Department Adrift ; Owens Would Be Good Choice to Replace Norton

Summary

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Would the last one out of Department of Interior headquarters please turn off the lights? Friday's sudden resignation of Secretary of Interior Gale Norton is part of an exodus of sorts. In less than a year, we've also seen the departure of Deputy Secretary Steven Griles, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Rebecca Watson and Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Craig Manson. It almost seems a Washington version of the Agatha Christie novel, "And Then There Were None" -- without as much mystery, perhaps.

Norton and her team were probably just burned out, after more than four years of drawing fire for trying to bring balance to public lands polices thrown off kilter by the greening Clinton administration. They did the best they could under the circumstances.

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Department Adrift ; Owens Would Be Good Choice to Replace Norton

Domestic policy took a back seat to foreign policy after the Sept. 11 attacks. This White House never seemed passionately interested in public lands issues, except as they pertained to energy supplies, so leadership at the top was spotty. Norton's team...

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