Norton, Gale

promoted to primary, 9/14, evil pendingsee baksee forks

BGR memo: fork 3<table><tbody><tr align="left"><td><div align="left">Going Backwards</div><div align="left">
White House Shifted Carbon Dioxide Emissions Policy After Lobbyist's Letter</div></td></tr><tr align="left"><td><div align="left">by Christopher Newton</div></td></tr><tr><td height="10"> </td></tr><tr align="left" valign="top"><td>WASHINGTON  When President Bush reversed his campaign stance on regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, he said the nation's energy problems – not pressure from energy industry lobbyists – changed his mind.Documents released by the Bush administration Thursday in response to a court order shed light on the intense pressure the new president was under.Two weeks before Bush's decision, lobbyist Haley Barbour virtually papered the White House, from Vice President Dick Cheney on down, with a memo suggesting the president must provide a sound energy policy by not taking action against carbon dioxide.At the time, Barbour represented the interests of several energy companies that gave substantially to Bush's campaign."A moment of truth is arriving," Barbour wrote Cheney on March 1, 2001, in a two-page document on his lobbying firm letterhead that was copied into top White House officials and three Cabinet secretaries."The question is whether environmental policy still prevails over energy policy with Bush-Cheney, as it did with Clinton-Gore," Barbour stated.The Commerce Department released a copy of the memo Thursday in a court case brought by the conservative group Judicial Watch, which is suing the Bush administration for records about White House energy policy. The memo was one of thousands of pages of documents released by the departments of Commerce, Energy and Transportation.Late Thursday, White House spokesman Jimmy Orr said Bush was not unduly influenced by the energy industry."The president based his decision on what he believes is right for all Americans and has pursued the most aggressive initiative in American history to cut power-plant emissions as well as embarking on a new strategy for addressing global climate change," Orr said. "The president makes his decisions based on merit."In the memo, Barbour said he was "demurring" on the idea of whether regulating CO2 emissions was "eco-extremism."But "we must ask, do environmental initiatives, which would greatly exacerbate the energy problems, trump good energy policy, which the country has lacked for eight years?" said the former RNC chairman.Among Barbour's 50 lobbying clients at the time was an industry coalition, the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council. The lobbying group – which paid Barbour's firm a half-million dollars last year – was set up by power-generation companies including FirstEnergy, Duke Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.FirstEnergy was a top contributor to the Bush campaign.As part of his presidential campaign, Bush proposed a "four-pollutant strategy" for curbing mercury, smog-causing nitrogen oxide, sulfur and carbon dioxide. The new Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Christie Whitman, embraced the strategy, but references to it were removed at the last minute from Bush's first address to a joint session of Congress.Then in mid-March of last year, Bush changed course."For the eight years of the Clinton administration environmental policy prevailed over energy policy," Barbour said in his signed memo to Cheney, with copies to Karl Rove, Bush's top political strategist; chief of staff Andrew Card; Commerce Secretary Don Evans; Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham; and Interior Secretary Gale Norton.The documents released Thursday also revealed constant contact between Evans and corporate energy executives regarding the Bush administration's energy policy. Evans, the former head of an oil and natural gas company, helped Bush raise a record amount of money during the 2000 presidential campaign.In the documents, Evans personally responded to letters from top officials at Great Northern Properties, Hunt Energy Services, Fusion Power Associates and Barrett Resources Corp.Great Northern Properties sent the Commerce Department a full analysis of what should be done to bolster the coal industry. Associated Press</td></tr></tbody></table>== 3/21<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/big-tobacco-had-to-pay-206b-is-big-oil-next/">https://www.eenews.net/articles/big-tobacco-had-to-pay-206b-is-big-oil-next/</a>In 2006, a federal judge issued a scathing ruling that would reverberate across the country."Over the course of more than 50 years, Defendants lied, misrepresented and deceived the American public," Judge Gladys Kessler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in a nearly 1,700-page <a href="https://publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/doj-final-opinion.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">opinion</a>."Defendants have marketed and sold their lethal product with zeal, with deception, with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted," she wrote.kessler was referring to the largest U.S. tobacco companies and their trade associations, which she found had misled American consumers about the harmful health effects of smoking cigarettes and the addictive nature of nicotine.But she might as well have been describing the world’s biggest oil and gas companies.That’s according to states and municipalities that are now suing fossil fuel companies over their contribution to — and alleged deception about — the dangers of climate change."The tobacco companies were deliberately lying about the harmful effects of cigarettes, and they had to pay for those false statements," said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), who filed a climate liability <a href="https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/docs/ExxonKochAPI_Complaint.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">lawsuit</a> last year against Exxon Mobil Corp., the American Petroleum Institute and three Koch entities."With Exxon Mobil, Koch and API, we will show that they, too, were deliberately misleading and lying to the public about how their products caused climate change so they could keep making billions of dollars," Ellison said in a phone interview with E&E News.Since 2017, five states and more than a dozen municipalities have filed lawsuits seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry financially responsible for floods, wildfires and other disasters fueled by rising global temperatures.All five of those states — Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island — specifically mentioned the tobacco industry in their complaints."ExxonMobil engaged in a decades-long, intentional, tobacco-industry style effort to deceive investors and consumers," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (D) wrote in her amended <a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/june-5-2020-amended-exxon-complaint/download" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">lawsuit</a> against the oil giant last year.The fossil fuel industry and its allies, however, strongly object to the Big Tobacco comparison. They argue that unlike cigarette manufacturers, energy companies have provided a valuable benefit to all Americans — a service for which they say they shouldn’t be punished in court."Energy is a staple of modern life. I mean, this is something that we need to heat our homes, to fuel our cars, to turn on our lights, to power our factories," said Phil Goldberg, special counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, an initiative of the National Association of Manufacturers that opposes the climate liability litigation.In addition to serving as special counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, Goldberg is a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, a law firm that represented tobacco clients in the litigation brought by state attorneys general in the 1990s. Goldberg, who joined the firm’s public policy practice in 2003, declined to comment on the tobacco litigation for that reason.<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">‘They knew and believed otherwise’</h3>
In the 1950s and ’60s, researchers at tobacco companies began to identify dozens of cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke, including arsenic and benzene."Carcinogens are found in practically every class of compounds in smoke," Helmut Wakeham, research director at the tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris Inc., wrote in an internal industry <a href="https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=jhkx0087" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">memo</a> in 1961.But over the following decades, tobacco company executives vigorously denied this scientific connection in public-facing remarks and advertisements.It was a similar story at oil supermajor Exxon Mobil Corp., where in-house scientist James Black told management in 1977: "There is general scientific agreement that the most likely manner in which mankind is influencing the global climate is through carbon dioxide release from the burning of fossil fuels."Despite this warning, Exxon and its peers would spend decades and billions of dollars casting doubt on this scientific consensus, including in <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/705550-mob-nyt-1997-aug-14-whenfactsdontsquare.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">advertorials</a> in major newspapers such as The New York Times.All 50 states filed lawsuits against the biggest tobacco manufacturers in the 1990s, alleging the companies had deceived the public about the harms of smoking and should cover the Medicaid costs of treating people with smoking-related illnesses. The state suits culminated in a $206 billion master settlement agreement in 1998.The following year, the Department of Justice launched a criminal complaint against the tobacco firms under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The federal complaint, which alleged the companies had fraudulently covered up the health risks of smoking for 50 years, resulted in the historic ruling from Judge Kessler.So far, the litigation against Big Oil has been ensnared in procedural battles over whether it belongs in state or federal court, meaning it hasn’t yet progressed to trial or settlement. The Supreme Court will soon issue a decision in a case stemming from Baltimore’s climate liability lawsuit that could help determine the venue — and by extension, potentially, the fate — of the state and local challenges against fossil fuel firms (<a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/article/eenews/1063725453" data-cms-href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/article/eenews/1063725453" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Climatewire</a>, Feb. 23).
