A new Secretary of the Interior will take office in a very short time with the imminent departure of outgoing Secretary Ken Salazar. NRPA has had an enduring interest in the person who holds this cabinet position due to its critical responsibilities for our nation’s lands, waters, natural resources, and parks.

Sally Jewell, the CEO of Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI), who was nominated by President Obama, appears to be an inspired choice for the job of Secretary of Interior. She comes not from the ranks of Congress or the politically well-connected, but from the business world as a CEO of a large outdoor recreation supply company. Her degree in mechanical engineering led her to work for Mobil Oil at one point in her varied job experiences, but she has remained a tireless advocate for conservation and open space throughout her career.

There is much at stake for parks, outdoor recreation, and conservation in America for the person who next occupies the position of Interior Secretary—their challenges will be immediate and daunting. Despite the fact that outdoor recreation is now recognized as an essential and important component of the U.S. economy, generating nearly $700 billion per year and employing more than 6 million people, there will be incredible pressures to expand energy development, often at the expense of the environment. In particular, oil and gas drilling by traditional means and fracking, on federal public lands and in U.S waters, places many of the natural resources for which these lands were first protected at risk.

Paradoxically, the source for funding our nation’s investment in federal, state, and local public recreation and conservation lands, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), derives its funds from royalty payments from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas drilling. It is now perhaps at the greatest risk it has ever been in its 50-year history as it faces congressional pressures to cut funding.

NRPA recommends that the new Secretary keep these priorities at the top of her agenda:

• Recognize that the federal interest can be best served by enabling and investing in local-state-federal cooperation.
• Place a greater focus on urban populations and the need for conservation and recreation in urban areas.
• Fiercely defend investments in our states and communities through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• Follow NRPA’s Three Pillars: Conservation, Health & Wellness, and Social Equity.

Secretary Jewell, NRPA is ready and willing to work with you to achieve these goals.

Barbara Tulipane, CAE