WILL LOOK AT NATIONAL PARK GUN RULE, MINING LAW

Salazar Outlines His Priorities

By Bill Schneider, 1-28-09

	Newly confirmed Interior Secretary talks to group of National Park Service managers. Photo courtesy of the Department of the Interior.

This morning, I dialed into what’s called a “pen and pad” news teleconference with Ken Salazar, newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior. Frank Quimby, Salazar’s media staffer, introduced the meeting by saying his new boss has received so many requests for interviews, including one from me, that he has not been able to respond, so as an alternative, he was holding the teleconference to answer questions.

Regrettably, there were so many reporters in queue ahead of me that even after an hour, I didn’t get to him with my questions, but here are some tidbits of what our new Interior Secretary had to say.

Before he answered any questions, Salazar took ten minutes to outline his priorities, which in the order he listed them, were:

1. Reforming the Interior Department to restore the confidence of the people of America. Interesting that Salazar would list this as his first priority, but he obviously felt strongly about it and made several references to scandals raging over the department’s implementation of various policies and laws, especially omnipresent claims of letting politics trump science in key decisions. “We expect the highest ethics and performance from all employees of the department,” he said, “including basing decisions on good science.”

2. Work with President Obama to make sure we become an energy independent nation. “I feel very strongly about this issue,” he added.

3. Restoring and protecting our national landscape. Specifically, he suggested developing a national program modeled after a popular and successful program in his home state called Great Outdoors Colorado, a state trust fund established by a 1992 ballot measure financed by state lottery proceeds and used to “preserve, protect and enhance Colorado’s wildlife, parks, rivers, trails and open spaces.”

4. Helping implement and promote President Obama’s vision of community service. He went on mention programs where young people could work in the national parks and in other department jobs and have the opportunity to “experience the great outdoors.”

5. Restore a trusting relationship with Indian tribes.

6. Dealing with huge water challenges.

In response to questions he also said:

• The Bush administration’s rule to allow loaded, concealed guns in national parks would be “one of the rules we’ll look at.”

• He hoped Congress to include a “significant infusion of dollars for national parks” into the upcoming economic stimulus bill. “We need a second moon shot to restore and enhance our national parks.”

• The department will address hard rock mining issues. “There is a consensus that the 1872 law needs to be changed.”

In related news, yesterday, Salazar named Obama’s transition team member David Hayes as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, a key position for the West because of its influence over natural resources, national parks and wildlife management. Dan Kemmis of Missoula had been mentioned as candidate for this position.

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