U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton Resigns
Friday March 10, 2006
U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton today announced her resignation, ending a controversial five-year term in which she expanded drilling, logging and development on public lands in the Western United States and fought to open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration.
“Now I feel it is time for me to leave this mountain you gave me to climb, catch my breath, then set my sights on new goals to achieve in the private sector,” Norton wrote in her letter of resignation to President Bush. Norton’s resignation will become effective at the end of March.
In responding to Norton’s resignation, President Bush said: “Gale Norton has been a strong advocate for the wise use and protection of our Nation's natural resources and a valuable member of my Administration. I appreciate Gale's dedicated service to our country, and I wish Gale and John all the best."
Norton, 51, is the first woman to become Secretary of the Interior. Formerly from Colorado, Norton said she and her husband "hope to end up closer to the mountains we love in the West."
Environmentalists applauded Norton’s exit, but warned that whoever President Bush names as her successor could be just as damaging to the environment.
"As Interior Secretary, Gale Norton was an unpopular symbol of unpopular policies. Americans do not believe their public lands should be sold to the highest bidder, and they don't believe in privatizing their parks, forests, monuments. While the symbol of those unpopular policies may be leaving, we don't expect those unpopular policies to change,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, in a statement.
"Unless the Bush administration reverses direction, her replacement will merely be a different fox guarding the hen house. Considering that the administration is currently lobbying to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and our coasts to destructive drilling, it's hard to imagine that the next Interior Secretary will be allowed to promote smart energy solutions that protect sensitive lands, waters and wildlife habitat,” Pope said.
“Now I feel it is time for me to leave this mountain you gave me to climb, catch my breath, then set my sights on new goals to achieve in the private sector,” Norton wrote in her letter of resignation to President Bush. Norton’s resignation will become effective at the end of March.
In responding to Norton’s resignation, President Bush said: “Gale Norton has been a strong advocate for the wise use and protection of our Nation's natural resources and a valuable member of my Administration. I appreciate Gale's dedicated service to our country, and I wish Gale and John all the best."
Norton, 51, is the first woman to become Secretary of the Interior. Formerly from Colorado, Norton said she and her husband "hope to end up closer to the mountains we love in the West."
Environmentalists applauded Norton’s exit, but warned that whoever President Bush names as her successor could be just as damaging to the environment.
"As Interior Secretary, Gale Norton was an unpopular symbol of unpopular policies. Americans do not believe their public lands should be sold to the highest bidder, and they don't believe in privatizing their parks, forests, monuments. While the symbol of those unpopular policies may be leaving, we don't expect those unpopular policies to change,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, in a statement.
"Unless the Bush administration reverses direction, her replacement will merely be a different fox guarding the hen house. Considering that the administration is currently lobbying to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and our coasts to destructive drilling, it's hard to imagine that the next Interior Secretary will be allowed to promote smart energy solutions that protect sensitive lands, waters and wildlife habitat,” Pope said.
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