I?ve spent some time this week reading up on Sally Jewell, President?s Obama?s nominee to replace Ken Salazar as secretary of the Interior.
As Interior secretary, Jewell, 56, would oversee some 500 million acres of federal lands ? from national parks, seashores, and monuments to wildlife refuges. The department also administers the Endangered Species Act, fights wildfires, and awards leases for oil, gas, coal, and even grazing through the Bureau of Land Management.
In articles about her nomination in the media, Jewell ? the first woman among Obama?s second-term Cabinet nominees — has been called a ?surprise nominee,? a ?political outsider,? an astute businesswoman, and a passionate lover of the outdoors.
I was looking at the articles for a hint of where Jewell might stand some conflicts about uses of public lands, such as those we?ve had here on the Outer Banks.
In this part of the country, advocates for a less restrictive, more science based off-road vehicle management plan in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore clash with outside environmental groups and the goals of the managers of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge don?t always mesh with the efforts to keep a transportation route on Hatteras up and running.
I came away from my Internet search thinking that Jewell is a very interesting woman, but somewhat of an enigma.
She is a Seattle businesswoman, who has been president and CEO of the cooperatively owned outdoor and recreational retailing giant Recreational Equipment Inc., also known as REI, since 2005.
She graduated from the University of Washington with a mechanical engineering degree, worked for Mobil in the oil fields, and was a banker before becoming president and CEO of REI.
She is also an avid outdoorswoman ? a mountaineer, marathon runner, skier, snowboarder, and kayaker.
She has worked, mostly behind the scenes, on conservation causes.
She is a board member of the National Parks Conservation Association, which is one of groups suing to stop the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration from their plan to replace the Bonner Bridge.
She was a founding member and past president of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and has worked on issues of funding for national parks.
She has donated money to Obama and was invited to the White House to participate with other business leaders in a meeting on containing health care costs. However, she made a high-profile campaign appearance with John McCain in his 2008 presidential campaign.
In nominating her, Obama, said in part, that ?she is an expert on the energy and climate issues that are going to shape our future? and that ?she knows the link between conservation and jobs.?
Her nomination has drawn praise from both environmental groups and the oil and gas industry.
?Sally Jewell has the mind of an engineer, the heart of an environmentalist, and the know-how of a businesswoman,? Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke said in a statement.
According to The Seattle Times, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said Jewell has ?a demonstrated commitment to preserving the higher purposes public lands hold for all Americans ? recreation, adventure, and enjoyment.?
Also according to The Times, Tim Wigley, president of the Western Energy Alliance, welcomed her nomination and said, ?Her experience as a petroleum engineer and business leader will bring a unique perspective to an office that is key to our nation?s energy portfolio.
On Capitol Hill, Jewell?s nomination was praised by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who said she had worked with Jewell on public lands issues.
Sen. Patty Murkowski, a Republican, took a wait-and-see attitude and said she wanted to hear how Jewell would restore ?balance to the Interior Department.?
U.S. Rep. Bob Bishop, chairman of the House subcommittee on public lands, was quoted in several publication blasting REI?s ties to ?special interest groups? with ?radical political agendas.
Interior secretaries in the recent past have been powerful politicians from Western states.
Some, like Obama, see Jewell?s status as a political outsider as an asset. Obama commented that she has spent the majority of her career outside of Washington, D.C., ?where, I might add, the majority of our interior is located.?
Others see her lack of political heft as a sign that Interior policy decisions could become more centralized in the White House.
And although many see the Obama White House as too liberal and environmentally oriented, recent events don?t totally bear that out.
According to The Washington Post, Bruce Babbitt, President Clinton?s Interior secretary, recently gave a speech at the Press Club in Washington in which he challenged Obama to set aside one acre permanently for conservation for every acre he leases for oil and gas development.
?So far, under President Obama, industry has been winning the race as it obtains more and more land for oil and gas,? he said. ?In the Obama era, land conservation is running behind.
I couldn?t find much on the Internet that Sally Jewell has had to say about her role as Interior secretary, other than that she was ?humbled? and ?energized? by the nomination.
It appears that she probably will not have a difficult time being confirmed. Salazar says he wants to leave by the end of March.
I?ve included links to some articles on Jewell?s nomination, and, as you will see, it is far from clear how she will deal with the issues we face with our public lands with on the Outer Banks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020298271_sallyjewellxml.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/06/interior-secretary-rei-ceo-profile/1895759/
http://seattletimes.com/html/outdoors/2002216426_rei23.html
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/unsolicited-advice-for-sally-jewell/?pagewanted=print
http://www.hcn.org/blogs/range/sally-jewells-adventure-of-a-lifetime#1361370880453858
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=65F35397-7995-4DD8-BA73-B6F46467FE53
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/15/3237007/sally-jewell-will-be-interiors.html
