A federal watchdog&#8217;s report accusing a former Trump cabinet official of lying to investigators is raising eyebrows due to its timing: four years after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-trump-admin-official-wins-gop-nomination-for-open-montana-congressional-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Zinke&#8217;s</a> alleged transgression and just over two months before he appears on the ballot for the House seat he previously held.
The <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/DOI/WebRedactedFormerSecretaryandCOSDidntComplyWithDutyofCandor.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">44-page report</a> by the Department of the Interior (DOI) Inspector General (IG) Mark Greenblatt found that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-trump-admin-official-wins-gop-nomination-for-open-montana-congressional-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zinke</a>, the agency&#8217;s former secretary, and his chief of staff “lacked candor” with investigators probing Zinke&#8217;s September 2017 decision involving an Indian casino. Zinke&#8217;s attorney, Danny Onorato, called the report and its timing a “political smear,” coming some two months before Zinke — a former Montana congressman — will be on the ballot bidding to take back that role in November.
“Secretary Zinke repeatedly told the inspector general that he was not subject to any influence in that matter because he lacked jurisdiction to act on the application,” Onorato said in a statement. “That should have ended the inquiry. Instead, on the eve of an election, the IG has released a misleading and inaccurate report that suggested Secretary Zinke lacked candor in his interview with IG agents. That is wrong.”
The decision by Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who served as secretary from 2017-2019, involved an application by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to open an off-reservation casino in Connecticut. The DOI manages Indian reservations, and typically approves, rejects, or takes no action on such proposals, with the latter option usually signaling tacit approval. Zinke&#8217;s position was that because the proposed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/casinos-airlines-lobbying-congress-for-billions-in-coronavirus-bailout-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">casino</a> was not on federal land, it required a “fourth option,” in which the state would decide.
Some Department attorneys opposed the decision, allegedly out of fear it could lead to a lawsuit. But a federal judge&#8217;s ruling later vindicated Zinke&#8217;s view. Nonetheless, by May 2018, the IG interviewed Zinke in an investigation involving the decision and referred the matter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for possible prosecution in 2018.
Many of the allegedly false statements involved Zinke claiming that career DOI attorneys supported his decision, a claim the watchdog said was undermined by a Department lawyer&#8217;s account that he was not “thrilled” but did believe Zinke&#8217;s decision was legal.
Zinke is also accused of downplaying interactions with lobbyists with a stake in the issue, including one political consultant with ties to Zinke who went skiing with him and had dinner at his home.
But the report obscures the fact that Zinke did not do what lobbyists wanted him to. In one text message between two lobbyists, one complained that Zinke&#8217;s decision was “not what we want. He thinks we can litigate against State. He thinks it&#8217;s a half loaf. That&#8217;s from Zinke.”
Heather Swift, Zinke&#8217;s campaign manager, told The Daily Wire that Zinke “came to the decision before any lobbyists contacted him or his chief, and his decision never changed, so that would mean none of them influenced his decision making.”
Last year, President Joe Biden&#8217;s DOJ declined to take action. The IG says it waited for a response from the DOJ, then conducted more than a year of further “administrative” investigation into Zinke — who had resigned in 2019 — which is why the report was released now.
Greenblatt&#8217;s office did not respond to questions from The Daily Wire about the predicate of the investigation or why it continued its investigation long after Zinke was gone and the DOJ had declined to prosecute.
In June, Zinke, who represented Montana in the House from 2015-2017, won the Republican primary for the state&#8217;s newly created western district. He faces Democrat Monica Tranel in the November election.

Ryan Zinke and Donald Trump

New Watchdog Report Claiming Ex-Trump Official Lied Four Years Ago Called Election ‘Smear’

