President Bush plans to pick a Westerner to head the Interior Department, the White House chief of staff said.

The job of Interior Secretary has often gone to someone from the West. Past secretaries include Bruce Babbitt from Arizona, Manuel Lujan from New Mexico and Don Hodel from Oregon.

Norton held the job for five years. She was confirmed in late January 2001 by the closest margin in history.

Her predecessor will inherit a department that must balance conservation of public lands with development of those lands. The job also requires an understanding of tribal sovereignty and the trust responsibility.

Get the Story:
Bush to look West when replacing Interior's Norton (The Denver Post 3/12)
Finding next Interior leader may not be easy (Scripps Howard News Service 3/11)
Why Interior is such a difficult agency to lead (The Christian Science Monitor 3/13)

Resignation Letter:
Norton to Bush (March 9, 2006)

News Release:
Secretary Norton Announces Departure from Interior (DOI 3/10)

Relevant Links:
Interior Department - http://www.doi.gov

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