Zinke Signs Orders to Prioritize Recreation and Increase Access on Public Lands

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has signed two secretarial orders to prioritize the Department of Interior’s recreation mission and increase access to public lands.

Secretarial Order 3366 directs certain Interior bureaus to create and deliver plans within 90 days that focus on developing or expanding recreational opportunities on public lands and waterways. This order also directs bureau heads to designate one full-time employee to oversee recreational opportunities.

The bureaus are also asked to provide recommendations for improving and streamlining relevant permitting requirements for guides and outfitters and facilitated outdoor recreation providers and to improve contracting processes for recreation-specific concessioners.

Secretarial Order 3365 establishes the position of Senior National Advisor to the Secretary for Recreation to ensure active coordination of recreational policy in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The position will be filled by Rick May, who currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary.

​May is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Captain and decorated Iraq War veteran. Since his departure from active duty, he has worked with wounded veterans in various types of recreational activities, helping them to reintegrate back into mainstream America.

The Secretarial Orders were issued after Secretary Zinke had selected members of the newly created “Made In America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee, which is charged with advising the Secretary on public-private partnerships across all public lands, with the goal of expanding access to and improving the infrastructure on public lands and waterways.