Connecticut

Department of Interior

Donald Trump

Montana

Native Americans

Ryan Zinke

A former member of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Trump</a> administration has narrowly won a primary race in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/montana">Montana</a> to be the Republican nominee for a key seat in an open congressional district. 
Former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/former-trump-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-wins-montana-house-republican-primary">defeated</a> orthopedic surgeon Al Olszewski by 1,600 votes to be the GOP nominee in Montana&#8217;s new 1st Congressional District. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ryan-zinke">Zinke</a> will now take on Democrat Monica Tranel in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2022-election">November</a> in the district, which <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/montana/">leans</a> about plus 10 Republican. 
“Thank you Western Montana for your confidence that America can be fixed and for ignoring the political BS,” Zinke <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanZinke/status/1535043918940602368?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">said</a> in a statement. “We have a great team and dedicated volunteers who believe in American values.” 
Zinke received the endorsements of former President Donald Trump, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), and Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT). 
Olszewski, who has been a state senator, lost by under 2,000 votes in a primary of 84,500 votes. Both Olszewski and Zinke were hoping to take advantage of Montana’s new congressional district, which it gained by population growth.
During the primary battle, Zinke was <a href="https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/trump-ally-zinke-fights-claim-hes-too-liberal-for-montana/article_d8cf8d27-0b30-5843-90a0-985b1aa7e00f.html">criticized</a> by Olszewski and others for being liberal and receiving too many out-of-state donations. According to the Helena Independent Record, about 80% of donations to the Zinke campaign were from out of state. 
The initial results had been delayed due to ballot printing errors, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-congress-ryan-zinke-montana-38b97d7d854aa9c5c6827654e81c675c">according</a> to the Associated Press. Ballots had been printed on the wrong size paper, leading to Lincoln County hand counting about 6,000 ballots.
While serving as Interior Secretary from 2017-2018, Zinke was hit with accusations of unethical behavior and multiple investigations, one of which said he lied to an ethics agency regarding his role with a real estate company. 
The cabinet official called the investigations and accusations “vicious and politically motivated attacks” while stepping down from his position after two years. Before his role in the Trump administration, Zinke was a Navy SEAL, state senator, and Montana’s congressional representative from 2015-2017.
“Under Ryan Zinke’s leadership at the Department of the Interior, the U.S. achieved Energy Dominance, increased federal energy revenues, and responsibly opened federal acreage for energy production,” Trump said in his endorsement. “He was instrumental in expanding public access to public lands for recreation and rebuilding our National Parks and Forests infrastructure.”
Tranel, an attorney, handily won the Democratic nomination, and has <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaTranel/status/1534671822850908162">accused</a> Zinke of having a “record of corruption.” On her campaign website, Tranel highlights several issues on her campaign <a href="https://monicatranel.com/issues/">website</a> including her “stand against corporate corruption,” advocacy for federal election law, and commitment to preserving “abortion access” in light of an impending Supreme Court decision some expect to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Ceremony In Montana Honors Airmen Who Died In Crash Almost 60 Years Ago

Former Trump Admin Official Wins GOP Nomination For Open Montana Congressional Seat

Former Trump Admin Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Wins GOP Nomination For Open Montana Congressional Seat

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Congress

Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke believes that the United States is on the verge of losing its status as a superpower to China and Russia unless President Joe Biden is able to counter the expansionist regimes.
Zinke served as a Navy SEAL for over two decades before retiring in 2008 and jumping into Montana state politics, and later into national, politics. After serving in former President Donald Trump’s administration, Zinke is running again for U.S. Congress in Montana’s 2nd District.
The former SEAL said that Biden essentially gave “the green light” to Russia to invade Ukraine after the president — in a January 19 press conference — <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/20/1074466148/biden-russia-ukraine-minor-incursion">said</a> that a “minor incursion” would be treated differently than if Russia “invades.”
“Define ‘minor incursion.’ It’s tantamount to giving a green light,” Zinke told The Daily Wire. The former Trump cabinet member said that the United States is out of position to counter Russian aggression, and that the Biden administration’s tepid stance on Russia is empowering expansionist regimes in China and Iran, as well.
In December, Biden <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics/biden-putin-us-troops/index.html">ruled out</a> sending U.S. troops to Ukraine. The Biden administration has rushed to prepare for a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent days, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/28/politics/us-russia-ukraine-invasion-warning/index.html">ordering</a> thousands of U.S. troops into Eastern Europe and NATO countries, though notably not into Ukraine. During his press conference, Biden said that he expects Russia to invade Ukraine. “My guess is he will move in. He has to do something,” Biden said.
Zinke said that Biden’s weak posturing on Ukraine is motivating Russia to move in and will embolden China and Iran’s aggressive behavior in the Pacific and the Middle East. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of unity among NATO members, Zinke said, as many European countries are hesitant to escalate conflict with Russia, and Germany has grown more reliant on Russian energy.
“There is a perception, and I think it is correct, that the U.S. doesn’t have the appetite to go toe-to-toe to protect freedom,” Zinke said.
“We would have so much more leverage if we were energy dominant as we were in the Trump administration. And the Biden administration, quite frankly, if it continues which I see no change in policy, the United States will no longer be a superpower as a result of the Biden administration,” he added.
While Russia and China have long signaled their interest in taking over Ukraine and Taiwan, respectively, Zinke said that Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan pullout served as a catalyst for Russia and China’s expansion. Afghanistan showed a weakness in American leadership and ability.
“Afghanistan hurt us when we abandoned U.S. citizens. Hell, we welded the gates shut and knowingly and willingly left U.S. citizens outside the perimeter to defend themselves against the Taliban. So if you’re an ally, I don’t think you have the full confidence that we’re going to be there when you need us,” Zinke said.
“When you let off the pressure of these guys, it’s not like they’re going to change their tactic. You let the pressure off and it allows them to expand, and unfortunately, that expansion comes at the cost of a lot of freedoms to people and potentially our allies,” he said.

