[env-trinity] DOI: Zinke literally takes the reins

[Tom Stokely]

 http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/03/02/stories/1060050846


Zinke literally takes the reins
Corbin Hiar, E&E News reporterPublished: Thursday, March 2, 2017Flanked the U.S. Park Police, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rides to his first day at work on horse named Tonto.Photo courtesy of @BSEEgov via Twitter.There's a new sheriff at the Interior Department, and his name is Ryan Zinke.On his first day leading the sprawling agency, which is responsible for managing 20 percent of the nation's land and 10 separate bureaus, the ex-Montana congressman and former Navy SEAL rode an Irish sport horse named Tonto from the National Park Service's stables on the National Mall to the steps of Interior's headquarters.When he arrived at 1849 C St. NW, in blue jeans and a black cowboy hat, Zinke was greeted by more than 350 employees, including one Bureau of Indian Affairs staffer from Montana's Northern Cheyenne Tribe who played a veterans' honor song for him on a hand drum.Former acting Secretary Jack Haugrud was also on the steps of the building to symbolically hand over leadership to Zinke, who was confirmed yesterday morning by the Senate and sworn into the Cabinet later that day by Vice President Mike Pence (E&E Daily, March 2)."Secretary Zinke was proud to accept an invitation by the U.S. Park Police to stand shoulder to shoulder with their officers on his first day at Interior — the eve of the Department's anniversary," spokeswoman Heather Swift said in an email. The agency, originally founded as the Home Department, turns 168 years old tomorrow."As a Montanan, the new Secretary is excited to highlight the Department's rich and diverse cultural heritage as he gets to work advancing the Department's mission," Swift added.
Zinke's top priorities
In an email sent out to all of the agency's 70,000 employees this morning, Zinke reiterated his support for maintaining federal control of public lands — a position out of step with the Republican Party platform that helped earn him the confirmation votes of 16 Democrats and independent Maine Sen. Angus King."I have absolutely and unequivocally opposed any attempts to transfer, sell, or privatize our public lands, and serving as their top steward is not a job I take lightly," he wrote. "I approach this job in the same way that Boy Scouts taught me so long ago: leave the campsite in better condition than I found it."Zinke also laid out "three main priorities that I hope you will join with me in working to achieve."The first was to address NPS's estimated $12.5 billion deferred maintenance backlog, which he suggested could be reduced by the forthcoming infrastructure bill Trump has been touting.Second was to "increase employee morale and ensure those of you on the front lines have the right tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the decisions to allow you to do your job," he said.And the third priority was to ensure that tribal "sovereignty needs to mean something," said Zinke, who is an adopted member of the Assiniboine-Sioux tribes of northeast Montana."I will do everything in my power to ensure respect to the sovereign Indian Nations and territories," he added. "My commitment to the territories and Nations is not lip service."Those top concerns differ slightly from the three "immediate tasks" he promised to focus on during his confirmation hearing.At that time, he said that "I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger and even hatred against some federal management policies," and pledged to focus on restoring "trust by working with rather than against local communities and states." Promoting tribal sovereignty, on the other hand, did not make the list (E&E News PM, Jan. 17).Zinke also shared with employees a story about public lands that he said had shaped who he is. He recounted how he broke his ankle while trying to show off rock-climbing skills to his future wife during a hike on public lands."I did what any guy would do in my situation: I stood up and kept on hiking, surely messing up my ankle a bit more," he wrote. "Lola and I finished the hike and I didn't collapse in pain, but the bigger accomplishment was I won Lola's heart. In the years since, Lola and I continued to hike and float on our public lands and waterways where we instilled in our children and grandchildren the same love and appreciation for America's great outdoors that helped build our own relationship."
Strengthening ethics
After changing into a suit and tie, Zinke sat down for his first meeting as secretary with the ethics office. "#LeadingByExample," he wrote in a tweet about the briefing.In a separate all-employee email, the secretary said "our understanding and observance of Federal ethics rules are essential to maintaining that trust and carrying out our mission."Perhaps referring to sexual harassment allegations that have rocked the Park Service in recent years, he noted that "issues have been raised and, in some cases, actions have been taken to address them." But Zinke added, "I expect us to do better. We must conduct ourselves at all times with integrity and a focus on ethics."To aid in that effort, the secretary asked his deputy and other top officials "to report to me 30 days from today on actions to improve the Department's adherence, oversight, and accountability regarding the Federal ethics rules."Zinke committed travel fraud during his time in the Navy, but that incident and other ethical issues went largely unmentioned during his confirmation process (E&E Daily, Jan. 31).The secretary's effort to promote adherence to ethical guidelines at Interior may also be an attempt to distance himself from that past as well as conflict-of-interest questions swirling around the White House and failed Trump administration nominees. President Trump has refused to divest from his real estate empire or to release tax returns that would detail his holdings. Meanwhile, Trump's picks to lead the Army and Navy both recently withdrew from Senate consideration because of financial entanglements.Twitter: @corbinhiar Email: https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=chiar@eenews.net

