Traveler's View: "Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee" Out Of Balance

If you're in the RV business, or want larger campgrounds, or perhaps more lodging concessions on public lands, you're likely thrilled with the makeup of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's "Made in America" Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee. If you prefer less infrastructure on public lands, well, you're probably in a funk over his appointments.

When the Interior secretary announced his appointments to the committee last week, there was an unmistakable, and disconcerting, tilt towards the motorized recreation and lodging interests. Not represented were the muscle-driven sectors, such as hikers, paddlers, and cyclists. Missing were the American Hiking Society, the Conservation Alliance, the Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Outdoor Industry Association, and individuals who spent their careers on public lands.

"While the mission of this advisory group is clear, to gather advice from those who represent the recreation industry, we believe it is critical to balance the biases of those who seek to expand development and commercial uses of our public lands with advocacy representing the needs of the public," said Phil Francis, who heads the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks. "To the contrary, the committee represents a narrow slice of individuals and industries that make money from park development and use. The secretary’s consistent failure to balance his zeal for development and commercialization of our public lands with a reasonable effort to protect resources is obvious and contradicts the basic duties of his job."

The Coalition nominated a very worthy addition to the committee, Deny Galvin, who spent four decades of his National Park Service career at senior levels. 

"This experience provided him with extensive expertise and knowledge with all forms of outdoor recreation and the public-private sector partnerships they represent," pointed out Mr. Francis. "If the committee aims to make legitimate and appropriate policy recommendations, this specific knowledge will be key to give balance and responsibility to decision making. Based on past proposals, we know that many of the members selected are pushing specific agendas that, unfortunately, will require even greater vigilance and effort by park managers to protect parks."

The muscle-powered recreation sector understandably took exception to the committee's makeup. But it shouldn't have been surprised. Indeed, when Secretary Zinke last November announced his intention to create the committee, he did so at a meeting that included representatives from the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, the Motorcycle Industry Council, Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association, Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council.

Adam Cramer, the executive director of the Outdoor Alliance that represents backpackers, surfers, climbers, and even skiers, said he once was on an advisory committee for the U.S. Forest Service and thought "(T)he diversity of viewpoints at the Forest Service’s advisory committee was instrumental to our success. Diverse viewpoints are the best way to serve the public interest. There’s a missed opportunity on Interior’s Recreation Advisory Committee for motorized users, businesses, and human-powered outdoor recreation groups to work together and learn from one another.”

Secretary Zinke has talked of the need to connect trails on public lands -- those inside national parks with those in adjoining national forests, for example -- and yet he neglected to appointment someone from the hiking or mountain biking sectors.

"With well over 50 million Americans annually enjoying riding mountain bikes, tens of thousands of miles of trails open to bikes on BLM lands and significant benefit to local economies, public health and wellness and youth engagement, it’s reasonable to expect that Secretary Zinke would’ve included a representative of human powered recreation such as mountain biking on his newly formed Outdoor Recreation Advisory Panel," said a statement from the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

"Sadly, it was not, yet we remain hopeful that this was simply an oversight and will be corrected soon."

The Surfrider Foundation called the secretary's appointments a sign that Mr. Zinke is "out of touch with the majority of Americans who enjoy our nation's public lands and waters."

But then, the secretary has demonstrated that almost from the day he was sworn in. The Trump administration acts as if it was handed a lofty mandate in the 2016 election, though the fact of the matter is that President Trump lost the popular vote by about 3 million, a strong indicator that a majority of Americans don't support his policies or views. 

Secretary Zinke too often acts as if the energy sector put him in office, and repeatedly responds to its interests. According to the Western Values Report, the secretary has held 33 meetings "with extractive industry companies and representatives over a ten-month period, averaging nearly one meeting per week."

"This administration and Secretary Zinke have flat out ignored basic ethical principles to manage our nation’s public lands for all uses, and instead have let special interests and lobbyists run put the West’s outdoor heritage at risk,” said Chris Saeger, the group's executive director. “Given Secretary Zinke’s meeting schedule, appointees and policy directives, he seems to have no qualms about letting special interest lobbyists run Interior. Zinke’s beltway bubble is clearly out-of-step with the majority of Americans, who value our public lands and want to protect our outdoor heritage for future generations."

With such a track record, we shouldn't be surprised of the secretary's tone deafness when it comes to managing public lands for all interests, not just a select few that make money off them. And he should be reminded of that whenever he claims to be cut in Theodore Roosevelt's mold, for he clearly is not.

The initial makeup of Mr. Zinke's advisory committee on recreational access bodes ill for the National Park System, for it lacks the balance that should be required when managing lands Congress is tasked with holding in trust for all Americans, not just a select few with access to this or any other administration. It also hints at forthcoming decisions by the administration to broaden infrastructure in parks without proper consideration, analysis, and input from all park user groups.

"To ensure the best future for our national parks, we need to assemble advisory committees that bring together conservationists, historians, scientists and others who care for our national parks," points out Kristen Brengel, vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association (and a Traveler board member).

Public lands don't need the kind of extreme pendulum swinging Secretary Zinke is instituting with his committee appointments or kowtowing to the energy sector. They need careful stewardship, something that is missing.