Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: March 1, 2000

Contact: John Wright 202-208-6416

Secretary Babbitt Praises Confirmation of Sylvia Baca
as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt praised the Senate's confirmation last night of President Clinton's nomination of Sylvia V. Baca as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management.

"Ms. Baca has brought enormous talents to my leadership team," said Babbitt. "In her years of service with the department, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to conservation and an understanding of complex natural resource development issues. A dependable pinch-hitter in several key positions, she has developed a reputation as an effective consensus-builder with an open door to all constituents and stakeholders."

Secretary Babbitt noted that "As a native New Mexican, Ms. Baca is knowledgeable about and dedicated to western issues. She greatly helps to fulfill the Interior Department's mission of responsible stewardship of the nation's public lands and resources."

The Senate action last night confirmed Baca's responsibility for overseeing the Minerals Management Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Before being nominated for the position by President Clinton in August 1999, Baca had served as Acting Assistant Secretary since October 1998.

Ms. Baca joined the Interior Department in 1995 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. She also served a seven-month stint (January - August 1997) as Interim Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Before joining the Clinton Administration, she served as Director of Finance and Management for the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was responsible for the fiscal integrity of city assets. Ms. Baca also held several positions in New Mexico State Government, including service with the Legislative Finance Committee and as Director of the state Minority and Small Business program.

A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ms. Baca received a Bachelor of University Studies in 1981, and a Master of Public Administration in 1989, from the University of New Mexico.

Management responsibilities for the Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement include 270 million acres of onshore public land; 570 million acres of subsurface minerals; mineral resources on the 1.4 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf; collection of more than $4 billion per year in mineral revenues; and management of surface mining and reclamation regulatory activities. The three agencies have combined budgets of almost $1.8 billion and more than 12,000 employees.

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