Zinke's e-mail to employees:
    As the son of a plumber who grew up in a little timber and rail town 22 minutes down the road fromGlacier National Park, I cannot express how humbled I am to lead this Department. It’s a big job and weall have a responsibility to the American people to be good stewards of our land. I believe you and I arehere for the same reason. We love our country. We love our public lands. And we want to give back tothe nation that gave us all so much. I’m new to the Department, but not new to the issues you are sodedicated to for the American people. I'm an unapologetic admirer and disciple of Teddy Roosevelt. I believe in the traditional mixed use"conservation ethics" doctrine laid out by Pinchot, but realize that there are special places where man ismore an observer than a participant, as outlined by Muir. I cherish our public lands. I have absolutely and unequivocally opposed any attempts to transfer, sell, orprivatize our public lands, and serving as their top steward is not a job I take lightly. I approach this jobin the same way that Boy Scouts taught me so long ago: leave the campsite in better condition than Ifound it.          To that end, I have three main priorities that I hope you will join with me in working to achieve. First is to prioritize the estimated 12.5 billion dollars in backlog of maintenance and repair in ourNational Parks. The Parks are part of our nation's crown jewels, famous the world over. The President iscommitted to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am going to need your help in making sure that billincludes shoring up our Nation’s treasures. Second is to increase employee morale and ensure those of you on the front lines have the right tools,right resources, and flexibility to make the decisions to allow you to do your job. We serve the people,not the other way around. Washington has too much power. I think we need to return it to the frontlines. And lastly, sovereignty needs to mean something. I will do everything in my power to ensure respect tothe sovereign Indian Nations and territories. I'm proud to be an adopted member of the Assiniboine-Sioux from Northeast Montana. My commitment to the territories and Nations is not lip service. Iworked hand in hand with many of Montana's tribal governments to advance important legislation inthe House. My first bill in Congress was to federally recognize the Little Shell of Chippewa Cree and mostrecently my Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act was signed into law earlier this year. The Department of the Interior is special. As Americans, we all have a story about our public lands thathelps shape who we are. I have many. But one sticks out: One of my first dates with my wife Lola, morethan 25 years ago, was hiking on public lands near my military base in California. I was trying to show offsome rock climbing skills I had just picked up training with the SEAL teams, but lost my hold and I brokemy ankle. I did what any guy would do in my situation: I stood up and kept on hiking, surely messing upmy ankle a bit more. Lola and I finished the hike and I didn't collapse in pain, but the biggeraccomplishment was I won Lola's heart. In the years since, Lola and I continued to hike and float on ourpublic lands and waterways where we instilled in our children and grandchildren the same love andappreciation for America’s great outdoors that helped build our own relationship. Working together I know we will do great things for America. We all rise and fall on the same tide. I lookforward to working with each and every one of you. On Friday, I’ll be at the Bison Bistro at 11:00 to talk about my vision for the Department and lay out alittle more in depth my guiding principles. I’d love to see you there, but if you can’t get away from yourdesk or you’re in another location, the remarks will be livestreamed here. May God Bless America, and God bless the men and women who defend her.Secretary Ryan K. Zinke P.S. – I’ll be walking around the cafeteria and popping in to offices the next couple days. Please feel freeto say hello and introduce yourself.    







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