Former Navy SEAL, Ex-Trump Official: U.S. ‘Will No Longer Be A Superpower’ Unless Biden Changes Course

Biden Administration

China

Russia

After the Biden administration’s Defense Department, through the U.S. Navy&#8217;s COVID Consolidated Disposition Authority, issued a <a href="https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2021/NAV21225.txt">directive</a> that would threaten Navy SEALs declining the vaccine by removing them from special warfare, reducing their salaries, and forcing them to repay training, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, himself a former Navy Seal, blasted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zinkeformontana">Facebook</a>:
<blockquote>Our Nation&#8217;s best don’t sign up to be a Navy SEAL to cash in on our training years later. We give a blood oath to fight for freedom and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. In doing so, we bear a burden of emotional, psychological, physical, and family stress of constant deployments and low pay because we love our Country. Shame Mr. President for not recognizing the service and sacrifice and further insulting SEALs by making this about money.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/navy-seals-coronavirus-vaccine-mandate-religious-exemption-intimidation-harassment?fbclid=IwAR1ZfrT0mh5LW2eQ8NiAHkBmAY-AT3E2Ic6MAQDzlspzdCsVXikS0sxsdYQ">Fox News</a> spoke with Michael Berry, First Liberty Institute&#8217;s general counsel and Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, who represents approximately 34 active-duty SEALs and two reservists. He stated:
<blockquote>Purging our military of its elite servicemembers is detrimental to national security. Doing so because the Commander in Chief refuses to accommodate their religious convictions is abhorrent to the Constitution. Their years of experience and leadership in service to our nation is immeasurable and irreplaceable. … Remove a SEAL from special warfare, reduce his salary, and force him to repay his training is purely vindictive and punitive. And it’s illegal. They have nothing to do with a virus.</blockquote>
The directive states, “The Vice Chief of Naval Operations retains authority for non-judicial punishment and courts-martial. Involuntary extension of enlistments is not authorized on the basis of administrative or disciplinary action for vaccination refusal. The CCDA may seek recoupment of applicable bonuses, special and incentive pays, and the cost of training and education for service members refusing the vaccine.”
“Another internal document reviewed by Fox News states that SEALs, as special operations (SO) duty personnel, who refuse to get vaccinated based only on religious or personal beliefs, will be ‘disqualified’ from SO duty. That would mean a SEAL seeking a religious objection would lose his or her ‘special warfare’ pay due to SO status. However, this does not apply to SEALs who are [seeking] medical objections to the vaccine,’” Fox News noted.
Lt. Cdr. Patricia Kreuzberger, a Navy spokesperson, told Fox News, &#8220;Mandatory vaccination for our servicemembers is a lawful order that maximizes our operational effectiveness. To be world-wide deployable, Naval personnel must be medically qualified which includes being up-to-date on required vaccinations. Servicemembers are entitled to seek religious exemptions and those requests will be considered in keeping with current Navy policy.&#8221;
Berry concluded, “SEALs have invested their lives into serving this nation, dedicating years of their lives and millions of taxpayer dollars in training to be the most elite fighting force on the face of the earth. Yet, the Commander in Chief would simply kick them out of the Navy, send them to jail, and force them to repay the nation for their training—all for simply declining a vaccine.”

