Trump picks ex-Navy Seal to lead Department of Interior

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated Ryan Zinke, an ex-Navy Seal and current Congressman from Montana to lead the Department of Interior.

If approved by the Senate, Zinke will be responsible for the management of public lands, water, wildlife, energy resources, conservation, restoration, development, lease sales, including offshore and onshore oil and gas leases.

The nomination comes as a bit of a surprise as it has been reported Trump will nominate Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the U.S. Representative for Washington’s fifth congressional district, for the position.

Announcing Zinke’s nomination on Thursday, president-elect Donald Trump said he was pleased to nominate Zinke for the position as he “has built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development and public land issues.”

Trump added: “As a former Navy SEAL, he has incredible leadership skills and an attitude of doing whatever it takes to win. America is the most beautiful country in the world and he is going to help keep it that way with smart management of our federal lands. At the same time, my administration’s goal is to repeal bad regulations and use our natural resources to create jobs and wealth for the American people, and Ryan will explore every possibility for how we can safely and responsibly do that.”

Commenting on his nomination Zinke said: “As someone who grew up in a logging and rail town and hiking in Glacier National Park, I am honored and humbled to be asked to serve Montana and America as Secretary of Interior. As inscribed in the stone archway of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana, I shall faithfully uphold Teddy Roosevelt’s belief that our treasured public lands are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

On the energy issues, Zinke’s official website says he supports an “all of the above energy policy which includes renewables, fossil fuels and alternative energy.”

The website says he roots for American energy independence “that includes building the Keystone XL Pipeline, developing clean coal, and encouraging renewable energy research and development.”

American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard said he was looking forward to Zinke’s appointment as the Interior Department Secretary

“As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a fifth generation Montanan, Congressman Zinke knows the great potential that our federal lands hold when it comes to developing our nation’s energy resources, and he knows that this is good for American jobs and strengthening our national security,” said Gerard.

“As a former member of our armed forces who served as a U.S. Navy Seal for over two decades, Congressman Zinke knows that our nation’s energy security and national security are dependent upon each other.

“We look forward to working with Congressman Zinke is his new role on policies that will keep energy affordable, create jobs, and protect our environment as we lead the world in the production and refining of oil and natural gas while reducing carbon emissions.”

Mixed response from greens

Commenting on the news Drew Caputo, Earthjustice Vice President of Lands, Oceans and Wildlife said: “We applaud Ryan Zinke’s strong stand against selling off public lands and his support for clean energy. The rest of his voting record in Congress, though, has been awful for the environment… He has supported measures to increase production of dirty and climate-heating fossil fuels, reduce or eliminate public involvement in management of public lands, and eliminate protections for endangered species. To be effective, an Interior Secretary needs to stand up for America’s public lands and wildlife and against business interests like the oil and gas industry that want to abuse our priceless public resources for private gain.”

Greenpeace was much harsher, as the environmentalist organization’s climate campaign specialist Diana Best said:

“Trump is on record calling climate change a hoax, and his proposed cabinet is filled with climate deniers, oil and gas industry shills, and hateful bigots. Climate-denying Montana congressman Ryan Zinke will fit right in. Zinke’s real constituency is the the fossil industry and coal companies. He has served his masters by shilling for coal export terminals in states he does not even represent and authoring legislation that would lift the moratorium on leasing public lands for coal extraction.

“Zinke embodies the worst kind of magical thinking in Congress: That government welfare handouts can save dying coal companies and crumbling oil and gas giants. The fact is, coal demand is shrinking globally, and people across America want a Department of the Interior that will protect our precious public lands in perpetuity. That means keeping them off-limits to fossil fuel extraction and recognizing that the world is moving forward. Zinke can wish upon a star, but he cannot stop the clean energy revolution.

If climate change denial is going to be the official position of the Trump White House, then relentless resistance will be the official position of the American people.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff