For Immediate Release
Washington, DC

The following statement is from Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, on President Trump’s nomination of David Bernhardt to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior:

“Defenders of Wildlife is deeply concerned that Acting Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt, who helped preside over the Trump administration’s destructive policies on our public lands and wildlife for the past two years, is being nominated for Interior Secretary. The Department of the Interior badly needs new leadership to restore the public’s trust after Secretary Zinke’s departure, but David Bernhardt will just expand on the failed policies and the ethical challenges that have plagued the leadership of the department from the beginning of this administration. Defenders of Wildlife opposes his nomination. 

“A former lobbyist with strong ties to the oil, gas and big agricultural industries, Bernhardt has so many conflicts of interest that he needs to carry a crib sheet to remember them all. Bernhardt is attempting to siphon off oil from the iconic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and water from the desert in Mojave National Preserve. As Deputy Secretary of the Interior, he’s been leading a sweeping rewrite of the Endangered Species Act that will deprive endangered and threatened species of the protections they need.

“We will work tirelessly to hold Mr. Bernhardt and the Interior Department accountable to ensure that it does its job – to protect America’s public lands and wildlife and serve the public’s interest.”

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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