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs Public Lands Order near Yellowstone

Biden’s Defense Dept. Could Make Unvaxxed Navy SEALs Pay For Their Training. Trump’s Interior Sec, A Former Navy SEAL, Blasts Biden

Joe Biden

Navy SEAL

United States Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will step down by the end of the year, according to President Donald Trump, who tweeted a good-bye message to Zinke on Saturday.
&#8220;Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation,&#8221; Trump wrote.
Trump followed up with a second tweet, announcing that the administration would name a new Interior Secretary sometime in the next two weeks, before the new year.
The resignation seemed to come as a surprise &#8212; despite indications that the president intends a major staff shakeup as the Trump administration enters its third year &#8212; but <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/interior-secretary-zinke-resigns-amid-investigations/2018/12/15/481f9104-0077-11e9-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html">The Washington Post reports</a> that Zinke has been under pressure to resign or be fired for weeks, as Congressional investigators and enterprising reporters closed in on a potential ethics violation.
&#8220;That probe, which continues, is examining whether a land deal Zinke struck with the chairman of oil services giant Halliburton in his hometown of Whitefish, Mont., constituted a conflict of interest,&#8221; WaPo says, adding that Zinke is the latest in a string of high-profile Trump administration appointments to resign amid concerns they used their office to obtain special favors.
Zinke says the allegations are a farce, and pointed out on Twitter Saturday that he&#8217;s been subject to a constant stream of Freedom of Information Act requests and politically motivated attacks since taking office, largely, he seems to feel, because he&#8217;s been instrumental in rolling back restrictive Obama-era environmental policies that choked off industry and failed to move the cause of conservation forward.
&#8220;I love working for the President and am incredibly proud of all the good work we&#8217;ve accomplished together. However, after 30 years of public service, I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations,&#8221; Zinke tweeted Saturday.
Indeed, Zinke has been &#8220;public enemy number one&#8221; for environmentalists, even though Zinke is a dedicated conservationist who makes his home in the deep west. His primary sin? Helping to re-open land in the west and in Alaksa for oil and gas prospecting &#8212; something the Obama administration abruptly ended, citing environmental concerns that Zinke and his Interior Department claim were vastly overblown.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/15/politics/ryan-zinke/index.html">CNN reports</a> that the White House is looking at several possible replacements: &#8220;contenders for his position include Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller, who lost his re-election race, sources with knowledge of the situation said.&#8221;

Interior Secretary Zinke To Step Down Amid Ethics Investigation

Republican Party

The White House is reportedly bracing for a serious shake-up as President Donald Trump considers replacing key members of his Cabinet &#8212; including his Chief of Staff John Kelly and Department of Homeland Security head Kirstjen Nielsen &#8212; following mid-term losses.
The Trump White House must now move into 2020 campaign mode, and President Trump is reportedly determined to oust those top advisers he feels are responsible for the White House&#8217;s recent spate of public relations troubles, particularly on the subject of immigration.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/05/politics/cabinet-trump-reshape-remake-shuffle-shakeup/index.html">CNN reports that</a> the two figures at the top of Trump&#8217;s list now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is gone are White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Homeland Security director Kirstjen Nielsen, who presided over the summer&#8217;s disastrous &#8220;family detention&#8221; effort that left the White House with no choice but to change anti-immigration strategies mid-stream.
&#8220;[Trump&#8217;s] anger toward Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has bubbled into public view on several occasions, with the President blaming her for failing to solve the intractable challenge of illegal immigration,&#8221; the network claims.
The White House, of late, shuffled the responsibility for maintaining secure borders to the Department of Defense, which recently authorized the deployment of between 5,000 and 15,000 active duty members of the military to the United States&#8217;s southern border to handle the coming onslaught of asylum claims from the so-called &#8220;migrant caravan&#8221; winding its way through Mexico from Honduras and Guatemala. Those troops are, in some cases, already in position on the border.
Chief of Staff John Kelly is often rumored to be on the chopping block (at least four times in the last six months alone), <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/after-clashes-first-lady-others-kelly-may-soon-exit-white-n935686">but one NBC report</a> says that Kelly&#8217;s brash personality recently led to a conflict with the First Lady, who wanted more senior titles for members of her bare-bones East Wing staff. Sources reportedly told NBC that Trump was &#8220;furious&#8221; when Kelly refused to give Melania&#8217;s team promotions and pledged to replace Kelly.
Other officials facing the chopping block include Defense Secretary James Mattis, beloved by military leaders but not so much by the White House, and Interior Secretary Ryan ZInke, who is reportedly facing an &#8220;conflict of interest probe&#8221; over the development of land he owns in Montana (Zinke is also a very strong candidate for Montana governor, a position he could only run for if he abandoned his White House appointment).
But if the president is intending swift and merciless changes to his slate of top advisers, he&#8217;s showing new urgency in making the big decisions. The White House hasn&#8217;t spoken publicly on any potential Cabinet departures, and all those named as facing unemployment say they&#8217;re comfortable and confident in their current positions.
CNN&#8217;s experts agree that no one is likely to be out on the street soon. Although in Trump&#8217;s first year, firings came fast and furious, and Cabinet members were replaced after serving mere weeks on the job, once the Trump administration&#8217;s Cabinet roster settled, it&#8217;s remained largely unchanged &#8212; except for Jeff Sessions, of course.
&#8220;No one leaves quickly around here,&#8221; an anonymous White House official told the network. &#8220;Even people the president wishes were gone.&#8221;

