Some Steamboat Springs, Colorado residents are welcoming the Interior Department Secretary with a protest Friday evening. Ryan Zinke is the keynote speaker at the Steamboat Institute鈥檚 annual 鈥� ,鈥� a private event.
Cody Perry has lived in Steamboat Springs for 18 years. He鈥檚 behind the 鈥� 鈥� rally to protest Zinke鈥檚 leadership over public lands.
鈥淲e're just really wanting to send the secretary a message,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淲ith his pattern of consistently ignoring public input. That's why we're gathering.鈥�
Perry said he and many others in the West are concerned about Zinke鈥檚 decisions and management style.
鈥淔or the secretary to attack Bears Ears and Grand Staircase and otherwise dismantle some of our nation's most prized national monuments, that's seriously unacceptable to us,鈥� Perry said.
In an emailed statement, the Interior Department responded:
鈥淪ecretary Zinke is excited to be back in Colorado and talk about issues that most Americans all agree on: the need to rebuild our national parks infrastructure, the need to modernize the federal government, the need for American energy, public access, and the balanced multiple-use of federal lands.鈥�
This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, Yellowstone Public Radio in Montana, KUER in Salt Lake City and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado.
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