** Bernhardt leans on Interior ethics officials for favorable decisions
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Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, U.S. Department of the Interior ([link removed])
According to a batch of over 900 pages of emails ([link removed]) obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt doesn't hesitate to let agency ethics officials know which decisions he prefers. It's no surprise that Secretary Bernhardt should have to consult with the agency's ethics office on a regular basis to navigate the conflict of interest minefield that constitutes his former clients in the oil and gas industry. However, it is surprising the degree to which Mr. Bernhardt has tried to influence ethics officials' decisions in his favor, as evident by his own words. ([link removed])
Mr. Bernhardt has earned a reputation for making decisions that directly benefit his former clients ([link removed]) since joining the Interior Department in August 2017. This includes California's Westlands Water District ([link removed]) , who has long sought to dismantle environmental protections for endangered species in order to secure more irrigation water. Last month, Westlands got their wish ([link removed]) . Now it appears as though Secretary Bernhardt is fulfilling the wishes of his former clients with the blessing of Interior's ethics office.
Quick hits
** Debt is fueling Colorado's oil and gas industry
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Denver Post ([link removed])
** Western states' inability to track shortages exacerbates water woes
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Outside ([link removed])
** Secretary Bernhardt leans on Interior ethics officials for favorable decisions
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New York Times ([link removed])
** Colorado is uniquely positioned to transition from coal power to lower cost clean energy
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Vox ([link removed])
** William Perry Pendley would relocate to Grand Junction, Colorado - if he is nominated as BLM Director
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Grand Junction Sentine ([link removed]) l | E&E News ([link removed])
** Border wall construction in Arizona threatens ground water supply
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Arizona Daily Star ([link removed])
** Lynx reintroduction in Colorado considered a success
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Colorado Springs Gazette ([link removed])
** Opinion: Public lands access through the Land and Water Conservation Fund is important to America's veterans
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Montana Standard ([link removed]) | Orange County Register ([link removed]) | Knoxville News ([link removed]) | Anchorage Daily News ([link removed])
Quote of the day
These emails suggest that Interior ethics officials faced significant pressure from Trump political appointees to greenlight ethically questionable activities.”
—Brendan Fischer ([link removed]) , director of the federal reform program at the Campaign Legal Center.
Picture this
** @ ([link removed]) BLMNational ([link removed])
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For the past several years, the Bureau of Land Management has developed Wildland Firefighting Crews specifically designed to employ military Veterans. These men and women make up first-rate hand crews and travel where they are needed during fire season. For more info: [link removed]
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