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WASHINGTON - President Bush picked Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to be the next Interior secretary on Thursday, praising his ability and knowledge of Western issues, although critics were quick to blast Kempthorne's record as hostile to the environment.
"Dirk understands that those who live closest to the land know how to manage it best, and he will work closely with state and local leaders to ensure wise stewardship of our resources," Bush said in tapping Kemthorne to take over for departing secretary, Gale Norton.
Chuck Clusen of the Natural Resources Defense Council called Kempthorne's record "abysmal" and said that "Dirk Kempthorne is Gale Norton in pants."
During Norton's tenure, there was a massive expansion of oil and gas development in the Mountain West, with more than a doubling of permits processed by the Bureau of Land Management.
If confirmed, Kempthorne, 54, will play a key role in the battle over proposed storage of thousands of tons of nuclear waste on the Skull Valley Goshute Indian reservation, and in deciding long-running fights over wilderness protections and ownership of roads and trails that zig-zag across federal land.
Kempthorne, who is smooth, well-spoken and conservative, promised to find common ground to resolve disputes.
"One of the hallmarks of my public service has been my ability to bring people to the table and to work together to build consensus," he said. "I pledge to you and to the American people that I will continue in that role of reaching out and finding solutions."
The department manages more than 500 million acres of land, one-fifth of the entire country, including national parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas. It also supervises American Indian programs. It oversees 24 million acres in Utah.
Utah Sen. Bob Bennett was first elected the same year as Kempthorne, who served one term before running for governor in 1998. "He's about as good a choice as the president could've made," Bennett said.
"I know him well. He's a fellow Westerner, which will be very good for those of us in the mountain states," Bennett said. "He understands the issues and he's very smart. Perhaps equally as important, he has a good temperament for this kind of thing. He's not a divisive kind of personality."
Tony Massaro of the League of Conservation Voters noted that, in Congress, Kempthorne voted with the environmental position just 1 percent of the time. "Enough said," said Massaro.
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said a good secretary is important to Utah because of the large percentage of lands managed by the agency, and he believes Kempthorne understands the needs of local communities, like those in Utah.
"He's a fair, intelligent manager, and I know that should he be confirmed by the Senate, he'll fight to protect our lands and promote wise use of our resources," Hatch said.
In his six years in the Senate, Kempthorne championed a rewrite to the Endangered Species Act that was criticized by some environmental groups, but won the backing of key Democrats, including the current Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The bill did not pass the House.
Kempthorne also helped pass amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. As governor, he opposed the Interior Department's decision in 2000 to reintroduce Grizzly Bears into the Bitterroot Range and recently the state said it would shoot wolves to control populations, after a deal with Interior that grants the state management of the packs.
Kempthorne was considered for the position of administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, but the post was given to Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, who later moved on to head Health and Human Services.
"This is a good choice," said Rep. Chris Cannon, head of the Congressional Western Caucus. "Governor Kempthorne understands the complexity of the issues he will face, and he has the ability to find the balance between preservation and development of our national resources and to move America in the right direction."
Lawson LeGate, southwest representative of the Sierra Club, said Kempthorne had a record of not supporting protections for public lands: He supported drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, opposed the Clinton-era roadless rule, and weakened the endangered species and water protections.
"For a presidential administration that has sought to systematically dismantle the legal framework for environmental protections in this country, Governor Kempthorne will fit right in," said LeGate. "I think it is really a case of: 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.'"
Bush urged the Senate to move quickly on his nomination. Norton leaves at the end of the month. Her deputy, Lynn Scarlett, will serve in the interim.
But Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, has said he would block the nomination until receiving assurances that the new secretary would not pursue oil drilling off the coast of Florida.
Bennett said he does not anticipate a major conflict over the Kempthorne pick, because Kempthorne served with, and is respected by, many of the senators who will be voting on the nomination.
Jim Sims, executive director of the Partnership for the West, a pro-industry group, said Kempthorne can hit the ground running and his experience as a senator is key.
"He has the unique advantage of having one foot in Washington and one foot in the West and that is extraordinarily important," said Sims. "We want to have a Westerner, but we also want someone who understands the ways of Washington. He knows them both, and I think it makes him uniquely qualified to do the job."