ICYMI: Secretary Zinke refuses to release energy report, obscuring evidence of giveaways to special interests

In case you missed it, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke refused to release a report reviewing agency actions that potentially “burden” energy development. The report was required as part of an Executive Order on American “Energy Independence” issued by President Trump earlier this year. An Interior Department spokeswoman is claiming that the report is an internal document that will not be made publicly available.

Statement by Chris Saeger, Executive Director of the Western Values Project:

It’s no surprise Secretary Zinke would want to keep this report secret. The Interior Department has been taken over by lobbyists and industry insiders, and this report is a blueprint for all the special interest giveaways the administration hopes to get away with. This is yet another in the long list of examples of Secretary Zinke handing over all the power to special interests while leaving Western communities in the dark. We need a balanced approach to developing public lands, not a to do list drafted by oil and gas lobbyists.”

The outdoor economy in America generates $887 billion and 7.6 million jobs, yet it and other public land uses have taken a back seat to special interests and the oil and gas industry under Secretary Zinke. The Western Values Project will be filing a Freedom of Information Act request with Interior for the document and all related materials.

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