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DECEMBER 29, 2000

Ending weeks of speculation in Indian Country on the issue, President-elect George Bush today nominated Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior.

The naming of Norton over the defeated Senator Slade Gorton (R-Wash) is likely to send a sigh of relief for tribal leaders. And although Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo) wasn't chosen, Norton is a fellow Coloradan, having served two terms as the state's Attorney General beginning in 1991.

But for many, Norton's nomination is likely to raise concerns. The Environmental Working Group, a public interest organization based in Washington, DC, has criticized Norton as being "anti-environmental."

Norton is a former staff member of Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF), the Colorado-based organization which has ties with the "wise use" movement, whose proponents advocate opening up the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge for development and the use of all federal public lands for natural resource mining. MSLF sponsored the first "wise use" conference in 1988.

MSLF also counts as past members James Watt, a former Secretary of Interior, and Anne Gorsuch, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Both were appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan and resigned within his first term amid controversy.

Bush perhaps alluded slightly to some of Norton's views today by saying the Interior "will find ways to develop our nations' resources in a balanced and an environmentally friendly way."

Norton also added: "the Department of the Interior faces the challenge of seeing that our land is used in an environmentally responsible way. We must build strong partnerships, as the president-elect said, with states, local governments, and private citizens to make thoughtful decisions about natural resources."

When asked about Bush's support of development in the Arctic, Norton said she agreed with his position.

As head of the Interior, Norton will oversee the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She will be the boss of the new head of the BIA, as Kevin Gover is vacating the position.

Norton was a former associate solicitor for the Interior under President Ronald Reagan. President George Bush, Bush's father, also nominated her to sit on the Western Water Policy Commission.

Bush today nominated Rod Paige as Secretary of Education, Anthony Principi as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Get the Announcement:
Announcement of new Cabinet posts (eMediaMillWorks 12/29)

Relevant Links:
Western Water Policy Commission - www.den.doi.gov/wwprac