No headline

Whitefish native and Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke will likely be the next Secretary of the Interior.

Zinke confirmed through a press release Thursday that he plans to accept President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination for the position. The Republican met with Trump earlier this week, where according to news reports Trump offered him the position.

Zinke was re-elected in November after serving one term in Congress. Zinke, who often describes himself as a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican” has been an advocate for the Land, Water and Conservation Fund and has said he opposes the transfer of federal lands to the states.

“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,” said Zinke in a press release. “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.’”

Zinke was an early supporter of Trump’s presidential bid.

“I am pleased to nominate Congressman Ryan Zinke as our Secretary of the Interior,” Trump said in a press release. “He has built one of the strongest track records on championing regulatory relief, forest management, responsible energy development and public land issues. 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.

Trump said his administration’s goal is to repeal bad regulations and use natural resources to create jobs and wealth for the American people, and Zinke would explore every possibility for how to safely and responsibly do that.

Zinke will still face confirmation by the U.S. Senate before he would take office as the new interior secretary. Zinke would set policies for the National Park Service, the bureaus of Land Management and Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other natural resource management agencies.

Sally Jewell has served an interior secretary since April of 2013.

In the House, Zinke sat on the House Natural Resources and Armed Services committees. He has supported the coal, oil and gas industry and promoted legislation that would increase timber harvest on federal lands. He also frequently worked on homeland security and immigration issues.

“I will work tirelessly to ensure our public lands are managed and preserved in a way that benefits everyone for generations to come,” Zinke said. “Most important, our sovereign Indian Nations and territories must have the respect and freedom they deserve.”

The former Navy SEAL commander has a degree in geology from the University of Oregon and an MBA from National University and a master’s in global leadership from the University of San Diego.

During the his re-election campaign, Zinke told the Whitefish Pilot he sees a need to address the National Park Service’s $12 billion maintenance backlog. He pointed to funding infrastructure needs for Glacier National Park as being important.

“We need to look at the public lands around the Park to relieve some of the pressure, but also invest in the future of what it’s going to look like 100 years from now,” he told the Pilot.

Zinke co-authored the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 that would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fund wildfire expenses so the U.S. Forest Service doesn’t have to borrow from other activities, reduces regulatory review of collaborative forest projects and requires legal challengers of those projects to post bonds covering the Forest Service’s defense costs.

FOLLOWING announcements of the appointment, Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, and Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, both praised the nomination. Zinke earlier this year said he was considering running against Tester in 2018.

“I want to congratulate Congressman Zinke on this high honor,” Tester said. “I’m pleased the President-elect nominated someone from the west for a post that’s critically important to Montana’s outdoor economy and way of life. I look forward to sitting down with Congressman Zinke to discuss how we can increase public access to public land, protect our Constitutional right to clean air and water, and uphold our trust responsibilities to Indian country.”

“Ryan Zinke protected us abroad and in combat and I know he will do the same for our treasured public lands as Secretary of the Interior,” Daines said. “In Congress, I’ve seen Ryan stand up and fight to protect our way of life. As a westerner, Ryan understands the challenges of having the federal government as your largest neighbor and I couldn’t think of a better fit for Secretary of the Interior.”

AFTER THE announcement, several groups quickly issued statements regarding the appointment.

Blackfeet Tribal chairman Harry Barnes congratulated Zinke.

“This is a great day for Montana with the selection of Zinke as Secretary of the Interior,” Barnes said. “Zinke has worked steadfast on the Blackfeet Water Compact, which after over 30 years, was finally passed through Congress and we now await President Obama’s signature. The Blackfeet and other Montana tribes will have an ear in the Department of Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and has direct effect on the tribes. We have worked with outgoing Secretary Jewell and look forward to having the same great working relationship with secretary-designate Zinke.”

Brian Sybert, Montana Wilderness Association’s executive director, said Zinke has a “checkered record when it comes to public lands.” He said would expect Zinke to “carry Montana’s values into that role.”

“That means protecting access to public lands, ensuring our forests and prairies are indeed managed for multiple use and not just resource extraction, and respecting that wild places and public lands are core American values that he’ll need to protect for all citizens,” he said.

Theresa Pierno, President and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, had a mixed reaction to the nomination.

“Mr. Zinke has expressed support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, opposes the sale of public lands and has expressed concern over proposed mine development adjacent to Yellowstone,” Pierno said. “In contrast, Mr. Zinke has advocated for state control of energy development on federal lands, a move that threatens our national parks. Mr. Zinke has also repeatedly voted to block efforts to designate new national parks that would diversify the National Park System.”

Pierno said the national parks will be Zinke’s responsibility, if confirmed.

“He will inherit a Park System that is more expansive, diverse and reflective of the American story than ever before, but also a system facing many challenges. It is critical that, if confirmed, Mr. Zinke address the needs of our national parks, with recognition of their immense benefits to our nation’s natural resources and cultural history. Our next president and interior secretary should embrace and uphold the values of our national parks, remembering that the decisions made today will be those that our children and grandchildren inherit.”

ONCE appointed as interior secretary, Zinke would have to resign his U.S. House seat. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock would then have to call a special election to fill the seat.

Under state law, a special election must be held between 85 and 100 days of a vacancy in the office.

According to the governor’s office, when the special election is ordered each political party shall choose a candidate to run in the election, according to the rules of each party.