As President-elect Donald Trump continues to announce his picks for his administration, one cabinet position that could directly affect Idaho remains unfilled.
The Secretary of Interior oversees the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, two agencies that can be the focal point of anger from both the left and the right side of the political spectrum.
John Freemuth of the Andrus Center for Public Policy says that without clear policy positions from Trump on things like the Endangered Species Act and public lands, it’s not clear what direction he’ll go during his administration.
“Trump might look at public lands as a headache he doesn’t want," says Freemuth, "and he would become interested in getting people together to solve some of the problems so he’s not diverted into public land battles, but that’s total speculation on my part.”
Freemuth says if Trump selects former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to lead the department of interior, it will raise the hackles of many people in land management across the West. But he says if the president-elect chooses a western politician known for collaboration – that could signal a more middle-of-the-road approach.
Find Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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