Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: April 21, 1999

Contact: John Wright 202/208-6416

Secretary Babbitt Announces the Appointment of David J. Hayes
as Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today announced the appointment of David J. Hayes as Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior. The Deputy Secretary is the second in command at Interior responsible for assisting the Secretary in supervising and administering the department's bureaus and offices. Hayes will carry out the duties and responsibilities accorded the position of Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

Hayes, 45, currently serves as Counselor to the Secretary, a position he has held since joining the Interior Department March 31, 1997. He will retain his current position and responsibilities of Counselor to the Secretary along with serving as Acting Deputy Secretary. As Counselor, Hayes works directly with Secretary Babbitt on key legal issues associated with water rights, federal land management, and the national parks. Among other responsibilities, Hayes negotiated the successful acquisition of Headwaters Forest in Northern California on behalf of the Administration.

"David Hayes has a fine legal mind and is an invaluable addition to the Interior management team," said Babbitt. "His negotiations and decisive management skills have been exceptional in addressing a large number of difficult issues facing the Department, including management of the nation's water resources."

Before entering federal service, Hayes practiced law for 20 years in the environmental and natural resources field. He worked as a leading environmental lawyer and partner in the Washington, D.C. office of the national law firm of Latham & Watkins (1990-97), where he chaired the firm's environmental department. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, he was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson. He is a former chairman of the Board of the Environmental Law Institute, a nonprofit research and publication center for environmental law and management professionals. He was a member of the Clinton/Gore Transition Team for the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992-93.

A native of Rochester, New York, Hayes received an A.B. from the University of Notre Dame in 1975, summa cum laude, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1978. He clerked for Judge William Jones and Judge Louis Oberdorfer on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School.

"I look forward to the challenges of this new responsibility and continuing my service as an integral part of Secretary Babbitt's dynamic team," said Hayes. "There is much to be done and I will do my best to contribute to the preservation of our country's natural resources, national parks, and federal lands for future generations."

Hayes and his wife Elizabeth reside in Arlington, VA with their three children, Katherine, Stephen and Molly.