Trump officials weigh keeping national parks open even if government shuts down. “The Trump administration is drawing up plans to keep hundreds of national parks and monuments open to the public if the government shuts down this weekend, a precedent-setting change aimed at blunting anger over the disruption of federal services. With government funding set to expire at midnight Friday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was still working with White House and National Park Service officials to develop a plan for keeping open parks from the District to Montana without rangers or other staff on site.” [Washington Post, 1/17/17 (=)]
Trump team pushes to keep methane regs on ice. “The Trump administration is pushing a federal court to make sure Obama-era methane standards do not come back to life this year. In briefs to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday night, the Interior Department defended its decision to suspend key parts of the Bureau of Land Management’s methane rule for a year.” [E&E News, 1/18/18 (=)]
Zinke says science is key to agency shake-up. Is he sincere? “During a two-day symposium at Interior headquarters last week, Zinke unveiled a map showing 13 proposed regions. Each one would encompass hundreds of thousands of square miles, where the agency’s regional bureaus would focus on issues based on their landscapes. That caught the attention of former officials. They lauded the ambitiousness of Zinke’s plan to reorient the agency around ecosystems and watersheds. But they are also expressing concern about Zinke’s treatment of science, saying his budgetary actions contradict his plan to redraw the agency around a region’s terrain.” [E&E News, 1/18/18 (=)]
Interior Department tells national park advisers: Good riddance. “The Interior Department said Wednesday it welcomes the mass resignation of nearly all members of a key National Park Service advisory panel, saying it soon will appoint new members and hold a meeting with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Interior spokeswoman Heather Swift accused some of the panel members of choosing to ignore sexual harassment while praising a repeat offender of ethics violations in expressing the agency’s praise for the departures. ‘We welcome their resignations and would expect nothing less than quitting from members who found it convenient to turn a blind eye to women being sexually harassed at National Parks and praise a man as ‘inspiring’ who had been blasted by the inspector general for ethics and management failures, all while taking credit for the extensive work of private companies during the NPS centennial celebration,’ Swift said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.” [Washington Examiner, 1/17/18 (-)]
U.S. Interior Department blasts resigning National Parks board members. “The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday said it welcomed the mass resignation of members of the National Parks Service advisory board, saying they had ignored sexual harassment cases and lied about how they were treated by the Trump administration. The sharply worded statement underscores the tensions between the President Donald Trump’s administration and some public employees over Trump’s efforts to roll back environmental protections and boost development of federal lands.” [Reuters, 1/17/18 (=)]
Zinke’s ‘crazy policies’ sparked resignations — ex-adviser. “In the end, Belinda Faustinos concluded serving on the National Park System Advisory Board and trying to advise Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was a waste of time. “I could not stomach being affiliated with the crazy policies being promoted by Zinke. ... In no way could I envision with this administration that any investment of time in giving advice would produce anything positive,” Faustinos, a board member from Rosemead, Calif., said today.” [E&E News, 1/17/17 (=)]
“A matter of frustration” led most of the National Park System Advisory Board to resign. “The marginalization of yet another on-the-ground advisory group is fueling the fight against Zinke, who is facing mounting criticism for shrinking national monuments in Utah and collaborating with businesses that want to operate on public lands. ‘Secretary Zinke has made it clear who he is listening to and that is oil and gas and uranium companies. Everything he has done has been through that lens. The new advisory committee he created is made up entirely of businesses that want to sell stuff in our national parks. There is no representative on that committee for people who visit the parks,’ said Aaron Weiss, a spokesman for the Center for Western Priorities. ‘The resignations on Monday are just par for the course. It’s just amateur hour over there.’” [Denver Post, 1/17/18 (+)]
