<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body><div class="ydp21e9856eyahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family: garamond, new york, times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236main-topic"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: white; text-transform: uppercase; background-color: rgb(4, 4, 4); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">HIGH COUNTRY NEWS</span></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236main-topic"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: white; text-transform: uppercase; background-color: rgb(4, 4, 4); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236main-topic"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: white; text-transform: uppercase; background-color: rgb(4, 4, 4); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/topics/u-s-fish-wildlife" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE</a></span></span></p><h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 24pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 30pt; font-family: sans-serif;">Trump’s Fish and Wildlife pick is entangled with industry</span></h1><h2 style="margin: 0px; font-size: 18pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Aurelia Skipwith has ties to water interests fighting endangered species protection and worked for ag giant Monsanto.</span></h2><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236author"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/author_search?getAuthor=Jimmy%20Tobias%20and%20Emily%20Holden&sort_on=PublicationDate&sort_order=descending" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_0444032822"><span style="color: rgb(188, 35, 30);">Jimmy Tobias and Emily Holden</span></a> </span></span></p><div><br></div><div id="ydp9ad62842enhancr_card_0444032822" class="ydp9ad62842yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp9ad62842ymail-preserve-class ydp9ad62842ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.hcn.org/author_search?getAuthor=Jimmy%20Tobias%20and%20Emily%20Holden&sort_on=PublicationDate&sort_order=descending" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/author_search?getAuthor=Jimmy%20Tobias%20and%20Emily%20Holden&sort_on=PublicationDate&sort_order=descending" style="text-decoration:none !important;color:#000 !important" class="ydp9ad62842yahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table border="0" class="ydp9ad62842card-wrapper ydp9ad62842yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="max-width:400px"><tbody><tr><td width="400"><table border="0" class="ydp9ad62842card ydp9ad62842yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:400px;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);border-radius:2px"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp9ad62842card-primary-image-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/AHgldlPZJLtpob.0lHymGw--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://www.hcn.org/articles/endangered-species-courts-cant-keep-columbia-and-snake-river-salmon-from-the-edge-of-extinction/@@images/ef2ff83e-3331-40f3-9a00-6a521740aa12.jpeg.cf.jpg" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top" height="175" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(38, 40, 42);">High Country News</h2><p class="ydp9ad62842card-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 155, 167);"></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236tag-label"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-transform: uppercase;">NEWS</span></span><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236pubdate"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Sept. 26, 2019</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;"></span><p></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-trumps-fish-and-wildlife-pick-is-entangled-with-industry/aureliathaoatgenoa-png/image_view_fullscreen" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 124, 173); text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" id="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:6RAOjG2Te8JC1ec4zExb" alt="https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-trumps-fish-and-wildlife-pick-is-entangled-with-industry/aureliathaoatgenoa-png/@@images/02b6cf1c-c9f9-47a4-89ea-d1146b5a8870.png" style="width: 768px; max-width: 768px;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" class=""></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;">A Fish and Wildlife Service employee, the current nominee to become the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aurelia Skipwith and Midwest Acting Deputy Regional Director Thao Tran get a closer look at some of the work performed at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin.</span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;">Photo by Larry Dean/USFWS</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">This<em> article was originally published by the</em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/25/trump-wildlife-service-pick-anti-animal-protection-groups-aurelia-skipwith" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_0513439056"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173);"> Guardian</span></a><em><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-endangered-species-rule_n_5cf7b7b4e4b01713bed4df9b" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_9778705062"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173);"> </span></a>and is reproduced here as part of the <a href="https://www.hcn.org/topics/climate-desk" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173);">Climate Desk</span></a> collaboration.</em></span></p><div><br></div><div id="ydp1149b933enhancr_card_9778705062" class="ydp1149b933yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp1149b933ymail-preserve-class ydp1149b933ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-endangered-species-rule_n_5cf7b7b4e4b01713bed4df9b" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-endangered-species-rule_n_5cf7b7b4e4b01713bed4df9b" style="text-decoration:none !important;color:#000 !important" class="ydp1149b933yahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table border="0" class="ydp1149b933card-wrapper ydp1149b933yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="max-width:400px"><tbody><tr><td width="400"><table border="0" class="ydp1149b933card ydp1149b933yahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:400px;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);border-radius:2px"><tbody><tr><td class="ydp1149b933card-primary-image-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/cm7aDD47j8XhekudESg20w--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5cf7b8ac210000730de6998b.jpeg?cache=5hr6p1bcav&ops=1778_1000.cf.jpg" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top" height="175" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(38, 40, 42);">Trump Administration Weakens Endangered Species Act Amid Global Extincti...</h2><p class="ydp1149b933card-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 155, 167);">Environmentalists see the rule as another handout to industry amid rising alarm that the ecosystems on which hum...</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="ydpd63d710eenhancr_card_0513439056" class="ydpd63d710eyahoo-link-enhancr-card ydpd63d710eymail-preserve-class ydpd63d710eymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/25/trump-wildlife-service-pick-anti-animal-protection-groups-aurelia-skipwith" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/25/trump-wildlife-service-pick-anti-animal-protection-groups-aurelia-skipwith" style="text-decoration:none !important;color:#000 !important" class="ydpd63d710eyahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table border="0" class="ydpd63d710ecard-wrapper ydpd63d710eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="max-width:400px"><tbody><tr><td width="400"><table border="0" class="ydpd63d710ecard ydpd63d710eyahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:400px;border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);border-radius:2px"><tbody><tr><td class="ydpd63d710ecard-primary-image-cell" background="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/LSB3sL0J6iAt8aWbmBxAwQ--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--/https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d1e110fd9e0d14ba3e26e60beeb17738910f3d54/0_21_5184_3110/master/5184.