Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is in the state where he will tour the Rocky Mountain National Park and speak tonight at the Western Conservative Summit that is expected to draw 4,000 participants this weekend in Denver.
Zinke has been praised by westerners because of his willingness to listen to concerns on all sides when it comes to public land use and protections.
Environmentalists can’t stand him, because they’ve been cut out of their role as evil overlord and dictator to half of the country and the people who actually live here are now getting a say in matters that directly affect us.
Like when national monuments were reopened for comment, we actually got a say and it looks like we will keep ours.
Or when the BLM’s Planning 2.0 rule tried to give a special throne at the table for green groups while locking out the locals, he’s reworking that as well.
So that’s why Conservation Colorado spokeswoman Jessica Goad told Colorado Politics they don’t like him.
“Virtually every decision he’s made since becoming secretary is targeted at taking the public out of public lands decisions.”
If by “public” she means environmental special interest groups, then she is 100 percent correct. Zinke is by no means banning green groups. He just told them to scoot over and make room for the rest of us at the table in our own backyards.
That’s why we expect Zinke to get a hero’s welcome tonight at the summit.