Environmental News: Media Center

WASHINGTON (January 16, 2013) – Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that he will leave office in late March.

Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke made the following statement:

“Secretary Salazar has worked to strike a balance between responsible use and vital protection of the natural resources we share. He's laid a sound foundation for solar power on federal lands, while protecting special areas where development doesn't make sense. He moved quickly to improve public oversight of offshore drilling in the wake of the BP oil disaster. And he’s worked to end the global bazaar in polar bears, where his continued leadership will be vital in the waning months of his tenure.

“The next secretary will take office at a challenging time. They must clear out the unconscionable backlog that keeps endangered wildlife from getting the protection they need. They must do more to protect our waters, ranches, communities and farms from the ravages of gas and oil production. And they must learn from Shell's disastrous performance in recent months that we cannot expose Arctic waters to the perils of offshore drilling.”