Surprise, Surprise - Former Zinke Supporters "Dismayed" By His Performance At Interior [View all]

[hatrack]

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"He's stopped listening to Montanans, and he's really stopped listening to hunters and anglers, and if you look at who he's meeting with and the decisions that he's making, it looks like big industry, and that means oil and gas in particular, have got his ear right now," said Land Tawney, president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Tawney had supported Zinke's nomination.

Whit Fosburgh, head of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, penned a letter backing Zinke's confirmation, writing that he would show balance and "approach resource management issues with an eye towards improving the multiple-use productivity of our public lands." In a recent interview with E&E News, Fosburgh praised the secretary's actions to bring sportsmen to the table, but said there "has literally not been a single positive conservation vision put forward from that department." "I think all the rhetoric that has come out of the department to date has been opening up areas to oil and gas development, energy dominance, burdens to oil and gas development, shrinking monuments," Fosburgh said. "It's all been a very anti-conservation message."

Similarly, some Senate Democrats who voted for Zinke expressed regret. New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, the top Democrat on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, said he's "very disappointed" in Zinke's track record so far. "He represented [himself], both in the committee when he testified and to me personally, as a Teddy Roosevelt Republican," said Udall, one of 16 Democrats who voted to confirm Zinke. Among other issues, Udall has expressed concern over Zinke's effort to reorganize the department.

"I thought that the best thing to do in terms of working with him after those representations was to show good faith and vote for him," he said. "But, you know, that's water under the bridge." Udall said that from now on, "we're going to try and hold him accountable."

Ed. - Ooh, I guess the gloves are off now, right Tom?

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https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060067331