On Thursday, December 15, 2016, President-Elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to be the next Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
Rep. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL officer, is a fifth-generation Montanan in his first term in the United States Congress. This past April, Rep. Zinke became a co-sponsor of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) Act (H.R. 5114). He has stated his support for improving the processes through which resource management agencies partner with private entities, such as Corps, to complete vital maintenance and improvement projects on public lands. During his time in office, Rep. Zinke has championed the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other legislation to preserve public lands and retain their public ownership.
A statement from Mary Ellen Sprenkel, CEO of The Corps Network and Co-Chair of the Partnership for the 21CSC:
“The Corps Network is encouraged by the nomination of Rep. Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior. Rep. Zinke was an early supporter of the 21CSC Act and believes in using private-public partnerships, like the 21CSC, to maintain America’s public lands. We support Rep. Zinke’s appointment and look forward to working with him to continue to expand the engagement of Corps in public lands management.”
Jono McKinney, CEO and President of Montana Conservation Corps, also offered a statement on Rep. Zinke’s nomination:
“I’m optimistic that Rep. Zinke will engage this country’s rich cohort of Corps as valued partners with Interior to address the millions of dollars of deferred maintenance plaguing our public lands. He was an early champion and co-sponsor for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act, recognizing the value proposition for the American people from leveraging the skills and enthusiasm of youth and veterans to enhance access and improve natural resources on our public lands for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.
As a self-described ‘Teddy Roosevelt conservationist,’ I think Rep. Zinke can relate to the values held by Corps across the country and reflected in TR’s advice that ‘Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’ We’re doing it everyday to maintain trails, combat invasive weeds, improve parks, and restore wildlife habitat on our local, state, and federal lands.”
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network provides leadership and support to over 130 of America’s Service and Conservation Corps. Through advocacy, access to funding opportunities and expert guidance, The Corps Network annually enables over 24,000 Corpsmembers, ages 16-25, to strengthen communities, improve the environment and transform their lives through service.
To learn more about The Corps Network, please visit www.corpsnetwork.org.
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