by Karen Mehall Phillips - Thursday, December 20, 2018
For anyone who missed the news, on Saturday President Trump tweeted that avid sportsman and Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is leaving office at the end of the year, a position where he has served since March 2017. “Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure, and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation,” President Trump wrote. We American hunters could not agree more with such heartfelt gratitude.
As touted repeatedly by this website and the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), Secretary Zinke implemented multiple initiatives during his 21 months in office, demonstrating his dedication to conserving wildlife and to increasing sportsmen’s access to hunting and fishing lands. NRAHLF.org first reported on Zinke in March 2016 when the then-U.S.-congressman from Montana went on record to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s move to delist the recovered Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population from Endangered Species Act protections and permit the affected states (Montana, Wyoming and Idaho) to manage their own wildlife. As noted in the article “Zinke’s first Year Marks Big Winning Streak for Hunters,” on March 3, Zinke has acted on his values throughout his career, whether serving as a U.S. Navy SEAL or as America’s Secretary of The Interior to do what is best for wildlife and our sporting heritage.
“Secretary Zinke has accomplished a great deal during his tenure and will be missed,” NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox said. “In the almost two years since he was confirmed, he’s expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on federal lands, lifted the Obama administration’s ban on traditional ammunition, forged new efforts to encourage hunting and fishing for Veterans, and prioritized big game corridors to improve wildlife habitat. Cox emphasized, “Secretary Zinke has fought for us–America’s hunters–every day and we greatly appreciate his leadership and service.”
Editor’s Note: Secretary of The Interior Ryan Zinke is a proven leader whose policies will continue to impact hunting, wildlife conservation and land-access issues on millions of acres of public lands. His book “American Commander: Serving a Country Worth Fighting for and Training the Brave Soldiers Who Lead the Way”—published just prior to assuming his current position—provides a straightforward assessment of how he views the federal government’s role in local land and wildlife management. It also shares his experience as a 23-year Veteran of the U.S. Navy SEALs and a decorated officer who received two Bronze Stars as the acting commander of Joint Special Forces in Iraq. Read the NRAHLF.org article outlining the book.