Zinke to visit Glacier, address Montana Legislature

BILLINGS (AP) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in coming days will visit Glacier National Park to talk about the park system’s multi-billion-dollar maintenance backlog and later address a joint session of the Montana Legislature.

Zinke’s office says that during Friday’s visit to Glacier the former Montana congressman also will receive a traditional tribal blessing by members of the Blackfeet Nation.

He’s due to speak in the state House chamber at 1 p.m. Monday, in an address expected to focus on energy and public lands.

On Tuesday he’ll visit Bureau of Land Management field offices in Lewistown and Billings for closed meetings with agency personnel.

Zinke took over the U.S. Department of Interior on March 1 to become the first person from Montana to serve in a presidential cabinet.