I know the presiding officer of the president would agree with that. The department of internets incredible broad portfolios. It is responsible for managing our nations public lands, our National Parks, our National Wildlife refuges. And overseeing mineral and Energy Development on our public lands and in our federal waters offshore making sure that the taxpayers of the United States owns. Resources that the public, the trust so ensuring also that tribal insular and attending to what are our insular affairs. And the secretary of interior manages a large part of Water Resources in western states, again which another providing officer know so well because s theyre so many issues, the president know so well because there are so many issues related to drinking water, hydroelectric facilities that affect millions of our citizens. So it is a farreaching andes diverse portfolio and it requires the secretary to take into account not only the demands of the extraction industry, the oil and gas and coal and Mining Companies. The secretary above all must protect the Public Interest. I think the public could probably best understand this by knowing what happened in the gulf in the implosion thatho happened with the deepwater horizon. Here the department of interior, in my opinion should been doing a better job protecting the public and protecting that vitai resource. Ngs a the conclusion of theory after this fact said there were many recommendations to clean up and streamline the Mineral Management agency so that it was not tailoring to the interests of the oil and gas industry, bui making sure that it would appear to what was the Public Interest. Now all that has been made famous in a movie which many of the public i think can go in city, the taking shortcuts when it comes extraction of Mineral Resources is not a good idea and having an interior secretary that makes sure that he manages these resources well is critical, critical to our nation. Also the Outdoor Recreation industry in and of itself in my opinion, and im sure many others here who understand it has become a juggernaut. I will talk about that in every bit but it is an economy in and its worth preserving. Its worth fighting for, and it is a source of tax revenue, income, jobs, and most importantly a quality of life that so Many Americans hold gotn dear. Ive been so touched by the letters that ive gotten from veterans who had said to me on their returning back from iraq and afghanistan to have the wonders of the outdoors as a place for peace and sanctuary has been so critical to them. They have argued in support of important programs the land and Water Conservation fund andt others to make sure that ourre r public lands are there for them. To enjoy, and for their children to enjoy in the future. So in short the secretary must balance the shortterm demands of developing resources on these public lands against the need to that nat sensitive areas and preserve that National Heritage as i said for future generations. This is very important that we have a secretary who understands what our nations leading stewardship responsibilities are, understands what the special places are, like the grand canyon or other places, Mount Rainier, and making sure that they protect them. I had hoped to be able to support congressman zinke his nomination based on his assurances that he would manage the department of the interior as a quote teddy rooseveltump republican. However i cant ignore the trumpet ministrations plans for our public lands and resources and i cannot ignore congressman zinke his commitment during our Committee Hearings to quote wory to implement president elect Trump Energy Independence policy, and as well as of right of positions on returning la federal land, picking public lands off the protection that they deserve today. Pub these are very important Public Policy issues, and i know that President Trump at city many people, my cabin is free to say whatever they want pics of the p fact that these important policies are going to be implemented, that may erode what has been hundreds of years of policy for managing our Public Resources is quite concerning to me. Clearly Administration Plan . Well, clearly the Trump Administration intends to pursue an aggressive agenda when it comes to mining and drilling on our public lands and waters, and the president and his senior advisers have made clear their intention to undo what are reasonable protections put in place in environmentally sensitive areas. That the administration will renew its efforts to reverse protections of important onshore and offshore areas and based one energy plans posted on the white house website, just immediately after the president inaugurati inauguration, the president seems to be committed to simplys opening up as much federal land as possible to coal mining and m Energy Development. The administration has said it will use money from drilling and mining of all our public lands and waters to pay for billions, sorry, multibillions dollar infrastructure packets. And my constituents want to know where do you draw the line . Where does that stop . The administration has already suspended rules insuring polluters on our public lands dont have to pay their fair share, and the president has signed into law a measure gutting the obama rule preventing Coal Companies dumping toxics into our rivers and streams. Its clear the new everything it can to reverse the responsible management of oursue public lands, and instead pursue an aggressive Energy Development policy without regard to the environmental