revenues from sales of guns-ammo etc. have dropped precipitously—the source of Federal funds for State wildlife departments. Monies from duck stamps and sales of licenses at the state level have also consistently fallen compared with inflation. All of these facts are well-documented by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It shows that reliance on hunting-guns-ammo is a dead end for funding of conservation of wildlife. Yet, what do state wildlife departments do in response to this decline? They spend more time & dollars trying to recruit more hunters! See https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/fhw-16-nat.html https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/2016/demo/fhw16-qkfact.pdf https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060060027/ \Bernhardt #69: Hey Bernhardt: GOP Senators reject your FOIA changes too! Turns out they don’t believe in Interior being the Department of Opaqueness either! Hope they question you on this in your hearing! Also, please ask this oil lobbyist about his other anti-transparency moves such as cutting time for public comments and hiding his detailed calendar! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/05/stories/1060123191 Bernhardt #68: More on Bernhardt’s Vision for BLM: Like Zinke, Bernhardt’s vision for Interior & BLM is exemplified by the “vision cards” BLM employees are required to wear exhibit an Oil Rig and Grazing on Public Lands! BLM’s “official” logo shows a tree, river, and mountain—not to Zinke-Bernhardt’s liking—too much conservation oriented! Interior-BLM employees also now refer to their constituencies as “stakeholders” and “customers”—not the public! See https://yubanet.com/usa/blm-employees-ordered-to-wear-propaganda-badges/ Bernhardt #67: The House Nat. Resources Com. is going to question Interior officials on offshore drilling, their priorities during shutdown, and water safety. Bad News for Davy Bernhardt who never saw a shore he didn’t want to drill. He loves shutdowns as long as he can continue to support energy industry drilling in ANWR, offshore U.S. etc. This is a chance for Dems to seek out Republican colleagues to get rid of oil lackey Bernhardt! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/04/stories/1060122841 Bernhardt #66: Hey, Bernhardt, Watch out! Even a few Republicans are interested in conservation! Some Rep. senators & reps. created the “Roosevelt Conservation Caucus.” They might have a vision of Interior different from Davy’s—his is energy dominance, making public lands safe for trophy hunters & lead shot-gear, roads through wilderness for logging & hunter-poachers, drilling land and ocean regardless if near parks, monuments, and areas with sensitive ecology, voiding laws that protect threatened species but hinder development or annoy people (e.g., wolves). You obviously don’t know about Teddy Roosevelt but he once was President of the U.S. and was the foremost conservationist President ever and CREATED monuments and the Antiquities Act that allow them. He also tried to preserve species from development—not sacrifice them to development. Let’s hope these Republicans join with Democrats to dump you—you do not deserve to be Secretary of Interior—you are the Anti-Teddy Roosevelt! See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/03/04/stories/1060122847 Bernhardt #65: Bernhardt misused used Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Fund (FLREA) in order to keep parks open during shutdown to help Trump and despite threats to parks safety and quality. One more reason why Bernhardt should never even be considered for Secretary of Interior—he has manipulated his office for politics and energy lobby neglecting the environment and conservation. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/03/01/stories/1060122837 Bernhardt #64: Minnesota & other Dems: Grill Jorjani & Bernhardt on decision to allow mining near Boundary Waters. Obama Admin. had denied but Jorjani, nominee Interior nominee to be solicitor, wants to allow. This, like uranium mining near Grand Canyon, shows Bernhardt-Jorjani priorities—none of which involve conservation of public lands and wildlife. (Note: Jorjani reinterpreted International Bird Migration Treaty to cut protections for birds -see #57 below) Jorjani is well-qualified to work as a lawyer--for Exxon, not for Interior! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/01/stories/1060122817 #63: Coalition to get rid of Bernhardt: South Carolina & 9 other states on U.S. coast are fighting Bernhardt’s plan to drill offshore. This is chance for senators, not just Democrats, to kill Bernhardt nomination! Grill this pudgy moon-faced lackey about this at his nomination hearing! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/03/01/stories/1060122809 Bernhardt #62: A federal judge ruled that your BLM intentionally and “purposefully circumvented public participation” so much so that they tried to prevent “any contemporaneous public involvement” in decisions about oil-gas leases on public lands. Now Interior & BLM continue to try to limit public input via cutting time for input & preventing FOIA inquiries. One more example of why Bernhardt is totally unfit to be Secretary of Interior. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/bureau-of-land-management-oil-and-gas-leasing-delayed-in-sage-grouse-habitat?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Bernhardt #61: Another oil lackey appointed to key Interior positions: Chad Padgett named to head BLM Alaska, handpicked by Balash, Asst Sec Land & Minerals, who has sponsored oil gas tax breaks and development of ANWR. Padgett is also aide to Don Young, major opponent of ESA & favor drilling ANWR. Once again, Bernhardt appoints energy industry who, like him, are their lackeys. There is NO BALANCE whatsoever in Bernhardt & Trump’s Interior Department. They are a disgrace to the party of Teddy Roosevelt. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/27/stories/1060122581 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/joseph-joe-balash/ Bernhardt #60: Scientists state that warming due to climate change is having a harmful impact on seas and fisheries. What is Bernhardt going to do in order to counter these bad effects? https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/28/stories/1060122615 Bernhardt #59: What are Bernhardt’s views on compensatory mitigation? Does he believe it is justified? In other words, should private developers -- oil and gas drillers, miners, or construction companies -- to offset the known impacts of their development activities? Or does he, like Zinke, view this as “extortion?” See https://medium.com/westwise/whats-interior-secretary-zinke-s-beef-with-compensatory-mitigation-d910873cac60 Bernhardt #58: Bernhardt’s USFWS is trying to getting rid of the “blanket 4(d) rule that gives threatened and endangered species protection. This was proposed by Greg Sheehan, Deputy Director of USFWS! What kind of “conservationist” would be placed in this position? He is a member of the Safari Club, as head of Utah agency he opposed introduction of wolves into Utah, he opposed ban on import of elephant trophies—indeed overrode Trump’s position on this(!), he helped Petroleum Asso. delay ESA listing of an endangered species in Texas & supports weakening ESA by eliminating deadlines & giving more power to states to avoid listing. In other words, like Bernhardt, he is a gun-loving creep whose ONLY interest in wildlife is providing game trophies for his hunting buddies. Like Bernhardt, he is totally unfit to be in his job. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/26/stories/1060122449 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/greg-sheehan/ Bernhardt #57: Bernhardt nominates another Koch Brothers lackey as Interior’s Solicitor: Nominee Jorjani weakened Migratory Bird Treaty, against compensatory mitigation by industries, allowed mining near Boundary Waters, trying to cut FOIA, tried to get Zinke’s wife travel compensated for. His main qualification: He worked for Koch Institute and Koch Foundation. Once again, Bernhardt has staff who all are energy industry lackeys. His talk of “balance” is a joke. It proves once again he is totally unfit to be Secretary of Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/27/stories/1060122571 Bernhardt #56: Bernhardt tried to cut the public comment period for controversial BLM leases to energy from 30 to 10 days—another example of Bernhardt’s non-transparency policy. He likes input--from his energy industry pals, no one else. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/02/25/stories/1060122371 Bernhardt #55: Energy Leases over Sage Grouse: Bernhardt's BLM is trying to speed a lease of critical grouse lek areas in Wyoming. Once again, he places energy dominance above all else—his idea of a ”balanced approach” which means to him give energy all the land and oceans they want and let conservation have the remainder. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/02/25/stories/1060122371 Bernhardt #54: Bernhardt’s Park Service is planning to cut training for Park Rangers to save money. In an agency that is first & foremost about energy dominance, this makes sense!It also demonstrates why we need to give Bernhardt the boot! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/25/stories/1060122339 Bernhardt #53: Questions for Senators & Representatives to Ask Bernhardt: (1) Should offshore drilling be done off of states that don’t want it? (2) Should full protection be Restored to Migrating Birds under the International Migratory Bird Treaty? (3) Should the Endangered Species Act be kept strong so that species are not threatened by cost benefit analysis? (4) Should lead bullets and gear be allowed in National Parks and Wildlife Refuges? (5) Should welfare ranchers like Bundy be allowed to graze public lands without paying dues? (6) Should monuments be cut by a President? (7) Should full FOIA access be allowed so as to provide transparency and accountability? Should full details of his and other Interior staff be provided on ALL of their communications with external organizations including phone, email, as well as direct meetings? (8) What kind of ethical principles should be established for Interior employees who are involved in decision-making related to former employers? (9) Why are Bernhardt’s top staff dominated by energy and ranching interests? (10) How can balance be restored to decisions about international wildlife trade given the dominance of self-interested groups like the Safari Club on Interior’s International Wildlife Council? (11) Does Bernhardt favor keeping Confederate general statues in public parks? (12) Why should guns be allowed in National Parks and wildlife refuges—what is their primary purpose—support of hunters or conservation? (13) What is the primary purpose of Interior and public lands—energy dominance or conservation of natural resources? (14) What protection should be provided to protected areas and endangered species on the U.S. southern border? (15) What is Bernhardt’s position on the impact of climate change on U.S. natural resources such as forests-& what SCIENTIFIC evidence does he have to defend this position? (16) In making decisions about endangered species, what should be the most important factors—science or cost benefit analysis? (17) In making decisions on matters involving conservation of public lands, what factors should be most important such as public comments, comments from private interest groups, or local and state politicians? In particular, what were the DETERMINING factors in the decisions to cut back Grand Escalante and Bears Ears Monuments? (18) What justification does he have for keeping parks open despite the shutdown when there is strong evidence that this was harmful to the parks? (19) When are welfare ranchers going to pay the full costs of the harm done by their grazing public lands when this grazing is unproductive and would not survive without Federal handouts? (20) How long should temporary directors be in charge of Interior agencies without Senate approval? (21) What defense does he have for drilling ANWR when BLM’s own analysis shows that there will be permanent harm to wildlife and environment of the area & the world is afloat in oil? Bernhart #52: There is more evidence that Bernhardt is trying to destroy the Endangered Species Act. He worked for a right-wing outfit named CESAR that brings suits that either attacks endangered species listings or cases that will make it difficult for the ESA. This outfit is also closely associated with Westlands organization which Bernhardt lobbies for and for which he now faces ethical scrutiny for assisting them while working for Interior. Just one more proof that Bernhardt is opposed to the conservation function of Interior—one of its major purposes and thus is unfit to be Secretary. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/22/stories/1060122205 Bernhardt #51: Will Bernhardt Reverse plan for drilling along U.S. coasts which every governor on the East Coast opposes? Or will his “balanced” approach once again favor Energy Dominance over any other concerns? See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/02/20/stories/1060121647 Bernhardt #50: Bernhardt Kisses Trump’s Ass & backs Wall despite previously Interior warnings that it would harm endangered species & monuments and wildlife refuges. This is an example of what Davy calls a “balanced approach.” He also, of course, gushes about Trump’s planned Military Parade to be run by Interior’s Park Service which most military leaders oppose. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/21/stories/1060121751 Bernhardt #49: Bernhardt whose International Wildlife Council favors policies that encourage killing of elephants & polar bears, now is taking aim on killing whales & dolphins due to seismic tests done by oil-gas companies. Killing them was important enough for Bernhardt to keep Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to keep working during the shutdown to speed permits for seismic activity. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/02/20/groups-ask-court-block-tests-that-could-harm-imperiled-atlantic-whales/?utm_term=.a417a38c8906&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 Bernhardt #48: Bernhardt just visited M.L. King’s home which begs the question from this lobbyist: Does he, like Zinke, support Confederate statues in public parks and locations? Let’s ask this creep this question & see if he gives a straight answer. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/19/stories/1060121389 Bernhardt #47: Bernhardt, whose only “conservation support” comes from hunter groups, was raised appropriately in Rifle CO. See photo of pudgy Bernhardt with his dead trophy. Like Zinke, his ONLY interest in wildlife-public lands is hunting for trophies. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/20/stories/1060121623 Bernhardt #46: Like their boss, other Interior officials are in trouble for violating ethics rules communicating with former employers about official matters. Evidence against them came from their calendars—no wonder Bernhardt wants to keep info on his meetings vague & hidden. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/20/stories/1060121627 Bernhardt #45: Davy Bernhardt is trying to cut FOIA requests when his & other lobbyists staffing of Interior jobs with all kinds of conflicts of interests make it necessary for MORE FOIA, not less. This is just part of his push for opaqueness. It also includes short time periods for comments on controversial projects and his refusal to detail his activities and communications for accountability. For an example of the need for accountability for this sneaky lobbyist, start with his handout to Westlands. See https://medium.com/westwise/david-bernhardt-delivers-favor-for-major-former-client-a46fcb9827a1 Bernhardt #44: Bernhardt has the support of Trophy Hunters. Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall said he is a “champion of conservation” & Whit Fosburgh of the TEDDY ROOSEVELT Conservation Partnership, the Boone & Crockett Club, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Guns.com, the NRA, & the National Shooting Sports Foundation strongly support him. Maybe they can explain how this guy who is leading the attack on Endangered Species Act, cut protections under the Bird Migration Treaty, cut monuments & champions “Energy Dominance” as the top priority of Interior is a “champion of conservation"???!!! Total Bull___! However, it does make sense—Bernhardt has followed Zinke in that his SOLE actions involving any sort of conservation have been to protect trophy big game—saving some small patches of land for their migration. He like Zinke is gung ho in opening all national wildlife refuges and parks to guns and he loves lead ammo & gears. In my book, Wildlife Politics (Cambridge University Press, Ch. 10 devoted to hunting) I found several instances where hunters have joined with conservation forces to win important victories for conservation & not just those involving game species. But it now is becoming clear that in the major hunter organizations above, their sole concern is with their guns, trophies & maintaining their ability to say they are friends with the Secretary of the Interior. They do not care about non-game species, the cutbacks in monuments, nor Bernhard’s devotion to drilling public lands for energy dominance. It is a disgraceful, narrow, selfish, and cowardly stance on their part. See https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2019/02/david-bernhardts-nomination-interior-secretary-quickly-criticized https://www.guns.com/news/2019/02/05/gun-conservation-groups-support-nomination-of-david-bernhardt-as-interior-boss http://www.nwtf.org/about/state-news/nwtf-pleased-bernhardt-nomination-doi-role Bernhardt #43: Bill Scolds Interior for Non-transparency. It gives NOAA 5.4 billion but criticizes it for ignoring their requests for information. Bernhardt-Trump don’t like hearing about science and climate change. They only listen to their sponsors—the energy industry. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/14/stories/1060121097 Bernhardt #42: Bernhardt, Secretary of the Department of Opaqueness is now beginning to get some questions from the House concerning his non-transparency. Recent bipartisan legislation gave 14 million for Zinke’s “reorganization” but requires that “transparency must be an essential element” to Congress as well as “robust communications” with Tribes. Bernhardt like Zinke has only listened to state-local politicos interested in benefitting from drilling & they hide their communications vigorously. They totally ignored the huge majority of comments & input from groups concerned with the environment, heeding only those who want to profit from public lands. Unfortunately, given Bernhardt’s sneakiness, not only Congress but investigative reporters will have to act to provide such accountability. In my view, the whole reorganization is a waste of time (like most government reorganizations)—its main purpose is to try to hand over policies on public lands & endangered species to state & local interests where monetary selfishness will override any idealistic concern with preserving species & the environment for future generations. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/14/stories/1060121097 Bernhardt #41: The recent bipartisan border legislation protected several sensitive lands. One would think that Interior’s Fish & Wildlife Service would speak up for such actions but, if there are any conservation-minded professionals left, they are mute. Bernhardt-Zinke-Trump have made one after another attacks on conservation & wildlife, & there has been NOT EVEN AN UTTERANCE of disagreement from the agency supposedly prioritizing conservation & wildlife. Consequently, if any protections for wildlife are to exist, they must come from Congress and particularly the House—one encouraging sign is that committees & subcommittees concerning with public lands & conservation have added some Democrats whose are interested in conservation as a priority—not energy dominance the sole concern of Republicans on these committees. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/15/stories/1060121183 Bernhardt #40: Bernhardt’s Interior plans to use “active management” of forests, they say, “supported by best available science.” Funny, best available science says that climate change is a significant factor but energy industry lackey Bernhardt doesn’t believe in climate change or science—His only criterion for policy is whether it will advance the interests of his lobby partners. Interior also plans to give “categorical exclusions from Nat. Evmnt. Protection Act—once again, the environment, conservation & wildlife have NO PRIORITY with Bernhardt’s Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/13/stories/1060120485 Bernhardt #39: Bernhardt violated ethical rules by a policy favoring his former client, Westlands, by initiating actions to weaken protections for delta smelt, His defense???: a subservient Interior “ethics(less) official” approved his action because his lobbying concerned a broad bill that INCLUDED the action against the delta smelt. Somehow the ethics(less) official & Bernhardt think this allows his ethical violation! Moreover, there is no written record of Bernhardt having been given this okay. It’s time for this corrupt lobbyist & violator of ethical rules to be given the boot! See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/climate/david-bernhardt-endangered-species.html Bernhardt #38: Bernhardt not only ignores science, he avoids scientific study of the harmful effects of the coal industry’s removal of mountaintops. He cancelled a scientific study for no good reason as attested to by Interior’s Inspector General. Interior's judge of research projects is now done by a political hack. Like Zinke, he also continues to ignore & banish proof by scientific studies that climate change is a major threat to public lands, oceans, and forest fires—mention of climate change has been removed from the Department’s website. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/12/stories/1060120287 Bernhardt #37: Bernhardt can also show “balance” he is now promising to compensate for the 2 years of unremittingly UNBALANCED favors he & Zinke have done for energy & ranching industries by the following actions: (1) Take a stand in FAVOR of keeping the strong Endangered Species Act as is & now weakening via cost/benefit analysis or handing over decisions to states; (2) Reverse the cuts made to National Monuments; (3) Reverse BLM’s decision not to require developers/industry to compensate for mitigation costs; (4) Keep lead bullets/gear out of national parks/wildlife reserves; (5) Reverse the decision to drill offshore. (6) Reverse decision to drill ANWR. These steps would allow conservationists to have some faith in Bernhardt but I am not holding my breath. Indeed, if the industry lobbyist lackey Bernhardt is approved as full-time Secretary, I have no doubt that he will add to the list of wrongs Interior is doing to conservation & wildlife. Bernhardt #36: Bernhardt is now worried about “balance questions” in his upcoming confirmation hearings so he TEMPORARILY exempts Chaco Nat. Park parcels from upcoming lease. Once confirmed, he will hand it over to his lobby friends. Other than small migration routes for trophy wildlife, when has Bernhardt ever sacrificed industry interests for conservation? Make him PERMANENTLY protect Chaco & other park-monuments threatened by industry. Also, Please, Whit Fosburgh provide us a list of the cases in which Bernhardt has taken side of conservation over interests of industry! Oh, I know he will be happy to put up buildings, sidewalks, stores etc. in parks—he likes infrastructure that pave over natural landscapes! We have a huge list (see #33 below) of when he has favored industry over conservation. See the liar’s words at https://www.wsj.com/articles/interior-secretary-nominee-says-he-will-balance-energy-environment-11549634400?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1 Bernhardt #35: Democrats need to do more than just get his calendar—need to get not only the details of his meetings—he often refuses to provide details. Also, need to find out his “communications” with the multitude of his former lobbyist partner companies—grill him under oath on what lobbyist friends he has communicated with by phone, computer, or any other means. This guy hides everything and only threat of prosecution will influence him to reveal the truth. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/08/stories/1060120071 Bernhardt #34: Bernhardt’s “advisers” are as bad as he is. Susan Combs, his “Policy Adviser,” tried to kill ESA protections for Texas warbler when she was Texas Comptroller—a position that evidence & Interior’s own agency & the Courts have contradicted. Combs, a rancher-oil-lobbyist friend is one of Bernhardt’s staff who makes decisions when Bernhardt “recuses himself” from his many conflict of interests. Shows that the entire top hierarchy of Interior needs to be cleaned out & that his recusals are meaningless. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/08/stories/1060120063 Bernhardt #33: Bernhardt Recusal Mean Nothing: His energy industry lackeys approve projects for his lobby friends anyway. Analysis shows that Interior undertook 19 actions for 16 of his former lobbyist partners. There is no way that someone who has to check a card to see if he has conflicts of interest because he has so many! Trump wants to get rid of the Swamp? Then start with Bernhardt! See https://medium.com/westwise/everything-you-need-to-know-david-bernhardt-trump-interior-secretary-27761ed0f512 Bernhardt #32: BLM has postponed seismic testing in ANWR during winter but insists it will go on with it later but it will be “less-rigorous environmental analysis” rather than a full Environmental Impact Study on the seismic testing request.” Just one more proof that Bernhardt cares only about energy companies—the public & conservation be damned. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/07/stories/1060119943 Bernhardt #31: Time to prosecute Cliven Bundy for non-payment of fees for welfare ranching on public lands. Bernhardt claims to have “balanced approach” but so far has only made decisions favoring oil-gas-coal industry & welfare ranchers. Why should Bundy get away with non-payment? Put up or shut up about "balance." Bernhardt #30: Bernhardt’s BLM rushes to Lease Public lands & Ignores threats: They got tiny $ for land next to Petrified National Forest, land near Canyonlands National Park, & Chaco National Historic Park. They are rushing to sell leases at low rates, cutting time for public comment, with NO PLANS to protect critical areas. The only concession they have made is tiny area for mule deer migration to help trophy hunters. And they are trying to cut FOIA requirements so their handouts to Bernhardt’s energy owners can’t be detected. So much for Bernhardt’s bull___ about “balanced use of public lands.” See https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060099219 & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/07/stories/1060119933 Reasons why David Bernhardt is even worse for the Department of Interior than Ryan Zinke Bernhardt #29: Bernhardt previous decisions were almost all anti-conservation: He allowed exclusion of End. Species habitat, allowed removal wolves from protection, opened more public lands for mining. Once he did hold that the ESA barred import of polar bear trophies but now he is leading the charge to destroy ESA. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/06/stories/1060119807 Bernhardt #28: The Bernhardt Nomination: Bernhardt promises for 1 year not to participate in decisions concerning the many oil industry firms he has lobbied for. But that means that his staff, who are ALL either former energy/ranching employees will make the decisions & give Bernhardt's former clients what they want. Also, Trump in his SOTU speech only mentioned Interior once to brag about energy dominance. Similarly, Bernhardt, like Zinke, has NEVER discussed conservation other than preserving big game for trophy hunters including his statement on his nomination by Trump. He is perfectly qualified to be the lackey of energy industry but he has Zero qualifications to conserve the environment & wildlife--MAJOR portions of Interior's Mission. In other words, he has NO business being Secretary of the Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/05/stories/1060119679 & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/06/stories/1060119769 Bernhardt #27: Big laugh-Bernhardt goes on “ethics offensive” by naming new ethics officials. This from a man who routinely makes decisions benefiting former employers, hides his communications, & is trying to cut FOIA accountability. Like all of his appointees, they will undoubtedly be from energy-ranching-trophy hunting industries. They can start their job by investigating him for violating Fed. Lands Rec Act misuse of park fees used for operations during shutdown than improving service and for extending temporary appointees illegally-see #25 below. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/04/stories/1060119413 & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/04/stories/1060119563 Bernhardt #26: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is holding more meetings to collect “comments’ on a plan to expand oil development in ANWR. However, though their analysis showed many enduring harmful impacts that this development will have on wildlife & the environment, they have already decided that they sell oil leases for this land to oil companies. They want to maximize profits to energy companies that have employed many of Interior Staff such as Sec. Bernhardt. They also want to despoil the land before another Admin. takes over—so it will no longer have the cachet of being “pristine.” In other words, their "public comment" information gathering is pure "baloney" (feel free to substitute your own characterization for this!) See https://www.arctictoday.com/with-us-government-shutdown-over-path-cleared-for-hearings-on-arctic-oil-development/ Bernhardt #25: One Temp Extending Temps: This is illegal! ACTING Interior Sec. David Bernhardt is extending the jobs of Deputy Solicitor Jorjani, Deputy Director of BLM, & Susan Combs Asst. Sec. for Policy, Management, & Budget. These extensions violate the Federal Vacancies Reform Act which prohibits keeping staff for extended periods of time who have not been approved by the Senate. So, what’s the defense of ACTING Sec. Bernhardt? He says that the individuals aren't assigned the formal title of acting director and instead merely act "with the authority of directors." Talk about Distinctions without a Difference!!! It is particularly egregious because it is one temp (Bernhardt) that is illegally extending other temps! This is totally phony BULL____ & should be taken to the courts. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/31/stories/1060119173 Utah Politicians: Want to undermine more monuments. Sen. Mike Lee will not support Land and Water Conservation Fund (that has lapsed under Trump-Zinke-Bernhardt Administration) unless a clause is added that require congressional approval of new land designations in Utah. Such a clause already exists for Alaska & Wyoming. Just think if such approvals were required since Teddy R! There would have been strong oil-gas-coal-rancher opposition not only to most monuments but to many of the National parks, and, as has been shown time and again, these strong selfish-interest organizations dominate and defeat measures that have the support of the vast public but, because these interests are more idealistic & not selfish, lose out to the concentrated power of Congressional institutions such as Congressional committees & now the entire leadership of the Interior Department that are now TOTALLY dominated by selfish industry interests. Indeed, surveys clearly show that a majority of Utahans themselves support conservation of public lands & monuments over energy production (61% to 26%) but they lose out to Utah politicos who are firmly in the pockets of energy-ranching interests. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/02/01/stories/1060119237 & https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/stateoftherockies/documents/2019%20Powerpoint%20State%20of%20the%20Rockies%20d2b.pdf Bernhardt #24: An analysis by the Center for Western Priorities finds that 71 offshore drilling permits were approved during the shutdown were for companies that were former clients of Bernhardt who also represented drilling group against Deepwater Horizon spills. In short, Bernhardt IS the SWAMP! Let’s get rid of this "Acting Lackey" of energy industry! See https://medium.com/westwise/interior-approved-drilling-permits-for-bernhardt-linked-companies-during-shutdown-2dab70197ec0 Bernhardt #23: Bernhardt just extended Acting Interior top appointees to stay in jobs despite violating rules of Federal Vacancies Act. Who does Bernhardt demand be kept? Principal Deputy Solicitor Danie Jorjani is a former Koch Brothers “key employee” who has advised energy companies on their investments. BLM’s Deputy Director for Policy and Programs Brian Steed has published studies on public lands alleging that wilderness areas “impose costs on local economies” & reduced economic growth and he has pushed for oil & coal development in Grand Escalante National Park. Public lands, monuments, wildlife conservation—the Bernhardt-Trump Interior philosophy: Billions for energy companies, drilling for public lands, wildlife reserves, and oceans. For documentation, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/01/30/interior-department-is-running-mainly-without-senate-confirmed-leaders-it-just-opted-keep-it-that-way/?utm_term=.372205c661a6 Department of Conservation: Why we need it! The Trump-Zinke-Bernhardt Department of Interior has relegated conservation to bottom of the barrel. They have pushed energy dominance as their top goal, and their other priorities are Welfare Ranchers on Public Lands, trophy hunters, & wealthy development corporations. Concern about conservation & wildlife is non-existent—when have Bernhardt-Zinke pushed conservation-wildlife priorities? Never! That is why there needs to be a new Department committed first & foremost to Conservation. Though a Democratic presidency would help to moderate some of the worst aspects of the current situation, institutional forces will continue to mean that conservative Republicans & Dems. (e.g., Manchin) will flock to key committees & prevent any major conservation efforts (see below comment on Murkowski et al for details on this point). How Institutionalism Allows Western GOP states to dominate Interior Decisions: One just has to look at Lisa Murkowski & other Alaskan politicians to see how they flock to Committees (e.g., Energy and Natural Resources& Interior-Environment Appropriations in Senate) that allow pro-energy forces to get their way & drill ANWR & offshore & other anti-conservation moves. This explains why despite the fact that the U.S. public that prioritizes conservation over “energy dominance,” environment & wildlife forces have been on losing side of so many battles. In the House, anti-Endangered Species Act Don Young has dominant authority on House Committee on Resources. There are some hopeful signs that new Democrats elected in midterms may have some impact in the House including several from non-Western states but with Murkowski in charge & oil lackey Bernhardt running Interior, they are rushing to despoil ANWR so that it will no longer be “pristine” by the time Trump gets kicked out of office. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/29/stories/1060118823 & https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/24/stories/1060118459 Bernhardt #22: Bernhardt cares about welfare farmers—but to hell with conservation & wildlife. He reinstated grazing permits to Hammonds who committed arson & poaching on a wildlife refuge. Why? Because Trump pardoned them! At same time, there is no evidence that anyone in Trump Admin. is trying to get WELFARE RANCHER Bundy’s to pay grazing fees on PUBLIC LANDS. This Interior Dept. has no interest or commitment to conservation & wildlife—instead focuses on drilling ANWR & Oceans, handing over monuments/public lands to energy/developers/welfare ranchers. Its conservation functions should be placed in a new Department of Conservation that prioritizes it—not energy dominance! For documentation see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/29/stories/1060118899 & Ch. 3 of my book that details the outrages that the Bundy clan has gotten away with for decades—long before the standoff https://www.wildlifepolitics.org/ Bernhardt 21: Bernhardt “lavished praise” on Trump for shutting down government & “reaching a deal to end the shutdown.” Meanwhile, experts said that the “damage from the shutdown may least years. “ Is there anyone even in Trump’s Cabinet who is so full of S__T?! See https://www.wildlifepolitics.org/blog & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/28/stories/1060118761 for documentation of Bernhardt’s ass-kissing & damage done to park by shutdown. Bernhardt #20: Bernhardt & Interior are trying to reduce FOIA requests arguing that they have received too many & are too burdensome. But reality is Bernhardt-Zinke actions have done numerous questionable actions that have inspired the spike. Interior wants to decide if they need to respond to FOIA! And they want to apply “higher standards” to requests from journalists or researchers! This from an agency that has abandoned science concerning climate change & now has a political hack judging grant proposals! Is it legal for Interior to cutback FOIA on its own? Doesn’t seem to make sense. This is Bernhardt Opaque Dept that tries to hide everything—they need MORE transparency, not Less! Dems have asked for delay in changes but they should look into legality. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/25/stories/1060118633 Bernhardt-#19: BLM has abandoned compensatory mitigation arguing that it is “extortion” and illegal. A Fordham Environmental Law Review article by Justin Pidot devastates this new policy. It shows that there is no sound legal reasoning for this change—The Federal Land Management and Policy Act clearly does support such compensation. BLM took some material from a Wyoming regional solicitor with no sound reasoning to justify radical change that is a giveway to extractive industry. The article analyzes & 4 weak arguments made for the change & shows they have no merit. It demonstrates one more time that this Dept. of Interior & all of its agencies including BLM are nothing but pawns for energy industry. It will undoubtedly be overturned in court but how much harm will it do by then? For the full paper, see https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3307226 Bernhardt #18: Forest Service: Welfare Sheep Ranchers favored over Big Horn Sheep. The Forest Service has approved grazing of Welfare Rancher Sheep on Federal lands near where Big Horn ship graze despite science that shows the sheep can spread disease to the Big Horn. This again shows the perverted priorities of Bernhardt-Trump’s Interior Dept.—after energy industry, they care about welfare ranchers on Federal land—wildlife conservation be damned. See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/24/stories/1060118539 Bernhardt #17: Where does Bernhardt stand on Fed. public lands giveaways? Sen. Barasso, Rob Bishop & others want to hand over public lands and/or their management entirely to states & exempt them Fed. Environment review. Where does energy industry lackey Bernhardt stand on ownership/management of public lands? At least we had a quote from Zinke that he would oppose handing over ownership to states but we now need to know Bernhardt’s position on this & environmental reviews. Time for Grijalva’s Committee to get a clear statement from opaque Bernhardt who never let’s anyone know what he is doing or who he is meeting with! For Barasso bill, see https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/25/stories/1060118571 ernhardt #16: What’s essential at Interior? Drilling U.S. offshore is their top priority. Interior is bringing back 40 employees to speed drilling Interior says “essential.” Previously said only 8 employees needed during shutdown but now changed to 84 mostly devoted to drilling. Bernhardt & his other energy lackey staff only care about energy companies, the environment, ocean, & public lands be damned. He is even LESS TRANSPARENT than Zinke. His single tweet was to kiss Donald Trump’s butt. Let’s get rid of this creep now! See https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/23/stories/1060118223 Bernhardt #15: Shutdown won’t delay most public land grazing. Bernhardt & Interior know their priorities—keep welfare ranchers grazing public lands but forget about conservation and endangered species! See https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/livestock/shutdown-won-t-delay-most-public-land-grazing/article_8e731e78-1dc3-11e9-a44b-0f38ca76a186.html Excellent article by Wash Post shows that Trump cut in Utah Monuments to spur energy dev. Is a bust, that most want to preserve monuments & associated beauty, quality of life, & associated tour dollars. A few companies that previously showed interest have done nothing & are in trouble—coal development is a pipedream. “Local input” from Utah amounted to Orrin Hatch & Rob Bishop—not ordinary citizens nor Native Americans who opposed the cutback. Utah has already benefitted from purchase by Federal govt. of land for monuments in which they gained other Federal land & lots of money. In short, the article shows the cutback was due mainly to Trump’s spite wanting to destroy what Clinton & Obama had done & in response to few Utah politicians & their energy industry sponsors. See the article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/environment/will-anyone-mine-after-grand-staircase-escalante-reduction-by-trump/?utm_term=.367dc0d00c1f Bernhardt #14: Bernhardt-Interior: use funds inappropriately for “high priority projects”—i.e., process drilling permits for Atlantic, hunting in national wildlife REFUGES (!) & keep public outrage down over park closures by illegally using monies from entrance fees & unexpended “carryover funds.” They claim to now be processing FOIA requests but that remains to be seen. They say they got approval from consulting the Office of the Solicitor at the Interior Department—but the Interior’s Inspector General’s Office is shutdown & this office is a rubber stamp for Bernhardt. The House Committee needs to hold Bernhardt & this office accountable for these actions. For documentation, see https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/22/stories/1060118095 & https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/22/stories/1060118091 Safari Club International: Killers of Threatened Species Sell Wares in Reno—Refuse to Allow Video-Camera coverage of illegal sales: The Safari Club dominates Interior’s International Wildlife Council including its Chair and 4 others of the 16 member Council. Recently, photos & videos taken by hidden cameras of Safari Club expo in Nevada showed numerous body products for sale from threatened species including elephants. The response of the Safari Club? They criticized “the unauthorized visit” by the Human Society. See details on expo at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/21/stories/1060117961 & for Trump’s advisory council, see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/21/stories/1060117961 Bernhardt #13: Trump-Wheeler-Bernhardt: Energy-Development First & Foremost, Dirty Water & Dirty Air, Everywhere! Trump-Wheeler’s analysis in its new rule to cut way back on protected wetlands is based on assumptions that states will continue to protect or even expand state level protections. See Greenwire’s analysis at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/21/stories/1060117957 Bernhardt’s proposed exploitation of Arctic National Wildlife outlines harms to environment & wildlife--& then ignores them. See BLM’s report where they admit these points (Ch. 3). In short, Trump-Wheeler-Bernhardt choose pollution & development over clean air and clean water every chance they get. I am sure that vast majority of the public strongly disagrees with their choices. But does the public realize what is happening? No, because the media don’t focus on substance! Instead, they devote 99.444% of their attention to the latest Mueller item! Bernhardt #12: Untransparent Interior: Bernhardt stonewalling media has turned Interior into Dept of Opaqueness. Park Superintendents are not allowed to respond to media about park conditions. Only priority—try to hide info about harmful effects of shutdown—not safety, not conservation, Only Trump matters! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/18/stories/1060117945 BLM has refuses to release records on oil-gas exploitation of Chaco region in New Mexico & Office of Surface Mining won’t give info on decision to void rules that limit emissions of coal mines. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/18/stories/1060117951 Energy Dominance Rules the Day in Senate Committee--conservation be damned! Murkowski staff names petroleum engineer & advisor to Sen. Barrasso as new staff for Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. With Murkowski, chief instigator of drilling in Arctic in charge & top Dem. Sen. Manchin, coal & pipeline enthusiast in charge, we can be sure that conservation interests will never threaten priorities for energy dominance. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/18/stories/1060117853 Hunters & Energy Still Rule in House despite midterms: Anyone hoping that Dems takeover of House would affect wildlife conservation policy has got to be dismayed. Dems proposed funding for Interior would prohibit regulation of lead bullets-tackle, listing of sage grouse, & allow agriculture to pollute water even as hunters nos. dwindle as does $ from excise tax on ammunition. This show how changing demographics & public opinion don’t matter—anti-conservation forces still in control & may well be for decades despite their disappearance as significant percent of population or economy. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/18/stories/1060117881 Hmmh, big game hunters versus oil industry. Big Dilemma for Interior and Wyoming citizens. This would have been an excruciating decision for Zinke who liked big game (i.e., on his walls) but for Bernhardt, the oil company, lackey this is an easy choice! At least Zinke wanted at some point to be like Teddy R.--Bernhardt no way See High Country News, https://www.hcn.org/articles/wildlife-oil-and-gas-threaten-wyomings-ungulates Bernhardt #11: Interior can’t fund parks upkeep & maintenance under shutdown but calling in employees to help drilling continent shelf during shutdown. Zinke’s gone but Bernhardt worse than ever! Billions for Energy, Crap for conservation! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/16/stories/1060116249 Bernhardt #10: Trump-Bernhardt: Keep Parks Open-user fees supposed to be for capital improvement projects, instead used to illegally keep parks open to support Trump shutdown. Neither Trump nor Bernhardt, both lackeys of the energy industry, care one damn about parks but they know public will not tolerate their shutdown—the public cares far more about parks-monuments than “oil dominance.” So they are keeping them open albeit without needed staff. In short, hypocrites & phonies once again & forever. See https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/16/stories/1060115369 Bernhardt #9: Even Republican Governors reject Bernhardt-Zinke-Trump kowtowing to Energy Industry’s destruction of public lands. The midterm elections show that a dominant majority favor public lands & Bernhardt-Zinke-Trump effort to bow down to energy & abolish rules on mitigation & other destructive efforts is NOT POPULAR. See https://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060113599?t=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eenews.net%2Fstories%2F1060113599 Democrats Way Too Low a Bar for Interior Nominations: A recent report suggests that Democrats such as Raul Grijalva (NM) Jared Huffman (Cal.) are willing to accept Rob Bishop as a replacement for Ryan Zinke & Susan Combs as assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, justifying their support by stating that “You could do worse!” Their only reason offered is that they don’t have “the legal baggage” that those who are already. Their position is totally unacceptable to anyone who cares in the least for conservation. Bishop has been a consistent proponent for undermining the Endangered Species Act & also supports turning over Federal public lands to states. Combs has a terrible record undermining species protection in Texas that I have documented in my Wildlife Politics book (Cambridge University Press, 2017, p. 55). The ONLY DIFFERENCE between them and Zinke is that they are MORE CONSISTENTLY opposed to the ESA—in other words far worse for conservation. Before his nomination. Bishop has tried to defund the National Landscape Conservation system, supports the repeal system that allow states to overturn any Act of Congress, supports cutting Monuments & Antiquities Act that enables them. In other words, while Zinke claimed (falsely) to be a T. R. Republican, Bishop is the ANTI-Teddy Roosevelt Republican. In Texas, Rancher Combs handed over ESA protections to the oil industry & fellow ranchers. Her record on conservation could hardly be worse. How these Democrats can even suggest accepting these losers as replacements at Interior is beyond me! What the hell is going on here? I looked forward to Grijalva grilling Interior & USFWS over their anti-conservation policies & now they are willing to accept far worse! Upsetting to say the least! For details of Democratic comments, see https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/14/stories/1060111781 Bernhardt #8: Bernhardt’s Opaque Interior: Rather than trying to be transparent, Bernhardt & Interior try to keep their stinky actions hidden & strive to achieve non-transparency. He never uses email or commits anything to writing to avoid accountability for pandering to energy industry. Now his Park Service is “muzzling” its superintendents so they don’t report on terrible conditions in parks due to shutdown. It’s time to get rid of Bernhardt, Acting Director, who is Acting to harm parks & public lands. See https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060111453 Bernhardt #7: Bernhardt & Interior Dept is now ruled by long-temporary directors who have never received Congressional approval. Reasons for the delay? They are not qualified for their jobs—Susan Combs, e.g., is opposed to the Endangered Species Act but heads policy for the Dept. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/01/11/stories/1060111697 Bernhardt #6: One more sneaky Bernhardt Action: Keeping Parks open despite shutdown. Bernhardt realizes that Americans value parks—not oil wells in a world overflowing with excess oil—so he keeps parks open illegally threatening safety of visitors & wildlife. Of course no public pronouncements or reasoned defense of these actions by Bernhardt or his lackeys. He is one sneaky son-of-a-____. For documentation, see https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/11/stories/1060111729 Bernhardt #5: Sneaky Evildoer, trying to Drill more Alaska Lands under cover: Bernhardt, Acting (hope that he never becomes permanent), found money to hold meetings to drill Alaska despite shutdown. When asked how he did this, his response was vague. One more example of the Bernhardt approach, try to sneak things by while never making anything public, keeping everything hidden. You don’t get many (actually any so far?) TWEETS from Bernhardt but you can be assured that he is working evil to Interior & public lands every day. https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/01/11/stories/1060111733 Utah Republicans: Federal public lands belong to Utah selfish interests—not to all Americans! Sens. Lee & Romney pushing bill to prevent new national monuments without state approval. These 2 & other State Republican leaders don’t belong to the same party as Teddy Roosevelt! In 50 years, which will we regret more—not leasing more land for oil-gas-coal or preserving lands for wildlife-conservation-& enjoyment of American public? See details of their destructive proposal at https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/11/stories/1060111665 Bernhardt #4: Silent Killer of Wildlife & Environment: Bernhardt, Acting head of Interior, makes no pronouncements and tweets but he & his BLM are proceeding to destroy the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. BLM did an Environmental Impact Statement that proves very harmful impacts on wildlife. For example, In Chapter 3, page 111, it summarizers impacts on terrestrial mammals—they state there would be 12 Harmful Long-term Impacts. They also cite some “beneficial impacts” such as “early snowmelt due to dust deposition (great for animals!). They study 3 harmful alternatives (B,D, &D) but also list Alternative A which is to do nothing—Alternative A is far superior in every respect! See Volume 1 at https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/102555/164448/200585/Coastal_Plain_Draft_EIS_Volume_1.pdf Despite these harmful impacts BLM has documented, Bernhardt, the lackey of energy companies that he has worked for while in and out of government, wants to push forward with the most harmful options. In short, Zinke is gone but Bernhardt is here & he’s WORSE THAN ZINKE Some hope at last! With Dems taking over House, there are some positive news such as plan to review of 1872 Mining Act that prioritizes mining over other public land uses & doesn’t allow royalties be paid by hardrock mining companies. Also calls for research on effects of coal mining stopped by Trump. Of course, Senate including Dem. Manchin loom but at least some light & perhaps news media will cover the harm being done by Trump-Bernhardt at Interior . See E&E News article at https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2019/01/08/stories/1060111181 Bernhardt #3: After Zinke: Even Less Transparency at Interior & Now allowing more Methane pollution. They proposed new rules to reject FOIA requests they view as “burdensome”—i.e. anything that restrains energy dominance & destruction of public lands-oceans. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/12/28/stories/1060110661 For info on their rolling back rules on Methane leaking that is proven to harm public health, see great New York Times article at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/26/us/politics/donald-trump-environmental-regulation.html?emc=edit_th_181227&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654191227 Utah, Reveals Hypocrisy: Utah, the state whose politicos support destruction of monuments—prioritizes keeping National Parks open! Gov. Herbert says “we don’t like having to do it—The Federal government should be doing it.” Does this show that despite their consistent support of state-private takeover of public lands & politicians like Rob Bishop who want to destroy the Endangered Species Act (ESA), that their numbskull politicos realize that their well-being & the state’s health depends on NATIONAL PUBLIC FEDERAL conservation? No, I guess that’s expecting too much from these dopes! See Alan Blinder https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/24/us/shutdown-states-national-parks.html Post-Zinke Trump Department of Interior: Bernhardt #2: Bernhardt, Zinke’s Deputy, who now appears to be Acting Sec. of Interior, has FAR more conflicts of interest than Zinke. He had to cancel speech on water issues in Colorado because it conflicted with his previous job with a law & lobbying firm that conflicted with actions to be taken by the Colorado River District. He represented Westlands Water District that seeks to weaken ESA—a position which Bernhardt has supported—one more example of him shelling for former clients. In short, his history reveals that he is an oily, disgusting creature straight out of the swamp. He should not be Acting Secretary, much less the permanent Secretary of Interior. See https://thinkprogress.org/interior-deputys-long-career-as-a-lobbyist-creates-headaches-for-departments-ethics-officials-20c5b902b8b0/ Bernhardt #1: Why David Bernhardt, likely Acting Secretary of Interior after Zinke booting, is even worse! Zinke at least stated he was “TR Republican” & against selling public land. Bernhardt is committed to weakening (destroying) the Endangered Species Act—like Zinke he cares only about energy dominance. He’s a swampy energy lobbyist who has gone back & forth between govt. & industry and tried to sell land in Grand-Escalante monument which later had to be reversed due to public outcry. Finally, he is slippery trying to escape being caught by NEVER using email or committing any of his evil decisions to paper. In short, like Wheeler replacing Pruitt at EPA, Bernhardt is merely a sneakier, smoother evil man who will do ever more harm to conservation, wildlife, public lands and oceans. Documentation of above points: Anti-ESA at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/at-interior-were-ready-to-bring-the-endangered-species-act-up-to-date/2018/08/09/2775cd8e-9a96-11e8-b55e-5002300ef004_story.html?utm_term=.3121b88d5c9b&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1 Trying to sell Grand Escalante: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2017/08/24/las-cruces-area-leaders-decry-zinke-summary-await-organ-mountains-desert-peaks-national-monument/600042001/ His secrecy at: https://medium.com/westwise/joel-clement-interior-whistleblower-podcast-interview-db219d9a1a3a Below are 224 Reasons why Zinke deserved to be booted and why he was the Worst Secretary of Interior Ever. In his short term in office, Ryan Zinke has proven that he is the worst Secretary of Interior ever—far worse even than James Watts. He is undermining wildlife conservation—almost every day he takes some action that harms wildlife and those trying to preserve it. This terrible record has been achieved in just a few months and, unfortunately, he will be making additional attacks on wildlife conservation references supporting each point. Each new day brings more Zinke attacks on wildlife conservation & the environment so I am adding the most recent ones to the top of this list: Reason 224: Zinke’s friends, Trophy hunters & NRA are appealing protections for grizzlies near Yellowstone Park—same area where they recently killed daughter of renowned wolf. It’s time for majority (surveys show this is fact) to reject this tiny but powerful pressure group. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/12/14/stories/1060109727 Reason 223: Zinke’s BLM to sell public land important to conservation to company that that harmed it without permission. Their logic? Since the company destroyed the public land, it is “difficult and uneconomic to manage.” Think about that—Zinke is willing to allow lease public lands to companies for exploitation & wans to do the same to ANWR. Then he uses the destruction of the quality of the pristine habitat as an excuse to sell it. See https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/blm-ryan-zinke-federal-land-sale-california-limestone-quarry_us_5 c11a809e4b002a46c13f3f7 Reason 222: Zinke cares about Big Game Hunters--& Only about Big Game Hunters! In one of his tiny number of wildlife actions, Zinke's BLM is purchasing a thousand acres in Montana with $ from Land & Water Con. Fund to improve access to public lands for big-game hunters. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/12/11/stories/1060109317 Reason 221: Zinke versus Transparency: Zinke, Liar Extraordinaire, just changed FOIA requests to a staff person who is yet to be nominated! Way to go Stinky Zinke—freedom of information on what you are doing to public lands would be the Kiss of death! The main in charge of FOIA is a Koch brothers flunky who cut protections for migratory birds. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/12/11/stories/1060109315 and also https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/12/ryan-zinke-getting-interior-to-respond-to-your-foia-requests-just-got-a-lot-harder-daniel-jorjani/ Reason 220: Zinke’s willful ignoring of science: Interior will now open millions of sage grouse habitat to drilling. Scientific experts state that this policy is not based on “any science” & overturns a compromise reached by Fed., State agencies, industry, & conservation groups that took years to achieve. Indeed, this compromise is so fair that one conservative Republican state (Montana) reportedly intends to retain the Obama regulations. It is one more proof positive that Zinke doesn’t care in the least about the bird that he “loves more “than anybody.” In short, Zinke proves once again he is a bald-faced liar as well as destroyer of conservation & endangered species. For details, see https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/climate/trump-sage-grouse-oil.html?emc=edit_th_181207&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654191207 Reason 219: Zinke-Murkowski Move to Destroy ANWR: NYT article details how combination of Zinke & oil industry execs working in Interior, Lisa Murkowski & Native Amer. Corporation s (ASRC)tanding to make billions are rushing to drill ANWR along with road-building, & are cutting way back on environmental impact analyses. As customary in Zinke Dept., Interior staff heading the effort have previously worked for the organizations that will benefit from the drilling. Many leaders & shareholders of ASRC are not Native Americans. Other Native American groups oppose the drilling. ASRC has donated heavily to Murkowski. In short, Zinke continues his SWAMPY decisions, ignoring conservation & environment, to benefit industry that has donated to him & whose employees he has put in place as high deputies. For detailed article in NYT, see https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/oil-drilling-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge.html?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_sc_20181204&nl=science-times&nl_art=4&nlid=10365419emc%3Dedit_sc_20181204&ref=headline&te=1 Reason 218: More on Zinke’s Ethical Misdeeds: See the details on how Zinke helped out chairman of Haliburton oil services company in an article by Aaron Weiss. Main takeaway?: Lock him up! See https://medium.com/westwise/the-interior-secretarys-latest-microbrewery-denial-is-a-howler-d80f6db45ae5 Reason 217: Zinke Advisory Boards Couldn’t Care Less About Conservation. His original Citizen Advisory Board quit—he never even met with them. His Intl. Wildlife Council is filled with trophy hunters. His new Advisory Board is composed of members who lack any commitment to conservation & wildlife—and are totally white and, of course, Republicans. Their supposed “qualifications” for this committee are in order: Republican Miss. Mayor who served Koch Brothers ALEC Council, member of Jesse Helms staff, member of Medical Services industry, member with “Business Management & Private Sector Experience, member with Business Development & “private sector experience,” member with “Business Development & Private Sector experience, Psychologist, member from Medicine, Seller of Anheuser Busch products, a specialist in entrepreneurship, & Business Development and Private Sector experience. See the full details at https://www.nps.gov/resources/advisoryboardmembers.htm Reason 216: Zinke Ethics Report #2: Zinke’s staff dominated by extractive ind. Officials (See Reason #22). Early count total 21 from industry-Drain the Swamp???—Bull____! He sold vehicle at low cost violating ethics & has abused travel as Sec. taking unnecessary expensive helicopter flights (Reason #45). He took huge $ from extractive as Cong. (Reason 33). His PAC used unethical acts to get donations from small donors—his PAC formerly headed by Exec. Who was guilty of child pornography! (Reason 41). Reason 215: Zinke-Trump versus Republican G.H.W. Bush Administrations: I just read note of how H.W. Bush promised “no net loss of wetlands” as a goal. Contrast with Zinke-Trump: Maximize Energy Dominance Via Turnover of Public Lands to Oil-Gas-Coal-Cows. Sad—Many Republicans used to care about conservation. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/12/03/stories/1060108603 Reason 214: Zinke, Listen Up You Dope: The real story on Cal. Forest fires: lack of prescribed burns allowing growth of small trees—logging is not a solution—Logging takes the bigger trees. 40% forests are private land. Another major problem: More & more people want to live near the wooded land putting them at risk from nature fires plus most fires are now have human causes. Finally, climate change has had major impact. So, next time you “advise” that other famous ignoramus (Trump) on fires, provide him facts, not fiction. See documentation for these points in New York Times Magazine article by Ngu & Chinoy at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/29/opinion/sunday/california-wildfires-forest-management.html Reason #213: Zinke ethics report #2: Zinke removed a hurdle for controversial Mojave Desert Cadiz project which his Deputy Sec. will benefit from (See Reason 36), Zinke lied about claims for energy production (#28), Zinke received 350K in last 2 years in Congress from Energy industry (Reason 33). For Documentation: See #213 at https://www.wildlifepolitics.org/blog Reason 212: Zinke versus Science & Ethics Report #1: like Trump, Zinke denies climate change while Scientists in Trump Administration issue report demonstrating it & harmful effects it will have. This is the same Zinke who purports to be an expert on forest fires. 75% of his employees say they are unable to make decisions due to “political considerations” (see Reason 182 for details). Example: his staff ignored science-based info on threat to Pacific Fishers in order to cater to industry (see Reason 169 for details). He ignored scientific data in drawing back on Migratory Bird Treaty Act—again due to energy industry (see Reason 156). He forces U.S. Geological Survey scientists to get approval before talking with reporters because Zinke doesn’t like to see his lies contradicted by facts (see Reason 129). Zinke halted study into link between surface mining & health and says Interior will no longer use science-based “guidance documents” to carry out laws (see Reason 124). Zinke’s BLM blocked their archaeologists from speaking at science conference--from testifying problems of leasing lands rich in archaeology & failure to protect cultural resources valued by tribes (see Reason 114). Zinke has altered scientific reports to omit human role in climate change, unprecedented political interference in government science at the Interior Department, which oversees the park service (see Reason 109). Zinke’s rushed to turn over public lands to oil-gas-coal ignored science & NEPA (See Reason 87). Zinke ignored science in favor of politics in giving grants…Interior now funnels grants through a political screening intended to ensure the federal dollars "better align" with the administration's "priorities" (see Reason 74). Zinke ignored science in revoking mitigation policies to compensate for harm done to the environment (See Reason 70). Zinke’s Department ordered the National Academies study on the safety of offshore drilling to be stopped (See Reason 66). Zinke punished Interior Department employees for making science-based statements about the harm that climate change will wreak on national parks (See Reason 64). Zinke is opening BLM to more ORV use in sensitive areas which threatens archeological sites but is also very harmful to wildlife as has been proven by scientific research (See Reason 24). Zinke focused on sage grouse populations instead of habitat conservation and proposes using captive breeding to support sage grouse—both approaches are discredited by science (see Reason 8). Reason 211: The Zinke-Trump Energy dominance mania threatens energy infrastructure, making it harder to drill-mine coal & deliver through pipelines, affect water necessary for fracking, make oil pipelines vulnerable to melting permafrost, & reduce capacity of power grid. See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/climate/trump-energy-dominance.html?emc=edit_th_181130&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654191130 Reason 210: Zinke versus Science & Professionalism: Like Trump, Zinke rejects science, denies climate change, and makes it impossible for professional and ethical employees to do their job when they believe in science & climate change. The top National Park Service official resigned her job due to support work addressing its impacts. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/latest-top-national-park-service-climate-official-resigns?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 209: Zinke Lead bullets & Lead in his head: One of the first actions of Ryan Zinke was to allow lead bullets on Federal land—an action banned by the Obama Admin. Evidence continues to mount about the harmful conservation & health effects of lead bullets. This is one more example of Zinke ignoring science, demonstrating his stupidity & subordination to the gun lobby. See Ian Urbina A Clean Shot: Urging Hunters to Try Unleaded Ammo. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/us/ammunition-lead-bullets-condors.html Reason 208: Zinke-Republicans Still At It (despite trying to survive ethical transgressions scandal) trying to kill species & conservation. Zinke’s BLM is trying to evade court order to protect sage grouse by allowing tens of thousands of acres for oil-gas industry. Zinke & Republicans want to kill wolves—Republicans just passed bill to remove protections for gray wolves from Endangered Species Act. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/16/stories/1060106493 https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/16/stories/1060106489 Reason 207: Despite evidence of world wide threat to species. Zinke has not only done nothing—he has taken steps to threaten endangered species more. For example, allowing importation of lions & other trophy animals & restrictions on protecting migratory birds, cutbacks in protections for sage grouse, cuts in budgets & staff for conservation agencies such as USFWS, and total dedication of public lands for energy development & welfare rancher cows. The threats to species are increasing daily due to human population increases, development, & agriculture as a recent World Wildlife Study showed but Zinke is making the matters much worse. For documentation of above, see: Crisis for Endangered Species: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/10/millions-of-years-mammal-evolution-lost-news/?us er.testname=none&fbclid=IwAR27UxeSUrhoZNCBT6lnq6_svgTq_2OhqYIyZGkH-kks-3I1mAh33OMuI8s Sage Grouse: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/climate/trump-fracking-drilling-oil-gas.html Trophies: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steven-chancellor-lion-trophy-import-permits-ryan-zinke-advisory-council_us_5bd78157e4b017e5bfd4dfaf Migratory birds: http://www.timberjay.com/stories/twin-metals-decision-part-of-a-much-broader-initiative,13850 Budget cuts: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/interior-department-reorganization-hearing_us_5a295068e4b0fa798612887f The New West Shows Up At the Polls! Watch out welfare ranchers! The most heartening news for those of us interested in conservation & public lands is that in several western states traditionally dominated by energy-rancher-owned politicians, several conservation-oriented candidates won notable triumphs in Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada & other states: Arizona: Tom O’Halleran, California: Repr. Harley Rouda, Minnesota Governor: Tim Walz Nevada: Repr. Jacky Rosen, Repr. Susie Lee, Repr. Steven Horsford, Governor Steve Sisolak New Mexico: Repr. Xochitl Torres Small, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard Montana: Sen. Jon Tester, New Mexico: Sen. Martin Heinrich, Governor: Michelle Lujan Grisham South Carolina: Repr. Joe Cunningham, Utah: Repr. Ben McAdams, San Juan County Commissioner Willie Grayeyes Virginia: Repr. Elaine Luria See the story of these candidates & other results at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2018/11/13/460797/conservation-ballot-public-lands-waters-won/ Reason 206: Interior Department versus Transparency: Zinke has tried to keep his calendar secret to cover up his unethical meetings with energy companies. His deputy (& likely successor) David Bernhardt never uses email & never writes anything down in order to avoid scrutiny & accountability. We need the new House Committee on Natural Resources to conduct detailed investigations in which they put Zinke (if he is still around) and Bernhardt under oath for detailed questioning that will be required to reveal their ethical & legal transgressions for energy & other clienteles. See interview with Joel Clement at https://medium.com/westwise/joel-clement-interior-whistleblower-podcast-interview-db219d9a1a3a Reason 205: Zinke is the Swamp! The Guardian just detailed examples of how his appointees consulted with industry (for whom they worked previously) to bias decisions about sage grouse protections, methane reg., & endangered species protect. He has attempted to cover up his “swampy” actions by lack of transparency, resisting providing details on his calendar & meetings. He exemplifies the corrupt public official, prioritizing his own & industry profits over public good. See https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/the-zinke-effect-how-the-us-interior-department-became-a-tool-of-industry Reason 204: Zinke has often spoken about Native Americans & tries to make it seem like he cares about them. But when their interests collide with Energy—Energy wins at it did when Trump-Zinke revoked Northern Bering Sea Protection that had been pushed for by tribal leaders—the Bering Sea Elders. See http://www.nomenugget.com/news/trump-issues-executive-order-revoking-northern-bering-sea-protection-and-tribal-participation Reason 203: Zinke not only mishandles his job but documents show that he violated his ethics pledge. More importantly, he broke his promises to the citizens of Whitefish, Montana. