At today's hearing by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) identified multiple factual errors in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s final report to President Trump on national monuments.
During an exchange with John Ruhs, Acting Deputy Director of Operations at the Bureau of Land Management, Sen. Heinrich noted that Zinke’s report falsely claims:
Mr. Ruhs then confirmed that BLM staff were not asked to fact check the error-filled report before Secretary Zinke sent it to President Trump.
The entire five minute exchange is worth watching, as it raises questions about the accuracy of Secretary Zinke’s entire report and the facts being used to support the secretary’s unprecedented recommendations to President Trump.
Senator Heinrich: With yesterday’s news about the secretary’s recommendations to the president regarding national monuments, including two BLM monuments in New Mexico, I have to take the opportunity to raise a couple of questions with you. I was incredibly concerned in reading the report’s summary on the two monuments in New Mexico to note that there were more than a few simple factual errors included.
For example, there’s a claim that roads have been closed in Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. I confirmed with BLM staff that that’s not accurate. And that ranchers have stopped ranching there because of those non-existing road closures. Also not true.
The report says that the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument is on or abuts the U.S.–Mexico border. That’s also not true because, on the recommendation of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the boundary of the monument was actually established five miles north of the international border. Actually north of New Mexico 9.
Finally, it says that both proclamations need to be amended to protect hunting and fishing rights, when nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve had the opportunity, in fact, to hunt everything from Mearns Quail to Javelina in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. In addition, Petersen’s Hunting Magazine just last month listed that monument as one of the top ten public land destination hunts in the nation for quail. As for the Rio Grande del Norte, I confirmed this morning with the largest membership sportsmens organization in New Mexico that hunting and fishing access have actually improved post-monument designation. And that the monument even hosts a bighorn sheep hunt that did not exist before the monument designation.
These are some pretty basic facts to get wrong. So I have to ask you: Were the local BLM staff, who actually manage these two monuments on the ground on a daily basis, consulted by the secretary’s office regarding the facts on the ground in these monuments that they manage as part of that secretarial process?
Mr. Ruhs: Senator, I can assure that I myself and the Bureau of Land Management were not part of the writing of the reports. We did answer questions and provide data as necessary. I haven’t seen the report, so I can’t answer the questions up front, but I would be willing to take those questions and concerns back with me to the department and ask.
Senator Heinrich: I would appreciate that. So you were actually not asked to fact check that document before it was shared with the White House?
Mr. Ruhs: Correct, Senator. We provided information as requested. And again, that’s the limit of our involvement.
Senator Heinrich: So the secretary’s office might ask you a specific question, but you were not given an opportunity to review that document for accuracy?
Mr. Ruhs: Correct.
Senator Heinrich: So there’s no way for you to know the sources of inaccurate facts in that report?
Mr. Ruhs: Correct, sir.
Mr. Heinrich: Do you have any idea if there’s going to be a process to correct factual errors in that report and potentially change recommendations based on inaccurate information?
Mr. Ruhs: Again, Senator, I am not involved with the development of the report. But my understanding, I guess, would be that our secretary is pretty thorough on things and so I’m sure that if we’ve identified that there are inconsistencies and I take that information back, I’m sure there’d be an opportunity to fix those.
Senator Heinrich: I look forward to putting together a fact sheet that is more consistent with the conditions on the ground. I’ll be happy to share that with you, so that you can take it back to the secretary. I have to say that my constituents are incredibly upset by the fact that the future of their monuments could be determined by people sitting in offices in Washington, DC who have not been out on the ground in those places. And at this point, seemingly, did not get their basic facts right.
So I look forward to working with you, I look forward to working with the secretary. And I certainly hope that before the president acts on any of these recommendations that the secretary makes sure that he can get his facts straight.
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Announce Highly Anticipated Album Release
False Idol
Out October 20th on Sumerian Records
New Song + Music Video Out Now
Watch "Overthrow" Here
Tickets On Sale Now For North American Tour
September 19, 2017 - Veil of Maya has announced the release of their highly anticipated new album False Idol due out October 20, 2017 via Sumerian Records. What's to be their heaviest, most hypnotic, and hardest album yet, Veil of Maya is breaking new ground with this record and False Idol is available for pre-order HERE. Additionally, the band recently premiered their new video for their first powerful single off of the record "Overthrow" which is available to listen and watch HERE.
Lead vocalist Lukas Magyar shares, "The whole album is told from a first-person perspective. You're following this character rise to power and he is not the nicest man. You'll have to listen in order to find out how it ends. The storyline is very dark." Veil of Maya formed back in 2004 in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, and has been a staple in the metal genre for the past 13 years. They keep fans on their toes and craving more by pushing boundaries through their ability to mix progressive, melodic death, thrash and hardcore metal together in a seamless and effective way.
The band's approach to recording this record differed from previous, as this was the first time they were writing with Magyar's voice in mind. Magyar was writing on spot with vocal producer Brandon Paddock (The Used, Panic! At The Disco, Escape the Fate), while the rest of the band teamed up with producer Max Schad in another studio, and then merged forces. Magyar explains that they "wanted to create something fresh," and they "didn't recycle the same old thing - it's a new beginning."
Marc Okubo, guitarist and original band members shares, "False Idol is our most dynamic release as of yet. This is the largest amount of material we have ever packed into one album and we are so proud to share it with everyone. We feel that there is something for fans of all the various genres of metal, while still continuing to build on the classic Veil of Maya sound."
False Idol - Track Listing
Cover art credit: Colin Sinclair
Cover art available for download HERE
The band has also announced that they are going to be hitting the road later this month for a North American tour accompanying The Devil Wears Prada, Silent Planet, and Thousand Below, kicking off in Millvale, PA on September 29, and ending in their hometown of Chicago, IL on November 4 hitting 31 cities over the course of the tour. Tickets are now on sale through various retailers.
Reputable outlets such as Alternative Press and New Noise Magazine have recognized the band's previous work. Veil of Maya's last album Matriarch came in at #2 on the Billboard US Hard Rock Chart, and #3 on the Billboard Independent Album Chart. They have shared the stage with bands in the metal genre such as Animals As Leaders, Upon a Burning Body, Chelsea Grin, in addition to other large names when the band hit the road with Warped Tour in 2016.
No Sun/No Moon Tour Dates:
Tour admat available for download HERE
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Over the years, many members have come and gone. Today, Veil of Maya is Marc Okubo (Guitar), Sam Applebaum (Drums), Danny Hauser (Bass), and Lukas Magyar (Vocals).
For more information and to keep up with Veil of Maya:
Website: http://www.sumerianrecords.com/artist/details/id:3/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veilofmaya/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veilofmayaofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/veilofmayaband
