Susan LaPierre, co-chair of the National Rifle Association's Women's Leadership Forum and wife of NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre, has landed a seat on the National Park Foundation's board of directors.
Mrs. LaPierre was one of four appointments to the board made earlier this year. None of the appointments was announced in a release by either the Interior Department or Park Foundation.
Mrs. LaPierre's appointment by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke leaked out this past week in connection with a story detailing the National Park Service's opposition to a handful of sections in the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, or SHARE Act, that would impact the Park Service's management of fishing and hunting within the National Park System.
Hunting and fishing long have been associated with the National Park System. Fishing is allowed in most, if not all, units where there are fisheries, while hunting is primarily permitted in national preserves, not national parks. National lakeshores and seashores often permit waterfowl and, in some units, deer hunting. Feral hogs are hunted in Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, while there's a controlled elk hunt in Grand Teton National Park aimed specifically at controlling the size of the herd.
In all, 75 units of the park system allow some form of hunting, according to the Interior Department website.
In recent years, however, hunting in and around the park system in Alaska has grown increasingly controversial as state wildlife officials worked to reduce predators that could deprive hunters of big game. At Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, a two-decade-long prey-predator study came to an end last year because the wolf packs were decimated by Alaska Department of Fish and Game's predator control program.
Since the Trump administration took office, it has worked to remold the land-management agencies. For the Park Service, so far that has meant tweaks to wildlife management approaches.
Early last month word leaked out that the Interior Department had ordered the National Park Service to reconsider wildlife regulations at odds with hunting and trapping regulations enforced by the state of Alaska. The order, signed by Virginia Johnson, currently Interior's acting assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, directed the Park Service to reconsider rules it adopted in October 2015 regarding hunting and trapping on national preserves in Alaska where sport hunting is allowed. Under those regulations, hunters on national preserves cannot:
- Use bait (donuts, grease-soaked bread, etc.) to hunt bears;
- Use of artificial light to spotlight dens to kill black bears; and
- Kill bear cubs or sows with cubs.
That directive arrived just two weeks after acting-Park Service Director Michael Reynolds wrote a memorandum to the Interior Department's legislative counsel listing concerns to a handful of provisions in the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, which seeks to bolster the country's hunting and angling communities.
Of concern to the Park Service were provisions that would:
- Remove National Park Service oversight of commercial and recreational fishing in waters within the park system;
- Remove protections for denning bears and wolves on park system lands in Alaska, and;
- Do away with environmental reviews of the impacts of construction projects on federal lands adjacent to the park system.
The Park Service's concerns were crossed out by an author who signed only his initials, "C.H." At Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, staff identified the author as Casey Hammond, "a former Republican congressional staffer recently brought into Interior as a Trump political appointee."
“These are not minor matters – these changes would forfeit whole spheres of national park stewardship,” PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said last week. “It appears that national parks are no longer allowed to give Congress their honest views about the impacts of pending legislation.”
McClatchy Newspapers' District of Columbia bureau obtained the Reynolds' memo.
Why Secretary Zinke decided to appoint Mrs. LaPierre to the Park Foundation board isn't known, other than that the secretary has been a life member of the NRA and views the group's membership as containing "some of the most committed conservationists in America."
A request for comment from his spokeswoman Sunday was not returned, nor was one to the Park Foundation. The National Parks Conservation Association and the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks did not comment on the appointment.
While it wasn't possible Sunday to determine whether Mrs. LaPierre has strong connections to parks, in her bio on NRA Women she called herself "a lifelong outdoorswoman who's always believed in the Second Amendment and the NRA." The Leadership Forum she organized a dozen years ago is a "philanthropic society of women who are dedicated to protecting and defending our Second Amendment."
"As a commissioned board member appointed by Secretary Zinke, I join a distinquished group of national leaders and conservationists," Mrs. LaPierre wrote in a tweet she posted back in May.
While her Twitter account restricts access to "confirmed followers," a copy of the tweet was obtained by The Trace, a "nonprofit journalism startup dedicated to shining a light on America’s gun violence crisis" that last week broke the story about Mrs. LaPierre's appointment.
