Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he took over the 70,000-person department certain that “I got 30 percent of the crew that’s not loyal to the flag,” meaning President Trump and his agenda, reported the Associated Press. Zinke said he’s pursuing a major reorganization that would move much of the department’s decision making outside of Washington in an effort to break up entrenched attitudes.
A former Navy SEAL, Zinke said the idea follows military strategy: “Push your generals where the fight is,” said the AP. The plan would relocate agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management to the West. “I can’t really change the culture without changing the structure,” said Zinke.
During a speech to an advisory council for the oil and gas industry, Zinke said he wants faster action on permits for logging, oil drilling, and other energy projects on federal land. He also said endangered species laws have been “abused” by bureaucrats and environmental groups.
Westerners and conservatives have often floated the idea of basing federal departments in the regions where they have their greatest impact. Backers say the move would put policymakers in closer contact with the workers and businesses they oversee, though the change might also make congressional and presidential oversight more difficult because of the distances involved.