You are here

Interior Secretary Zinke: Infrastructure Legislation Needs To Address National Park System Needs

Share

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Thursday that his first priority is to address the National Park Service's staggering maintenance backlog/Interior Department

In his first outreach to employees of the Interior Department and all its agencies, including the National Park Service, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wrote Thursday that his top priority is to address the maintenance backlog within the National Park System and ensure that any bill to address the nation's ailing infrastructure includes "shoring up our nation's treasures."

"The parks are part of our nation's crown jewels, famous the world over. The president is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am going to need your help in making sure that bill includes shoring up our nation’s treasures," the secretary, who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday and sworn in later in the day by Vice President Mike Pence, wrote in an email.

In his message, Secretary Zinke reiterated his admiration for President Theodore Roosevelt and his commitment to conservation.

"I'm an unapologetic admirer and disciple of Teddy Roosevelt. I believe in the traditional mixed use 'conservation ethics' doctrine laid out by (Gifford) Pinchot, but realize that there are special places where man is more an observer than a participant, as outlined by Muir," wrote the secretary. "I cherish our public lands. 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. 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."

Muir and Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service, came at conservation much differently. Muir favored preservation of wild areas, while Pinchot thought resources on public lands should be utilized.

Pinchot and Muir became major antagonists on the issue of Hetch Hetchy Valley. The deepening schism between Muir and Pinchot eventually grew into a great split between the preservation wing and the utilitarian wing of the conservation movement. -- Sierra Club history

Beyond the National Park Service's maintenance backlog, which has been estimated at $11.9 billion but which Secretary Zinke pegged at $12.5 billion, the secretary also placed a high priority on improving employee morale and to respect the sovereignty of Indian Nations and territories.

Ryan Zinke headed to his first day as Interior secretary on a horse/U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Regarding morale, Secretary Zinke said he intended to "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 front lines."

As for Native Americans, he wrote that, "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. I worked hand in hand with many of Montana's tribal governments to advance important legislation in the House. My first bill in Congress was to federally recognize the Little Shell of Chippewa Cree and most recently my Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act was signed into law earlier this year."

Secretary Zinke now must work on filling out his staff, including finding a director for the National Park Service.

Comments

This is truly the FIRST positive position I've heard from this new administration. 

Secretary Zinke I honestly hope your reteric is honest and you can defend our public lands from the GOP.


Suggested reading for Mr. Zinke:  'Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs'  by Wallae Stegner.


I'm cautiously hopeful.  After all, we could easily have wound up with Rob Bishop or Sarah Palin in this office.

Time will tell.

His limousine is kinda cool, too.


No, Lee. We would never have "wound up" with Rob Bishop or Sarah Palin. That was all "fake news." President Trump is a maverick neither party understands. Only the public understands him and wants him to succeed. For example, this morning from California comes "news" that the legislature hopes to pass a bill forbidding any city, county, or state police force from cooperating with the federal government. Since when did Jerry Brown become Jefferson Davis? What next? Will he fire on Alcatraz Island and make Nancy Pelosi his Robert E. Lee?

Ted Van Dyk is right. This isn't funny anymore. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln took only 40 percent of the popular vote, in case that remains the excuse for sedition.

We have an Interior Secretary who loves the parks. Now, let's give him a chance to govern. If, like Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell he goes off on another corporate toot, it will be fair to rein him in. But let's not rain on his parade even before he gets the keys to his office

As for Nancy Pelosi playing the role of Robert E. Lee, naturally I was joking. But yes, rumors abound that California wants to secede from the Union. In that case I wish them well. Just make the split down the Central Valley. Yosemite and the Range of Light still belong to us.


I'm with you Lee, cautiously optimistic about this appointment. Let's see if the man can walk the walk now that we have heard his talk. Unfortunately he will have to overcome the negative reputation of the administration for whom he works. Best of luck Secretary Zinke, we'll be watching!


Well, Alfred, if the idea that Bishop was NOT being considered as SecDOI, someone didn't tell Bishop's office.  His folks were pretty excited for a while.

I'm part of the public and yes, I do want Donald to succeed, but I sure don't understand him.  Maybe if I were a dishonest immoral paranoid egotistical schizophrenic fibber, I might.  But I have to hope he succeeds because our future depends on it.  In the meantime, however, we need to keep a very close eye on him and be prepared to act if it appears disaster is looming.

We have to give him a chance to govern.  We have no choice. 

The speech before Congress sounded good, but was it real?  I have doubts.  I'm wondering now how long he can keep up the pretense of rationality.

I guess we'll be finding out pretty soon.

At least Zinke seems to be sane.

 


Maybe if I were a dishonest immoral paranoid egotistical schizophrenic fibber, I might.

 

I think you are, this is called projection.


Or is it called reality?


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.