Also new to the National Park Foundation's Board of Directors are:
Glenn Stearns, chairman and founder of Stearns Corporations. Stearns Lending is the No. 1 independent mortgage banker in the United States with funding of more than $10 billion annually.
Monica Lozano, a Hispanic businesswoman who is also a board member for Target, Bank of America, and the Rockefeller Foundation, and she chairs the Board of Regents of the University of California and the Weingart Foundation.
Andrea J. Grant, president of Environmental Communication Associates, co-founded the Big Green Rabbit, a multimedia children’s company that packages environmental and health topics using multimedia and digital platforms to reach millions of families and kids around the world. Big Green Rabbit won four Emmys, Webby Awards, Parents Choice awards, and has received over 85 million hits on YouTube. Big Green Rabbit performs annually at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
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Comments
Completely and utterly insane. Serious conflict of interest.
I am an outdoorsman, a hiker, a backpacker, a Lifetime Member of the Great Smoky Mountains Association and contribute annually to the Friends of the Smokies, Grand Canyon Association, Yellowstone Forever and Yosemite Conservancy. I am also a Lifetime Member of the National Rifle Association and hunter. Supporting the Second Amendment, our hunting heritage and our National Parks are NOT mutually exclusive. If it wasn't for America's hunters the only place you would see many wild animals in America would be in zoos and national parks. It is the hunters and their organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Deer Alliance, Rock Mountain Eld Foundation, National Wildlife Federation and the National Rifle Association that have led the way in wildlife restoration across America. It is America's hunters and shooters who through the Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (sometimes referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act) pay an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition which has funded billions of dollars of state managed wildlife restoration projects across the United States. Just because you don't hunt or shoot or perhaps even own one firearm, there is no reason to put down people who do or the organizations that they support. We have a lot more in common than not. We all share a tremendous love and appreciation for the outdoors and the magnificent animals that live there.
Cartoon in recent NEW YORKER: Wife to husband, "Remember how nice America was before it was great?"
Agreed, Barbara M
Shame. Travesty. Wrong side of history, despicable aberration that will eventually be undone.
Terrible decision by a terrible Secretary. What's next? We already have killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens. Will the NPS ever recover from these dorks?
Um no, we don't have killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens. Seriously, this is not a thing.
All done in secrecy, too.
Have you seen any of the current ads being run by NRA? The ones telling their members they need to be ready to fight against the evil persons opposing Drumpf?
There are a lot of people in the government, in civilian circles, and even at high levels of law enforcement and the military who are seriously concerned that there is a very strong possibility of armed insurrection. It could be just one Tweet away.
An appalling appointment, the wife of one of the most evil people in the country. On a daliy basis Trump and his appointees do something to insult half of the country. When Zinke talks about improving access to parks I am sure he means hunters.
IInstead of announcing this travesty in the middle of a hurricane, they do it in secret. So much for any pretense of transparency.
Guess he must've learned about transparency from obama, eh?
We are stewards of the land.. Please appoint only people who have a strong commitment to protecting our parks and our wildlife , not to destroying and killing it. An obscene appointment.
One of the "most eveil people in the country". Really, Siglin1. What exactly has he done that is "evil'?
Guess you're not paying much attn...I am all for the 2nd Amendment, but LaPierre has promoted totally irresponsible gun use since he first took over the NRA...guns in church, in bars, open carry without any oversight, etc etc...these are attitudes and principles that lead to unnecessary death and harm...he cares not for anyone who wants to reduce gun violence. A clear troll for the arms industry...any questions? Of course, if you already support him, my words are falling on deaf ears. Hope not...
If you don't know there is nothing I could say to educate you. Carrying guns is partly a religious issue as indicated by the evangelical vote for Trump. Guns and religion are not subjects worthy of discussion.
Carrying guns is a Constitutional issue and a personal protection issue. Do you believe it is "evil" that hundreds of thousands of people if not millions have used guns each year to protect themselves and their property?
