Will the real Ryan Zinke please stand up?

Zinke, an avid sportsman, often says he’s opposed to giving away national public lands to state governments or private parties. But on the very first day of the 115th Congress, he voted to change House rules, ordering the Congressional Budget Office to declare any disposal of public lands as revenue neutral. This accounting gimmick greases the skids for future bills that give away public lands, by ensuring sponsors don’t have to account for lost revenue from oil, gas, coal and timber that belongs to all Americans.

Equally worrisome, during the last session, Zinke supported bills that would give states management authority over millions of acres of public land, creating a fast track to clear cuts, mining and drilling without proper environmental oversight to protect communities. For hunters, fishermen and hikers, the end result of this policy maneuver would be the same as a wholesale giveaway to states: less access, as extraction takes priority over recreation and conservation.

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