and Public Health consequences. A bedrock principle i believe is that polluters should pay and they should clean up their messes on public land. We all might have a differenter opinion here about how much public land, but i think everybody should be in agreement that polluters should pay and they should leave our public lands in a pristine nature. Admit so it is equally clear that the new administration will be encouraged in its effort by the majorities in the house and thes senate, by some of the legislation weve already seen, enabling the Coal Companies as i said to doctor mining waste into streams and impacting safe drinking water, enabling Oil Companies to waste the Public Sector resource about paying royalties on the ghastly waste. Thats costing taxpayers money, and reports that the president intends to issue an executive order to overturn the current moratorium prohibiting new coal leases on federal land. That is an issue about getting a fair deal for the taxpayer. The taxpayer is impacted by this coal extraction. That is, we are letting Coal Companies instead of doing the job that it takes to extract coal and not having impact onivg the public, were giving them a that federal resources and theyre making lots of money on it without their responsibilityp to us, the taxpayer. , so the previous secretary, i secretary jewell, basically said for the first time in many years that they would look at what the industry was paying as far as coal royalties. That process is underway and we think it should be carried out. We think the taxpayer deserves a fair deal. To unfortunately, i am not convinced congressman zinke will be up to moderate the Trump Administration extreme views on exploiting our public lands and im not sure youll be able too stand up to the president and protect the Public Interest that is required on our public land and manage for the benefit of all americans, not just the oil and gas and Mining Companies and their commercial interests. As i sit at the outset of the secretaries of principal job is to be a guardian, a steward of s public land. To me, stewardship is so some of my colleagues come toe the floor and act like they are managing this resource for their lifetime and their generation. Stewardship is about managing these resources for future generations as well it are past ancestors had been so callous with his federal resources, where would we be today . Quick so it is so important that we not l look at these federal lands through the narrow resource thau someone has in their particular state or interest but make sure that stewardship is about future generations as well. So with that in mind i have seen several laws and regulations already under attack that are fundamental to keeping that mission of stewardship at the department of the interior. Including the clean water act, the federal land policy and management act, the clean air act, the Surface Mining controlr and reclamation act, and the Antiquities Act. Congressman zinke said he would oppose the transfer of federal lands to the states, which i appreciate that he has saido that. At the same time he indicated hr is willing to consider transferring away management of certain federal lands to the states. So what does that mean . For example, you could of had a monument or designation of federal land. It could be even Mount Rainier are some beautiful place in the pacific northwest, and consequently transferring that back to a state. And that particular state wouldnt happen in washington but might happen in some of the state, they decide to start managing that land and extracting resources. You think that couldnt happen. Well, i have news for you. That is the debate du jour. This is exactly, exactly, exactly the debate today. This passed congress, congressman zinke cosponsored and vote for a bill to transfer dates management of red snapper fisheries in federal waters. He supported transferring federal management responsibilities to the states and it clearly undercut the commitment to federal resources. We also know that he has previously supported efforts to restrict use of the Antiquities Act to designate nationalac monuments. In fact he appears open to efforts to weaken or repeal certain designated monuments he has indicated one of his first priorities upon confirmation will be to visit utah to consider a republican proposal to resend the recently monu monument. This is despite the strong support of many across the nation and in utah and tribal support for bayer ears Intertribal Coalition representing the effective tribes in this region. Now, someone who enjoys the outdoors, i can tell you how important it is to be able to go and recreate. Ive not been to bears ears but ive heard incredible stories from climbers and those interested in seeing this unique terrain that it is a very, very special place. And so as we enter this debate, bears ears and its monument and whether youre going to roll back federal land will be at the center of this discussion. Created by president obama, bears ears encompasses 1. 