Zinke hearings
The
Senate hearings on Ryan Zinke’s nomination as Secretary of Interior was
relatively uneventful, with the Montana Congressman surviving unscathed.
Zinke testified he
was an “unapologetic admirer of Teddy Roosevelt” and believes Roosevelt “had it
right” when he set aside “millions of acres of federal lands” for protection. It
was on these lands where “my father taught me to fish and hunt and the Boy Scout’s
taught me the principles of environmental stewardship,” he said.
Zinke also
reiterated his opposition to the transfer of lands out of federal ownership. “I want to be clear on this point: I am absolutely against
transfer or sale of public land. I can’t be any more clear,” he said.
There would be three immediate priorities, he said. First would be to restore trust. Second would
be to prioritize the $12.5 billion backlog in Park Service maintenance,
including making that a part of a proposed infrastructure bill. And third is “to ensure the
professionals on the front line, our rangers and field managers, have the right
tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the right decisions that give a
voice to the people they serve.”
Sounds like he’s
planning on having plenty of money to spend.
Those who rely on
federal lands remaining federal lined up to support the nominee.
"The Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable supports
Secretary-designate Zinke and looks forward to working with him and his team at
the Department of the Interior to advance the outdoor recreation sector, grow
jobs in the U.S. and ensure that all Americans have access to healthy, active
outdoor fun on their public lands and waters," said Derrick Crandall,
President of the American Recreation Coalition.
"RVIA
unwaveringly supports the nomination of Representative Ryan Zinke to serve as
Secretary of the Interior," said Frank Hugelmeyer, President, Recreation
Vehicle Industry Association.
"Because the Department of Interior oversees water
management and its policies directly impact Americans' access to federally
managed waterways and fisheries for recreation, the role of Secretary of the
Interior is of critical importance to the U.S. recreational boating industry
and its 35,000 marine businesses and 88 million boaters," notes Thom
Dammrich, President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. "We
stand behind President-elect Trump's nomination of Ryan Zinke of Montana for
Secretary of the Interior given his proven passion for and commitment to the
outdoors.
Welcome to the New West.
The livestock producers chimed in, with Tracy Brunner, NCBA president saying, “During his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Zinke has consistently advocated for our western communities, economies, and ranchers. He has demanded transparency and the inclusion of stakeholders when it comes to land management decisions, and has a strong understanding of the challenges that come with stewarding the West.” And PLC president Dave Eliason stating, “We are excited for Representative Zinke to refocus the agency’s efforts to their core mission, and to have someone in this role that understands the unique challenges we face in the West.”
As predicted,
there were plenty of hosannas to collaboration and inclusion of all
stakeholders. Zinke said he would be “working with rather than against” local
communities and states by being “a listening advocate rather than a deaf
adversary.”
Those are pretty
words, but most of us will be more interested in what he does after listening.
And speaking of
collaboration…
Collaborating and compensating?
On August 5, 2015,
near Silverton, Colorado, EPA personnel and employees of an EPA contractor
caused the release of wastewater and tailings, including toxic levels of lead
and arsenic and other harmful elements. The
spill affected the waterways of municipalities in the states of Colorado, New
Mexico and Utah, as well as the Navajo Nation.
The Animas River
turned orange but the EPA didn’t notify New Mexico and Colorado until the next
day after the spill. But hey, who said all this collaboration had to be quick.
The EPA initially
set the spill at one million gallons. They lied. The USGS determined the spill
was triple that size at over three million gallons. But hey, who said all this
collaboration had to be accurate.
EPA administrator
Gina McCarthy stated the agency accepted “full responsibility” for the spill.
Well, cry me a polluted river if she didn’t lie. The EPA has just announced
attorneys at EPA and the Justice Department have determined EPA can’t pay the
over $1.2 billion in claims for damages because of sovereign immunity. But hey,
who said all this collaboration had to be truthful.
Congress can waive
sovereign immunity, and if they chose to collaborate with the states and the
river users, they will do so. Congress should also pay these claims out of
EPA’s budget.
This whole episode
is a prime example of collaboratin’, compensatin’ and stickin’ it to the
stakeholders.
BLM brown baggin’ with Bigfoot
The press has
reported on a January BLM Brown Bag Lecture in Safford, Arizona. The event had
a documentary on Bigfoot, and featured “a Bigfoot lookalike contest, door
prizes, popcorn, Bigfoot cookies, and more.”
Brown baggin’ with
Bigfoot, including Bigfoot cookies, at the BLM office. Nice to see their
budget’s not in the dire straits they often claim.
I wonder what
their February brown baggin’ will feature. A BLM Break with Big Bird?
Till next time, be a nuisance to the devil and don’t forget to
check that cinch.
Frank
DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, is the author of
a blog: The Westerner (www.thewesterner.blogspot.com) and is the founder of The DuBois Rodeo
Scholarship and The DuBois Western Heritage Foundation
This column originally appeared in the February editions of New Mexico Stockman and the Livestock Market Digest.
This column originally appeared in the February editions of New Mexico Stockman and the Livestock Market Digest.
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