【Obsession Archives】

Most people might don a sharp suit or Obsession Archivesan ironed shirt for their first day on a new job.

But Ryan Zinke is not most people. He prefers a horse.

SEE ALSO: There's a serious danger to the soft climate denial pedaled by Trump's cabinet picks

On Thursday morning, the newly confirmed U.S. Interior secretary arrived to his office on horseback. The Montana politician, who also sported a cowboy hat, trotted toward the Interior Department building alongside officers from the U.S. Park Police.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"As a Montanan, the new Secretary is excited to highlight the Department's rich and diverse cultural heritage as he gets to work advancing the Department's mission," Interior spokeswoman Heather Swift said in an email.

Zinke rode from the National Park Service stables at the National Mall to the Department of Interior building around the block. More than 350 federal employees greeted the secretary, and an employee of the Office of Indian Affairs played a veterans honor song on a hand drum, Swift said.

Until this week, Zinke was a freshman Republican representative for Montana and a former state senator. He also served in the U.S. Navy and as a member of its elite SEAL special operations unit, with deployments in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and the Pacific.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Zinke's nomination to lead the Interior Department by a 68 to 31 vote.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As secretary, Zinke will be in charge of managing and protecting U.S. natural and cultural resources, such as national parks, landmarks and public lands. The agency also plays a key role in monitoring climate change impacts and updating land management strategies to account for changes like wildfire risk and vulnerability to sea level rise.

Environmental groups and Democratic senators have opposed Zinke's appointment.

Zinke has said he supports keeping U.S. public lands under federal control, but he's also called for opening those areas up to more private oil and gas drilling, coal mining and logging. He's opposed regulations to protect waters in national parks from toxic pollution, which is also the agency's responsibility.

The League of Conservation Voters gave him a 4 percent "lifetime" score for his voting on national environmental issues as a freshman Montana representative.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Unlike President Donald Trump, Zinke has said he doesn't think climate change is a "hoax." But he is skeptical about the extent to which human activity plays a role.

“Climate is changing; man is an influence," he recently told the New York Times. "I think where there's debate on it is what that influence is, what we can do about it."

On Wednesday, Zinke vowed to protect U.S. lands while still boosting extraction of fossil fuels.

"Our public lands can once again be economic engines for our nation by creating jobs in energy, recreation, and conservation," he said in a statement following his Senate confirmation.

"By working with President Trump and Congress to reevaluate and fix flawed regulations that are barriers to job creation, we will unleash the economic opportunity within our borders," he added, although he assured that "creating jobs on public lands can and will be done in an environmentally responsible way during my tenure." 

---

Featured Video For You

---

A raging wildfire is threatening the iconic Glacier National Park

---

Topics Donald Trump

• Life
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Deals
• Games
• Science

• AMD Radeon RX 550 + Intel Pentium G4560
• The 9 best Quibi shows to watch on streaming service's launch day
• Netflix announces 'The Tiger King' after show with new interviews
• Yes, you can now pleasure yourself for a good cause
• ‘Jurassic World’: What was the headbutting dinosaur who saved the day?
• Tesla will cut salaries to weather the coronavirus pandemic
• This weird optical illusion will make you look twice
• 'Fleabag' stage show coming to Amazon — for charity
• 'Severance' Season 3 gets confirmed by Apple
• Chinese iPhone manufacturer has a strict coronavirus prevention strategy

• Everything coming to HBO Max in January 2021
• New Google Doodle celebrates the Great Conjunction
• Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is this year's horniest period drama: Review
• Zoom to launch support for M1 Macs
• Donald Trump Jr. doesn't seem to know which way framed photos of your children should face
• 'The Mandalorian' finale featured a guest appearance from the GOAT
• OnePlus has a phone that changes color, and it actually sounds useful
• These are the best signs from Australia's pro
• Brie Larson discusses 'Messy Truth’ VR at Infinity Festival
• 'The Book of Boba Fett' is a 'The Mandalorian' spinoff coming in 2021

• Best iPad deal: Save $100 on 13
• Buying a fun shower curtain is an easy way to brighten your home
• Sony unveils its new DualSense controller with improved triggers
• In 2020, 'semi' is the new 'ex,' because not every relationship is official
• The EPA axed its climate change websites, but NASA's are still intact
• Tesla will cut salaries to weather the coronavirus pandemic
• Um guys, did Melania Trump just brutally troll her husband on Twitter?
• Headspace offers free guided meditations and workouts for New Yorkers
• Skype is finally shutting down
• 'Paddington' is a truly comforting watch if you’ve ever moved cities

• Episode 4: The Wave of the Future
• Could this be the first septic tank to look like a beloved Disney character?
• Jack Dorsey invites you to follow along via Google Docs as he spends $1 billion on COVID
• Wyoming residents are wearing tutus to protest a senator's homophobic remarks
• Trump tells '60 Minutes' that climate change will 'change back again'
• Tip: Use iMessage Tapbacks for impromptu polls
• J.K. Rowling annihilates Trump supporter in 1 brutal tweet
• TCL enters smartphone territory with its very own lineup of devices
• U.N. aims to make carbon emissions cost money at COP 25 climate talks
• Could this be the first septic tank to look like a beloved Disney character?