For Immediate Release: March 8, 2001

Contact: Mark Pfeifle 202-208-6416

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by
The Hon. Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
National Environmental Policy Institute Summit
Marriott Metro Center, Washington, DC
March 8^th, 2001, 9 a.m. Eastern

Thank you, Congressman Ritter for that kind introduction.

It is wonderful to be here this morning. I'm honored to have been asked by Congressman Ritter to speak to you today.

Congressman Ritter - and the National Environmental Policy Institute - have long been leaders in strengthening partnerships among communities, among businesses and environmentalists, and among federal, state and local governments. And I'm pleased to help begin the NEPI summit today.

So far, I've had a very busy, exciting and productive five weeks as Secretary of the Interior. I've learned, I've listened, I've started the budget process, and last weekend I made a quick journey back West - to prepare for possible forest fires and begin preparation for the 200^th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

And the trip reminded me that as honored as I was when President Bush asked me to work in his administration, and serve as Secretary, it wasn't easy to leave my home out West in Colorado and move inside the Beltway.

But the change in scenery wasn't the only interesting experience I've had in the last few months. If you watched television or picked up a newspaper during my confirmation hearings, you may have noticed some groups decided that attacking me might fill their fund-raising coffers.

When those groups unleashed their version of what I supposedly stood for the last 20 years - I wondered where I had been, or if they had mistaken me for another "Gale Norton."

You could say the honeymoon enjoyed by the Bush Administration was about as long as the one enjoyed by that couple from "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire."

But there's a real problem facing Washington D.C. - too often groups are pit against each other. And unfortunately, political conversation too often becomes shrill and divisive.

And that's why this Summit's theme is also one of my top priorities as Secretary: We must move past geographic and partisan barriers so we can bring state and local priorities to Washington.

President Bush campaigned on changing the tone in Washington. And President Bush is committed to empowering local people with more of their own resources and with a larger voice in their government.

And it's one of the reasons I am firmly dedicated to a process called the "Four C's": they are consultation, cooperation, communication ... and all in the service of conservation.

Between landowners and environmentalists; between state officials and federal officials. And of course between each of you here today and the Department of the Interior.

From the federal level, we need some standards. We need scientific information that everybody around the country can utilize and learn from.

Unfortunately, some in Washington think they understand an issue because they've flipped through a binder full of briefing papers; some in Washington believe the free market cannot be the environment's friend; some in Washington believe the only way to protect the environment is through Washington-based command and control.

But it's local people who see problems with their very own eyes who often know the best solutions.

I learned this first-hand as Colorado attorney general.

I became highly involved in the process of bringing people with diverse backgrounds together to achieve shared goals. Whenever a problem arose between different levels of government and groups of people - my phone started ringing.

I worked hard to build an honest line of communication between all levels of government, environmentalists, property owners, businesses that create jobs and prosperity, and other groups willing to work together to accomplish our common missions.

And I'm proud of our accomplishments in Colorado.

We preserved endangered species; we cleaned up mountain valleys polluted by mining; we prosecuted polluters; and we worked to convert the Rocky Mountain Arsenal from a place polluted by pesticides and nerve gas residues to a wildlife refuge once again thriving with habitat.

But we couldn't have achieved those results, if we had not listened to all voices and involved all citizens.

That's a main reason why nearly 90 percent of Department of the Interior employees live and work outside of Washington. And that's why I had a simple request for Department employees when I talked with all of them for the first time three weeks ago:

I asked for their help. I asked for their input. I asked for their ideas. I asked for their innovations. And sometimes I'll even ask for their criticisms. And today I ask the same from you. Well, except for that "criticisms" part.

Seriously, I make this commitment to you today: the Department of the Interior is your ally. We are here to listen, provide help and work with you to accomplish our shared goals.

A prime example of government not listening to people happened just a few months ago, when - in their final hours - the previous administration suddenly designated over 2.9 million acres of national monuments. That's bigger than the state of Connecticut.

But the previous administration took little trouble to assure that the monuments can be maintained. They didn't include a single new ranger to protect the monuments and guide people through the sites.

They didn't include a single dollar to build a visitor center. They didn't even include money to put up one sign so visitors can actually find the new monuments. And worse yet, they didn't work in concert with local property owners, elected officials and other people whose lives were affected to ask their input or their ideas.

