In addition to Budd-Falen, Zinke has hired at least ten people who come to the department having previously worked on behalf of the lands transfer movement for the likes of the American Legislative Exchange Council, Americans for Prosperity, and Utah Congressmen Rob Bishop and Chris Stewart – that is, the biggest and most powerful advocates for lands transfer in the country.

There are many other ways than transfer to sell out our public lands. One is by allowing special interests to call the shots on public land management decisions, and that’s what Zinke allowed to happen. As he said in a keynote note to the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association’s fall meeting, “Our government should work for you.”

Ignoring public

As shocking as that statement is, it was, at least, an honest admission of how Zinke has conducted himself throughout his tenure as secretary of the Interior. He has limited, eliminated, or just plain ignored public input on public land management decisions in favor of what special interests want.