President Donald Trump’s administration lately resembles a game of musical chairs, or hot potato. Do a stint as a spokesperson and go on to be ambassador to the U.N. – and by the way, who wants to be chief of staff?
In the meantime, however, much work is done, including essential work, especially for those of us in the West, a step down in the cabinet agencies.
The Department of the Interior, for example, manages three-quarters of federal public lands, including Colorado parks, forests, wilderness areas and wildlife refuges.
In 2017, Donald Trump Jr. recommended Ryan Zinke, a one-term Montana Congressman, as secretary of Interior. Trump nominated him and the Senate confirmed him 68-31, although Zinke, a former Navy Seal, had no experience with management of conservation, forestry, wilderness or wildlife. He had, however, once described Hillary Clinton as “the anti-Christ.”
Zinke arrived at Interior his first day on the job riding a Park Police horse and that day rescinded a ban on lead bullets and fishing tackle in wildlife refuges, which was implemented to keep birds and other animals from being needlessly poisoned. Zinke said rescinding the order would “expand access for outdoor enthusiasts.” He has also recommended the reduction of Bears Ears and other monuments, which the president has pursued.
Within the Interior Department is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with responsibility for enforcing wildlife laws, conserving wildlife habitat and protecting endangered species. It was FWS that managed the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park, for example, and FWS that recently took the lead on opening more habitat of imperiled greater sage grouse to oil drilling.
A month ago, Trump nominated Aurelia Skipwith to the post, on Zinke’s recommendation. Skipwith came to Interior when Zinke did, as a deputy assistant secretary. A young African-American attorney, she worked for seed and pesticide giant Monsanto from 2006 to 2012 in its corporate affairs department.
In 2014, Fish and Wildlife sensibly banned the use of bee-killing pesticides and the raising of genetically-modified crops in wildlife refuges.
In August, Fish and Wildlife reversed the ban. Some environmentalists saw Skipwith’s hand in that.
It was more evidence of a trend, they said, whereby top environmental regulatory positions were filled with former officials from companies they are supposed to regulate. The Center for Biological Diversity went further, saying Skipwith would be the “most unqualified” FWS director in the agency’s history.
Skipwith’s selection was also hailed by some, including Ethan Lane of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who said, “During her time as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks she has proven herself to be an open-minded and thoughtful leader on the most critical issues facing the Department.”
The question for the Senate, which must confirm Skipwith, is just how open-minded the head of FWS ought to be. There are the concerns of ranchers and hunters to take into consideration, and if you go to the FWS website now, beneath the legend “Conserving the Nature of America,” you will find a promotion to “Find Your Perfect Hunt.” There is nothing wrong with that per se.
But Interior and FWS also have a mandate to speak for the voiceless, for the wildlife and wild places that corporations and political partisans will not.
Will they?
