Dec 15 Trump says Interior Secretary Zinke leaving administration By Jonathan Lemire, Associated Press President Donald Trump says Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who's facing federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, will leave the administration at year's end. Continue reading
Oct 19 Watch 4:39 How a new ethics investigation fits into Ryan Zinke’s other problems Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has long been scrutinized for potentially mixing personal and official business; he is currently the subject of at least four different ethics investigations. In the latest, Zinke is coming under fire for allegedly securing… Continue watching
Oct 08 Zinke approves ban on new mining claims on prized land near Yellowstone By Matthew Brown, Associated Press The picturesque, 10,915-foot mountain has been at the center of the debate over whether mining should be allowed. Continue reading
Jun 05 Watchdog clears Interior chief Zinke of wrongdoing in speech to NHL team By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Ryan Zinke's speech has drawn scrutiny because of the political contributions by the team's owner and because Interior spent more than $12,000 on a charter flight from Nevada to Zinke's home state of Montana for a speech the next day. Continue reading
May 21 Interior Department moves to reverse Obama-era rules on hunting bears, wolves in Alaska By Michael Biesecker, Associated Press Under the proposed changes, hunters would be allowed to hunt black bears with dogs, kill wolves and pups in their dens, and use motor boats to shoot swimming caribou. Continue reading
Apr 16 Interior Department officials approved Zinke’s $12,000 charter flight without full information, report says By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Two other charter flights taken by Zinke, in Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands, "appeared to have been reasonable as related to official DOI business," an internal watchdog said Monday. Continue reading
Mar 16 Trump wildlife protection board has many trophy hunters By Michael Biesecker, Jake Pearson and Jeff Horwitz, Associated Press A new U.S. advisory board created to help rewrite federal rules for importing the heads and hides of African elephants, lions and rhinos is stacked with trophy hunters, including some members with direct ties to President Donald Trump and his… Continue reading
Feb 23 Zinke unveils new plan for decentralizing Interior Department By Matthew Brown and Dan Elliot, Associated Press The changes follow complaints from a bipartisan group of Western state governors that Zinke did not consult them before unveiling his original plan last month. Continue reading
Jan 04 Trump administration proposes a vast expansion of offshore drilling By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The Trump administration on Thursday moved to expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades. Continue reading
Dec 11 Zinke, House GOP escalate monuments feud with Patagonia By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The dispute pitting the GOP against a private company raised questions about use of taxpayer resources for political criticism and whether Republicans are trying to stop Patagonia sales weeks before the Christmas holiday. Continue reading