{edited to correct grammer}
Please appoint only people who will serve as faithful stewards of the parks and our wildlife to you board, not those who will disrespect and destroy both.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK_jkPhrddc
This is the NRA.
Absolutely.
Carrying guns is hardly a Constitutional issue. The ability to carry guns is set by state law. For instance, California is a "may issue" state and the majority of sheriffs and police chiefs don't routinely issue CCW permits. Members of the public generally don't have the right to carry firearms in California in incorporated cities, although the laws are liberal on allowing even loaded weapons to be carried in unincorporated areas. By law private firearms can't be carried into federal government buildings, including those in national parks.
The laws on carrying firearms in national parks is already set by law. About the only issue may be when a superintendent decides to disallow firearms in special cases, like the (cancelled) Crissy Field rally last Saturday. I think that was a good call. Having a strong perimeter with no weapons allowed inside cause their reason to have the rally to fizzle. It was to the point where the organizer went into Berkeley the next day itching for someone to try to attack him in a situation where there might be weapons and he could claim to be the victim, which actually happened. They didn't set up as tight a perimeter - just road barriers that were easy to jump.
The inimitable THUNDERBEAR'S current missive contains an expose' of Drumpf's use of stealth appointees to push his agendas (or whatever they are) in various Federal agencies without Congressional oversight or public knowledge.
Here's a link: http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/304.html
The part you're looking for is about in the middle of the issue and is entitled Political Appointee
Thanks for the reminder, Lee. I hadn't caught up oin Thuinderbear in a while. Glad to see he hasn't lost a bit in the time since.
I just stumbled on to a PBS program airing tonight. The Charisma of Adolf Hitler contains a large number of direct parallels to Herr Drumpf. I highly recommend it. Watch and see what you think. You should be able to watch on the PBS website.
Words of some of his critics as they describe their concerns with his rise in 1920's are almost word for word the same as what we hear these days. The massive rallies of followers look and sound almost identical to the ones we've seen -- like last week in Arizona.
Frightening.
Sportsmen & women in my state (hunters and fishermen) have done far more than any other group to restore wildlife habitat and in some cases bring back species that had all but vanished. License fees & taxes on ammunition not to mention groups like ducks unlimited and others have been a tremendous asset.
Wild Places, that's all probably quite true. That isn't the issue.
It is the sneaky backdoor insertion of a reprersentative of one of the most powerful money fueled special interest groups around.
Rick B, I admit I am not familiar with the usual protocol for appointments. Since they are called appointments I assumed that votes aren't taken, so is this out of the ordinary? As for the NRA being powerful and having money that is certainly true but I wasn't aware the NRA lobbied for this position, nor do I see where they stand to benefit from it. I'm equally, if not more intrigued or perplexed by the other two appointees, Stearns & Lozono and wonder what they bring to the table. I also find it odd that Kurt felt the need to mention Ms. Lozano's heritage as if that were in some way relevant to her qualifications. And how about some praise for appointing Ms. Grant? It sounds like her resume is pretty solid.
I guess you have failed to read the second amendment.
"The Big Lie" by Dinesh D'Souza shows the real parellels to Hitler and it isn't Trump but rather progressive Democrats. Did you know that FDR was an admirer of Hitler and Mussolini and vice versa? Statism and conformism is the root of Nazism and Facism not the policies of Trump.
Wild Places, appointments are just that. The Interior secretary gets to make them to the foundation board.
But the secretary, and the foundation, added to the mystery surrounding Mrs. LaPierre's appointment by not announcing it. They also sanitized, a bit, her bio by removing references to the 2nd Amendment (which can be something of a firebrand in some circles today), which her NRA bio touts. And the forum she helped launch also focuses on the 2nd Amendment, not the outdoors:
By not announcing the appointment it makes it appear as if they were trying to sneak something past the rest of us. Why not just come out and say that the NRA "is a venerable institution with a long history in firearms instruction and safety, and that hunting is a longstanding American pastime. Its members have enormous love of the outdoors and our national parks." (And if Mrs. LaPierre can rally that membership to donate to the Park Foundation, well, that doesn't hurt either.)
Unfortunately, in recent years the organization has taken on a more militant appearance, as that commercial Lee posted -- "we're coming for you!" ... and "elites ... threaten our very survival," -- and perhaps that's why the Foundation/Interior declined to announce the appointment.
Frankly, the NRA today in many eyes is a divisive organization and not one to associate so closely with the parks. Just look at the comments to the story posted on Traveler's Facebook page.
The lack of an announcement also left to question who appointed the other three. Did Secretary Jewell appoint them on the way out? Did Secretary Zinke? Neither Interior nor the Foundation responded to my inquiries, so we just don't know. If it was Mr. Zinke, good for him!
As for Ms. Lozano's heritage, of course it's important. The Park Service in recent years has lamented a lack of diversity in the park system, and her media savvy and influence in the Hispanic/Latino community are valuable to have on the board. (Her ability to write a five- or six-figure check to the foundation doesn't hurt, either).
Why didn't you raise the same question about my decision to cite Mrs. LaPierre's NRA ties? Context is important, no?
Lastly, Wild Places, here's a question for you: Why the pseudonym? There is a widespread view that folks who hide behind pseudonyms are trying to hide something.
Kurt--May I ask your feelings about the Sierra Club endorsing Black Lives Matter--an organization that has openly called for the killing of police officers??
Kurt- when was the above FB screenshot taken?
May, I believe, from Twitter.
So long before it was "leaked" out last week, she twittered that she had been appointed. Doesn't look like she was trying to hide anything. And really, would anyone believe that by not announcing it, nobody would ever know? I suspect the lack of announcement was due to far less nefarious circumstances.
EC, that was from Twitter, not Facebook, and her tweets are only visible to those she allows into her circle.
As for the lack of announcement, as I wrote, we have no idea why it wasn't announced. Past appointments have been announced. My questions to both the Interior and Foundation staffs about the appointments have not been answered.
Assume what you want, but DOI and the Foundation aren't shy about using their social media channels. Perhaps the fact that folks, upon learning about this appointment, have stated that they won't contribute to the Park Foundation anymore has something to do with DOI's and the Foundation's reticence.
That's constructive. Because someone doesn't like one of 29 directors they are going to stop their support? Seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I was referring to the carrying of firearms in public. While the right to own firearms and keep them is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment, the ability to carry them in public places is primarily regulated by state and/or local law. Even the rider that overruled the regulation on guns in NPS areas generally deferred to state or local laws.
Nobody has a right to carry a firearm in our national parks in contravention of state or local law. Outside of areas where hunting is allowed or there's a specifically built shooting range, one can't do target shooting on NPS land. That can actually be done on Forest Service or BLM land.
y-p-w - the courts have been slowly but steadily widdling away at those unconstitutional restrictions. And the NRA is helpting to move that along. [added] There is nothing evil about that. [end add] But I not sure what your point is. The right to own arms is a Constitutional issue. I made no comment about public carry.
Read again:
Exactly what do you think that means if it isn't about public carrying of firearms?
Again, y_p_w, the fact that states have implemented laws that are contrary to the Constitution doesn't mean it is no longer a Constitutional issue. In fact, just the opposite. That is what the NRA is fighting for and there is nothing evil about fighting to uphold the Constitution or to secure the safety of person and property.
special interest trump...special interest lapierre 1...special interest zinke...special interest lapierre 2...replace them all.
I applaude her appointment to the board. What is wrong with a diverse group of people??--Why so much hatred?? Is it because the NRA supports the 2nd amendmend and hunting/fishing?? Most hunters and fisherman/women love and support the NP system as much as any group. Thats backed up by millions of donations from those people. I don't understand why liberals love to hang labels on people that have a different viepoint from theirs and bad-mouth them relentlessly. How about a little more open-mindedness??
