Zinke’s tenure at the Interior Department was not lengthy, but the damage he inflicted will be long-lasting.
Sarah Greenberger, a former Department of the Interior employee, considers Secretary Ryan Zinke’s time as the head of the agency as the beleaguered cabinet member prepares to depart at the end of the year.
The role of the secretary is to manage national parks, wildlife refuges, and almost 250 million acres of public land used for a variety of recreational, grazing, and energy development purposes. "The secretary of the interior shoulders an awesome responsibility to steward much of what most defines us as Americans: our iconic landscapes, treasured wildlife, abundant resources, historic landmarks, and sacred obligations to our nation’s first peoples," notes Greenberger.
But, Greenberger says, Zinke has betrayed the mission of the Interior Department by rolling back environmental protection statutes, gutting conservation agreements, and promoting oil drilling and mining on public land.
"For those of us charged with protecting wildlife and nature, it has been a harrowing 21 months. For those of us who know the devoted professionals who make the department work, it’s been heartbreaking. Under the guise of 'efficiency,' Zinke took systematic steps to dismantle the agency — stripping it of leadership and creating a culture of fear," writes Greenberger.
FULL STORY: I worked in the Interior Department. Watching Zinke’s tenure was heartbreaking.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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