By-pass Flows on National Forest Lands

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Did you know that one out of every four acres of U.S. land is managed by the Department of the Interior? Including 68 percent of Nevada? Or that over one-third of our country's domestic oil, gas and coal is produced on land managed by the Interior Department? We recover endangered species, maintain coral reefs, educate children in Indian schools, fight wildland fires, assess earthquake probabilities, and make sure National Parks are ready for nearly 300 million visitors every year. In other words,this will be a lousy time to work on my golf game. The only way we can monitor that much land and activity is to listen to all voices, and follow a process I call the "Four C's": they're consultation, cooperation, communication, and all in the service of conservation: Between landowners and environmentalists; between all levels of government and federal officials; between government leaders and the media; and between all people of goodwill who share the common goal of protecting our wild places and the habitat that surround them. Since the confirmation process, I've had the distinct privilege of sitting down and talking with many different people committed to conservation and environmental protection. People who -- like me and really everyone at the Interior Department-- care deeply about protecting and managing our national treasures and wild places. I've received tremendous feedback. But there's a real problem in Washington D.C. today-- too often groups are pitted against each other. Too often political conversation becomes bitter and divisive. Too often the casualties of this culture of partisan conflict are the very creatures and places that both sides are seeking to defend. President Bush campaigned on changing the tone in Washington. And he's made great strides in returning civility to political debate. People are at least starting to disagree - without being disagreeable. As Secretary of the Interior, I will work to change the tone in which we talk about conserving and protecting our environment. Changing the tone won't always make splashy headlines but it will get things done. Community newspapers are the most direct and thorough media there is. When I campaigned in Colorado, I always stopped at the local paper. Sometimes you'd take my picture. Sometimes you'd pour me a cup of coffee. And sometimes you'd tell me come back later because the press was running, and no one was available to interview me. Your papers are critically important in keeping lines of communication open to the ideas and voices of Americans most impacted by the federal government. A prime example of government not listening to people happened few months ago, when --in their final hours -- the previous administration suddenly designated over one million acres of national monuments. In 2000, the total amount of monument land designated equaled the size of 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 dollar to hire a ranger to protect the monuments and guide people. 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.