AP | No luck in search for escaped Yellowstone bison. “They were being isolated to assure they were free of brucellosis, a disease that can cause livestock to miscarry. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says he is ‘absolutely heartbroken’ for the tribes that have been working with the park and state for years to repatriate the bison. It appears someone cut the fence with bolt cutters.” [Billings Gazette, 1/17/18 (=)]
Here we go again: Republicans want to rename Gravelly Point after Nancy Reagan. “A House committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would rename Gravelly Point Park after former first lady Nancy Reagan, roiling local residents who are still upset about the renaming of Washington National Airport for Ronald Reagan 20 years ago. The bill passed the House Natural Resources Committee along party lines over the objections of Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), who accused Republicans of forcing the name change despite a complete lack of local support or input.” [Washington Post, 1/17/18 (=)]
Diekmann Peak bill headed to president’s desk. “A bill to name a peak in the Madison Range for a prominent conservationist has cleared both the U.S. House and Senate, and will now be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. The bill will dub an unnamed peak in the Madison Range for the late Alex Diekmann, who worked as a project manager for the Trust for Public Land out of its Bozeman office. Diekmann died of cancer in 2016. The bill cleared the U.S. Senate in late December and was passed out of the U.S. House on Tuesday.” [Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 1/18/17 (+)]
Cheeky anti-GOP messaging effort targets Greg Walden: ‘Selling out Oregon one vote at a time.’ “Plus, Taylor isn’t the only one targeting the Oregon Republican. The Western Values Project, a public-lands advocacy group, plans to spend $1 million against Walden and two other GOP House members. Walden responded to the group’s effort in December with a statement calling on the Trump administration ‘to follow the law when it comes to management of our public lands, especially in southern Oregon. I am a strong supporter of private property rights, and for multiple use on our public lands.’” [Oregonian, 1/17/18 (=)]
Multiple groups plead for reduced Bears Ears. “An outdoorsman who is a quadriplegic, ranchers and multiple sportsmen’s groups are arguing that the reduced boundaries of the Bears Ears National Monument should stay intact because the original monument’s footprint threatened their access. The Pacific Legal Foundation is seeking to officially intervene in the lawsuit by Utah Dine Bikeyah, Patagonia and others against the Trump administration challenging the December proclamation which shrinks the monument by 85 percent. In its motion filed late last week, the foundation argued Brandon Sulser, Big Game Forever, Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife, the Utah Bowmen’s Association, the Utah Wild Sheep Foundation and Sandy and Gail Johnson will have their interests harmed and access restricted should the monument be restored to 1.35-million acres.” [KSL, 1/17/18 (-)]
Barbara McLachlan will bid hello to Outdoor Retailer show. “Lawmakers on Monday, led by Rep. Barbara McLachlan of Durango, will celebrate a milestone: the opening of the first of three Outdoor Retailer shows scheduled for 2018 in Denver. McLachlan and Rep. Faith Winter of Westminster will co-sponsor a resolution welcoming the nation’s largest outdoor retail event to Denver.” [Durango Herald, 1/17/18 (+)]
Conservation groups concerned about state park logging bill. “Conservation groups have expressed concern with a bill that would allow logging in West Virginia State Parks. Senate Bill 270 was introduced Monday at the request of Gov. Jim Justice. The action prompted conservation groups across the state to launch an effort to oppose lifting the more than 80-year ban on logging, forming a campaign to Save Our State Parks, dubbed ‘SOS Parks.’” [Register-Herald, 1/17/18 (+)]
Big Bend National Park reports it just had its busiest year on record. “Big Bend National Park had its busiest attendance year on record in 2017, according to park staff. In 2017 the park welcomed 442,641 visitors, an increase of 14 percent from 2016. March and some of the hottest months were the busiest, according to a release. According to staff, 388,290 visitors came in 2016.” [Houston Chronicle, 1/17/18 (+)]