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=4052942c641b4ab819c44e8285ed9cd1.cf.jpg" bgcolor="#000000" valign="top" height="175" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(38, 40, 42);">Revealed: Trump’s Wildlife Service pick has ties to anti-animal protecti...</h2><p class="ydpd63d710ecard-richinfo-primary" style="font-size:12px;line-height:16px;margin:0 0 4px 0;color:#979ba7">Jimmy Tobias</p><p class="ydpd63d710ecard-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 155, 167);">Aurelia Skipwith, nominee to lead US Fish and Wildlife Service, linked to groups opposed to protections for enda...</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><p></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has links to powerful agricultural interests opposed to protections for endangered species she would oversee, the <em>Guardian</em> has learned.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Aurelia Skipwith, who is already a top official at the Department of the Interior, formerly worked at the agrochemical giant Monsanto.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">New revelations show she also has ties to the Westlands Water District, a political powerhouse with a history of chafing against Endangered Species Act regulations that can interfere with farmers’ demands for water in California.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Yet a Senate committee approved Skipwith’s nomination Wednesday in a party-line vote of 11-10.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Jayson O’Neill, the deputy director of Western Values Project, a public lands watchdog group based in Montana, claimed that Skipwith’s resume – she is a lawyer with a master’s degree in genetics – shows she is unqualified. He said David Bernhardt, Trump’s Interior secretary, is hiring her for her “deep ties to the swamp and special interests.”</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Skipwith’s fiance, Leo Giacometto, is a former lobbyist who worked on behalf of Westlands from 2005 to 2010 in his role as the founder of Gage International. Skipwith has said she was an “unpaid adviser” for Gage starting in 2013.</span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 0in;"><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoHyperlink" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: black; text-decoration: none;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: New;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-oil-industry-execs-marvel-at-their-access-to-interior-department" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" id="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:PdbcF3qI8K0HalVgDPBe" alt="Oil industry leaders marvel at their access to Interior" style="width: 400px; max-width: 400px;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" class=""></span></a></span><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoHyperlink" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-oil-industry-execs-marvel-at-their-access-to-interior-department" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Oil industry leaders marvel at their access to Interior</span></a></span><span class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoHyperlink" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif; color: rgb(0, 124, 173);"><a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/department-of-interior-oil-industry-execs-marvel-at-their-access-to-interior-department" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173); text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;"></span></p><p class="ydp8525fdbayiv1810856236MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Bernhardt, who would be Skipwith’s new boss if she is to be confirmed, also lobbied for Westlands. Bernhardt once sued the U.S. government on behalf of Westlands, aiming to roll back protections for winter-run Chinook salmon in California.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Under Bernhardt’s watch, Westlands has benefited from policy changes enacted by the Interior Department and its subagency, the Fish and Wildlife Service.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">The Interior Department is currently working to loosen protections for imperiled fish in California, which would be a boon to Westlands and other irrigators who want to pull more water out of regional rivers and reservoirs. The rollback would likely harm endangered salmon, delta smelt and other aquatic species in California.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">As the director of Fish and Wildlife, Skipwith would be crucially placed to shape the outcome of those efforts.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">According to Senate lobbying records, Gage, Giacometto’s firm, lobbied for Westlands between 2005 and 2010. During that time, Westlands paid Gage more than $200,000 to influence House and Senate policy on “water resource management issues.” Gage also lobbied for another influential California water district, the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, during approximately the same period.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Shortly after Westlands ceased work with Gage in 2010, it hired Bernhardt’s former firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to help lead its lobbying operations.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Skipwith is not required to disclose any information about her fiance’s financial ties or involvement with Westlands because they are not yet married. Giacometto was prominent at Skipwith’s confirmation hearing, where he was introduced as her fiance.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Skipwith’s ties to Giacometto and Gage, and through them to Westlands, raise questions about whether she will be able to act impartially when making critical decisions about water and wildlife policy in California, which are top priorities for Bernhardt and his Interior Department.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">At her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse highlighted Skipwith’s past work for Monsanto, a leading producer of an herbicide that has been linked to negative effects on honeybees and other wildlife. Skipwith worked for Monsanto between January 2006 and July 2012, according to her resume, mainly in crop science and corporate affairs.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">In a written statement, the Interior Department said Skipwith is in “full compliance” with federal ethics rules.</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Russell Newell, spokesperson for the Interior Department, said, “Ms. Skipwith has actively sought and consulted with senior career ethics officials. Ms. Skipwith started as an adviser with Gage International in 2013 well after the water district ended its contract with Gage in 2010.”</span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: sans-serif;">Jimmy Tobias is a contributing writer for the </span></em><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: New serif;">Guardian<em>. Emily Holden is an environment reporter for </em>Guardian US<em>. Email </em>High Country News<em> at <a href="mailto:editor@hcn.org" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173);">editor@hcn.org</span></a> or submit a <a href="https://www.hcn.org/feedback/contact-us" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 124, 173);">letter to the editor</span></a>.</em></span></p><div> </div></div></body></html>