By Emmamarie Huetteman | The New York Times
Representative Ryan Zinke, Republican of Montana, pitched himself on Tuesday as a serious steward of federal resources in his confirmation hearing for interior secretary, frequently bucking conservative orthodoxy on ownership of public lands, federal funding for preservation and even, briefly, climate change.
But Mr. Zinke also emphasized his support for drilling, mining and logging on federal lands, activities strongly opposed by many environmental groups.
In wide-ranging testimony before a Senate panel that lasted nearly four hours, Mr. Zinke, a former member of the Navy SEALs who just finished his first term in the House, tried to balance the importance of preservation with use of the nation’s public lands and waters.
