January 17, 2018
By Juliet Eilperin
Three-quarters of the members of a federally chartered board advising
the National Park Service abruptly quit Monday night out of frustration
that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke had refused to meet with them or
convene a single meeting last year.
The resignation of nine out of 12 National Park System Advisory Board members
leaves the federal government without a functioning body to designate
national historic or natural landmarks. It also underscores the extent
to which federal advisory bodies have become marginalized under the
Trump administration. In May 2017, Zinke suspended all outside
committees while his staff reviewed their composition and work.
In a letter to the secretary,
departing board chairman Tony Knowles, a former Alaska governor, wrote
that he and eight other members "have stood by waiting for the chance to
meet and continue the partnership . . . as prescribed by law." All of
the signatories had terms set to expire in May....
