Interior Secretary Doug Burgum got an earful in response to his request for public comments on reducing “regulatory burdens” across his sprawling department.
More than 500 individuals, states and organizations urged Burgum to make changes that include blocking an endangered species listing for the monarch butterfly, speeding permitting for energy projects and increasing staffing for Interior agencies.
A number of comments urged the Trump administration to leave federal environmental protections alone. “Any attempt to bypass, ‘streamline’ or undermine these protections would constitute an abandonment of DOI’s mission and legal responsibilities to the American public,” someone identifying themselves as Li Cui wrote.
Interior didn’t respond to a request for comment about its information-gathering effort that began in May and closed Monday.