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/11/05/newly-released-emails-suggest-zinke-contradicted-ethics-pledge/?utm_term=.a0ed392b79c3&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 Reason 202: Secrecy in Leasing Public Lands: Under Zinke Admin., most of the identities of people proposing oil-gas dev of public are unknown. Now they don’t have to reveal identities—making it impossible to check on their stewardship & thus allow “bad actors” to ruin public lands with impunity. See Lucy Livesay https://medium.com/westwise/whos-nominating-your-public-lands-for-oil-and-gas-leasing-d68af59a7025 Reason 201: Zinke often has to speak to and about Native Americans—but he never mentions how he ignored Native American input on Bears Ears & other environmental issue. Just one more reason why he deserves to be fired—which sounds increasingly possible. For Native American example related to the laughable attempt of a jackass Utah legislator trying to rename a highway through parks after Trump!: see https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/03/08/navajo-nation-leaders-oppose-naming-a-utah-highway-after-president-trump-calling-it-vengeful-hostile/ Reason 200: Zinke is overturning Federal regulations & ethical norms concerning predator control in Alaska. Former Alaskan Governor Tony Knowles described Zinke’s plan: attempting to rescind these regulations: "This is being done with no legal and scientific basis, minimal stakeholder involvement, and a hasty public process. One hundred and eight scientists, current and retired wildlife and resource managers, and many of the nation’s large carnivore experts, most with extensive experience in Alaska, have joined in sending a letter to Zinke adamantly opposing his action." Please read the article below & use its link to comment on Zinke’s latest horror. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/opinion-interior-is-undoing-a-legacy-of-national-park-stewardship-in-alaska-predator-control?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 199: What’s top priority at Interior Dept.? Public Lands? Conservation? Wildlife? Nope. Coal. They are fast-tracking huge North Dakota project, ignoring evmntal issues. Whatever happened to Zinke's touted "pivot to conservation." He has pivoted--to destruction--of wildlife, public lands, & marine life. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/01/stories/1060104919 Reason 198: Zinke of necessity sometimes has to visit sites linked to Civil Rights figures. But he can’t hide his real feeling—his love for Confederate generals. In speaking at a Camp dedicated for Union soldiers, he compared Lee to Martin Luther King! How much more can this buffoon who is causing so much harm to conservation do and survive in his job? See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ryan-zinke-robert-e-lee-martin-luther-king-jr_us_5bd8d090e4b01abe6a190bb4 Reason 197: Zinke’s finally getting just deserts—Justice to investigate him, Conn. sues Interior, Senators question why Zinke unable to fill advisory panels. In other words, the World is finally recognizing that he is not only unethical but incompetent. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/31/stories/1060104827 https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/31/stories/1060104825 Wildlife are cheering for Democrats to win House. It could save sea lions, sage grouse, Canada lynx, and many other species that Zinke’s actions are targeting. They are also cheering for the Justice Department to convict Zinke of ethical violations. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104719 https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104701 https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104709 https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/30/zinkes-own-agency-watchdog-just-referred-him-justice-department/?utm_term=.7ca51069fd2e&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1 Reason 196: Zinke’s original Citizen Advisory Committee quit. He has a much better relationship with his new “International Wildlife Conservation Council” (also known as Trophies on the Wall Council). One member, Steven Chancellor, a big Trump donor, has obtained permits from Interior to for 3 male lions (Wonder how he managed to obtain that permit!) He, like Zinke, has hundreds of trophies that he displays—too bad they have such a lack of manhood that they have to do this. See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steven-chancellor-lion-trophy-import-permits-ryan-zinke-advisory-council_us_5bd78157e4b017e5bfd4dfaf Reason 195: Zinke endangers endangered species—rather than protecting them. Interior tried to withdraw a plan to limit harm to marine wildlife by gill nets and Zinke’s Interior taking “another shot” at removing Hawaiian hawk from Endangered Species Act Protection. This phony “TR Republican” has undermined conservation of species every time it conflicts with industry or trophy hunters. He is not worthy to be in a Department that TR made significant. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/29/stories/1060104597 & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/29/stories/1060104607 Reason 194: Zinke’s rush to lease Federal lands for short-term profits to energy companies results over long term, vistas of oil rigs, pollution of air, destruction of species like sage grouse, and huge consumption of water in arid region. He is squandering public land & doing this by cutting requirements for careful study of environmental effects & ability to challenge them. Short-term gains for long-term devastation of public lands and wildlife—that’s the Zinke-Trump way. See New York Times story at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/climate/trump-fracking-drilling-oil-gas.html Reason 193: Greenwire reports a big morale drop at Interior. This blog already detailed why this occurred in Reason 182—professionals think politics is dominating decisions & they are not allowed to communicate with the public. Indeed, if you check out the 192 reasons below, you will see that anyone who cares about conservation, the environment, wildlife, public lands, and oceans would despair working for someone who only cares about making his energy, ranching, & trophy hunters happy. Although Trump will nominate another loser, it’s time for accountability of Zinke’s terrible actions & thus for this liar to go. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/26/stories/1060104513 Reason 192: Zinke appoints “The Worst of the Worst”: Zinke appointed Karen Budd-Falen as “Solicitor for wildlife and parks.” Her qualifications? She holds that grazing livestock on public lands is “a private property right” & tough if there are any negative effects on wildlife & biodiversity. She supports miner who bulldozed wilderness area & landowners who did not believe they had to follow tag limits because this was “unconstitutional limits” on their right to property. In other words, forget about conservation, property rights trump protections for public lands & species. The Worst of the Worst. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/sagebrush-rebellion-sagebrush-rebel-karen-budd-falen-appointed-to-interior-department?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 191: Zinke’s USFWS is failing in its job to protect species. Why? Zinke’s top priority is energy company support & protections for any species could threaten that priority. His second priority is for developers—especially those with ties to Zinke and/or other wealthy Republicans. His third priority is trophy hunting—his few wildlife actions have all been to provide access for trophy hunters & some protection for migrating big game species. A Center for Biological Diversity analysis shows Zinke is withholding protection for 78 species. Non-game species—mean nothing to Zinke and apparently to any other USFWS employees. It is incumbent on reporters to ask Zinke USFWS appointees (e.g., Skipwith) what they have done for such species! Skipwith wants to compete with Teddy Roosevelt for protection of species! She is now working for a Department that is doing for wildlife what Hitler did for Jews! See https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/endangered-species-10-18-2018.php/?utm_source=eeo&utm_medium=email Reason 190: Zinke just approved first oil-gas drilling in Arctic off Alaska coast, arguing that it would be “good..for American energy dominance…and the environment”!!! Having pushed to destroy wildlife on Alaskan lands such as by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and shooting denning cubs & pups in NATIONAL wildlife refuges, he now is moving onto destroying Alaskan waters and the wildlife they support. He statement is such a huge, bald lie that it truly matches the Trump-Hitler approach: the bigger the lie, the better. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/24/trump-administration-just-approved-plan-drill-oil-alaskas-federal-waters-its-major-first/?utm_term=.8fa11733299a Reason 189: Zinke’s cutting Sage Grouse Habitat is illegal. A Federal judge just ruled that BLM must stop oil-gas leases on 1000s acres! He’s not as happy with Zinke End. Species policy as Skipwith--his new pick for USFWS (see below). As you know, Zinke abrogated a compromise worked out over several years by Federal, state, energy sector, and conservationists merely to please the energy industry. T.R. Republican! B.S.!!! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/24/stories/1060104215 Reason 188: Zinke nominates another industry hack to head USFWS. Aurelia Skipwith’s statement of acceptance stated that she wanted to “ensure implementation of …Zinke’s policies to protect species…ensure science..at forefront..achieving a legacy second only to President Teddy Roosevelt.”!!! Does she live in this universe? See 187 reasons below why Zinke is the antithesis of Teddy Roosevelt, has NO interest in saving species except for TROPHIES. He has banned climate change from Interior discussions. She starts off her “career” as competing for the TOP LIAR of Zinke’s very dishonest staff! See https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/412660-trump-to-nominate-former-monsanto-exec-to-top-interior-position Reason 187: Zinke has not only rejected science such as climate change but now is trying to hide from the transparency required by the Freedom of Info. Act. concerning the Endangered Species Act (ESA) & other key issues. Zinke knows he can’t stand up to honest scrutiny so he tries to hide his actions against ESA & wildlife conservation secret. He once more proves that Mr. Macho Navy Seal is actually a coward. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/18/trump-administration-us-endangered-species-discussions-secret Reason 186: Trump moves to protect Zinke whose unethical practices are being reviewed by placing a political appointee to act as the "watchdog for Interior"—usually this is a nonpartisan job. The inept & corrupt Zinke can’t face fair inquiry so Trump tries to save him. See the Washington Post article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hud-political-appointee-abruptly-moved-to-lead-interiors-watchdog-office-amid-ongoing-investigations-into-zinke/2018/10/16/30de03b4-d164-11e8-83d6-291fcead2ab1_story.html?utm_term=.84662dd52870 Note: After this was posted, Trump & Interior receive very negative reactions so they apparently scuttled the plan. Nevertheless, HUD didn't do this on their own without agreement from Zinke so it shows that Zinke is out to eliminate any fair review of his dirty deeds. Reason 185: Zinke is a Dope. His idea of using military bases to supply energy for export has been exposed as “harebrained” and “half-cocked” by knowledgeable officials. They derided the idea of exporting coal when demand for it is expected to fall drastically. Even energy industry officials characterized the idea as “stretch.” Furthermore, Zinke has not consulted with states about this harebrained idea—funny when he criticized Obama for pushing Federal policies onto states without consultation. In short, Zinke has proven once more that he is incompetent—witness Congress’s total rejection of his proposed Interior budget cuts & states resistance to his wish to drill in U.S. coastal areas. In short, he is a dope who lucked into a job because he once happened to say he was a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican” and supported public lands—both of which he has proven to be HUGE lies. For documentation of his harebrained military base scheme, see https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/15/zinke-energy-export-plan-848856 Reason 184: Zinke keeps his calendar vague to cover up his meetings with lobbyists representing energy industry corporations, the NRA and private vendors seeking to dominate public parks. This goes against the common and ETHICAL PRACTICE of providing detailed calendars and once again proves that Zinke is not fit for any office & certainly one that is supposed to protect public lands & wildlife. See https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/13/politics/ryan-zinke-calendars-interior-secretary/index.html Reason 183: Count on Zinke to hire the Worst! He just appointed Karen Budd-Falen as “Solicitor for Parks & Wildlife.” Her qualifications: She represents welfare ranchers in their fight against preservation of species such as the desert tortoise & favors private property rights. In other words, she opposes conservation & public lands. One more example of Zinke-Trump handing over government to people who oppose the functions they are supposed to be carrying out. Impeach Zinke! Impeach the creep!—I don’t think there is any other language to describe him. For documentation, See https://www.npr.org/2018/10/15/657542759/critic-of-federal-public-lands-management-to-join-department-of-the-interior Reason 182: Interior employees say that politics is dominating Zinke-Interior actions. 55 percent believe that “resource allocations” are directed away from those whose work is “politically contentious” such as those that that threaten powerful interests like energy industry and developers. 50 percent say that their ability to communicate with the public about science has worsened under Zinke. 75 percent agree that “consideration of political interests” has hindered the ability of the agency to make “science-based decisions.” See https://www.ucsusa.org/center-science-and-democracy/promoting-scientific-integrity/scientist-survey-2018#.W79so2hKiUn Reason 181: Zinke claims success due to sale of oil and gas leases in New Mexico but the data show that actually most of the public lands that Interior is trying to lease to energy industry attract no bids at all while the costs to the environment of their craze to give public lands over to industry are threatening priceless areas such as Utah’s Canyonlands National Park and Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park. For details on Interior’s failures see https://medium.com/westwise/chest-thumping-interior-department-claims-one-success-amid-a-sea-of-losses-53c2abb0217a Reason 180: Zinke has ordered Interior “not to settle” with environmental groups when they sue the agency over their failure to protect species and habitat. They argue envmntal groups are “lawsuit crazy” but the truth is that these groups usually WIN those suits because Interior has failed to act as they were supposed to. This action will delay needed steps to protect species & habitat and is being done for two reasons: (1) It will delay actions that could impose costs on developers & industry that Zinke gives top priority to; (2) They will make it harder for these cash-strapped small groups to bring actions while opponents of protecting species & habitat, wealthy energy companies & developers have tons of money to pursue endless court actions. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-issues-order-to-avoid-settlements-environment Reason 179: Zinke brags about his mining ban near Yellowstone but “attempted to reverse a similar moratorium on uranium mining near the Grand Canyon” let a mineral withdrawal on Oregon’s Chetco River expire this summer. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-zinke-announces-mining-ban-near-yellowstone?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 178: Zinke’s “conservation of game animals” is even flawed. The only wildlife issue that Zinke pays attention to concerns helping preserve game animals for trophy hunters & he recently has bragged about protecting their migration routes but actually his “actions” are phony—his “lease notice” restrictions don’t actually protect areas from industry. For full description of how his migration “protection” is phony, see Wyofile article: https://www.wyofile.com/as-zinke-touts-migration-safeguards-conservationists-protest/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklynewsletter Reason 177: One of Zinke’s first actions was to open public lands to use of lead bullets—overturning previous regulations while not disclosing his ownership of shares in a company that produces the ammunition. Research by Univ. of Minn. Found that 90 percent of raptors in their rehab center had elevated lead levels & 75% of bald & golden eagles suffer from high lead levels. Significant percentages of game birds in Utah & elsewhere have elevated lead levels. Non-lead ammo & fishing gear are now easily available, not much more expensive than lead gear, & perform as well or better. As usual, Zinke & NRA crazies can’t abide ANY RESTRICTIONS on guns or ammo. One more key fact: as a result of lead ammo & fishing gear, lead is showing up in human food. See documentation at https://www.hcn.org/articles/opinion-hunters-and-anglers-need-to-get-the-lead-out?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 176: Zinke & his Industry Minions in Interior “redact” information that disproves their reasons for cutting Marine Preservation Areas (MPAs) and National Monuments. Forced to respond to Freedom of Information Requests, they were forced to release documents that showed that harm to fishing industry was highly exaggerated from MPAs and that loss of archaeologically valuable sites and increased vandalism would occur due to cutting the monument. Interior wrote proclamations scuttling ocean sites. See Jennifer Yachnin, E&E News reporter https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060090197 Reason 175: Zinke wants pesticides in National Wildlife Refuges. His Fish & Wildlife Service “revoked a 2014 ban” on use of neonics in them. Trump’s Interior department reverses ban of pesticides in wildlife refuges. Zinke’s “excuse” is pesticides are needed to “boost populations” of game species for trophy hunting, Zinke’s top priority (other than oil wells) for public lands. See https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/trump-s-interior-department-reverses-ban-pesticides-wildlife-refuges?suppress=true&utm_source=greenlife&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter Reason 174: Despite years taken by State Federal governments & input from industry & conservation orgs. Forest Service is making changes would reduce the size of priority habitat areas and some buffers around critical breeding sites, as well as potentially ease oil and gas development in grouse habitat. The agreement was perfect example of COMPROMISE. Not enough for Zinke & his industry-minions who rule Interior. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/05/stories/1060100677 Reason 173: Zinke deliberately ignores Native Americans on Bears Ears. He ignored Native Americans objections to his Bears Ears decision saying that he was a “facts guy.” Actually, a group of Native Americans, mainly Navajos, had gathered extensive data on cultural and historical lands that could be lost to Zinke’s change in Bears Ears. A Councilman from the Havasupai Tribe pleaded for maintaining a moratorium on mining due to threats from poisons passed down to them by the river. Zinke named the northern part of Bears Ears “Indian Creek” which shows either ignorance or deliberate malice towards the Native Americans. He named the southern area using the Navajo “Shash Jáa” but there are five tribes in the area and each has its own name for it. Native Americans believe he chose the Navajo name as a means to dividing the tribes. In short, Zinke deliberately ignored and insulted Native Americans in his so-called “fact-finding” and subsequent decision on Bears Ears. See https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2018-4-september-october/feature/land-grab-trumps-campaign-against-bears-ears-national?suppress=true&utm_source=greenlife&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter and https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/what-s-in-a-name-bears-ears-national-monument?suppress=true&utm_source=greenlife&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter Reason 172: Zinke’s Interior Department does not take necessary steps to protect public lands & rivers even if they are important. Oregon Chetco River runs through or near Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Oregon has tried to have the river protected but Zinke & Republicans in Congress never did anything so the river now will be open to mining. No formal statement has been made by Zinke but his consistent favoring of oil-gas-mining on or near beautiful Federal lands makes clear his priorities—they don’t include protecting public lands, rivers, oceans even if they are beautiful. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/rivers-and-lakes-on-one-of-oregons-wildest-rivers-mining-protections-lapse Reason 171: Zinke wants to destroy another monument! He wants to open the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to fishing. This monument provides habitat for endangered sperm whales and huge cold-water corals. It was created by Obama which makes it a top target for Zinke-Trump. See http://www.nationalmemo.com/interior-secretary-would-open-atlantic-marine-preserve-to-commercial-fishing/ Reason 170: Zinke wants to destroy conservation in Samoa, too: Not content to attacking national monuments like Bears Ears at home, Zinke was heard on his recent trip to Samoa telling them that he & Trump were committed to opening the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument to commercial fishing—violating rules that make these monuments protective of fish & biodiversity. No matter where he goes, you can count on Zinke to do harm to conservation. See https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/something-is-fishy-with-zinke/ Reason 169: USFWS under Zinke ignores science that shows species such as Pacific fishers are endangered. USFWS used to be composed of professionals dedicated to the Endangered Species Act. Now working under Zinke who considers it the top priority for Interior to cater to industries, they cater to logging industry by minimizing evidence that the fishers are threatened by poisoning—changing the position held by USFWS under Obama. Zinke doesn’t trust any employees who don’t follow his priorities & USFWS has got the message—forget about ESA protections if they “threaten” industries. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/endangered-species-judge-to-the-fish-and-wildlife-service-dont-cherry-pick-science-pacific-fisher?