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Rolling Back Conservation Efforts Across The Country

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As Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tours the country’s national parks, his staff in Washington is rolling back regulations. We’ll look at what’s going on.

Utah state legislators and their staff lead the way for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and others in the distance Monday, May 8, 2017, through Bears Ears National Monument near Blanding, Utah. (Michelle Price/AP)
Utah state legislators and their staff lead the way for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and others in the distance Monday, May 8, 2017, through Bears Ears National Monument near Blanding, Utah. (Michelle Price/AP)

Donald Trump’s Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke showed up on horseback for his first day on the job in Washington. An outdoorsman and former Navy Seal, he’s still in the saddle this summer, out riding the National Parks and federal lands. Back in the capitol, his team is ripping into Obama-era restraints on going after oil and gas and coal on federal lands. This hour On Point: the Trump-Zinke way with America’s public lands. And we'll look at the president's sudden ban on transgender military service. -- Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Coral Davenport, reporter for the New York Times, covering energy and environment policy. (@CoralMDavenport)

Lisa Rein, reporter for the Washington Post, covering the federal government. (@Reinlwapo)

Randi Spivak, public lands program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. (@Spivak14)

Shawn Regan, research fellow and director of publications at the Property and Environmental Research Center. Former backcountry ranger for the National Park Service. (@Shawn_Regan)

From Tom's Reading List

New York Times: As Interior Secretary Swaggers Through Parks, His Staff Rolls Back Regulations — "But as the secretary hopscotches across millions of acres of Western parks, monuments and wilderness with his Stetson-sporting swagger, a crew of political appointees in Washington has begun rolling back the conservation efforts put in effect over the eight years of the Obama administration. Many of those appointees spent the Obama years working for the oil and gas industry — and they come to the Interior Department with an insider’s knowledge of how its levers work and a wish list of policies from their former employers."

National Review: Zinke Rides In -- "Earlier this year, Ryan Zinke arrived at his new job on horseback. Dressed in boots, jeans, and a cowboy hat, and seated somewhat awkwardly on an English saddle, Zinke rode a 17-year-old Irish sport horse through the streets of Washington, D.C., to Interior Department headquarters, where he would begin his first day as President Trump’s interior secretary. Zinke, a fifth-generation Montanan who had previously held the state’s at-large seat in the House of Representatives, wanted to make a point: Things are going to change in Washington, D.C."

Los Angeles Times: Senate confirms David Bernhardt, controversial Trump pick, for No. 2 post at Interior — "The Senate on Monday confirmed David Bernhardt, who has a history of lobbying for oil, mining and western water interests, as deputy secretary of the Interior Department. Both of California’s Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, voted against his appointment — which was approved, 53 to 43, with little discussion."

This program aired on July 27, 2017.

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