Cabinet Shakeup? Trump Reportedly Looking To Replace Chief Of Staff Kelly, DHS Head In Post-Election Purge

James Mattis

John Kelly

Kirstjen Nielsen

White House

It&#8217;s time to head to the range. 
The Trump administration has released a presidential message announcing the beginning of National Shooting Sports Month.
&#8220;During National Shooting Sports Month, we celebrate the wonderful American tradition of shooting sports,&#8221; the statement says. &#8220;Shooting sports are a terrific reminder of our constitutional liberty and the attendant benefits that accrue to a free people: active friendship within families, between peers, and among communities for Americans living in small towns and large cities to experience the bounty of America&#8217;s great outdoors. 
The statement goes on to explain the administration&#8217;s prioritization to make shooting on public lands more accessible: &#8220;Under existing Federal law, for example, a portion of Federal excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition is dedicated to American wildlife research and habitat conservation, the statement says. &#8220;That is one reason why my Administration has prioritized making it easier for Americans to participate in shooting sports on public lands. By doing so, we are enhancing Americans&#8217; ability to experience the unsurpassed beauty of our blessed Nation and we are better protecting our national treasures for future generations.&#8221;
&#8220;I encourage all Americans engaged in shooting sports to continue promoting a culture of safety and to continue exercising the responsibility and duty associated with the right to keep and bear arms,&#8221; the statement concludes.
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Last year, Secretary of the Interior <a href="https://www.nssf.org/secretary-zinke-proclaims-august-national-shooting-sports-month/">Ryan Zinke proclaimed</a> August as National Sports Shooting Month. Zinke claims that while he was growing up he spent time hunting and fishing on public lands.
&#8220;Today I&#8217;m focused on continuing that tradition by announcing this August, and every August under my leadership at Interior will be proclaimed National Shooting Sports Month,&#8221; he stated.
Zinke goes on to claim that &#8220;as an NRA Lifetime Member,&#8221; one of his top priorities is to give more access to hunt and fish on public lands by expanding access and exploring ideas for more shooting ranges on public lands. 
&#8220;[What] I want to see is hunting and fishing become elite sports,&#8221; he adds.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Celebrating National Shooting Sports Month a little early. Step one to celebrating is knowing the safety rules. Thanks to all the Wisconsin sportsmen and women who contribute tens of millions s of dollars toward conservation every year. <a href="https://t.co/wseoihts49">pic.twitter.com/wseoihts49</a>
&#8212; Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryZinke/status/1023256810873122821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>

Trump Prioritizes Access To Shooting On Public Land

National Rifle Association (NRA)

Shooting

On Thursday, the Trump administration revealed their intention to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/04/trump-administration-plans-to-allow-drilling-off-all-u-s-waters/?tid=ss_tw&amp;utm_term=.e5315eca51da">pursue American energy independence</a> in a way that sent environmentalists into a frenzy. The Administration would allow off-shore drilling in most U.S. continental shelf waters, including the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.
The Interior Department pointed out that over three billion barrels of oil is recoverable on the outer continental shelf, along with more than 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. States will gain money and jobs from the intended drilling. The plan would make accessible <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-proposes-massive-expansion-of-oil-drilling-1515090515">90% of offshore land</a> for drilling as part of a five-year plan.
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke <a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/article/Trump-moves-to-vastly-expand-offshore-drilling-12473737.php">stated,</a> &#8220;This is a draft program. Nothing is final yet, and our department is continuing to engage the American people to get to our final product.&#8221; He <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/offshore-drilling-ryan-zinke-trump/2018/01/04/id/835177/">pointed out</a>, &#8220;We want to grow our nation&#8217;s offshore energy industry, instead of slowly surrendering it to foreign shores.&#8221; He added, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to become the strongest energy superpower. We certainly have the assets to do that.&#8221;
Some governors objected to the proposal, including Maryland&#8217;s Larry Hogan, South Carolina&#8217;s Henry McMaster, New Jersey&#8217;s Chris Christie, and Florida&#8217;s Rick Scott.
Last month, the Trump Administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/24/trump-to-auction-off-a-vast-swath-of-the-gulf-of-mexico-to-oil-companies/?utm_term=.c523f6166eef">proposed opening</a> nearly 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to companies looking to obtain federal oil and gas leases.
Leaders of the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters and other environmental groups <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Trump-moves-to-vastly-expand-offshore-drilling-12473737.php">released a statement</a> asserting, &#8220;These ocean waters are not President Trump&#8217;s personal playground. They belong to all Americans and the public wants them preserved and protected, not sold off to multinational oil companies.&#8221;
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-turmp-offshore-oil_us_5a2fe66ae4b078950283bee3">snapped</a>, &#8220;Our natural heritage is not President Trump&#8217;s to plunder, and we will fight this reckless proposal in the courts and on Capitol Hill.&#8221;