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 168: In his never-ending quest to sacrifice the environment so as to reduce costs to the energy industry, Zinke’s Interior Department’s Bureau of “Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)” (italicized to indicate this is now a false name for this agency—under Zinke’s it’s no longer dedicated to safety and enforcement but should be renamed “Bureau of Submission to Energy Company Desires”!) will remove “the mandate to have 3rd parties certify safety devices”—they will allow oil companies to “police themselves.” They will also no longer have to notify about “false alarms.” This shows once more that the Interior Department no longer serves the U.S. public—it’s now run by ex-energy company employees for the benefit of the energy industry. See https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/408727-trump-officials-ease-offshore-drilling-safety-rule Reason 167: Zinke ignores National Parks, Environmental Quality, Recreational Priorities, and Threats to Wildlife for mindless coal mine expansion near Bryce National Park. Zinke’s BLM approved huge expansion of mine 10 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park that will affect the experience of park visitors and destroy breeding grounds of sage grouse. The expansion would increase coal-mine related jobs by an estimated 240-480 but these job numbers are “dwarfed by those associated with Bryce.” See https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/09/03/jcw-blm-approves-lease-of-2114-acres-near-bryce-canyon-for-coal-mine-expansion/#.W6u0VWhKiUk and https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2018/07/13/there-will-be-eight-times/ Reason 166: News outlets report how Ryan Zinke told oil and gas industry: “Our government should work for you.” He tried to “clarify the meaning of this statement” but this is actually not news and not a surprise—he has proven it every day! All of Zinke’s top policy appointments have been to energy-ranching interests. Every major action he has taken is for energy-ranching-trophy hunting. For the “quote,” see https://www.vox.com/2018/9/21/17886538/ryan-zinke-interior-oil-gas-industry-environment Reason 165: Zinke doesn’t want public input on leasing-auctioning of public lands—he is cutting the time for comments from 30-days to 10 days—the comment period in Obama was 60 days. And says he will not pay attention to most of them especially if they are from conservation groups. The only input he will listen to is “LOCAL” (i.e., industry) comments. See https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-administration-rushes-lease-federal-lands-090041852.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma Reason 164: Trump & Zinke hail work on Florence but coal ash spill pollutes the state and Republicans protect Duke Power Company & make customers pay for any cleanup of spills. This is what “energy dominance” does for states: Pollution for the public, profits for the companies. It’s the Zinke-Trump-Republican way. See https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article218718570.html & http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-florence-dam-breach-20180921-story.html Reason 163: Once again Zinke serves the oil-gas-coal industry, not the U.S. public. Zinke rolls back rules on methane. Obama rules would have reduced methane emissions by 182,000 tons a year. Zinke rejects science and evidence for climate-change which is harming many communities in the U.S. The change by Trump could save companies as much as $2 billion in compliance costs over the next decade. The change could also result in the loss of $734 million in natural gas that would have been recovered over the next decade under the old rule. Those savings would have offset some of the industry's compliance costs. An estimated $330 million a year in methane is wasted on federal lands, enough to power about 5 million homes. See https://phys.org/news/2018-09-trump-pollution-drilling.html Reason 163: Zinke rolls back rules on methane. Obama rules would have reduced methane emissions by 182,000 tons a year. Zinke rejects science and evidence for climate-change which is harming many communities in the U.S. Once again he serves oil-gas industry, not the U.S. public. See http://pages.cdn.pagesuite.com/7/4/74aeee4a-9ee0-4347-a295-f980d61e541d/page.pdf Reason 162: Zinke-Trump Admin. oppose protection of wildlife such as Giraffes and Sea Otters. You can always rely on Zinke to do make the worst possible decisions concerning them—after all, he thinks the only worthwhile animal the one nailed to his wall. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/09/18/stories/1060098231 & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/09/18/stories/1060098235 Reason 161: After putting up trophies of dead animals costing taxpayers thousands of dollars, Zinke opened up hunting at National Wildlife Refuges around the country. These are supposed to be WILDLIFE REFUGES, not Hunting Farms! Let’s get rid of this mindless trophy hunter. Reason 160: Zinke appoints temporary staff from energy industry who cannot & Don’t deserve permanent status, they make decisions favoring industry, but their harmful actions take hold anyway. This is illegal way that Zinke has been operating. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/09/12/stories/1060096755 Reason 159: Zinke recently bragged about the money he is making off auctions to oil & gas companies. The problem: Some of these are next to National Parks like Petrified National Park and his agency, BLM, did not give adequate time for the Navajo who lives in this area time to respond and oppose it. (Note: Zinke does pay attention to “locals”—but only if they are pawns of oil-gas-coal.) Just as in Bears Ears, he ignored Native Americans. See https://www.eacourier.com/copper_era/news/blm-land-auction-opens-acres-to-oil-and-gas-companies/article_45fb7cac-b4b0-11e8-a862-c30aeec4ea3f.html Reason 158: Zinke hands over wildlife to states—USFWS professionals & Endangered Species Act don’t matter anymore. EE news reports today that Individual states will wield more clout over fish and wildlife on about 780,000 square miles of Interior Department land nationwide under a new policy outlined by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. This follows his appointment of Anti-ESA to top staff positions, Susan Combs and Robert Gordon. States will do what they want—which in many states is make developers, industry, and ranchers happy. Wildlife & those concerned about them? Zinke doesn’t only not care—he is attacking them every chance he gets. For documentation, see https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/09/11/stories/1060096521 Reason 157: Zinke is intent on destroying the End. Species Act. He previously hired Susan Combs, who led the Texas attack on ESA. Now he hires as her asst. Robert Gordon, an anti-ESA hack, who has worked for Heritage (anti-ESA org.) and Rob Bishop, author of much anti-ESA legislation. Rather than defend wildlife conservation, he is doing everything possible to undermine and destroy the Act which has served as the guidepost for saving species throughout the World. Zinke is a real and present danger to anyone who cares about public lands & conservation. For Gordon’s details, see http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/405146-zinke-hires-endangered-species-act-critic-for-senior-post Reason 156: Zinke’s Interior is destroying the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are no longer prohibiting killing of birds if “the underlying purpose is not to take birds.” Even more so, they say that a disaster as big as Deepwater Horizon would not prosecuted under the Act—they would use another laws not specific to birds. In short, Zinke is undermining a law that almost dates back to the Teddy R. Admin. One more example of his pusillanimous backtracking on protection of birds & wildlife. This is not a partisan issue—8 states are taking the Admin. to court over the action and 4 of them are headed by Republican attorney generals. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/09/05/eight-states-are-fighting-trumps-attempt-declaw-migratory-bird-treaty/?utm_term=.bbe6731b6cfa Reason 155: Zinke promised transparency but delivers secrecy about who he is meeting with for what reasons. His calendars for his activities since May 2018 have provided only vague words about “internal briefings” and “external meetings.” Previous actions show that when Zinke fails to mention who he is meeting with, it is industry lobbyists. For example, in July his schedule said he met with Rep. Collins of New York but subsequently discovered that he also met with representatives of a tourism company “locked in a lawsuit” with Interior. No doubt these vague meetings are with his favorite industries (energy, welfare ranchers, trophy hunters, and private tourism companies that want to take over National Parks) as he doles out more goodies & favors to them. See https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/06/politics/interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-calendars-details-missing/index.html Reason 154: Zinke nominates coal industry consultant & climate denier to head agency to monitor mines. Fortunately, the Office of Government Ethics raised ethical issues that J. Steven Gardner was unable to accept. Unfortunately, Zinke’s Interior Department has already “done away with that federal regulation, which sought to reign in coal mining operations in order to protect residents in vulnerable areas like Appalachia from documented health and environmental ramifications.” In short, not only does Zinke work against conservation, but also against the health of U.S. citizens. Some patriot! See https://thinkprogress.org/climate-denier-interior-mining-nomation-eadd7d82c1e8/ Reason 153: Zinke continues to appoint energy industry patrons to policymaking positions. His staff is totally populated with energy (and some ranchers). Zinke found another top staff person to his tastes, Greg Renkes, who had to resign as Alaska Atty General due to ethical questions about making a deal that benefited a coal company he owned stock in. He knows these people will be loyal—to the energy industry. See https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/us/alaskas-attorney-general-stepping-down.html Reason 152: Zinke works for energy industry—they reward him & his staff with jobs when they leave Interior in return for policies sacrificing public lands & oceans to industry desires. His ex-energy adviser just took a job in offshore drilling. The Swamp of oil-gas-coal industry thanks Zinke again for his highly profitable service to them--quite a change from Obama era when Interior worried about conservation, public lands & clean oceans. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/09/04/stories/1060095725 Reason 151: The Swamp is Worse than ever with Zinke in Charge. His appointees are nothing but lackeys for the industries they represent. Susan Combs represents ranchers & did her best to kill endangered species in Texas and let the oil-gas industry monitor their own compliance with rules protecting species such as the Sage Dunes Lizard. She took over Endangered Species protection in Texas with her Comptroller Department despite it having no expertise on conserving species at all. David Bernhardt, his Deputy Secretary, is an oil-gas lobbyist who goes back & forth between industry & government, handing out favors to industry. His recently departed “Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy,” Downey Magallanes, is the daughter of a coal policy executive and worked to provide benefits to oil & gas industries as a Senate Staffer. She is now being replaced by Kate McGregor who likewise has made a career serving the oil-gas-coal industries as a staffer on the Hill. In other words, Zinke’s Interior officials go back & forth between industry and government jobs—where they push policies favoring industry. This is the essence of the Swamp behavior which (supposedly) Donald Trump opposes. For documentation, see https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/downey-magallanes/ https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/susan-combs/ https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/07/30/stories/1060091613 & https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/david-bernhardt/ Reason 150: Zinke ignores both local and national “democratic” input and solid empirical evidence on superior benefits of monuments and conservation. Example: When he considered the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National (OMDP) Monument, he admitted that comments were overwhelmingly in favor of retaining monuments but ignored them because they were “orchestrated.” But Zinke orchestrates private meetings with oil-gas-coal-welfare rancher industries & adopts policy to satisfy their interests religiously. He skipped a National Monument Hall meeting packed with monument supporters. As has been shown in documents, his analysis of Bears Ears and other monuments ignored the major economic benefits gained by existence of monuments. His home state’s economic growth has been dominated by 5 countries growing quickly because they are nearby monuments. The western arid country public lands rancher industry that Zinke panders too is pathetic, unimportant to the nation’s meat production, unproductive, and would not exist without Federal subsidies. In recent days, information has surfaced that Zinke & his industry appointee (David Bernhardt) had to reverse a BLM decision to sell public land that was once protected inside the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. How did that decision happen? Well, since his appointment, BLM & the rest of Interior have learned that he kowtows to industry and, indeed, the decision was only changed after it got out & created an uproar. In short, Zinke ignores input and a mountain of evidence that monuments & conservation are economically superior to exploitation by the extractive and welfare rancher industries. For documentation on OMDP, see https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2017/08/24/las-cruces-area-leaders-decry-zinke-summary-await-organ-mountains-desert-peaks-national-monument/600042001/ (2) For data on Montana economic growth, see https://headwaterseconomics.org/economic-development/trends-performance/montanas-economy-and-protected-lands/ (3) For documentation of his “reversal” on sale, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/08/18/second-thought-zinke-nixes-interiors-plan-possibly-sell-public-land/?utm_term=.0dc2e4590594&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 Reason 149: Ryan Zinke, who already heads Dept of Energy, Immigration Naturalization Service, & Dept of Interior, now has taken over as Trump’s Chief Climate Scientist. He has discovered that fires & other evils are caused by environmentalists. He has expert help-his football buddy with a bus. Admin. degree judges scientific merit of research. See https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/22/17767146/ryan-zinke-interior-climate-research-football-buddy Reason 148: Conservation and preservation don’t hurt economies—they help them—perhaps too much! Zinke & Trump Admin. have fostered a false campaign that environmental protections hurt the economy and residents who live near protected areas. Actually, there is a mass of evidence to show that quite the contrary is true: areas near protected areas gain economically from them. I have documented these in my Wildlife Politics book but 2 recent studies show the same truth. Development has occurred in Southwestern Utah near protected monuments and parks because people want to live there & new industries want to locate there. Indeed, San Juan County in southeastern Utah has complained about national monuments within its borders but are launching a new campaign by local officials to take advantage of these designated areas to help fuel the local economy. Indeed, development near protected areas throughout the world threatens the protection of wildlife and this is a fact not just in the U.S. but around the world as I document in Wildlife Politics. In short, Zinke & Trump’s campaign against conservation and environmental protection is based on a totally false premise—they help the long-term growth of the U.S. Yet, they are continuing to push on all fronts to undermine them through weakening the National Environmental Protection Act (which forces careful consideration before development), the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Act (which protected against overfishing), expanding unproductive welfare ranching on public lands (which destroy the quality of the lands while providing wasteful subsidies to a very small largely well-to-do “ranchers,” allowing exploitation of public lands by extractive industries while lowering the revenues to be obtained from them. In short, Zinke-Trump are doing everything possible to provide short-term gains for selfish interests which will harm the long-term quality and economy of the nation. For recent documentation of the relationship between conservation & economic growth, see: https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.14/growth-and-sustainability-in-southwestern-utah-unceasing-growth-means-increased-tension/print_view & https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/08/20/stories/1060094727 Reason 147: Zinke is totally committed to energy dominance—he regards conservationists as “terrorists.” Not long ago, Zinke excited some “green groups” that he would be “pivoting to conservation” after spending the first year plus devoted to energy dominance & welfare ranching. He was sensitive about the contradiction between calling himself a “TR Republican.” In the period since then, he has doubled down on his total devotion to energy dominance and welfare ranching. At a recent conference, he called “conservationists” terrorists—so that is what he really thinks about Teddy R! His solution to wild fires—logging forests and having cows graze even more public lands. This is from the man who heads the Department that contains the Forest Service, National Parks Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservation has not only been abandoned by him—it is under constant attack from him & his extraction-rancher industry appointees. There is no alternative to preserve conservation but to remove this jackass from office. For account of his vision of “cows munching” and drilling of public lands, see https://www.hcn.org/articles/politics-as-ethics-questions-swirl-zinke-knows-how-to-work-a-crowd?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 146: Zinke & Republicans: Destroying National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, & Public Lands. First, Cong. Republicans & Zinke allowed hunters in National Wildlife Refuges to kill wolf & grizzly cubs in their dens. Zinke wants the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilled. Now Cong. Republicans & Supreme Court want hovercraft in National Parks. This is Zinke-Trump-Don Young style “New Federalism”—the right of slob hunters & industries to kill & destroy wildlife & wilderness regardless of whether it is supposed to belong to the U.S. public. See doc. in previous Reasons for Killing in wildlife refuges & ANWR drilling—for hovercraft case see https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2018/06/18/u-s-supreme-court-agrees-to-reconsider-case-of-alaska-moose-hunter-and-his-hovercraft/ Reason 145: Zinke & Interior Out to “Update” Endangered Species Act (ESA): Translation from “Republicanese” to Real English: They want to destroy it. Today’s Washington Post has opinion piece by energy lobbyist, David Bernhardt (now Zinke’s Deputy Secretary!) about how they will weaken protections on endangered species because, like patients in a hospital, they don’t need ongoing care. This is a false analogy for many if not most endangered species. Threats to their habitat are steady growing as population and development inexorably increases and a large percentage will require protections forever. They want to put “cost benefit” calculations into the determination of whether to save species which would undermine the incentives for developers, ranchers, and other selfish interests to create habitat conservation plans and reach compromises over protection of species like the sage grouse. Interior already has scrapped the Sage Grouse compromise which was a perfect example of the positive impacts of the ESA. Indeed, an ESA “updated” like the Republicans & Interior want would render the USFWS a “nothing agency”—states & local governments dominated by selfish local interests would do what they want with public lands and species. Professionals in USFWS should protest but either they have been forced out or resigned in protest or are afraid to speak up against Zinke-Bernhardt who believe that Interior’s main purposes are “energy dominance” and making welfare ranchers and trophy hunters happy. See Bernhardt’s “opinion” (i.e., unspeakable garbage) piece at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/at-interior-were-ready-to-bring-the-endangered-species-act-up-to-date/2018/08/09/2775cd8e-9a96-11e8-b55e-5002300ef004_story.html?utm_term=.3121b88d5c9b&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1 Reason 144: Zinke hires the Worst such as naming Andrea Travnicek to oversee USFWS & NPS. She’s a lobbyist for coal and gas—thus he puts in charge people with interests OPPOSED to what they are supposed to do—conservation of species & public lands. See https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/andrea-travnicek/ Reason 143: Zinke versus Science: he wants to speed ANWR drilling before info on impacts ready. He squawks about fires but ignores climate change science that aggravates them. He is a “Know-Nothing” who has no business heading Interior. For documentation, see https://www.arctictoday.com/sped-timeline-make-drilling-alaskas-arctic-refuge-reality-prove-achilles-heel/ Reason 142: Zinke’s actions such as opening ANWR to oil drilling will leave lasting scars and ruin one of the few remaining wilderness areas. His “heritage” to our grandchildren is to destroy the nature that is become rare to non-existent. See New York Times story on how drilling has already left bad scars at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/03/climate/alaska-anwr-seismic-testing-tracks.html?emc=edit_th_180804&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654190804 Reason 141: Zinke deliberately sabotages Conservation. He is working to implement rules that will weaken the Endangered Species Act in coordination with Cong. Republicans. He is supporting cut of Land & Water Conservation Fund to 1% of its maximum. He removed rules that force miners and drillers to pay for damage to Federal lands. He has loosened import of trophies of endangered species. In other words, in EVERY case where there is a conflict between conservation and the desires of extraction industry, welfare ranchers, & trophy hunters he DELIBERATELY sabotages conservation. His tweets NEVER speak out for professionals in Interior devoted to conservation but routinely laud law enforcement staff & anyone with ties to ranching & trophy hunting. See following sources for documentation of these points: https://www.hcn.org/articles/opinion-dont-let-politicians-kill-the-land-water-conservation-fund https://www.idahopress.com/eyeonboise/idaho-commission-says-wolf-livestock-kills-hit-record-in-past/article_76000591-8329-51cc-a607-634c899fb4e6.html https://www.outsideonline.com/2327916/secretary-interior-ryan-zinke-scandal Reason 140: Zinke punishes professionalism. He reassigns anyone who puts professionalism above priority of energy dominance & cows on public lands. He lauds only those involved in law enforcement functions or close relationship with his pals—extractive industries, welfare ranchers, & trophy hunters. See one example at https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/employee-tapped-to-head-regional-national-park-service-rejects-transfer/article_d8a88d92-76a2-56b5-8974-8fe1f5364105.html Reason 139: Zinke gives more trophy hunting permits for lions but keeps the information hidden. There use to be country-wide policies but now done on “case by case basis” & they don’t let public know about them. Beneficiaries? Trophy hunters such as wealthy contributor to Trump. See https://www.newsweek.com/lion-trophy-hunting-permits-trump-1045891?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter&utm_medium=Social Reason 138: Zinke’s BLM is ending the policy of compensatory mitigation for damage to habitats and endangered species. His priorities are clear and warped. He says "mitigation is Un-American." So what is "American?"--doing everything possible to help extractive industries, developers, & ranchers and NOTHING for conservation and the public who want to preserve species and public lands. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/07/25/stories/1060091103 Reason 137: Zinke ignores information contrary to his positions, deliberately degrading the value of conservation. He appoints extraction & rancher industry to top offices. He ignores local input that contradicts industry interests. An analysis by the Washington Post of thousands of emails by Zinke & his aides found that they systematically ignored evidence of the value of national monuments & conservation while emphasizing the “value of logging, ranching, and energy development.” In short, Zinke is dishonest & biased and not worthy of being the head of a Department that is supposed to protect public lands. See the article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-officials-dismissed-benefits-of-national-monuments/2018/07/23/5b8b1666-8b9a-11e8-a345-a1bf7847b375_story.html?utm_term=.29661ef938d1 And Rolling Stone article: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ryan-zinke-trump-war-on-department-of-interior-700218/ Reason 136: Zinke threatens to make the ESA a meaningless law. The very essence of the ESA is that conservation of species is a crucial value that should not be traded for profits by developers & state-local officials. Without that provision, the ESA becomes a meaningless law & selfish interests will do what they want. It also will make the USFWS a nothing agency. Any professional conservationist in USFWS should protest this change and resign in protest if it is not reversed. Reason 135: Zinke-Trump Pivot to Conservation: They want to destroy it. They want to strip the Endangered Species Act of key provisions that protect them regardless of economic impacts. Implications: Whenever developers want to develop an area with protected species & habitat, states will be able to ignore threats to species if they consider the economic impacts more important. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/07/19/endangered-species-act-stripped-of-key-provisions-in-trump-administration-proposal/?utm_term=.e428b0db7aef&wpisrc=al_news__alert-hse--alert-national&wpmk=1 Reason 134: Zinke’s so-called “Advisory Group” for parks is dominated by private industry that want to privatize park services such as a CEO who wants to “trademark” the name of Yosemite National Park! For a list of the members, see Secretary Zinke Selects Members of Newly Created “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-zinke-selects-members-newly-created-made-america-outdoor-recreation-advisory For a critique, see https://democracyforward.org/press/democracy-forward-sues-to-expose-zinkes-attempt-to-hand-over-americas-national-parks-to-his-corporate-allies-through-potentially-unlawful-committee/#.W04oi9JKiUl Reason 133: Zinke is selling out public lands for lowered royalty rates from oil-gas-coal. Royalty rates haven’t increased for decades but Zinke is LOWERING them even further. Zinke revoked policy to follow science on climate change effects. Actually, the exploitation of lands is so unproductive that energy industry has failed to respond to lowered royalty rates & proposed sales. Zinke ignores any consideration of conservation in decisions—only energy dominance & amount extracted matter. See the article by Zack Colman at https://www.revealnews.org/article/trump-dreams-about-a-new-energy-boom-oil-leases-could-cover-this-mountain-valley/ Reason 132: Zinke’s Cabinet, like him, consistently violate ethical rules Story by Huffpost shows Benjamin Cassidy, former NRA lobbyist, taking part in Interior decisions that he had previously lobbied for. Likewise, his aide Todd Wynn scheduled meetings with his former corporation and Masburn attended events hosted by her former employer, Heritage Foundation. Finally, his Deputy, Bernhart met with Casino outfit represented by his former employer. Shows how an unethical leader like Ryan Zinke, hires personnel who replicate his “stinky” behavior. See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/benjamin-cassidy-nra-interior-department_us_5b3fa5e9e4b05127ccf1bb2b Reason 131: Zinke’s Interior produced 3 major attacks on conservation in one day (June 27th, 2018): 1. Allow Everglades highway across wetlands-See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/06/27/stories/1060086609 (2) New plan to destroy red wolves; See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/06/27/stories/1060086631 (3) Boost oil-gas on shores-See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/06/27/stories/1060086645. Just think about cumulative impact of 2/12 years more of Zinke-Trump on wildlife, public lands & sea shores. Reason 130: Zinke’s Interior Dept. brags about opening 10 Million Acres of Federal land to mining. It states that it is focusing on “economic development.” They say that “Federal lands belong “to every citizen” but Zinke cares only about mining industries & those citizens who will directly benefit from them. Most citizens favor protecting public lands for future generations but Not Zinke & Trump. The funds that pay for Interior Department comes from ALL STATES—those containing the public lands that Zinke is handing over to industry pay a MINORITY of the taxes that support his Department. Reason 129: Zinke & Trump versus Science: Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey scientists must get approval before talking with reporters. Zinke & Trump don’t like to see their lies contradicted by facts. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/06/25/stories/1060086337 Reason 128: Zinke fires professionals & hires lackeys: Zinke puts top Interior jobs in hands of those who support his (only priorities): oil, gas, coal, welfare ranchers, & trophy hunters. This is illustrated once again by his appointment of Dan Smith to replace Dan Wenk as Supt. Of Yellowstone. Wenk was unpopular with The Montana Group, Repub. lobbying org. that contributed to Zinke’s campaigns. They opposed free-roaming bison. Smith with an undistinguished career’s main “main achievement” was to “orchestrate” Wenk’s “reassignment” away from Yellowstone. See https://medium.com/westwise/former-yellowstone-chief-slams-secretary-zinkes-ousting-of-respected-yellowstone-superintendent-e28e21b93017 Reason 127: Zinke is The Swamp! Details have just emerged of how Ryan Zinke (and his wife, Lola) are engaged in a real estate deal with the Chair of Haliburton despite the fact that Zinke has made many decisions that enrich the company. The article describes numerous other ethical violations by Zinke. See https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/19/ryan-zinke-halliburton-park-whitefish-montana-647731 Reason 126: What Zinke Cares About: Zinke never met with his Advisory group that was concerned with conservation but he is meeting again with his “Wildlife Conservation Council” dominated by trophy hunters. He knows what his priorities are: Killing trophy animals up at the top. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/06/18/stories/1060084913 Reason 125: Zinke has posted tweets about Native Americans. But he & Trump want to allow mining near Grand Canyon despite National Congress of American Indians has resolved against it & ignored the opposition of tribes to cutting of Bears Ears Monument. See https://www.hcn.org/articles/energy-and-industry-a-new-era-of-uranium-mining-near-the-grand-canyon?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email and https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/climate/trump-uranium-bears-ears.html?_r=0 Reason 124: Zinke ignores science—Interior halted study into link between surface mining & health and says it will no longer use science-based “guidance documents” to carry out laws. See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/climate/trump-administration-science.html Reason 123: Zinke uses Advisory Groups dominated by Extractive Industries to propose reductions in royalty rates these companies pay for exploiting public lands—they are now proposing to reduce the rates even more—the Federal government’s rates are already far lower than what states like TEXAS charge. These Advisory groups have little or no representation from the public or conservation-minded groups. Thus the Zinke-Trump Advisory groups are a perfect example of the SWAMP that hypocrite Trump complained about. See the details at: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2018/06/04/451582/secretary-zinke-poised-give-breaks-drilling-industry-less-oversight-public/ Reason 122: Zinke only wildlife concern is for trophy hunters. He loosened regs in Alaska such as use of blinding lights, baiting, dogs, killing pups in dens, indiscriminate traps & snares, despite overwhelming public opposition but then Zinke doesn’t care about public opinion-only trophy hunters. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/05/25/stories/1060082775 Reason 121: Zinke turns Interior into law enforcement agcy. He brags about Interior staff arrests & seizures at same time he’s cutting conservation staff & budget. When has he bragged or even talked about conservation? So much for pivot! See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/05/31/stories/1060083105 Reason 120: By time Zinke “pivots” to conservation, he will have destroyed public lands & oceans. He has cuts National Monuments, destroyed agreement to save the sage grouse and the Migratory Bird Act, opened Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, undermined protections against harm to public lands, and opened the entire U.S. coasts to drilling, just to name a few of his misdeeds. For sage grouse,see https://www.hcn.org/articles/endangered-species-sage-grouse-shake-up-alienates-conservationists?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email For migratory, see Reason 76. For Bears Ears, see 60. For drilling on land, see 59, for drilling on coasts, see 66 & 69 among others. In short, “conservation” for Zinke is opening up U.S. public lands and waters to Donald Trump & his wealthy friends. Reason 119: Zinke thinks that the purpose of National Wildlife Refuges is to provide trophy hunters more killing opportunities. For example, he is opening up a Refuge in Philadelphia to bow hunters. His only mentions of wildlife during his term in office concerns using them as trophies. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/05/22/stories/1060082361 Reason 118: Zinke’s Desperate & False Move to Restore Credibility: After a full year of not only IGNORING conservation but taking numerous steps to undermine conservation and wildlife, Ryan Zinke just met with a number of “green organizations” and announced that he would change his focus “over the next few years” from energy towards conservation. Why his Ryan Zinke doing this? Congress and the public concerned with conservation have been disgusted by his anti-conservation moves. Proof? Zinke tried to make HUGE cuts to the regular Interior Department budget but the Republican Congress rejected his cutbacks. Now he needs support from Congress and especially environmental organizations to achieve his proposed reorganization for Interior—a major purpose of which is to “streamline [translation: undermine] the National Environmental Protection Act” and ease rules on permitting! Somehow he found 17.5 Million dollars in his proposed budget for this reorg. But his credibility is ZERO with environmental orgs. Consequently, he is desperately trying to entice support. How? He makes a vague proposal to set up an “advisory group” to advise him on the reorganization. Reportedly many of the attending orgs. liked the idea of being on the Advisory group. Although I understand why green orgs are desperate to get input and be able to tell their donors that they have “access to Zinke”, it’s a huge mistake to coddle up to Zinke who’s only interested in support for reorg.—not conservation. He ignored previous advisory groups so completely, they resigned in protest. I suggest this to the environmental organizations: Agree to participate ONLY IF Zinke reverses the many harmful actions he has taken such as: (1) Reinstate the full Bears Ears Monument; (2) Get rid of anti-conservation staff such as rancher Susan Combs who hates the Endangered Species Act; (3) Reverse the decision to drill in coastal waters; (4) Support environmental regulations such as those to reduce Methane that he is trying to gut; (5) Make sure that oil-gas-coal development on public lands conform to existing NEPA rules that he is trying to undermine; (6) Ban use of lead ammunition on public lands—he cut regs on them; (7) Eliminate the International Wildlife advisory panel that is dominated by trophy hunters; (8) Enforce the ban on incidental killing in the Migratory Bird Act. I could go on listing dozens more actions needed to reverse harm he has done to conservation but the above steps would be a good start and serve to show he is genuine about “pivoting to conservation.” Reason 117: Zinke, Congress, & State Departments of “Game” are failing to deal with Crisis of Huge Drop in Excise Tax for Wildlife Restoration Fund. New Data on Excise Taxes on hunting-angling shows HUGE decline in pistols-firearms-ammo revs-down 31%-33% from 2017. There also has been a long-term decline in hunters shown by 2016 USFWS survey. So what has Congress, Zinke, & states response been? They want to spend wildlife restoration $ to recruit new hunters! This a futile losing strategy. We need to get new revenue sources such as general tax funds which would be well justified—to preserve wildlife for future generations. Expanded excise taxes on wildlife related activities such as Bird Feeding, binoculars, etc. would also make sense. At the state level, we also need new or expanded non-game-related revenue sources—some states have done a bit in this area but not enough & most states have done little or nothing. Instead, Congress is moving the WRONG way-their only action is to rewrite excise law (known as Pittman-Roberson) to allow use of wildlife funds to recruit new hunters! There also needs to be a total revolution in leadership of state agencies: I have been reviewing the leadership (e.g., directors and advisory commissions) for the state “Game” (tellingly, that is what a large percentage have in their titles) departments and not surprisingly, the leadership is overloaded with hunters with conservation-non-game interested people in a small minority in most states. Zinke is a total loss as a leader. Far from taking leadership for developing conservation of wildlife, he has demonstrated that he cares only about wildlife that can be used as trophies and he is going in the opposite direction from that needed. (See my blog’s Reasons #100, 99, 93, & 89 for documentation on Zinke trophy obsession). The USFWS survey showed that more people are WATCHING wildlife and revenues related to wildlife viewing are INCREASING while revenues from hunting are dropping. This has been a LONG-TERM trend—it’s been going on for more than a decade and there is every reason to believe it will continue if not escalate. For data to support these points: see Wildlife Management Institute report on excise taxes (Note: they are a PRO-HUNTNG organization!) https://wildlifemanagement.institute/outdoor-news-bulletin/may-2018/second-quarter-excise-tax-receipts-show-continued-drop-wildlife and the 2016 USFWS survey of wildlife related activities including watching and hunting, see https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/nat_survey2016.pdf Reason 116: Like Donald Trump, this article shows Zinke continues to lie even after his lies have been exposed—claims that Bears Ears cut not related to drilling-mining. Like Hitler, they believe in BIG LIES—and unfortunately, they seem to get away with it. See https://medium.com/westwise/the-fix-was-in-emails-show-zinke-staff-focused-on-potential-for-drilling-and-mining-in-monuments-b24a735cb080 Reason 115: The Swamp Is As Big as Pacific Ocean under Trump-Zinke: Story tells how Interior official met with his former employer, conservative Koch-funded “foundation,” about job matters violating ethics rules. Interior spokesperson Health Swift lies as often as Sarah Huckabee Sanders & that takes some doing. See article https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/14/interior-department-official-koch-conflict-of-interest?CMP=share_btn_tw Reason 114: Zinke-Trump’s War Against Science Continues: BLM blocked their archaeologists from speaking at science conference--from testifying problems of leasing lands rich in archaeology, failure to protect cultural resources valued by tribes, & need for better planning ahead of dev. rather than rely on “mitigation” that has proven to be failure in most cases. See https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2018/05/11/feds-blocks-government-archaeologists-from-speaking-at-a-major-science-conference/ Reason 113: Zinke puts people like Susan Combs in charge as Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks despite the fact that her “to save” endangered species like the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard in Texas allowed energy companies to self-regulate their efforts in such a flawed way that the State of Texas now has to redo the plan which does not monitor sand mining which is a major threat and she touted a “popular credit swap program” that was useless to saving the lizard—oil & gas paid contractors to remove mesquite but system provided no sig benefit for the lizard. In short, Combs like Zinke does not care about conservation—her only goal is to avoid restrictions on oil & gas to improve their profits. For detail analysis of Combs and Texas failings, see https://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/exclusive-citing-fatal-flaws-texas-rewrites-plan-save-rare-lizard/kpUCClUTA5Wov5JIj4NI3K/ Reason 112: Zinke’s BLM is giving a royalty rate reduction to Utah coal producer that will reduce federal & state funds by 19 million—coal is uneconomic to extract now so Zinke is subsidizing coal that pollutes streams, air, & land. See https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2018/05/07/feds-grant-utahs-largest-coal-producer-a-royalty-discount-worth-up-to-19-million/ No help to coal-gas-oil is too costly for Zinke—no efforts to preserve conservation & public lands is worthy of doing as far as Zinke is concerned. Reason 111: While Zinke continues to undercut and underfund conservation-related activities of Interior, he is now spending MORE resources on immigration! He is assigning more Park Service employees to protect the border even though this is the function of the Department of Homeland Security. This shows once again the utter bankruptcy of Zinke—he is actually opposed to protecting public lands & conservation—he cares only for oil, gas, coal, welfare ranchers, and trophy hunters. For story on assignment of NPS officers to immigration functions, see http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/386570-interior-is-sending-officers-to-assist-patrolling-the-us-mexico Reason 110: Zinke's own state, Montana, rejects Zinke policies: Univ of Montana poll asked Montanans whether they approved or disapproved of Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s recommendations to decrease the size of national monuments. Of the respondents, 29% approved and 62% disapproved of Zinke’s recommendations. See https://news.umt.edu/2018/03/031418poll.php Reason 109: Zinke has altered scientific reports to omit human role in climate change, unprecedented political interference in government science at the Interior Department, which oversees the park service, according an article in Reveal. The article says that “Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist and dean of the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, said the deletions are “shocking from a scientific point of view, but also from a policy point of view.” And “To remove a very critical part of the scientific understanding is nothing short of political censorship and has no place in science,” he said. “Censorship of this kind is something you’d see in Russia or some totalitarian regime. It has no place in America.” See the full article at https://www.hcn.org/articles/corruption-human-role-in-climate-change-removed-from-science-report?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 108: Zinke is trying to kill a BLM rule that required oil & gas corps to repair leads of methane—even tho Senate voted this down. This change would save oil-gas lots of money but cause taxpayer to lose millions in royalty payments. Just one more example of how Zinke puts oil-gas-coal above conservation & public lands. Reason 107: Zinke wants to remove the 4(d) rule that provides default protection to threatened species. This would result in the need for FWS staff to determine whether and what protections are “necessary and advisable” for each and every species listed as threatened. This is being done while Zinke has reduced staff & budget of USFWS. Note that Zinke rarely mentions conservation & if he does, it is coupled with plans to lease public lands to oil-gas-coal to obtain revenues to make up for Interior budget cuts he is making. In short, he is a disgusting hypocrite. See https://www.edf.org/blog/2018/04/19/zinkes-latest-change-endangered-species-act-more-trouble-you-think?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=edf_protect-and-defend_upd_dmt&utm_medium=social-media&utm_id=1524143345&utm_content=annie Reason 106: Earth Day under the Worst Environmental Admin. in History: Zinke’s hero, Trump, “celebrated” Earth day bragging about his cutbacks to environmental regulations—most of them done by Zinke or Pruitt: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/04/23/stories/1060079821 Zinke is cutting charges to coal companies leasing use of public lands: https://mountainwestnews.org/study-wolverines-collar-humans-fecfbe3b7700 Reason 105: Zinke’s Conception of Conservation: Mining helps the land! Zinke thinks that Sage Grouse love oil wells and that mining western land is good because it makes land more productive when you “mix top soils”. See full extent of his ignorance on these & climate change at https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060079255 Reason 104: Zinke is a hypocrite and does not listen to local input unless it is in Montana. A New York Times story documents how he has protected areas in Montana while ignored local input & done away with protections in other states. An article from Wyofile shows how he has ignored local input from Republican-dominated county commissions to strip State BLM of the authority to postpone leases to extractive industries in order to protect areas rife with wildlife & recreational areas. For documentation of these points, See https://www.wyofile.com/zinke-clips-state-blm-conservation-power-draws-wyoming-ire/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklynewsletter And https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/us/ryan-zinke-montana.html?emc=edit_th_180417&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=103654190417 Reason 103: Congress Rejects Zinke Budget. Zinke’s budget request for Interior made huge cuts in conservation but Congress ignored his idiotic request & funded 2.5 Billion more. But he & Repubs are planning to rescind this money. It shows again how he has no concern with conservation & is a terrible admin.—Congress including many Republicans reject his Energy Dominance Only preoccupation. See the full article on the cuts at https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-what-will-zinke-do-with-the-extra-2.5-billion-in-his-budget?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 102. Zinke is violating the law by illegally extending the tenure of temporary directors such as Susan Combs who is Acting Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. I detailed in my Wildlife Politics book how she implemented a plan to avoid Federal regulations to preserve the threatened Sagebrush Lizard. Agreements with extractive industries & landowners were voluntary & the USFWS didn’t even have the right to view individual agreements to see if they were working! Combs like other Acting Directors does not have the credentials or support to win permanent status. This is just one more example of Zinke’s terrible appointments demonstrating he does not care about conservation at all. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/04/05/stories/1060078267 and https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/04/a-fierce-opponent-of-the-endangered-species-act-is-picked-to-oversee-interiors-wildlife-policy/?utm_term=.18ec8da25027 Reason 101: Zinke takes advice—from those who want to make a profit from public lands and destroy wilderness. His appointments to the Outdoor Recreation Committee include people from boat and snowmobile manufacturers and ATV dealers and those who have conflicts of interest as concessionaires and want to privatize camping and other park operations. It does not include anyone from the Outdoor Industry Asso. who conduct “nonomotorized activities” and who criticized scaling back Bears Ears. As usual, Zinke selects the worst possible advisors—those who oppose conservation and public lands. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/zinke-creates-new-outdoor-recreation-panel-made-up-entirely-of-industry-advisers/2018/03/26/04f3e960-2f9a-11e8-8688-e053ba58f1e4_story.html?utm_term=.e03a3ea966dc Reason 100: Zinke’s only interest in wildlife is trophy hunting but data on hunting from the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife PROVE that hunting continues to DECLINE with big decreases in hunting. Likewise, Excise tax revenues show a HUGE decline in revenues (33% to 37%) for pistols, firearms, and shells-cartridges. Indeed, the Wildlife Management Institute, a PRO-HUNTING organization states that “These numbers do not paint a very bright future for state fish and wildlife agency funding and the future of hunting and fishing.” These findings demonstrate that Zinke’s total focus and revenues derived from and his ignoring wildlife conservation and non-game species is disastrous. USFWS’s 2016 shows that the number of hunters continued a two-decade steady decline. By way of contrast, non-consumptive uses of wildlife continued a steady increase with 20% increase in those who watch nearby their homes and 3 percent increase in those who travel to view wildlife. The message is clear: We need to refocus the Interior Department’s and Zinke’s focus on trophy hunting—they are destroying wildlife conservation. New revenue sources not based on hunting need to be tapped. Zinke’s “leadership” is destroying conservation in the U.S. and is contrary to what MOST AMERICANS want from Interior and State wildlife agencies. The Excise data & Wildlife Management Institute data are available at: Wildlife Management Institute. https://wildlifemanagement.institute/outdoor-news-bulletin/february-2018/excise-tax-update The USFWS 2016 survey is available at https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/nat_survey2016.pdf Reason #99: Zinke does not seek balanced advice—he only listens to those he agrees with. For example, his hunting council is composed of celebrity hunting guides, representatives from rifle and bow manufacturers, and wealthy sportspeople who boast of bagging Big 5 trophies. “Most are high-profile members of Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association, groups that have sued the Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the list of countries from which trophy kills can be legally imported.” See Asso. Press story on this meeting at https://www.wsj.com/articles/APae53d56159b1468ca837db22538ce82e?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1 Reason 98: Zinke isn’t content with cutting budget for Interior’s conservation programs. He now is forcing BLM’s employees to wear insignia showing Oil Rigs & Cattle Ranching. He has no shame & cares not one whit for conservation or professionalism of his employees. He cares only about extractive industries & welfare ranchers (& trophy hunting). What a small, puny man he is! See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2018/03/16/the-energy-202-interior-agency-gives-employees-vision-cards-depicting-oil-rigs/5aaaadcd30fb047655a06cbf/?utm_term=.0667a4f69f7d&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1 Reason 97: Zinke is a doubletalker and coward. At hearing, he now says that there may be no drilling off Pacific—like Florida! He made a terrible decision and is unable to back it up—he deserves to be fired. At same time, he “virtually eliminated the Land & Conservation Fund” and cuts monuments. His defense—the monuments are still under “federal protectons”—well those are protections set up in previous Administrations that cared about conservation. This Administration & Republicans are eagerly looking to eliminate or weaken those protections such as the Endangered Species Act. See account of his doubletalk & cowardice at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/03/13/zinke-oil-and-gas-exploration-off-the-pacific-coast-might-not-happen/?utm_term=.50ecc7000f41 Reason 96: Zinke isn’t content to reduce monuments & park funding—he wants to litter areas surrounding them with mines & pumps. See https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/09/great-sand-dunes-national-park-mineral-rights-auction/ Reason 95: Zinke will save parks by destroying public lands while cutting Interior Budget. Zinke’s Interior propose to provide funding for national parks infrastructure needs by taking money from energy developments on Federal lands and waters. At the same time, he is proposing a 10% CUT to the Interior budget. So he brags about plan to “fund national parks” while cutting money from the budget of the agencies that run the parks & by destroying public lands and waters—that is the Zinke-Trump approach to conservation—fund parks by killing public land and conservation. See https://www.eenews.net/gw/2017/02/28 and https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/03/07/stories/1060075699 Reason 94: Zinke is violating the law by having “Temporary” Directors to remain in charge for long periods of time. He has done this with 3 key positions: the directors of National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service. See http://www.peer.org/news-releases/temporar-interior-directors-illegal.html Reason 93: Zinke voids one of Trump’s rare humane actions—Trump referred to elephant trophy hunting as a “horror show” but Ryan Zinke only likes wildlife—elephants or any other species—that is available for trophies so his Interior Dept. has quietly allowed “permits” for trophies. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/03/06/trump-called-elephant-hunts-a-horror-show-his-administration-just-lifted-a-trophy-hunting-ban/?utm_term=.fa8914c7d7d9 Reason 92: Zinke wants to kill unburdensome regs such as Obama’s Methane regulations for no good reason other than he wants zero minimum regulation of extractive industries. An article by Jonathan Thompson details the harm that would be done to the environment & conservation for the very minor costs that regulation costs extractive industries. https://www.hcn.org/articles/methane-rules-in-danger?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 91: Zinke treats Interior employees unfairly & unprofessionally. Many are resigning or retiring under protest such as 2 USGS professionals who refused to go along with his illegal use of information before it was released to the public. He has questioned the loyalty of his employees. He is planning on cutting 4000 employees—they are not needed anymore because Interior no longer cares about conservation and the environment—only energy dominance & turning over the land to extractive industries. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/02/21/two-scientists-have-left-the-interior-department-after-zinke-demanded-confidential-energy-data/?utm_term=.ab9249c13fcf&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1 Reason 90: The Zinke-Trump budget will cut funds for protecting endangered species by 47 percent and USFWS overall budget by 19 percent or 300 million dollars—a budget that had already suffered huge cuts this year. Zinke does not care about his agency’s missions—his only concern is extractive industries & welfare ranchers. See http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/endangered-species-funding-02-13-2018.php Reason 89: The only interest Zinke has in conservation is for trophy hunters. His big “conservation announcement” in Utah was “to expand opportunities for big game hunting.” See official Department of Interior admission of this at https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-zinke-prioritizes-conservation-big-game-migration-corridors Reason 88: Zinke appoints the worst people possible for Interior—those pushing for extractive industries with interests opposed to those of conservation. For example, Douglas Domenech Asst. Sec. for Insular Affairs is having his duties expanded. His qualifications? He lobbied for them, encouraged drilling on Virginia’s oceanfront, and authored the “moral case for fossil fuels”—an effort funded by Kochs & extractive industries. See https://departmentofinfluence.org/person/doug-domenech/ Reason 87: Zinke’s rush to turn over public lands to oil-gas-coal ignored science & follow NEPA rules & thus open to legal challenge. See New York Times article by Coral Davenport at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/climate/trump-zinke-environmental-rollback.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_sc_20180205&nl=science-times&nl_art=11&nlid=10365419&ref=headline&te= Reason 86: While Zinke shows no interest in the conservation goals of the Interior Department, he continues to show great interest in political fundraising that is heavily involved in direct-mail contributions. He is a political hack who is harming the environment as he pursues contributions from wealthy extractive industries. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/02/05/stories/1060072913 Reason 85: Zinke isn’t just for extractive industries—he wants to kill renewable energy sources, public lands, and conservation all at the same time in California “environmentally sensitive lands.” See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/02/01/stories/1060072665 Reason 84: Zinke has no ethics and no shame. He opened public lands to use of lead bullets—overturning previous regulations while not disclosing his ownership of shares in a company that produces the ammunition. See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zinke-proof-research-shares_us_5a60e1fae4b0b3f7fa12c397?vo4 Reason 83: Zinke lies and bad decisions don’t hold up when held up to public scrutiny—shows what an incompetent toady he is. His argument that “Florida is unique” is indefensible (except on political interpretation!) He has gotten away with destroying conservation due to lack of mass media attention but now his phoniness & incompetence have become clear. See https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/11/1731876/-Ryan-Zinke-says-Florida-is-obviously-unique-as-Trump-condemns-rest-of-coast-to-more-drilling Reason 82: Zinke is an incompetent Administrator. This point is illustrated by his recent announcement that offshore drilling is out for Florida. Turns out he never discussed this was agency responsible for it & that decision has not been made—which is typical of his “spontaneous and confused decisions that have left policies vulnerable to legal challenge.” See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/climate/offshore-drilling-florida.html?emc=edit_th_180120&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419 Reason 81: Zinke is a threat to endangered species not only in the U.S. but worldwide. He is “stocking international wildlife panel” with big-game hunters, thus threatening attempts to save species like lions, elephants, and tigers. See E&E News at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/01/18/stories/1060071325 Reason 80: Zinke’s lack of concern for conservation is demonstrated by his failure to appoint a Director for the National Park Service—the first time this has happened since 1916. Since he only cares about “energy dominance,” this should not be surprising. See article in LA times at http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-national-park-zinke-oil-gas-20180117-story.html Reason 79: Zinke has totally ignored not only overwhelmingly majority of input from environmental-conservation groups but even that from the National Park Service Board that is supposed to provide guidance for his decisions—so much so that ALL of the members led by former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles resigned. By way of contrast, he is filling Interior positions with former employees of extractive industries. See https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/01/17/npr-majority-of-national-park-service-board-resigns Reason 78: Fish and Wildlife: Are they conservation agency or do they exist to foster “energy dominance?” Zinke’s USFWS is debating whether to remove goal of “net conservation gain” as goal of mitigation due to pressure from extractive industries. Actually, research shows that mitigation areas to compensate for loss of sensitive areas are often far inferior to the habitat being lost due to developments. Removal of this requirement is one more example of total abandonment of their conservation priority by this agency due to Zinke. See https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060070959 Reason 77: Zinke lies shamelessly and repeatedly. The New York Times reported that Zinke claimed that “there is no mine within Bears Ears” but actually there were “300 uranium mining claims inside the monument” and he brought alone Energy Fuels, the CANADIAN Uranium Mining company on his trip to Bears Ears while refusing to meet with Native American groups opposed to mining—but he claims that he claims he heeded “LOCAL voices” in his decision. See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/climate/trump-uranium-bears-ears.html?_r=0 Reason 76: Zinke’s appointees such as Interior legal counsel Daniel Jorjani make blatantly illegal interpretations of laws and treaties to allow development by extractive industries such as in Twin Metals leases near Boundary Waters & incidental killing under Migratory Bird Act—hoping that Trump-appointed stooge judges will uphold. See http://www.timberjay.com/stories/twin-metals-decision-part-of-a-much-broader-initiative,13850 Reason 75: Zinke & his Bureau of Land Management deleted webpages concerning climate change, renewable energy, and the overall mission of the agency. He has undermined science and ignored the conservation mission of the agency. His totally unbalanced actions to achieve “energy dominance” make a travesty of the Interior Dept.—it has become the Department of Extractive Industries & Welfare Ranchers. See https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-webpages-erased-and-obscured-under-trump/ Reason 74: Zinke ignores science in favor of politics in giving grants. E&E News reports that “The Interior Department will now funnel certain grants through a political screening intended to ensure the federal dollars "better align" with the administration's "priorities," according to a newly revealed memo. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/01/09/stories/1060070507 Reason 73: Zinke names the least qualified, indeed the worst people possible, to head agencies under Interior. They oppose the missions of the agencies they are supposed to head and do everything they can to undermine them. For example, reports from E&E News say that Zinke will name a former park superintendent head of the National Park Service despite the fact that he helped wealthy people cut down trees. See https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/01/05/stories/1060070251 Reason 72: Zinke’s Interior Department approved the building of a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge that wildlife experts say will damage wildlife who depend on this habitat. The local officials & Japanese-owned local business say that the road is needed for access to medical care but the Federal government has already spent $50 million on providing\ such access. See Lisa Friedman, NewYorkTimes at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/climate/alaska-road-refuge.html?emc=edit_th_20180107&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419 Reason 71: Zinke’s will remove protections for the Arctic. His draft proposal would calls for the removal of crucial Arctic protections and authorization of new leasing in this incredible landscape. See https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/trump-administration-to-roll-back-crucial-arctic-protections?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oceans Reason 70: Zinke ignores science and revokes climate change and mitigation policies. He tells Interior to ignore climate change and revokes any need for mitigation of harm done by extractive industries. See http://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-change-interior-department-revokes-climate-change-and-mitigation-policies?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason 69: Zinke has opened virtually all offshore areas to drilling regardless of environmental and conservation threats. Zinke’s pal, Thomas Pyle, President of American Energy Alliance, just said offshore areas: “these are our lands.” He is right. With Zinke & Trump in charge, all public lands and all offshore areas will belong to extractive industries. Until the public hears about these threats from the mass media & contacts their reps., these harmful actions will continue. See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/trump-offshore-drilling.html?emc=edit_th_20180105&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419 Reason #68: Zinke will no longer enforce incidental killing of migratory birds by industry—failing to enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. See documentation at http://www.audubon.org/news/the-white-house-turns-its-back-americas-birds Reason 67: Zinke wants to mine on the Edge of Boundary Waters Canoe Area—an action previously blocked by Obama. He again shows is all out commitment to extractive industries—he could care less about conservation. He regards Interior as a Federal Mining Company. See http://www.wildlifepolitics.org/blog Reason 66: Zinke’s Department ordered the National Academies study on the safety of offshore drilling to be stopped—another example of his all out reckless exploitation of natural resources with no concern for conservation & explicit rejection of science. See Gronewold, E&E News at https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/12/22/stories/1060069795 Reason 65: Zinke’s Interior Dept. is proposing to allow continued commercial fishing in the first U.S. Atlantic Ocean marine monument that researchers have called “an incredible biodiversity hotspot.” Trump Administration Facing Battle Over New England Marine Monument. A no-fishing monument actually supports fishing because it allows fish “re-establishment zone” where populations are revived due to the lack of “human harvesting.” See Hladky’s Hartford Courant article at http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-coral-canyons-trump-threat-20171215-story.html Reason 64: Zinke punishes Interior Department employees for making science-based statements about the harm that climate change will wreak on national parks. Zinke doesn’t like science or freedom of speech when it contradicts Trump and his biases. See article by Timothy Cama at http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/364994-zinke-reprimanded-park-head-after-climate-tweets Reason 63: Zinke is politicizing and slowing access to Freedom of Information Access (FOIA) requests. He has centralized all different agency FOIA requests into his central office under a political hack. See Washington Post article by Grandoni & Eilperin at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/15/trump-environmental-officials-are-keeping-tight-rein-over-stampede-of-foia-requests/?utm_term=.8c18c378e566 Reason 62: Zinke devises false “local participation” in monument decision-making dominated by pro-development & few Native Americans who want monument. See Felicia Fonseca, “Tribes: Monument Co-Management Proposal Is Slap in the Face” at https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-12-11/tribes-decry-proposal-for-co-management-of-utah-monument Reason 61: Zinke and House Republicans attack private company for expressing opposition to monument cutbacks. This is another unethical action by Zinke. See coverage of dispute with Pataogonia in article by Matthew Daly at http://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/11/ryan-zinke-gop-patagonia-feud/ Reason 60. Zinke ignored public comments and Native Americans concerning Bears Ears but Washington Post article documents how he paid close attention to uranium firm in decision to shrink Bears Ears. See Juliet Eilperin, “Uranium firm urged Trump officials to shrink Bears Ears National Monument” at https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/uranium-firm-urged-trump-officials-to-shrink-bears-ears-national-monument/2017/12/08/2eea39b6-dc31-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.327ad11a3d0b Reason #59: Zinke is systematically weakening key rules established to ensure that U.S. gets adequate revenues from extractive industries and gets input from Native Americans that would be affected by drilling and keep energy development away from sensitive areas. See article by Jonathan Thompson in High Country News at http://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-interiors-return-to-the-robber-baron-years?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email Reason #58: Zinke is about to cut 1.6 billion from Interior Budget & reorganize it so that it is located near extractive industries & welfare ranchers—his plan is proposed by “advisers” working for Koch Brothers & extractive industries. See Chris D’Angelo. Republicans Turn To Industry For Advice On How To Reorganize Interior Department https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/interior-department-reorganization-hearing_us_5a295068e4b0fa798612887f Reason #57: While Zinke cuts funding for conservation programs in Interior, he wastes money on expensive travel such as helicopters to ride his horse! Ryan Zinke “Spent $6,250 On A Helicopter So He Could Ride Horses With Mike Pence.” See article by Nick Visser at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ryan-zinke-helicopters_us_5a2a2337e4b069ec48ac3272?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009 Reason 56: Zinke is preparing to cut back more monuments. He “supports cutting Nevada’s Gold Butte and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou” and will be allowing motor vehicle traffic in Siskiyou and assuring grazing in New Mexico’s monuments. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/zinke-backs-shrinking-more-national-monuments-shifting-management-of-10-others/2017/12/05/e116344e-d9e5-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.85da7d13a813 Reason 55. Zinke selects top Interior officials who oppose & will undermine the agency’s conservation purposes. For example, Zinke is considering Karen Budd-Falen to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). She has been a long-time critic of BLM favoring local government over Federal environmental regulations. She wants to cut back radically on monuments & supports legislation to do by Utah’s anti-conservation congressman, Rob Bishop. She criticizes national parks for being “single use” properties, talks enthusiastically about grazing, timber logging, and extractive industries use of BLM lands. She doesn’t mention conservation as a priority for the agency. In short, Zinke puts in power individuals like himself: they don’t care about the environment or conservation. See Jennifer Yachnin at http://www.wyofile.com/potential-blm-chief-vows-push-local-input-reduce-monuments/ 54. Zinke is a big hypocrite—cuts monuments elsewhere but wants to add one in his home state of Montana. See https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zinke-aims-to-shave-national-monuments-except-in-his-home-state_us_5a1b8315e4b0d4906cafab87 53. Even Republican supporters of Ryan Zinke now regret that he is head of Interior—they see that he lied when he said he was a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican.” See E&E News at https://www.eenews.net/gw/2017/11/27 52. Zinke supported eliminating restrictions on the importation of elephant trophies & also loosed restrictions on importation of lion trophies. It shows once again that Zinke cares nothing about wildlife conservation other than supporting hunters seeking trophies. See E&E News. https://www.eenews.net/gw/2017/11/21 51. Under Zinke’s (who cares about hunting & trophies above all), the USFWS reversed Obama policies and is now allowing imports of elephant and lion trophies despite the fact that these species are increasingly endangered & Zimbabwe is a dictatorial & terribly managed country.Interior Department to allow imports of elephant and lion trophies from Africa, reversing Obama policies https://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2017/11/interior-department-allow-imports-elephant-lion-trophies-africa-reversing-obama-policies.html 50. Zinke, the head of the Interior Department, has no comments about Bundy—the man who refuses to pay for his usage of public lands & who threatened BLM (Interior Department) personnel with guns when they tried to enforce Interior Department Regulations. Actually, it is a wonder why he hasn’t come out and supported & lauded Bundy—they are of the same mindset—the hell with conservation. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/11/07/stories/1060065865 49. Zinke’s Interior: Everything for Hunters, Nothing for Wildlife Conservation: According to E&E News, Zinke has expanded “hunting opportunities” at 9 wildlife refuges and opened another to sport fishing”—emphasizing that he does not care about the original purpose of refuges—to conserve wildlife—not kill it. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/11/07/stories/1060065877 48. Zinke’s Terrible Personnel Management Policies: E&E News reports that Zinke has left important positions in the Interior Department vacant for an “unusually long time.” At the same time, he has hired former Navy Seal as his “recreation czar.” This reinforces his view of his department as a military force & does not tolerate anyone who cares about priorities other than Zinke’s—i.e., making money for extractive corps. & public land welfare ranchers—except for unethical hunters. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/11/07/stories/1060065875 47. Zinke “repealed an Obama administration rule that ended a scam coal, oil and gas companies had long relied on to make deceitfully small royalty payments to the federal treasury.” As a result, “fossil-fuels companies can once again shortchange the public out of its royalties.” What’s more, Zinke raised entry fees to parks—the added fees are calculated to raise 70 million dollars for parks but the “calculated lost annual revenue from reopening the royalty loophole at $75 million.” What more can you say about him? He is a clear & present danger to public lands and conservation. See https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/ryan-zinke-is-erasing-public-from-lands-hes-meant-to-guard/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_left_1.1 46. Zinke is planning to reverse ban on mining in watershed of Grand Canyon. See http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/358311-trump-admin-to-reconsider-grand-canyon-uranium-mining-ban#.Wfpe3065vU0.twitter 45. Zinke had questionable ethics as a Member of Congress selling a vehicle at low cost violating campaign ethics rules and his poor ethical system has continued in office with his abuse of travel costs at the public’s great expense. See https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/30/ryan-zinke-campaign-fec-complaint-244313 44. Zinke convinced Trump to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase from 1.35 million acres down to 120,000 acres. The first big cutback in monuments by Zinke who claimed to be Teddy R. Republican—Roosevelt invented monuments. See http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/10/27/trump-tells-sen-orrin-hatch-hell-shrink-the-bears-ears-national-monument/ 43. Zinke is going to eliminate Obama leasing reforms that keep energy development away from national parks and other environmentally sensitive areas. These reforms gave a voice to local and regional interests in how oil and gas is developed. For example, the reform closed 145,000 acres of federal lands near the Arches and Canyonlands national parks to future mineral leasing, capped well densities on projects in sensitive areas, and placed no surface occupancy restrictions on about 306,000 acres "that are highly valued for scenery and recreation.” See Scott Streater, Key Obama-era leasing reform to get the ax” at https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060064921 42: Zinke views environmental protections “burden” to “energy dominance. He wants to alter or remove End. Species Act, NEPA, Rules for offshore drilling & fracking. https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-releases-energy-burdens-report 41. Zinke’s PAC has used unethical practices, focusing on getting donations from small donors who can ill afford these contributions and then spending most of the money on overhead. He continues to “closely associate with a PAC, ForthRight Strategy, whose former executive pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.” See Lefebre & Juliano, Politico, at http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/24/zinke-fundraisers-republican-operatives-244094 40. Zinke refuses to say why he is cutting back monuments when overwhelming public support for them. See the YouTube Video where Zinke is interviewed about public monuments & can’t defend his recommendations to cut them. His position on monuments is especially notable because during his confirmation hearings he described himself as a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican”—Teddy Roosevelt is the president who pioneered the use of monuments for conservation. Zinke once again proves that he a liar and a hypocrite and his administration has no transparency. The video is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5WeTDZMGZQ 39. Zinke’s Way: Everything for Hunters—Nothing for Wildlife Conservation. The USFWS is working on a plan to allow hunters to kill trumpeter swans—a species that has been protected. The purpose of this change is to protect hunters who (supposedly) mistakenly shoot the trumpeters & thought they were aiming at tundra swans—an unprotected species. This is simply another example of Zinke’s Interior Department & the Trump Admin. prioritizing unethical hunting over wildlife conservation goals. Similarly, USFWS is removing protections from wolves & grizzlies because they compete with hunters for elk and other “game species”—the only species that Zinke is interested in. Zinke wants to broaden use of lead bullets and fishing gear to pander to unethical hunters-fishers who don’t want to spend a few more pennies to protect species from their harmful effects. The Trump Admin. is pushing a Sportsmen’s bill that will allow silencers because they are concerned about harming hearing of hunters as they kill animals. Zinke and the Trump Administration have sho[BR1] wn absolutely no interest in wildlife conservation—they will undoubtedly welcome the legislative moves to undermine (if not eliminate) the Endangered Species Act. Zinke, the Trump boys, and their friends like to kill wildlife—not preserve it. Article on Trumpeter Swans is available at: http://www.therepublic.com/2017/10/14/us-swan-hunting/ 38. Zinke’s is working behind the scenes to build a controversial and long-contested road through the heart of Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, documents show. The Army Corps of Engineers has studied it & shown that alternatives to the road are superior. See article by Lorraine Chow at https://www.nationofchange.org/2017/10/17/groups-slam-zinkes-backroom-deals-build-road-alaskan-wildlife-refuge/ 37. Zinke threatened Senator Lisa Murkowski over her vote on Obamacare. His implicit threat was to act against her priorities involving the Interior Department. This show how Zinke is willing to subvert any Interior Department issues to Trump political priorities. See https://www.adn.com/politics/2017/07/26/trump-administration-signals-that-murkowskis-health-care-vote-could-have-energy-repercussions-for-alaska/ In this case, Murkowski’s priorities are anti-conservation but the general principle is Zinke is willing to subvert Interior priorities for unrelated political concerns. 36. No ethical principles—Zinke minions approve harmful projects with conflicts of interest. Trump’s BLM removes a hurdle for controversial Mojave Desert Cadiz project which his Deputy Secretary will financially benefit from. Zinke has no problem with this ethical issue. The Obama Admin. and environmentalists opposed the project because of concerns that pumping enormous amounts of water out of the aquifer could deplete natural springs. The springs sustain habitat for rare wildlife in the desert such as tortoises and bighorn sheep.” See http://www.hcn.org/articles/water-trumps-blm-bureau-of-land-management-clears-a-hurdle-for-controversial-cadiz-project?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 35. Zinke Strikes Again: He has approved drilling near national monuments & parks—Oil, Coal, Gas Win, Conservation loses: Every day brings news of another Zinke action against the conservation goal of the Interior Dept. He will allow drilling near the Dinosaur National Monument and also approved oil and gas leases near Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument and Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Zinke has shown no interest whatsoever in the conservation goals of the Interior Dept. See story by Stephen Nash of New York Times at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/18/travel/drilling-near-dinosaur-monument.html?emc=edit_tnt_20171018&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=y 34. Zinke is pushing a road through an Alaskan Wildlife Refuge that studies by USFWS show will be harmful to wildlife. Moreover, he is doing it in a way to keep the planning of the road secret and thus unavailable for public scrutiny. This again shows Zinke’s priorities and characteristics—development over conservation and lack of transparency. See Washington Post; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-looks-at-behind-the-scenes-land-swap-to-allow-road-through-wilderness-refuge/2017/10/15/c6458380-aeb7-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.98910da734cb 33. In just 2 years in Congress, Zinke received 350K from extractive industries. He is paying them back by turning public lands into mining-oil-gas moneymaking industries while destroying habitat & caring not at all for conservation aspects of Interior Department: https://wildernesswatch.org/ 32. Zinke defends Confederate monuments—says they are necessary so that “we can learn from history”?? The monuments depict the defenders of slavery as heroes—Zinke is, like Trump, clueless and supporter of white supremacist. Source: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/zinke-taking-down-confederate-statues-upset-native-indians?utm_content=buffera4129&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 31. Zinke has opened public lands to ATVs and motor vehicles in areas such as Utah’s Recapture Canyon where they had been banned: http://www.hcn.org/issues/49.7/latest-zinke-reopens-recapture-canyon-to-motor-vehicles?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 30. Zinke is all out for oil—no room for conservation or compromise for conservation or wildlife. In 2013, the Obama Admin. & Congress reached a COMPROMISE that opened large new areas for oil in exchange for protecting vital biodiverse lands. No one sued over this compromise. But Zinke and his BLM are now putting up “every available tract” under the 2013 for lease to oil companies—this action is not based on industry demand—they are not even close to using the lands already available to them in Alaska. He wants to commit the area to oil drilling regardless. See Christopher Solomon. America’s Wildest Place is Open for Business. NYT. Nov. 10, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/10/opinion/sunday/wildest-place-in-america.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ty_20171110&nl=opinion-today&nlid=10365419&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0 29. Zinke treats the Interior Dept. as his army unit—he accuses employees of disloyalty and has flags raised at the Dept. “headquarters in downtown Washington, Secretary Ryan Zinke has revived an arcane military ritual that no one can remember ever happening in the federal government.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wheres-zinke-the-interior-secretarys-special-flag-offers-clues/2017/10/12/68672476-aeb2-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.b663b91fa22f 28. Zinke lied about claims for energy production—he got “4 Pinocchios from Washington Post: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/zinke-earns-four-pinocchios-for-domestic-energy-production-claims/article_0a228cd7-b8a2-5812-9689-51e00f3cfb3a.html?utm_content=buffer2c912&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC 27 Zinke has abused travel wasting public funds on flights as reported by the media on September 29th. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2017/09/28/59533ed8-a4b8-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_zinketravel-1105pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.35b74046bc9d 26 Zinke punishes professional employees for fighting climate change such as Joel Clement who was transferred from a job protecting Alaskan villages from rising seas to “auditing fossil fuel company leases as discussed in LA Times http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-civil-servants-201709-story.html that allows Alaskans to kill wolf pups and bear cubs in dens in NATIONAL WILDLFIE REFUGES. Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-alaska-0313-jm-20170310-story.html 24 Zinke is opening BLM to more ORV use in sensitive areas which threatens archeological sites but is also very harmful to wildlife as has been proven by scientific research. High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/issues/49.7/latest-zinke-reopens-recapture-canyon-to-motor-vehicles?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=emailAnd pp. 295-335 of Todd Wilkinson, Science Under Siege. 23 Zinke has pushed policy changes that prioritize extractive industries and devalue conservation. His staff “filed a legal proposal to rescind the nation’s first safety regulation on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. They are exploring a proposal to loosen safety rules on underwater drilling equipment put in place after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Zinke rolled back an Obama-era order to block coal mining on public lands and delayed carrying out a regulation controlling emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from oil and gas wells.” New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/us/politics/interior-secretary-zinke-staff-conservation-regulations.html?emc=edit_th_20170726&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419&_r=0 22 Zinke’s staff are dominated by extractive industry officials and lobbyists. An early count totaled 21 of his staff from extractive industries versus 3 from conservation-sports area. He hired Susan Combs of Texas to control the agency’s budget. Combs fought against USFWS efforts to preserve species. High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/articles/interiors-energy-priorities-undergird-sweeping-monuments-review?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email And High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/articles/whos-up-for-trump-administration-positions-this-week?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 21 Zinke and Interior have denied endangered species protection to threatened species such as the Pacific Blue Fin Tuna. He toadies to the fishing industry. Ecowatch: https://www.ecowatch.com/bluefin-tuna-endangered-species-2470265690.html 20 Zinke gives private talks to groups that want to take over public lands for states and private interests such as ALEC-- American Legislative Exchange Council funded by the Koch Brothers and Exxon. By way of contrast, he gave little chance for input to conservationists in his review of monuments. High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-the-interior-secretary-gives-closed-door-speech-to-alec?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 19 Zinke’s 2018 budget for the Bureau of Land Management would “shift B.L.M. funding for nonenergy programs to oil and gas production. With the bureau’s staff and resources already strained, the Trump budget would force the agency to short-circuit environmental reviews and impact assessments on energy development and curtail priorities important to rural communities that depend on the public lands, like fire prevention, rangeland improvement, conservation of fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation.” New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/opinion/trump-oil-public-lands.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170828&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=4&nlid=10365419&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0 18 Zinke has forced the Interior Department to speed oil & gas leases on public lands that would “short circuit” environmental reviews of these leases—the leases run for at least 10 years & often much longer. New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/opinion/trump-oil-public-lands.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170828&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=4&nlid=10365419&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0 17 Even sportsmen, the one “conservation group” that Zinke pays any attention to, find his policies wrong including the shrinking of monuments and inattention to conservation. High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/articles/public-lands-as-sportsmen-watch-zinke-disillusionment-replaces-hope?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 16 Zinke and Trump appointed National Rifle Association official (lobbyist) to the US National Park Foundation board—she wants to get rid of regulations that hinder hunting and wants to allow baiting and killing of cubs and other unethical hunting practices. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/nra-us-national-park-foundation-donald-trump-susan-lapierre-womans-leadership-forum-a7928791.html 15 Zinke supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to extractive industries—again demonstrating his top priority is “energy dominance” and cares nothing for conservation. New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/climate/trump-arctic-refuge-drilling.html?mcubz=3&_r=0 14 Zinke is totally focused on hunting and game species—he cares nothing for non-game animals and the vast majority of the public who like to watch wildlife instead of hunt it. But these non-game watchers spend far more money and support communities near conservation areas than hunters. EE News: https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060061129/most_read 13 Zinke misled Trump and the public on the monuments that have previously been cut. In most of these cases, the land remained protected such as by the National Park Service. Again, demonstrates that nothing Zinke says can be trusted. EE News: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/09/21/stories/1060061363 12 Zinke supports Department of Interior’s top lawyer Ryan Nelson who wants to make it hard or impossible for conservationists to delay logging and other activities that harm wildlife. EE News: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/09/21/stories/1060061353 11 Zinke supports “aggressive forest thinning” to deal with wildfires despite the fact that it is climate change and weather that cause the fires and that ecologists have shown that this this thinning has bad consequences for ecosystems and the fires have good effects for wildlife and elk hunters. High Country News: http://www.hcn.org/articles/dc-dispatch-zinkes-fire-memo-calls-for-aggressive-thinning-of-western-forests?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email 10 Zinke wants to privatize campsites on public lands—which is guaranteed to increase prices for campers & turn over key decisions to those who care about profit first: The New Mexican http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/idea-to-privatize-campsites-has-opponents-worried-prices-could-skyrocket/article_6b27e3e2-e9cf-56c9-bf13-2ca02cbb71a1.html 9 Zinke is giving more “flexibility” to welfare ranchers on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in how cows graze public lands. There is a mountain of evidence such as that described in George Wuerthner’s Welfare Ranching (book) and Lynn Jacobs Waste of the West (book) that ranching is harmful to the lands and wasteful subsidy of the welfare ranchers who abuse the land. The BLM’s own survey shows their lands are in terrible shape though they try to deny that it is due to omnipresent welfare rancher grazing. EE News: https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2017/09/22/stories/1060061495 8 Zinke doesn’t understand or doesn’t listen to science—for example, he focuses on sage grouse populations instead of habitat conservation and proposes using captive breeding to support sage grouse—both approaches are discredited by science. Audubon: http://www.audubon.org/magazine/fall-2017/zinkes-new-conservation-plans-will-hurt-not-help 7 Zinke has accused Interior employees of disloyalty—showing that he does not understand the purpose of the department he heads. His “loyalty” comments have been roundly condemned by public employees & ethicists. His concept of loyalty is based on loyalty to the chain of command—Trump and Zinke—while employees should be loyal to the assistance Interior provides to the U.S.—not Trump, Zinke, and extractive industries. EE News: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/09/26/stories/1060061733 6 Zinke supports so-called “Sportsmen’s Heritage Bill” that protects use of lead bullets including in wildlife refuges. Lead bullets have been proven to be harmful to species such as the Condor demonstrating and are inexpensive—surveys show that most hunters support the use of non-lead bullets. Again that Zinke cares more about unethical hunters & the NRA than conservation: New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/opinion/editorials/nra-guns-california-trump.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170927&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=3&nlid=10365419&ref=headline&te=1And http://nmpoliticalreport.com/209535/lead-zinke-ban-public-lands-en/ 5 Zinke’s report on monuments contained several factual errors concerning them exposed by Senator Heinrich of New Mexico showing that Zinke is ignorant, a liar, and incompetent: https://medium.com/westwise/senator-calls-out-multiple-factual-errors-in-national-monuments-report-to-donald-trump-9c462ac1251b 4 In hearings for his job, he claimed he was a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican” but TR was the first president used the Antiquities Act to expand monuments while Zinke is pushing major cutbacks to monuments. These cutbacks despite conclusive survey evidence that western state citizens support monuments & don’t want to cut them—only small but powerful extractive industry and welfare ranchers favor cutbacks: E&E News: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/09/27/stories/1060061887 3 Instead of fighting for conservation & national parks, he pushes for “energy dominance” as if he were Sec. of Energy. Our national parks are overwhelmed with visitors & need more support but the Trump-Zinke budget proposes a 13 percent budget cut! New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/national-parks-overcrowding.html?emc=edit_th_20170928&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419&_r=0 2 He is scrapping the Sage Grouse compromise plan that took years to negotiate between the Obama Admin. & western states—he is devoted first and foremost to “new mineral leasing, grazing and other commercial activities across the quirky bird’s Western habitat.” He went ahead without consulting western governors of Wyoming & Colorado who helped forge the compromise. Audubon Society http://www.audubon.org/magazine/fall-2017/zinkes-new-conservation-plans-will-hurt-not-help And New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/climate/trump-sage-grouse.html?emc=edit_tnt_20170928&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=yAnd Wyofile: http://www.wyofile.com/western-governors-fret-zinke-ponders-review-grouse-plans/1 1 The major reason why Zinke won easy confirmation was based on his opposition to takeover of Federal public lands by states but his record shows no concern for conservation. “He has a 4 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters, and oil and gas companies have donated nearly $350,000 to his campaigns. He is a strong supporter of coal — “we are not going to power our nation on pixie dust and hope,” he told a local crowd in 2014 — and has pushed to end Mr. Obama’s moratorium on new coal leases.” The only wildlife Zinke cares about are game or fish that he consumes. The only public lands users he cares about are extractive industries, welfare ranchers, and hunters. He care nothing for non-game animals or people who want to enjoy wildlife without killing it. New York York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/for-interior-montanan-with-deep-roots-and-inconsistent-record.html?emc=edit_th_20170302&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=10365419&_r=0 [BR1]
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During my research for the book, I noticed that there was no blog available for sharing informaton on wildlife conservation and thus I set up this blog to accomplish this purpose. Please share any informaticoncerning issues related to wildife policy and politics. I welcome feedback from users concerning this blog and website.
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