Fear of the Federal Government in the Ranchlands of Oregon. “I pulled up next to a minivan in the parking lot of Americas Best Value Inn. Three women stepped out. The driver wore American flag earrings and a Christmas sweater, her hair piled on her head. She was a candy-company representative in Boise and had driven to John Day with a trunk full of Mentos. “What’s going on with the media is absolute crap,” the driver said. We walked down the street, to the Outpost restaurant, and over lunch, she described what was happening in eastern Oregon as a “truth insurrection.” One of her companions, a delicate, elderly lady with long white hair, told me that she attended protests during the federal siege at Ruby Ridge, followed the killings at Waco and took an interest in the Bundys during the occupation. All three believed the government could come to their homes anytime and shoot them.” [New York Times, 1/18/18 (-)]
Cliven Bundy set to speak in Sanders County this Saturday. “Montana state Sen. Jennifer Fielder, a Republican from Thompson Falls, will be one of the speakers at the event. ‘I’m working on laying out the facts of the conflict and asking for some action from the President of the United States and the Department of Justice to do a full investigation and make things right,’ she said. ‘A full investigation of the government interactions with the Hammond ranchers (in Oregon) and the Bundy ranchers and Malheur protesters.’ Fielder said she doesn’t necessarily agree with all of Cliven Bundy’s legal opinions, but she thinks evidence exists that crimes were committed against him.” [Missoulian, 1/17/18 (=)]
Nelson blocks 3 Interior nominees over Fla. Exemption. Irked with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s offshore drilling plan, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said last night that he has placed a hold on three of President Trump’s key Interior Department nominees. Nelson’s move effectively keeps the nominees in limbo, blocking the Senate from approving them by ‘unanimous consent,’ a procedure often used to sign off on administration picks.” [E&E News, 1/18/18 (+)]
States call for the Fla. treatment in their case against drilling. “The Interior Department’s map of its five-year offshore drilling plan for the Lower 48 could soon look dramatically different. After agency chief Ryan Zinke granted an unexpected exemption to Florida’s coasts, the governors of nearly every state on the Pacific and Atlantic seaboards have asked that their waters also be excluded from consideration for oil exploration and production under the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s five-year strategy (Energywire, Jan. 10). New York, for example, questioned the basis for the Florida decision but asked that the Empire State receive similar consideration.” [E&E News, 1/18/18 (=)]
RI Gov. Raimondo Says ‘Not On Our Watch’ To Federal Offshore Drilling Expansion. “Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has joined opposition to President Donald Trump’s plan to drill for oil and gas offshore in protected federal areas of New England waters.” [Rhode Island Public Radio, 1/18/18 (+)]
Op-Ed: I toured the monument with Zinke. His recommendation to open it to logging is disappointing. “Standing on the banks of Wassataquoik Stream last June, the secretary told us he was impressed with the beauty of the monument and that he had a plan that would make everyone happy. Today, I fear the harm “active” logging within earshot of scenic corridors and points of interest will do to this precious gift to the American people.” [Bangor Daily News, 1/17/18 (+)]
Op-Ed: Time to ‘restore sanity to federal energy policies.’ “Gov. Carney and DNREC have been clear in their opposition to offshore drilling. Sen. Tom Carper issued a statement of opposition. Carper and Coons signed onto a Senate opposition letter. Lisa Blunt-Rochester issued a statement. Not much has been heard so far from the General Assembly, nor from local governments in Delaware. So, aside from sending in comments and attending the BOEM ‘public meetings,’ you can urge your state senator and representative to sponsor a resolution of opposition, and urge your local and county government, if you have one, to take a stand.” [Delaware State News, 1/17/18 (+)]
Editorial: Red Flag for National Park Service. “Judging by decisions that have left the parks leaderless, threatened to dramatically raise fees, and restored a major source of litter, Zinke could have used some advice. The advisers’ resignation is the latest red flag raised about a noted flag enthusiast.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 1/17/18 (+)]
Center for American Progress: Not Even the Oil and Gas Industry Is Buying What the Trump Administration Is Selling. “The Center for American Progress analyzed the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) oil and gas leasing data and found that the oil and gas industry purchased only 7 percent of the public land acres the BLM offered in 2017. (In Zinke’s touted lease sale of the National Petroleum Reserve, less than 1 percent of the acres sold.) In fact, industry leased fewer acres in 2017 than it did in 2016—even though the BLM offered six times more land for auction in 2017.” [Center for American Progress, 1/17/18 (+)]