3 million acres of beautiful desert hills, mesas, sandstonei canyons and spiritually significant lands to local tribes. And as i just mentioned, some of the best climbing in the world. That is, the claimant industry loves to recreate there. The Conservation Community and clients have fought for many years for this designation, and if and when he is confirmed congressman zinke will be under intense pressure for some quarters to try to undo this designation. In fact this heated debate on the subject boiled over as the outdoor Retail Industry decided to leave Salt Lake City after being there for two decades and contributing at least 40 million to the economy in various shows that they had each year, becausa of utahs stated desire and congressional delegation interest in basically reclaiming this federal place, and selling it off for extraction from the oil and gas industry. I was so proud that these like retailers, who like rei in my state, or others like black or so many other industries, basically took the money where going they decided that if a state was going to attack the very economy that was so important to them in jobs and recreation, that they were going to do something about moving their impacted industries somewhere else. Id like to read what the Salt Lake CityEditorial Board had to say about this issue. Quote, it was the same week that utah announced that it had topped 8. 8. 7 billion and econoc benefits from tourism. The 40 million outdoor retail show announced it was leaving. Surely we can take a half a percent kit, right . No. Ers is the exit of the outdooruc retailers is much more than just losing the states largest convention. That will be hospitality jobs lost, hotel rooms, vacant for two weeks of the year. There were now be a 90 900 room downtown hotel, largely on spec. There is now no convention currently on Salt Lake City is dockets that demands it. The reason the outdoor retailer is leaving, the rejection of utah politics leaders values, is shown in the stubborn and pointless fight against Bears Ears National monument, and should make this a turning point. In the 1960s, utah found of itself at a concourse, once so by the collection of downtownnha chamber of commerce types who hatched a longshot bid to obtain the 1972 winter olympics. They knew that they wouldnt win that they saw it at a chance to sell utahs greatest snow on earth. It was the first time utah took these outdoor tourism message to the world, and it was well received. The the other floating from a fundamental fundamental change in the American People. We were waking up to the Natural World and its treasures in their own presence. In utah there was recognitionth that we held those treasures, a National Park was greater in canyon land, and National Monument and arches, capital relief were elevated to National Parks, and utah united in their pride of our shared national icon. Im sure the president also agrees with the concept being the home of the grand canyon. Continuing to read from the editorial, where once we were a particular backwater, we became known the world over. Were it not for those pioneering efforts, there would be no ski industry, no olympics, no sundance festival, no flat tire festival thats a beer by the way no steady stream of our tour buses climbing the canyon, no 8. 7 8. 17 billion per year. Losing the outdoor retailer over bears ears represents the reversal of a half a century of progress, and inviting the world to appreciate utah. We could be hawaii, and a set our leaders want us to be oklahoma. Governor gary herbert, who is make Economic Development his reason for living almond couldnt get a very lucrative twentyyear visitor to come to keep coming. It seems this failure were shown bi in rejection, first by representative bishop and later by the government and the legislature of the proceeding, unity of five nation will tribes come together to protect their ancestral home. And instead of recognizing their significance, our leaders embolden the local pioneering descendents who were claiming that their 150 years of ranging presence in indian presence in bears ears, and that the tribe had no choice but to go to the president. Resi. The blindness that can be sourced to utahs oneparty political system that has given with their constituents, dismantling the bears ears was a slamdunk in the Utah Legislature last week, but its an issue which everyone has shown utahs divided, a division of courage by a false narrative that thef monument was a tradeoff between that energy job and lowpaying torus jobs. The bears ears monument may be with us forever, and there is no bucket of gold waiting if it does go away. The president ial proclamations far towards the same boundaries and management pursued in the public lands initiative. In that context utahs leaders looked too much of the nations like a rejection of illegitimacy, not listening to native americans. The damage may not be over. What does utahs Sports Equipment industry have to look forward to . What are often based company supposed to do when their congressman refuses toin acknowledge that also feel consumption reduces snowpack ony unprotected glides . Are we receiving two backwaters where are super majority is apparent only to ourselves . And we are bent on separating america from the National Identity instead of inviting them to share it. E this isnt about 40 million. Its about who we are and where we are headed. To get there we need leaders who are better appreciation of the magnificent gifts god has given to everyone, not just utahs. P id like to enter that for the record, mr. President speed without objection. Mr. President , i think that editorial puts this debate square in front of my colleagues. Colleagues. We have a nominee who has been all over the map as relates to public lands, and certainly on record that he will implement the president strategy. I know he plans to visit this area, and i am so concerned that it will be the first of many areas in which people run over the larger public and National Interest to reserve special places, just for immediate distractio