Digitized DOI visitor logs published by Friends of the Earth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Friends of the Earth today published a digitized version of the 2017 handwritten visitor logs for the Department of Interior main building in Washington, D.C., which were released under the Freedom of Information Act. DOI has not released any logs from 2018.

Friends of the Earth carefully examined the logs to decipher the handwriting and identify the affiliations of visitors who signed in to meet key officials. The online logs are not complete, as some visitors have been able to enter the building without signing in and handwriting is illegible for some entries.

As the Department of the Interior continues to conceal meetings between Zinke and corporate interests, the searchable database of visitors is a vital resource.

The database is available to search here.

In response to the records, Friends of the Earth Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager Nicole Ghio issued the following statement:

Zinke’s Department of Interior is working to cut the public out of the decision-making process as they give away our lands and waters to the mining and drilling industries. These records reveal the extent to which Zinke has opened the door to fossil fuel companies and corporate interests looking to sidestep protections for public lands.

The public has a right to know who the Department of Interior is meeting with, especially when those meetings decide the fate of our treasured lands and waters without the input of the American people.

Expert contact: Nicole Ghio, (510) 900-8061, [email protected]
Communications contact: Patrick Davis, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]