The Interior Department is once again facing change in agency leadership. The acting head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stepped down.
Greg Sheehan was a Trump appointee who’d been with the agency for 14 months. He says he’s leaving to spend time with family in Utah.
The Interior Department issued a statement calling Sheehan “an incredible asset to the Interior team.” His departure is one of a number of shake-ups in the department under Secretary Ryan Zinke.
"I think there’s just a lot of turmoil in the Interior right now," says John Freemuth, a professor of environmental policy at Boise State University.
Under Secretary Zinke, the Interior Department has also made changes to National Park Service leadership, including the reassignment of Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk.
Freemuth is worried that the constant musical chairs may be bad for morale. "Just the way people are somewhat moved around, but there doesn’t seem to be a logic or a pattern to it. It just happens occasionally."
Sheehan will be replaced by another appointee who will act as the Fish and Wildlife Service director until the Trump Administration puts forth an official nominee before the Senate.
Find reporter Amanda Peacher on Twitter @amandapeacher .
Copyright 2018 Boise State Public Radio
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, Yellowstone Public Radio in Montana, KUER in Salt Lake City and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado.
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