by Andy Roubik, Corvallis
Ryan Zinke was our Interior Secretary for less than 2 years before resigning in disgrace with no less than 18 federal inquiries into his actions. I will not be going into those questionable deeds, but they can be found with a quick internet search.
What really got my ire is that he lifted a ban on using lead bullets and lead fishing tackle in federal wildlife refuges. Animals that ingest lead get sick and many die. Scavengers eating the remains of animals shot with lead bullets and waterfowl ingesting lead pellets while feeding commonly get sick and die. This is a well-established fact. Almost half of all US eagles have spent lead in them. Humans are also affected by lead. We have taken the lead out of paint and gasoline and the ban to remove it from bullets would have kept it out of our eagles and our water.
As Interior Secretary of the US, Ryan Zinke oversaw conserving fish and wildlife. His first action in that capacity was to remove the ban on lead bullets even though 10 – 20 million animals are killed each year by spent lead in the US alone.
Zinke is now running again for a Montana congressional seat. What has he learned since resigning in disgrace on December 15, 2018, that would make us think that we would want him back?
My vote will go to Monica Tranel who does not hate eagles.