State officials like Interior nominee, take stand against Bears Ears monument

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah officials say President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department would be good for the state, even though the incoming secretary has opposed relinquishing federal control of public lands to states.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said there's lots of spin around what Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke does and doesn't believe coming from special interest groups.

"He will work with us. Don't buy all the spin that's going out there right now," he said.

Bishop joined Gov. Gary Herbert and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, on Thursday at the governor's monthly news conference on KUED to express opposition to the Obama administration possibly creating a Bears Ears national monument in southeastern Utah. The hourlong question-and-answer session also covered other federal and state issues.

Trump nominated Zinke on Thursday, saying the former Navy SEAL strikes the right balance between protecting the nation's natural resources and overly onerous federal regulations.

Zinke, a Republican, has said he is open to reforms in how the federal government manages lands.

But he recently told Montana Public Radio, "I have always been a strong supporter of public lands and have voted against the transfer or sale of public lands. My position is known and well-established."

Utah's GOP governor and Republican-controlled Legislature are exploring a lawsuit against the federal government to gain control of about 30 million acres of federal land in the state. The decision to sue rests with Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes.

Zinke has a "very conservative" approach to issues, Chaffetz said, noting he was on board with the Utah congressman's bill to eliminate Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service law enforcement in favor of local sheriffs.

The idea of listening to locally elected officials would "resonate in its core" to Zinke, he said, adding that the Utah delegation's relationship with him will be "very impactful."

Bishop said Zinke understands how difficult it has been to deal with the Obama administration on his issues and Utah issues.

"He clearly understands the problems we have and wants to solve the problems," Bishop said.

Zinke, he said, shares the goals of putting people first and improving the management of lands controlled by the federal government.

Chaffetz said the public lands issues in Montana are different from those in Utah.

Herbert said he doesn't know Zinke but that he has a good reputation and is friends with Utah's congressional delegation.

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The governor reiterated the state doesn't intend to sell off public lands.

"There is no desire to privatize the public land," Herbert said. "We've said many times it's public lands in Utah. It will always be public lands. We just think there should be more input from the local communities and the state to have the optimal management plan in place."

Environmental and conservation groups have mixed reactions to Zinke.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership says it can work with him, noting Zinke is an outdoorsman who has been receptive to sportsmen's interests.

“He’s shown the courage to buck his own party on the issue of selling or transferring public lands that provide 72 percent of Western sportsmen with access to great hunting and fishing," said Whit Fosburgh, the group's president and CEO.

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance sees Zinke as cut from the same cloth as other Trump nominees who repudiate efforts to address climate change. The group points out that he has voted for the environment a "paltry" 3 percent of the time during his one term in Congress, according to the League of Conservation Voters.

"While Rep. Zinke has made statements that he opposes wholesale efforts to transfer to state ownership, he has also voted to increase local control over public land," said Scott Groene, alliance executive director.

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