ENVIRONMENTALISTS FRENZIED: Trump Proposes Making 90% Of Offshore Open For Drilling

Department of the Interior

Environmentalism

Newly minted Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, in his first day on the job, <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/322058-interior-secretary-repeals-ban-on-lead-ammunition">rescinded an order</a> prohibiting the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on all Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) lands that permit hunting and fishing.

The rescinded order&#8217;s text is <a href="https://www.fws.gov/policy/do219.html">no longer available</a> on Department of the Interior&#8217;s website.

The rescinded order &#8211; entitled order 219 (Use of Nontoxic Ammunition and Fishing Tackle) &#8211; was enacted on the Obama administration&#8217;s final day, signed into effect by former FWS Director Dan Ashe. The Daily Caller <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/20/u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-directors-parting-shot-on-traditional-ammunition/">described</a> it as the Obama administration&#8217;s &#8220;parting shot on traditional ammunition.&#8221;

In a <a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/order_no._3346.pdf">new order</a>, Zinke described the previous prohibition on lead ammunition and fishing tackle as &#8220;not mandated by any existing statutory or regulatory requirement,&#8221; adding that it was &#8220;issued without signification communication, consultation, or coordination with affected stakeholders.&#8221;

Another <a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/order_no._3346.pdf">new order</a> partly explains Zinke&#8217;s views of the DOI mission to &#8220;[advance] conservation stewardship and [increase] outdoor recreation opportunities, including hunting and fishing, for all Americans.&#8221; The previous restriction on lead ammunition and fishing tackle, Zinke continues, was at odds with this imperative.

Zinke also directed the DOI to submit recommendations within thirty days towards the objective of &#8220;[expanding] access significantly for recreational hunting and fishing on public lands as may be appropriate.&#8221;

The National Shooting Sports Foundation <a href="http://www.nssfblog.com/nssf-lauds-secretary-zinkes-downing-of-last-minute-lead-ban/">praised</a> Zinke&#8217;s move in a press release:

<blockquote>
&#8220;The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, praises Secretary Zinke&#8217;s swift action in scrapping the ban on lead by hunters and anglers in outdoor recreation that was passed on the final full day by the Obama administration.

&#8230;

Zinke&#8217;s actions, just hours into his first day on the job, preserves the ability of hunters and target shooters to participate in their traditions on the first day in office and illustrate his priorities.

&#8216;Secretary Zinke&#8217;s rapid response to the previous administration&#8217;s parting shot on hunters, target shooters and anglers demonstrates the true friend and common sense solutions we can expect from the Department of the Interior,&#8217; said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. &#8220;The timing of the traditional ammunition ban on federal lands tells you everything you need to know about the decision. Likewise, the decisive action by Secretary Zinke tells you what you need to know and what we can expect from an Interior Secretary who himself is a hunter, angler and outdoor sportsman.&#8221;
</blockquote>
Timothy Cama at The Hill reported on lead&#8217;s ubiquity across ammunition types:

<blockquote>
&#8220;Lead is standard in ammunition, and lead-free bullets are more expensive, leading opponents to accuse the FWS of trying to reduce hunting. Furthermore, opponents say, scientific studies do not show large-scale harms from lead use in hunting and fishing.&#8221;
</blockquote>

Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k">Twitter</a>.

GOOD TRUMP: Interior Secretary Kills Obama-Era Order Against Lead Bullets

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