Sharon Eubanks, who served as lead counsel at DOJ in the federal tobacco racketeering case, United States v. Philip Morris USA, said she sees striking parallels with the oil and gas industry litigation."Both the tobacco industry and the petroleum industry denied that there were harms associated with their products, while at the same time … their internal documents showed that they knew and believed otherwise," said Eubanks, now chief counsel at the National Whistleblower Center."So they wanted to downplay the dangers of smoking, or downplay the dangers of climate change, to what end?" she continued. "In the case of cigarettes, to keep people purchasing their product. In the case of the oil industry, to slow down anything that would make people move a little faster to address what was a very real environmental problem."<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Trade groups</h3>Another similarity between the oil and tobacco litigation is the involvement of trade associations in the legal battles, said Robert Proctor, a science historian at Stanford University and the author of the book "Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition."Proctor noted that tobacco companies hired the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton to establish the Tobacco Industry Research Committee in response to growing evidence that smoking caused lung cancer.As one of its first acts, the committee published the now-infamous "<a href="https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=zkph0129" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">A Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers</a>," which asserted: "We believe the products we make are not injurious to health."Similarly, the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association for the oil and gas industry, led efforts to portray the link between burning fossil fuels and global warming as uncertain.A 1998 internal strategy <a href="http://www.climatefiles.com/trade-group/american-petroleum-institute/1998-global-climate-science-communications-team-action-plan/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">document</a> written by a team convened by API stated that "victory will be achieved" when "a majority of the American public, including industry leadership, recognizes that significant uncertainties exist in climate science."The Tobacco Industry Research Committee — later rebranded as the Council for Tobacco Research — was ultimately dissolved by the 1998 master settlement <a href="https://www.eenews.net/assets/2020/09/16/document_cw_01.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">agreement</a> with state attorneys general.Under the terms of the agreement, the four largest tobacco manufacturers also agreed to amend their advertising practices and shell out $206 billion over 25 years to 46 states, five territories and the District of Columbia.Recent climate lawsuits brought by Delaware; Minnesota; and Hoboken, N.J., all name API as a defendant in addition to oil and gas companies."One, [API] knew the effects of their products, and two, they deliberately coordinated and assisted in perpetuating falsehoods about the dangers of their products," said Ellison, the Minnesota attorney general. "So yeah, API has a lot of answering to do."Trade associations like API are "really just engines of deception," said Proctor, who has served as an expert witness in tobacco litigation and advised climate activists on strategies for suing Big Oil at a 2012 <a href="https://www.climateaccountability.org/pdf/Climate%20Accountability%20Rpt%20Oct12.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">conference</a> in La Jolla, Calif."I think that’s going to have some of the strongest grip in the litigation because those are very parallel to the Tobacco Institute," Proctor added.<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">‘Completely fallacious’</h3>Some conservative interests bristle at the comparison between the legal challenges to Big Tobacco and Big Oil.Marlo Lewis, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank, scoffed at the notion of equating cigarettes and fossil fuels in court."This whole idea that our civilization is addicted to fossil fuels and we must break this dangerous addiction is itself so completely fallacious," Lewis said."Fossil fuels, probably more than any other material force on the planet, have benefited the greatest number of people over the longest period of time," he added.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CEI does not disclose its donors. But <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">records</a> compiled by DeSmogBlog show the group has received significant funding from the fossil fuel industry, including at least $2.1 million from Exxon through 2006.Gale Norton, who served as Interior Department secretary during the George W. Bush administration and helped sue tobacco companies as Colorado attorney general in the 1990s, echoed Lewis’ sentiments."Tobacco has satisfied the urges of its users, but it has never had a real benefit to society," she said. "Fossil fuels underlie tremendous advances in the economy and the standard of living."Norton added that it’s unfair to pin the blame for climate change on a small number of corporate actors."When you looked at the tobacco litigation, the question of who was responsible was fairly easy to comprehend. It was either the tobacco manufacturers or the smokers," she said."In the energy context, it’s all of us," she continued. "It’s utilities. It’s coal companies. It’s oil and gas producers. It’s people who drive. It’s people who heat their homes. It’s people who use electricity. It’s all of us because it is so pervasive within our society to use fossil fuels."<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">‘A sad and disquieting chapter’</h3>Regardless of whether the two types of litigation raise the same issues, they feature some of the same lawyers and law firms.For example, Kansas City, Mo.