WildEarth Guardians

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Colorado Group Urges Against Pick of Salazar for Interior Secretary

Ken Salazar Does Not Bring the Change We Need
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

DENVER - WildEarth Guardians urges Obama not to name Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) as his Interior Secretary. Salazar’s track record demonstrates his hostility to Endangered Species Act (ESA) enforcement and deference to agribusiness and western water exploiters.

Current rumors that Salazar is Obama’s choice for the top Interior spot come on the heels of an Interior Inspector General’s report yesterday that ESA enforcement was routinely blocked under the Bush administration, with complicity at the highest levels in Interior.

“Ken Salazar does not bring the change we need at Interior,” stated Nicole Rosmarino of WildEarth Guardians. “Salazar will not take strong stances on behalf of science and environmental protection and is not up to the task of undoing the enormous damage the Bush administration has done to public lands, endangered species, and the credibility of the Department of the Interior over the last 8 years.”

While Colorado’s Attorney General, in 1999, Salazar threatened a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior if the Service listed the black-tailed prairie dog under the ESA. Rather than respecting the ESA’s requirement that listing decisions are to be based solely on science, Salazar and his co-authors complained about potential economic impacts of protecting the prairie dog from extinction. Earlier this month, even the Bush administration admitted that the black-tailed prairie dog might require ESA protection.

While Colorado’s U.S. Senator, Salazar continued to be very clear that he will not back ESA listings if they affect agribusiness. But many of the state’s vanishing species, including the black-tailed prairie dog, mountain plover, Gunnison’s prairie dog, lesser prairie-chicken, and others, are threatened by agribusiness and would likely remain unprotected under an Interior Secretary Salazar.

If appointed as Interior Secretary, Salazar would be the final word on ESA listings. Approximately 300 species await listing as formal candidates or species proposed for listing. The Bush administration has slowed the listing program down to a glacial pace, with only 8 species listings per year. Conservationists are hoping the incoming Interior Secretary will tackle this backlog of endangered but unprotected species by ramping up the listing program.

“There is a mountain of work to accomplish as Interior Secretary, and we do not believe Salazar would tackle it with the zeal that is needed and commitment to science, not politics,” stated Rosmarino.

Also alarming is Salazar’s endorsement of fellow-Coloradan Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior while he was Attorney General of Colorado. Norton preceded him as Colorado’s Attorney General. Norton made her mark as the most hostile Interior Secretary to endangered species and public lands protection since James Watt, her mentor, and save possibly current Interior Secretary Kempthorne.

WildEarth Guardians supports Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) for Interior Secretary, given Grijalva’s clear record of supporting strong environmental protection, particularly on ESA and public lands issues. Grijalva has received the support of 141 conservation groups and scientists for the Interior Secretary post.