NRDC Supports President-elect Obama's Appointments of Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture
On the appointment of Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Frances Beinecke, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), made the following statement
“President-elect Obama has made another strong selection in rounding out his energy and environmental team by naming Ken Salazar as head of the Interior Department. Salazar has demonstrated leadership in Congress as a supporter of clean, renewable energy, as opposed to unsustainable, destructive energy sources. In this role, Salazar will be in an important position to protect public land and bring diverse interests together to benefit our country and its natural resources. The Interior Department will be one of the key agencies in moving America toward clean energy, which will cut global warming pollution and restart our economy.”
Regarding the selection of Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to head the Department of Agriculture, Henry Henderson, Director of the Midwest Program of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), issued the following statement:
“Governor Vilsack is a great fit for Department of Agriculture, which will be responsible for restoring the environment and ensuring the economic vitality of America's farms and rural areas for years to come. His leadership will be essential for cleaning up our national forests and wildlife management, dealing with genetically modified crops, pushing for expanded research for responsible energy sources, and controlling the threat of pesticides across the country.
“Governor Vilsack follows the proud tradition of Iowa Secretaries of Agriculture, like the Wallaces, who have led with a focus on the sciences, economics and ecology to advance the department. Under Obama's guidance, Vilsack will bring the agricultural sector together with the new administration's focus on clean energy, global warming and economic recovery.”