-based Shook, Hardy & Bacon represented five of the six largest cigarette manufacturers in the tobacco litigation. Today, Goldberg, managing partner at the firm, serves as special counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, one of the most vocal opponents of the climate litigation against oil companies.Meanwhile, Ted Wells, a partner and co-chair of the litigation department at the New York City-based law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, defended Philip Morris in the government’s fraud lawsuit against the tobacco giant.Wells later represented Exxon in a 2015 lawsuit brought by former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) that alleged the oil company misled investors about the true costs of climate change.The New York Supreme Court in 2019 ruled in favor of Exxon in the case, which differs from the other climate lawsuits against Big Oil because it focuses on investors rather than consumers (<a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/article/eenews/1061775597" data-cms-href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/article/eenews/1061775597" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Greenwire</a>, Dec. 10, 2019).On the challengers’ side, Steve Berman of the international law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP helped advise several state attorneys general in the tobacco litigation. Berman has also represented several municipalities — including New York City; San Francisco; Oakland, Calif.; and King County, Wash. — in their climate lawsuits against oil companies.In her landmark 2006 decision, Judge Kessler had particularly harsh words for the lawyers who helped the tobacco industry mislead American consumers for decades."Finally, a word must be said about the role of lawyers in this fifty-year history of deceiving smokers, potential smokers, and the American public about the hazards of smoking and second hand smoke, and the addictiveness of nicotine," wrote the judge, who was appointed during the Clinton administration."At every stage, lawyers played an absolutely central role in the creation and perpetuation of the Enterprise and the implementation of its fraudulent schemes," she wrote, adding, "What a sad and disquieting chapter in the history of an honorable and often courageous profession."<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lessons learned</h3>The tobacco litigation ultimately offers important lessons for the states and municipalities fighting to hold Big Oil accountable today, lawyers said.One lesson is to be persistent, said Martin Olszynski, an associate professor of law at the University of Calgary in Canada and the lead author of the 2017 <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2957921" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">paper</a> "From Smokes to Smokestacks: Lessons From Tobacco for the Future of Climate Change Liability."Olszynski noted that the early lawsuits against tobacco companies from the 1950s to the ’80s largely failed. It wasn’t until the ’90s that challengers began to notch some victories, in part because internal documents leaked showing the industry knew of the addictive nature of nicotine."I think it’s a matter of time. It’s a matter of when, not if," the challengers in the lawsuits against Big Oil are successful, Olszynski said.Another related lesson is the importance of uncovering internal documents that show what the fossil fuel industry knew and when, lawyers said.The master settlement agreement in the tobacco litigation resulted in the disclosure of millions of internal industry documents, which are now publicly available in an online <a href="https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/collections/msa/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">archive</a> maintained by the University of California, San Francisco.So far, the lawsuits against Big Oil over climate change have been tied up in procedural wrangling over whether they belong in state or federal court. But once these jurisdictional battles are resolved, the challengers could enter the discovery phase and uncover more information about oil companies’ early knowledge of climate change, building on the <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16092015/exxons-own-research-confirmed-fossil-fuels-role-in-global-warming/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">work</a> of investigative journalists."One of the things that’s going to matter a lot is getting access to documents," said Proctor of Stanford."Now, there’s a fundamental asymmetry in that we’re several years later," he added, "and Big Carbon knows what’s coming."<div>=</div>=bernhardt liar turmp zinke doi:<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Interior Secretary Gale Norton, when David Bernhardt was Solicitor, may have “illegally used her position to benefit Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company that hired her” soon after leaving the Interior Department. A criminal investigation centered “on the Interior Department’s 2006 decision to award [to a Shell subsidiary] three lucrative oil shale leases on federal land” that “could net the company hundreds of billions of dollars.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">It appears Royal Dutch Shell PLC had inside information and assistance to help it obtain these leases and that Gale Norton was less than forthcoming with Interior Department ethics officials about her role in the lease program. “The investigation’s main focus…[was] whether Norton violated a law that prohibits federal employees from discussing employment with a company if they are involved in dealings with the government that could benefit the firm, law enforcement and Interior officials said. They said investigators also were trying to determine if Norton broke a broader federal ‘denial of honest services’ law, which says a government official can be prosecuted for violating the public trust by, for example, steering government business to favored firms or friends.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The Justice Department investigated “whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton illegally used her position to benefit Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company that later hired her.” The criminal investigation centered “on the Interior Department’s 2006 decision to award three lucrative oil shale leases on federal land in Colorado to a Shell subsidiary. Over the years it would take to extract the oil, according to calculations from Shell and a Rand Corp. expert, the deal could net the company hundreds of billions of dollars.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The investigation’s main focus…[was] whether Norton violated a law that prohibits federal employees from discussing employment with a company if they are involved in dealings with the government that could benefit the firm, law enforcement and Interior officials said. They said investigators also were trying to determine if Norton broke a broader federal ‘denial of honest services’ law, which says a government official can be prosecuted for violating the public trust by, for example, steering government business to favored firms or friends.