Sally Jewell Should Move Forward as Secretary of Interior

Media Contacts

Environment America

Washington, D.C. – Moments ago the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to confirm Sally Jewell, President Obama’s nominee to head the Department of the Interior. Mary Rafferty, conservation program coordinator for Environment America, released the following statement:

“Sally Jewell is a strong choice for the next Secretary of the Interior, given her passion for the great outdoors and the values that have driven her work as a volunteer and a philanthropist.

“Many of America’s public landscapes, from the forests of the Pacific Northwest to the beaches along the Gulf Coast, are under increased threat from overdevelopment and pollution from mining, drilling and logging. Some of our most iconic public places, such as the San Juan Islands, still lack permanent protections. Proposed rules for fracking on public lands need to be dramatically stronger. And we need to swiftly and responsibly harness pollution-free wind power off our coasts.

“We encourage the Senate to swiftly confirm Sally Jewell’s nomination, as there is no time to waste in protecting America’s treasured landscapes. We look forward to continuing our work with the Department of the Interior under Jewell’s leadership.”