I'm dedicated to charting a new course. I'm opening up lines of communications that have not always been properly fostered.

I want to partner with local people at the beginning of the process - not at the end. I'll ask for their advice to find innovative ways to care for and protect precious national treasures.

Clearly, this approach is challenging. It's easy for Washington to say we'll just set huge swaths of the American landscape off-limits to Americans. Or, at the other extreme, to say we'll exploit resources without worrying about the environment.

I favor neither of these approaches. I believe that we can be creative and innovative - that we can have a vibrant, healthy environment - and utilize it, too.

I believe there are good ideas all over America - not just in Washington - and I believe in the value of developing partnerships and listening to people.

We can take the challenge and chart a new path for environmental protection. We can break away from coercive, bureaucratic approaches. In the long run, these approaches are counterproductive. They create conflict and turn attention away from problem solving.

For example, we can build on the principle of respect for property rights. Farmers and ranchers are often the best stewards of the land. We can achieve more by working with them - and capitalizing on their intimate knowledge of the land they depend on and the land they love.

Let me give you an example. Suppose you were out walking on your farm one day, and found an incredibly rare type of mineral - something that was highly valued by people all across the world. You would be excited and happy - because obviously you would soon be extremely wealthy.

On the other hand, suppose you make a similar discovery, but the discovery is a rare and beautiful bird. Thousands of avid bird watchers would give their eye-teeth just for a glimpse - and lucky you, one has landed on your farm. You're so happy ... right?

Wrong! Instead of great wealth, you face economic devastation.

There is something profoundly wrong with a system that gives such perverse results. It creates conflict and hardship, instead of environmental stewardship.

A great example of diverse groups working together involves the Aplomado falcon.

These are magnificent birds adorned with steel-gray wings, a long dark tail, and white eye stripes. But until recently, the falcons only inhabited parts of Latin America, after being uprooted from their historical habitat in the Southern U.S.

However, with the initiative of a private non-profit organization, The Peregrine Fund, this is changing. The Peregrine Fund partnered with a National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to release 26 young falcons on federally owned property.

Subsequent releases have been made on the Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge - and with a partnership on a private ranch. So far, over 100 falcons have been released and -- over 70 percent reached independence. Because a private group partnered with the federal government and a local rancher - today this falcon is flying high. ...

It will be challenging to move from our current system of conflict to one of cooperation - but with President Bush, we can make it happen.

For example, President Bush has proposed using landowner incentive programs to give technical assistance, habitat enhancement tools, and financial reward to foster win-win solutions - benefitting landowners, endangered species and our national treasures.

We must also harness 21^st century technology to help our environment. Where we once needed scores of oil wells to tap underground reserves, today we can use one hole on the surface to drill for oil in a circle extending seven miles away. We can use the resources below the ground while we preserve the landscape and habitat above.

President Bush has also committed to rejuvenating our national parks after years of neglect. We now have a $5 billion backlog of maintenance projects.

That's why the Department of Interior will send specialists to our parks to determine what needs to be done and work to eliminate the backlogs that have for too long been obstacles to resource protection and enjoyment by American families.

We couldn't have dynamic innovations, or this knowledge or insight without local involvement. Those of us in Washington need to be good partners with Americans living in other parts of this country and in our territories.

Here's the perfect example: trout populations in the West are vanishing due to a parasite that causes Whirling Disease. Local scientists, fisherman and other concerned citizens formed a non-profit group called the Whirling Disease Foundation.

The foundation - along with their partners at the Fish and Wildlife Service and several Western Universities - have joined together and quickly determined how the parasite attacks and which waters the parasite prowls.

The results: Trout populations have stabilized - and in many cases they're on the rebound. It's local people, solving local problems with help - not hindrance - from the government.

America is a stronger nation because of the diversity of its people. Every person in this room holds different views and perspectives with different sources of knowledge and ideas.

That's why it's so important that I work with you; involve you; benefit from your creativity; and appreciate your capacity to innovate and think outside the box.

Not just because it helps us get along better. Not just because it helps protect our nation's wild places, endangered species and precious resources. But because it is the right thing to do.

I thank each of you here today; for you're concern; for your passion to make our air cleaner; our water purer; and our environment stronger! Thank you.

-DOI-