Your budget request walks away from the decades-long Federal commitment to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The decisions made by the Department determine whether our natural and cultural resources are protected and managed responsibly.

I am particularly troubled by the lack of Tribal consultation so far.

The monuments review that the Department conducted, and the decisions to eviscerate Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, are a travesty.

I remain concerned that there is still a directive in place for BLM to offer quarterly lease sales that have the potential to impact Chaco.

Public lands boost our local economies and add jobs, and special places like Las Vegas, New Mexico, benefit greatly.

Yes, and we really appreciate what you did in New Mexico.

That is our point here.

Doesn't the public have a right to comment on the development of their public lands?

I strongly urge you to not move ahead unless the plan amendment has been signed and there has been robust Tribal consultation and input from stakeholders.

Well, they weren't doing it on the sage-grouse until everybody got together and tackled that.

I appreciate you want to improve resource stewardship by getting bureaus to focus on regional landscapes and to work across Federal, State, and local lines.

Mr. Secretary, you raised King Cove. Maybe Senator Murkowski is more up-to-date than I am on that, but could you provide the committee an update on the Izembek road?

Well, I think the reality is that, State flexibility, it ends up that we end up deteriorating the habitat for the sage-grouse.

I would also point out that we have an example of where the bureaus were able to do that already, the regional sage-grouse plans at your Department, and your Department is now in the process of scrapping those.

The problem is national, and it's growing, particularly in the last month since Secretary Shulkin was fired.

I really hope that we can get somebody over there that's going to provide the top leadership and give support.

We hear all of these rumors that the folks that are over there... are trying to privatize veterans' care.