Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke testified before a Senate committee last month about the agency’s planned $11.7 billion budget for 2019.

He has proposed doubling entry fees during peak seasons at some of the nation’s most popular national parks to help make up for an $11 billion backlog in needed maintenance.

At the same time, an Interior advisory committee has proposed cutting royalty fees paid by energy companies to drill for oil and natural gas in federal waters.

On Tuesday, the department said it had “amended the plan” after overwhelming public comments against the proposal, the Associated Press reported, and would not press for the steepest increases.

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke testifies before Congress March 13, 2018; courtesy: US Senate

The former Navy SEAL flashed with anger when the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s ranking Democrat pressed him on whether he could justify increasing US park fees for working Americans when he has been spending taxpayer money on chartered airplane flights.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington asked Zinke if it was a mistake for him to spend $12,375 on a late-night trip in June from Las Vegas to his home state of Montana on a private jet.

“Well, first, insults and innuendos are misleading. I never took a private jet anywhere,” Zinke said, adding that all three flights he had taken on private planes as secretary were on aircraft driven by propellers, not jet engines.

Zinke also referenced a report last week by The Associated Press that the Interior Department is spending nearly $139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office at the agency’s headquarters.

“I resent the fact of your insults, I resent the fact they’re misleading, I resent the fact of the doors,” Zinke said to Cantwell, the tone of his voice growing sharp. “And I’ll go through line by line. … To allege that it’s a private jet is inappropriate, ma’am.”

Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park; courtesy: NPS & David Restivo

At the March 13 hearing, Zinke also defended recent and proposed increases to US park fees. Currently, the Park Service charges per vehicle entry fees of $25 or $30 to enter the busiest national parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion.

Zinke had proposed fee hikes of up to $70 per vehicle.

“When you give discounted or free passes to elderly, fourth graders, veterans, disabled, and you do it by the carload, there’s not a whole lot of people who actually pay at our front door,” Zinke said. “So, we’re looking at ways to make sure we have more revenue in the front door of our parks themselves.”