Who Is Craig Manson?

As assistant interior secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks, Manson implements the Endangered Species Act, determines the direction of the National Park System and the Fish and Wildlife Service, and oversees some 30,000 employees. Environmental organizations, including the Endangered Species Coalition and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, vehemently opposed Manson's appointment, accusing him of having worked within the California DFG "to aid politically connected developers and other permitees, to frustrate strict enforcement of resource-protection laws, and to work, usually behind the scenes, to weaken interpretations of key statutes and policies," as PEER put it in a statement.