Environmentalists Wary of Obama's Interior Pick

DECEMBER 17, 2008 Environmentalists Wary of Obama’s Interior Pick

By JOHN M. BRODER

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Interior Department, Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado, will inherit an agency demoralized by years of scandal, political interference and mismanagement. He must deal with the sharp tension between those who seek to exploit public lands for energy, minerals and recreation and those who want to preserve the lands. He will Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times be expected to restore scientific President-elect Barack Obama with choice to lead the Interior Department, Senator integrity to a department where it Ken Salazar of Colorado during a news conference in Chicago on Wednesday. has repeatedly been compromised. He will be responsible for ending the department’s coziness with in Washington that’s committed to mixed reviews of Mr. Salazar, 53, a the industries it regulates. And using our lands in a responsible way fi rst-term Democratic senator who he will have to work hard to to benefi t all our families,” Mr. Obama served as head of Colorado’s natural overcome skepticism among many said. “That means ensuring that even resources department and as the state’s environmentalists about his views on as we are promoting development attorney general. Mr. Salazar was not resource and wildlife issues. where it makes sense, we are also the fi rst choice of environmentalists, fulfi lling our obligation to protect our who openly pushed the appointment One senior Interior Department national treasures.” of Representative Raul Grijalva, executive described the job Mr. Democrat of Arizona, who has a Salazar has been chosen for as “the Mr. Salazar, wearing his customary strong record as a conservationist. booby prize of the Cabinet.” ten-gallon hat and bolo tie, said that his job entails helping the nation Oil and mining interests praised Mr. As Mr. Obama introduced Mr. Salazar address climate change through a Salazar’s performance as a state and Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa “moon shot” on energy independence. offi cial and as a senator, saying that governor tapped to be secretary of But that would include not just the he was not doctrinaire about the agriculture, at a press conference development of “green” energy use of public lands. “Nothing in his Wednesday in Chicago, he said their sources like wind power, but also the record suggests he’s an ideologue,” responsibility would be to balance the continued domestic development of said Luke Popovich, spokesman for protection of farms and public lands coal, oil and natural gas, fossil fuels the National Mining Association. against the need to fi nd new sources that generate greenhouse gases when “Here’s a man who understands the of energy. they are burned. issues, is open-minded and can see at least two sides of an issue.” “It’s time for a new kind of leadership Environmental advocates offered Mr. Popovich noted approvingly that sources, including those found on and Salazar — he’s their friend.” Mr. Salazar had tried to engineer a under public lands. deal in the Senate allowing mining Even as Mr. Salazar navigates the companies and others to reclaim “We are pleased that the president- department’s tricky political cross- abandoned mines without fear of elect has chosen someone who currents, he must also deal with lawsuits. (The legislation is pending.) understands that there is a direct significant internal management He has also supported robust research connection between federal lands and challenges. Members of Congress on technology to reduce carbon access to affordable, clean natural and outside groups are calling for dioxide emissions from coal-burning gas,” Mr. Smith said. review of dozens of decisions made under the Bush administration on power plants, something the coal While industry officials praised industry favors. endangered species and oil and gas his moderation, Mr. Salazar leasing. The senior management ranks He also backed a compromise that drew harsh criticism from some of the department have been depleted would let oil companies drill for environmentalists. by departures of demoralized career natural gas in limited parts of the Roan “He is a right-of-center Democrat employees. Plateau in northwestern Colorado, who often favors industry and big And the agency’s computer systems a plan that most environmental agriculture in battles over global advocates opposed. are badly in need of repair, after warming, fuel efficiency and millions of dollars have been spent Mr. Salazar is a fifth-generation endangered species,” said Kieran on systems that have not worked, Coloradan who grew up on a ranch Suckling, executive director of Center according to several internal near the New Mexico border. He has for Biological Diversity, which tracks reports. been a farmer, lawyer and small- endangered species and habitat business man as well as a public issues. “He is very unlikely to bring servant. signifi cant change to the scandal- plagued Department of Interior. It’s Pam Kiely, program director at a very disappointing choice for a Environment Colorado, said Mr. presidency which promised visionary Salazar had been a champion of change.” wilderness protection and of strong water quality laws, and had raised Daniel R. Patterson, formerly an questions about the environmental offi cial of the Interior Department’s costs of oil shale development, a Bureau of Land Management and subject of great controversy in the now southwest regional director of the Mountain West. She said he had not Public Employees for Environmental spoken out forcefully against oil Responsibility, an advocacy group, and gas development in millions of said that Mr. Salazar has justifi ably acres of national forests and roadless become the most controversial of Mr. areas. Obama’s cabinet appointees. “We hope he continues to play a role “Salazar has a disturbingly weak in ensuring that, as we develop our conservation record, particularly mineral rights in these incredibly on energy development, global sensitive areas, we require industry warming, endangered wildlife and to put in place safeguards that protect protecting scientifi c integrity,” said our health, environment, water and Mr. Patterson, who was elected air quality,” Ms. Kiely said. last month to the Arizona House of Representatives from Tucson and Marc Smith, executive director of the who supports fellow Arizonan Mr. Independent Petroleum Association Grijalva for the Interior job. “It’s of Mountain States, said in a statement no surprise oil and gas, mining, that Mr. Salazar understood that agribusiness and other polluting energy security can be achieved only industries that have dominated by making use of all domestic energy Interior are supporting rancher