Ryan Zinke

President Trump won’t stop the farm bill over forestry concerns.  An inside source told the Hagstrom Report that Trump will direct Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to use all the tools at his discretion to suppress forest fires.  Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the final Farm Bill should include provisions in the House-passed version that would increase government agencies’ authority to cle

What are your reactions to the federal government's recent report on climate change?  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said so far he's only been able to read the headline summaries of the report.   "I don't discount anything until I've read it. My philo...

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke hosted a fire briefing for Members of Congress, detailing the wildfire forecast for 2018.  Following the meeting, the secretaries sent a letter to wildland fire leadership highlighting the importance of inter-departmental collaboration to increase firefighter, public, and community safety as the 2018 wildfire season ap

Last week, Department of the Interior announced support of introducing Grizzly Bears in the Washington North Cascades.  Several local organizations have come out against the plan, including the Washington Cattlemen’s Association.  WCA Executive Vice President Sarah Ryan told the Washington Ag Network livestock owners across NCW don’t need the added stress.   “We already ...

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has directed Interior Department staff this week to be more proactive on fire prevention, a move also requested by the Montana Farm Bureau.  As Montana is battling wildfires, the Montana Farm Bureau President said there needs to be a better focus on preventing and putting out wildfires.  Th...

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue joined Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke were in Montana last week looking at the major wildfires that were happening in the state.   Perdue sais they wanted to get an on-site look at what is happening.   “What we want to learn is really how we can get ahead of these forest fires. We can’t do an...

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has announced a new plan to manage sage grouse in 11 Western states.  Zinke said the new protocol would go into effect immediately, and the new policy supersedes the Obama administration's rules.     The changes came from a report by a sage grouse task force that Zinke had established.  He said the ...

During a Washington, D.C. meeting earlier this week, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told state Farm Bureau President's that "The farming industry deserves regulatory certainty."  While speaking during the American Farm Bureau Federation's Council of President's meeting, Pruitt told the group EPA is returning power to the states and “standing with farmers who have been hurt by misguided p

Earlier this week, Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the Trump administration would review a plan to protect sage grouse in western states.  Plans to protect sage grouse have met opposition by industry and farm groups along the way, which argue the rules go too far.  Zi...