DOI reorganization: The public, elected officials needs more information on Secretary Zinke’s goals

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is redesigning his department to move hundreds of public employees from Washington out West. In theory, putting decision-makers in closer touch with the landscapes and people they will affect is a good idea. We are, however, skeptical about intent, because, as with the Bureau of Land Management (Herald, May 13) most of them are already there, and the most frequent challenges land management agencies face are political, philosophical and financial, not geographic...more

As you can see, this editorial is more concerned about the agencies than they are about the people impacted by agency decisions

Proximity to the West’s public lands and water resources means distance from Washington, and that distance likely will mean less visibility there and less access to Congress, its funding appropriations and the president.

Oh my, the taxpayers may save some money, and we can't have that. And just how many times does the leadership in BLM meet with the President? Like, never. 

Or does Zinke plan to lower the profile of public lands so that they can be dispersed and dismantled? Westerners, and all who care about public resources, must ensure that does not happen.

And they raise the transfer of lands out of federal ownership bugaboo. Is it good policy for the feds to own almost one out of every three acres in the U.S? Of course not. Unfortunately, there is nothing in this proposal that would lead to such a transfer. Instead of doing what he should, transfer the lands, Zinke instead is transferring employees. He's actually trying to save the agency. I doubt it will work, but I'm convinced that is the "intent" that the editorial writers are so concerned about.