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">“In early 2006…the department announced that it planned to award Shell three oil shale leases. Norton resigned two months later, saying that she had no job lined up. In December of that year, Shell announced it had hired Norton as in-house counsel to its unconventional fuels division, which includes oil shale.” The Justice Department was “looking into whether Shell received a competitive advantage or other preferential treatment from the Interior Department in the awarding of the leases. ‘If [Norton] had feelers out, or was in discussions with Shell in any way, she is absolutely forbidden from participating in any way from doing anything with Shell,’ a law enforcement official said.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[Jim Tankersley and Josh Meyer, “<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/17/nation/na-norton17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(90, 171, 212); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; touch-action: manipulation; transition: 0.3s; font-style: italic;">Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe</a>,” Los Angeles Times, 09/17/09]<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">“The IG found that after leaving Interior but before joining Shell, Norton ‘failed to fully describe her role in the leasing program’ to department ethics officials. After she was hired, Norton contacted the Pentagon and Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, ‘indirectly,’ regarding oil shale issues.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">In addition, “the IG…found that BLM ‘appeared to give preferential treatment’ to Shell in two instances. In one case, two Shell bids were larger than the acreage allowed by BLM. In another, someone within the agency changed Shell’s numbers to comply with the requirements. Shell also submitted – and won – three bids – while other prospective bidders were allowed only one bid.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[Dan Berman, “<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2010/12/gale-norton-wont-face-charges-046257" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(90, 171, 212); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; touch-action: manipulation; transition: 0.3s; font-style: italic;">Gale Norton won’t face charges</a>” Politico, 12/10/10]<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">“Critics accused the Interior Department of undermining a central goal of the leases by awarding three of them to Shell. The leases were meant to allow companies to test distinct methods for extracting shale from rock. But each of Shell’s tracts was granted for a variation of the same process. Critics also raised questions about the fairness of the process, given that Shell filed its first lease application just a day after the department issued its call for proposals in June 2005.” Department of the Interior “officials said they did not notify potential bidders” at that point in time.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">“The Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General began the investigation during the waning months of the George W. Bush administration and…made a formal criminal referral to the Justice Department…after concluding that there was sufficient evidence of potential illegal conduct.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[Jim Tankersley and Josh Meyer, “<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/17/nation/na-norton17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(90, 171, 212); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; touch-action: manipulation; transition: 0.3s; font-style: italic;">Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is focus of corruption probe</a>,” Los Angeles Times, 09/17/09]<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">In the end, “the Justice Department…declined to file charges against former Interior Secretary Gale Norton in connection with oil shale bids by Royal Dutch Shell.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[Dan Berman, “<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2010/12/gale-norton-wont-face-charges-046257" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(90, 171, 212); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; touch-action: manipulation; transition: 0.3s; font-style: italic;">Gale Norton won’t face charges</a>” Politico, 12/10/10]<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">David Bernhardt was investigated as part of a Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigation into whether Royal Dutch Shell received preferential treatment in BLM’s awarding of oil leases in 2005 and 2006.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">David Bernhardt was investigated as part of a Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigation that was launched “based on a complaint that Royal Dutch Shell…received preferential treatment during the awarding of oil shale Research, Development, and Demonstration (RDD) leases in 2005 and 2006 by the Bureau of Land Management.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The investigation found that while Interior Secretary Gale Norton, who subsequently secured employment with Shell, was “very interested in the RDD program during her tenure as Secretary” there was no evidence “to conclusively determine that Norton violated conflict-of-interest laws.” However, BLM “appeared to give preferential treatment to Shell in two specific issues regarding these leases,” and “someone in BLM provided Shell with information” that allowed Shell to submit applications for leases multiple days before any other company.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">According to interviews the Office of the Inspector General conducted, “[Gale] Norton and her staff viewed oil shale as a ‘game changer,’ meaning if it could be developed and produced, it would have a significant, positive impact on the Nation’s energy position.” Additionally, David Bernhardt and Gale Norton both “wanted to be involved in oil shale matters because they understood the sensitivity of oil shale development in Colorado.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">The investigation also found that “Bernhardt and Norton had toured a Shell oil shale facility on private land in Colorado.” In fact, Bernhardt, who closely advised Norton, traveled with her on multiple occasions to meet Shell executives in Colorado.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">As part of the investigation, the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General interviewed Melissa Loftin, who later became the designated Interior Ethics Official. Loftin said that she asked Bernhardt his “‘thoughts’ on whether Norton’s involvement in oil shale matters reached the level to where [Norton] was involved ‘personally and substantially on a particular matter involving specific parties.'” Bernhardt responded, “Norton’s involvement did not reach this level” and “BLM managed the RDD process.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: 29.45px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat;">[“<a href="https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov/files/RoyalDutchShell_Public.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(90, 171, 212); outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat; touch-action: manipulation; transition: 0.3s; font-style: italic;">Report of Investigation – Royal Dutch Shell</a>,” Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General, 12/09/10]<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="400">George W. Bush's ecologist
