Interior secretary lauds Bush environmental policies
Monday, March 1, 2004 7:28 AM PST
By Associated Press
Printable version
E-mail this articleEVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- The Bush administration's environmental policies have increased protection of endangered species and conservation of fragile lands, Interior Secretary Gale Norton says.
"We have a new way with a new approach that relies on getting people involved" and having less government intervention, Norton said Saturday at the annual Lincoln Day dinner, a GOP fund-raiser.
Norton was joined by gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. George Nethercutt, who also spoke at the event drawing more than 400 people.
Norton lauded the federal administration's shift to preserve the nation's environmental legacy and economic vitality with "cooperative conservation."
She cited the Healthy Forests initiative, which critics say will be a giveaway to logging interests. Norton said the program will help thin forests of potential fire fuels and improve the long-term health of those resources. Congress is considering whether to approve $760 million to fund the policy.
"We have done terrific things. We've done it in a way that is based on common sense," said Norton, the first woman to run the federal agency that manages 507 million acres of land. "It is done by bringing people together. With your help, we can get the word out on our accomplishments."
Norton refused to comment on the proposed creation of a 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness Area in eastern Snohomish County.
"I've been hearing about it on this trip," she told The Herald of Everett, "but I'm not aware of the details."
A bill to establish Wild Sky passed the U.S. Senate in November but has failed to get to the full House.
"I worked on wilderness legislation in Colorado, and I know it was successful," Norton said. "The legislation requires that everyone in the community be involved and everybody be comfortable with the proposal."
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Past Month's Most Commented Stories