Ryan Zinke of Montana was confirmed Wednesday as the new Secretary of Interior.

Congressman Ryan Zinke of Montana on Wednesday was confirmed as Interior secretary by the U.S.Senate, prompting a mixed reaction of caution, concern, and exhilaration.

“Secretary Zinke is inheriting a National Park System that is more expansive, diverse and reflective of the American story than ever before. But it’s also a system facing many challenges," said National Parks Conservation Association President Theresa Pierno. "During his confirmation hearing, Secretary Zinke described himself as a ‘Theodore Roosevelt’ Republican, and pledged to make park issues a focus of his tenure, including tackling the National Park Service’s $12 billion maintenance backlog and keeping rangers on the job.

“His opposition to selling off federal lands and support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund represent a commitment to the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt; however, his advocacy for greater state control of energy development on federal lands, votes against Endangered Species Act protections, and expressed willingness to review past national park site designations could threaten that legacy."

At Safari Club International, President Larry Higgins issued a statement in which he said, "For many years, Secretary Zinke has stood with hunters for greater land access and for wildlife conservation.  He has supported and advocated for natural resource policies based on sound science, instead of emotion.  As a Westerner, Zinke has first-hand knowledge of the need for states to manage their own wildlife resources and to provide adequate opportunities for hunters and anglers."

But at Friends of the Earth, officials feared the new Interior secretary would open many public lands to energy development.

"Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress have a clear vision for our public lands: filling them with as many mines and drilling rigs as possible. Even before Zinke’s confirmation, it was clear that Trump was determined to turn our public lands and waters into energy sacrifice zones," said Ben Schreiber, the group's senior political strategist. "It is incredibly disappointing that Senate Democrats decided this was an acceptable vision for our natural heritage. The Keep It in the Ground movement was built to keep fossil fuel companies off our public lands and there will be fierce resistance to Zinke, Trump and anyone who enables their extreme agenda."

At the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, officials were hopeful Secretary Zinke would "champion" public lands.

“More than ever before, we need to see the Secretary of the Interior act with conviction as the nation’s top champion of public lands and foremost arbiter of balanced management for fish and wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation,” said K.C. Walsh, chairman of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Corporate Council and president of Simms Fishing Products in Bozeman, Mont. “The hunting and fishing community is looking forward to working with Secretary Zinke and his staff to improve collaborative conservation of natural resources that are the envy of all the world.”

One of the secretary's immediate challenges, said Walsh, was to convince Congress not to toss out a new planning tool the U.S. Bureau of Land Management received during the Obama administration. It gives the public a louder voice in how the BLM manages its more than 245-million-acre landscape.

"The revised planning rule increases federal agency transparency and incorporates best practices in land-use planning, while maintaining the important cooperating agency role of state and local governments," the organization wrote in a letter to the House Natural Resources Committee last month.

On Wednesday, the group said it feared that if the Senate were to pass a similar resolution under the Congressional Review Act, "it would likely prevent the BLM from ever issuing a rule with substantially similar benefits. Sportsmen are encouraging Congress to take a step back and instead let Zinke lead on making further changes to the rule, while retaining its many benefits."

“We encourage Secretary Zinke to simply solve problems constructively: Bring together diverse stakeholders, and find common ground for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and our sporting traditions,” said Whit Fosburgh, TRCP’s president and CEO. “Sportsmen and women stand ready and willing to help shape a positive future for our public lands. We’re just asking that remaining concerns with the BLM Planning rule are addressed through a process that also keeps all of the improvements made to public lands management.”

At the National Audubon Society, President David Yarnold put pressure on the new Interior secretary to protect the federal public lands empire.

“Secretary Zinke is on the record describing himself as a latter-day Teddy Roosevelt. That's a high standard and one we hope he meets," said Mr. Yarnold in a release. “If Secretary Zinke is genuine in his commitment to science-based conservation and a legacy worthy of our children and grandchildren, Audubon will work with him in good faith. After all, he is on the record opposing the sale or transfer of public lands, endorsing the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, agreeing that some natural areas are too beautiful to develop and calling for improved water infrastructure in a drought-stricken West—all good things for birds and people.

“It's clear that core environmental protections are going to come under fire and we look to Secretary Zinke to back up his strong words with even stronger actions to protect our natural resources.”