After 20 Tumultuous Months for National Parks and Public Lands, Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to Leave

Washington, DC – Today, President Trump announced the departure of the Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who has faced mounting criticism over his policies and management of the Interior. The Trump administration says it will be announcing the new Secretary of the Interior next week.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association:

“For months, we have had concerns about Ryan Zinke’s decisions that harm national parks, their wildlife and our cultural and natural resources. NPCA has consistently called on Mr. Zinke to uphold conservation policies that protect our public lands, but unfortunately, he failed to do so. Rather, Mr. Zinke took the opposite trajectory, charting a troubling course for our national parks and protected lands – from creating staff upheaval to carving up our national monuments for destructive development and fast-tracking oil and gas leasing processes in and near some of America’s last truly wild places. His refusal to work effectively with the conservation community and his lack of leadership only adds to the difficulties our national parks and public lands now face.

“NPCA will continue to defend national parks and public lands so that future generations can experience and learn from them, the same way that we do today. And we encourage the next Secretary of the Interior to do the same.”

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About National Parks Conservation Association Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its 1.3 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.