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MARCH 9, 2001

In what has quickly become standard practice for the once controversial Cabinet member, Gale Norton on Thursday identified yet another one of her top priorities as Secretary of Interior.

At a National Environmental Policy Institute (NEPI) conference in Washington, DC, Norton promised to make consultation of state and local governments a regular practice in her department. "We must move past geographic and partisan barriers so we can bring state and local priorities to Washington," she said.

But while summit attendees were appreciative of Norton's words, they weren't nearly as enthusiastic as tribal leaders were last month. Then, more than 300 leaders from all over Indian Country eagerly applauded Norton's vow to become their biggest supporter.

Yet the state and local leaders whom Norton addressed yesterday probably have much more in common with her than tribal leaders do. A states' rights advocate, Norton throughout her 20-year career as a public official and private lawyer has embraced NEPI's attempt to make Capitol Hill more aware of the issues facing state and local governments.

The way in which Norton is approaching the issue, however, might leave some questioning her motives. She first attacked her critics for painting her record as one of favoring development over conservation.

"If you watched television or picked up a newspaper during my confirmation hearings, you may have noticed some groups decided that attacking me might fill their fund-raising coffers," said Norton. "When those groups unleashed their version of what I supposedly stood for the last 20 years -- I wondered where I had been, or if they had mistaken me for another 'Gale Norton.'"

As quickly as she decried the efforts of her opponents like the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters as "shrill and divisive," she appeared to do the same to her Democratic predecessors. Accusing the Clinton administration and former Secretary Bruce Babbitt of "not listening to people," Norton blasted their national monument designations as short-sighted.

"They didn't include a single dollar to build a visitor center," Norton said. "They didn't even include money to put up one sign so visitors can actually find the new monuments."

"And worse yet, they didn't work in concert with local property owners, elected officials and other people whose lives were affected to ask their input or their ideas," she asserted.

But just as she claimed of her detractors, Norton's blanket characterizations aren't entirely correct. As members of her own party will admit, the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico, for example, received bipartisan support from New Mexico's Congressional delegation, as well as endorsements from Cochiti Pueblo, property owners, and local officials.

Still, Norton said she won't try to overturn any of the recently designated monuments. She also hasn't provided specifics on how she will fund them, either. The Department's more detailed budget will be released next month.

Get Norton's Speech:
Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Interior Secretary Norton to the National Environmental Policy Institute Summit in Washington DC (3/9)

Relevant Links:
The National Environmental Policy Institute - www.nepi.org

Related Stories:
Norton pushes Indian agenda (Politics 3/1)
Norton to address Indian Affairs Committee (Politics 2/28)
Norton outlines Indian Country priorities (Politics 2/23)
Norton fields questions from tribal leaders (Politics 2/23)
Norton warns of Interior budget cuts (Politics 2/16)