I think most of these comments are over the top. evil, etc. Give me a break. She is a proven outdoors women and commited conservationist. As are 99% of NRA members. Hunters spend more time in the outdoors than do most apt dwellers living in any city
I said most, not all.
reading all these closed minded opinions sure makes me want to renew my NRA membership, as well as my DU and PF. Memberships. hope all the hysterically liberal take the time to reply. But unfortunately I won't be checking back in to read. I'm too busy planning my return trips to our great parks.
As a frequent traveler to our National Parks, I see, hear and read about all the species restoration being painstakingly carried out in our parks. These actions have taken years of careful study and meticulous planning. They typically only yield results after decades. The ham-handed quick and ill-considered actions of the Interior Department are undoing decades of progress, and threatening the environmental stability and survival of the parks and their unique species. The appointment of Ms. LaPierre is just another ill-fated, special interest group-dictated step in the wrong direction. She will do nothing to help the park mission, and everything to help the voracious NRA intrude even further into our lives. Very, very bad news indeed.
Jill, could you explain how the NRA has intruded into your life?
Dick, what has that go to do with this story? I don't follow who the Sierra Club does or doesn't endorse, or Black Lives Matter, and best I can tell I haven't espoused a position one way or another on Mrs. LaPierre's appointment. Indeed, I even pointed out how the Foundation/Interior could have announced it in a middle-of-the-road way.
The reason I thought of that question is because you stated in your message this morning that the NRA has adopted a "militant position"about things--since the Sierra Club is intimatly involved with NP issues I thought it was a fair question. I think its a shame that we fight among ourselves when we all have the same feelings about our National parks and it does not help our cause when we can't even talk to each other without name calling and judgements
Last year during my NPS Centennial speaking circuit, I donated a five figure amount to the NPF. Until Trump leaves office and these rascals are removed from supervision of America's Crown Jewels, I'm witholding all future support. Zinke is no "Teddy Roosevelt" republican.
Hi Kurt,
I don’t disagree that the NRA can be divisive just as those who are anti gun can be. I honestly haven’t seen an NRA commercial in a very long time (years) but am not surprised that they would have something controversial. seem to recall a Charlton Heston commercial from years that also got some people riled up.
The NRA’s membership is large so why should the foundation ignore that segment of the population? It “could” end up strengthening the foundation in the long run and who knows, perhaps even get both sides of the gun issue to understand each other better. I guess time will tell. I am not saying this was a great choice, since I don’t know her I can’t say either way but I don’t see the fact she is associated with the NRA as the end of the world or an automatic terrible choice.
As to the wording of the announcement I don’t find fault with it, or yours, but obviously can’t answer for them. Maybe it’s a deliberate attempt to be less divisive? I suspect it was an attempt to avoid a needless firestorm. ( I am not a member of the NRA by the way)
I too find it odd the foundation wouldn’t tell you where the other appointments came from and don’t exactly know what to make of that.
As to questioning why Ms. Lozano’s heritage was pointed out, that is just one of my pet peeves. I don’t see value in diversity purely for diversities sake and see it misused more often than not. I know I am in the minority in my views but there are many ways to address and capture the value of diverse opinions and thoughts without placing quotas on board seats or any other position. I am in the camp of hiring the best person for the job period. A smart woman can and will certainly make sure men’s issues and views are being addressed if the target market includes men. A smart Asian can make sure Hispanic views are captured etc. The key is being smart and also recognizing that not all people lumped in a given category think and behave alike. Being a member of any given race, creed, gender or color would never make my list of criteria in selecting a candidate, nor would it exclude them. I also don’t mean to imply that Ms. Lozano isn’t extremely qualified and in fact the best for that position, I hope she is.
And lastly, why the pseudonym? Some years ago I had an unfortunate incident with an individual from another site take it upon themselves to harass me at my place of employment and at home which made me more protective of my privacy. I am retired and neither I nor any of my relatives or family members have (or had) any affiliation with the NPS or any of its agencies. Nor are we involved in any form of politics (other than exercising our right to vote). I do volunteer both time and money to one of the national scenic trails which as you know are managed in partnership with the NPS but hold no formal position with them. That’s as close as my association comes. Nothing nefarious.
There goes another nose. I can only shake my head.
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