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<H1 class=articleTitle id=articleTitle>Official: Obama to pick Sen. Salazar for
Interior</H1><!--subtitle--><!--byline-->
<DIV class=articleByline id=articleByline>The Times-Standard</DIV><!--date-->
<DIV class=articleDate id=articleDate>Posted: 12/16/2008 01:27:47 AM
PST</DIV>
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<DIV><A
href="http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11243255">http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11243255</A></DIV>
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<P>
<P>A transition official for President-elect Barack Obama says Colorado Sen. Ken
Salazar will be named Interior Secretary later this week, seemingly ending
speculation that the post could go to North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson,
D-St. Helena.
<P>The appointment will round out Obama's environment and energy team. He
unveiled most of the team on Monday. The official spoke on the condition of
anonymity to avoid pre-empting Obama's upcoming announcement.
<P>Salazar is a first-term Colorado Senator who has established a name for
himself on public lands and energy resources issues. He headed the Colorado
Natural Resources Department from 1990 through 1994.
<P>The Interior Department has broad oversight over the nation's energy
resources and environment; it oversees oil and gas drilling on public lands and
manages the nation's parks and wildlife refuges.
<P>Thompson's name remained in the thick of the discussion as late as last week,
when the Oregonian reported that the rumor mill was “humming” that Obama would
pick Thompson for interior secretary, while the Associated Press had only
Thompson and Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva on its list of candidates for the
position.
<P>Thompson's name first came up as a candidate for interior secretary last
month, after a pair of California lawmakers and dozens of sportsmen's groups
sent letters to the Obama transition team in support of Thompson, urging his
appointment to head the Department of the Interior. </P>
<P>But some on the far left ideologically were opposed to Thompson's nomination,
attacking his environmental record.
<P>The interior secretary is tasked with overseeing the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management, the United States Geological Survey and the National Parks Service.
<P>
<P>The Associated Press contributed to this report.<BR
style="CLEAR: both"></P></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Stokely<BR>Water Policy
Coordinator<BR>California Water Impact Network<BR>504A Lennon St. (USPS and
UPS)<BR>Mt Shasta, CA 96067<BR>V/FAX 530-926-9727<BR>Cell 530-524-0315<BR><A
href="mailto:tstokely@att.net">tstokely@att.net</A><BR><A
href="http://www.c-win.org/">http://www.c-win.org/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>