Mojave Desert Land Trust Responds to the Confirmation of David Bernhardt for Deputy Interior Secretary (Highland Community News)

Highland Community NewsJuly 24th, 2017 3:59 pmToday, David Bernhardt was confirmed as Deputy Interior Secretary, the second ranking position in the Department of the Interior.Bernhardt’s career as a lobbyist, and work at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for Cadiz Inc, a company that aims to drain water from an aquifer in the Mojave Trails National Monument for use in coastal communities, makes his appointment a direct threat to the health and well-being of the Mojave Desert. As second in command at DOI, Bernhardt will have the power to ease regulations on the same interests he has been paid to represent.“Today the public lands of America have been let down. Even after supposedly unregistering as a lobbyist, Bernhardt continued to advise California water companies, and make money off of his political connections. It is abundantly clear that he cares more about his own self interest than he will ever care about the Mojave Desert.” - Frazier Haney, conservation director, Mojave Desert Land Trust...Read Full Article