Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke swears in Junior Rangers at a ceremony in April in Channel Islands National Park/DOI

Already under investigation for charter flights taken this summer, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is now facing scrutiny for an April boat trip in Channel Islands National Park that included family members and featured a swearing-in ceremony for Junior Rangers.

According to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the NPS boat Ocean Ranger left its port in Ventura, California, on April 18 to travel to Santa Barbara Harbor to pick up Zinke, his wife, and aunt to take them and other members of his party to Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands, and back that same day.

The party spent more time at sea than on the island, with a three-hour itinerary that consisted largely of photo ops, a tour, lunch, and Secretary Zinke swearing in middle school students as Junior Rangers.

“There is nothing deeply wrong with this ‘grip-and-grin’ tour, but it is galling when the secretary is telling everyone else to tighten their belts,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, who obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information Act after employees complained of the time and expense lost for no discernible purpose. “Taxpayers should not foot the bill for public officials acting as tourists.”

According to PEER:

• Use of the government ship cost taxpayers around $4,000, including fuel and crew overtime, an estimate that does not include the time of several NPS staff;
• Secretary Zinke also brought along two local fishermen whom he classified as “technical experts,” though on what issue is unclear. As such, they traveled for free; and
• To pay for his wife and aunt, NPS presented Mr. Zinke with a bill for $142, which by mid-June increased to $152 with late fees. The bill appears to have been paid by late June.

Late last week, after news broke that Mr. Zinke chartered a plane to fly from Las Vegas to Montana at a cost of $12,375, the Interior secretary referred to the flap as "a little BS over travel." Rather than fly commercial for roughly $300 so he could stick around Las Vegas to speak at a private professional hockey team affair unrelated to his role overseeing the country's public lands and resources. The team is owned, according to the Center for Western Priorities, by Bill Foley, chairman of Fidelity National Financial, the largest contributor to Mr. Zinke's political career.

A spokeswoman for Interior’s Office of Inspector General’s office, Nancy DiPaolo, confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday that it is investigating Zinke’s use of charter flights.

Then, on Tuesday, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican, and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Arkansas, sent a letter to Secretary Zinke on the use of noncommercial aircraft for official business.

“Ethical guidelines are on the books to promote transparency and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Federal officials should be held to the highest ethical standard in adhering to these rules,” Rep. Bishop said in a statement. “When violations occur, the public deserves to know. When willful violations occur, there should be consequences. When partisan opportunists conflate diligent conformance to scandal, no one wins. Let’s get all facts on the table, ensure taxpayers are protected, and proceed with the peoples’ business.”

The letter requests documents regarding Interior policies and guidelines for travel when using “government-owned, rented, leased, or chartered aircraft” and “each use of a government-owned, rented, leased, or chartered aircraft by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior since January 20, 2009,” a period that also covers the years led by Ken Salazar (2009-2013) and Sally Jewell (2013-2017).

Back at Channel Islands, PEER took issue with Secretary Zinke expressing a desire to open a “working demonstration ranch” on Santa Rosa Island to “highlight the island’s ranching heritage,” quoting a note from the park superintendent. The Zinke tour group also included members of the Vail family, which ran a cattle ranch on the island until 1998 and a commercial hunting operation there until 2011.

“Cattle and imported game animals are not the ‘heritage’ of Santa Rosa but an aberrant moment in its history,” added Ruch, noting a recent directive by Secretary Zinke to maximize hunting opportunities even on national park lands. “Our major concern is that Ryan Zinke wants to turn this ecological jewel back into a game preserve.”