Gale Norton, Minister of Ideological Pollution
by Paul Labarique<div class="chapo">Gale Norton has two faces: when she addresses voters, she is an ecologist lawyer and a pacifist in favor of the legalization of soft drugs and the elimination of CIA. But when she was appointed Bushâs Minister of Environment, she only dealt with extreme right-wing associations, defended what she called "the industrialists' constitutional right to pollute" and sabotaged the Kyoto Protocol. She represented American multinational companies' capacity to express "value-freedom" and guaranteed their impunity.</div></td></tr></tbody></table>MMS deepwater gulf blowout spill:
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">Many of the alleged misdeeds occurred when Gale Norton was secretary of the interior. Now a general counsel with Shell in Denver, Norton declined to comment, even when asked to address the portion of the reports dealing with the department she headed.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">“It’s appropriate for me to let the Shell public-affairs people discuss it,” Norton said.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">Shell is one of the oil companies named in the report, along with Chevron, Hess Corp. and Denver-based Gary-Williams Energy Corp.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">“Shell has been aware of the inspector general’s investigation regarding alleged improper conduct by certain MMS employees and cooperated fully with that investigation,” said Shell spokeswoman Darci Sinclair. “However, it would be premature to comment on the Interior Department inspector general report until we have had an opportunity to review the content.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit;">Officials with Chevron could not be reached.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; font-size: small; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);">One report said that Gregory W. Smith, former head of the Lakewood MMS office, had sex and took illegal drugs with subordinates.=<a href="https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov/files/RoyalDutchShell_Public.pdf">https://www.doioig.gov/sites/doioig.gov/files/RoyalDutchShell_Public.pdf</a>blm shale oilrfk book, links her to wise usenorton in charge of 450 m acres land, 3 bill acres coastal waterways; year after law school grad, MSLN under Watt; grazing limits, oil offshore and in wilderness and wildlife refuges  36 ( funders Burlington Northern, exxon, Indep PetrolA ssoc and rocky mtn  oil and gas assoc 37. in 84 after 2 yrs at Hoover, got into dept of agric, then int, then RR CEQ. at Pacific Res Inst for Public Pol, her takings rule  would end enforcement. did not win senate seat  v37  advisor to TASSC, Defenders of prop Rights WU, PERC, founded Council for Rep for Env protection (Newt on bd) $ from Coors, arco, am forest and paper assoc, chem mfg assoc 37hist coms
<div id="pageHeading" style="margin: 15px 0px 20px; color: rgb(49, 49, 49);"><h1 style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 3px 3px 3px 0px; margin: 0px;">Profile: Gale A. Norton</h1></div><div id="entityPositionsHeld" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);"><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px;">Positions that Gale A. Norton has held:</h2><ul><li style="margin: 8px 2px 0px 3px;">US Secretary of Interior</li></ul></div><div id="entityRelations"><div id="entityQuotes"><h2 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin: 3px 0px;">Gale A. Norton was a participant or observer in the following events:</h2><div class="timeline-paging"><div class="listOfEntitysEvents" style="margin-top: 35px;"><div id="timelineEntries" style="margin-top: 40px;"><div class="i" style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><div class="iT" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg"></a><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a name="a040401environnepdg" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=a040401environnepdg#a040401environnepdg" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 4, 2001: Environmentalists Allowed to Meet with Cheney’s Energy Task Force</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-57992" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Representatives of 13 environmentalist groups meet with officials from Vice President Cheney’s energy task force (the National Energy Policy Development Group—see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a0501energyplan" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">May 16, 2001</a>). Since late January, some 40 task force meetings have been held, all with oil and energy company executives and lobbyists (see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=abefore012001cheneyaei" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Before January 20, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=aafter012001enron" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">After January 20, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=amid0201rouselay" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Mid-February, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=amid0201nmaepa" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Mid-February, 2001</a>,<a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a030501utilitycheney" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">March 5, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a032001aeiorder" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">March 20, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a032101dunhamnepdg" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">March 21, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a032201bpcheney" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">March 22, 2001</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a041201oilgasnepdg" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 12, 2001</a>. <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a041701shellnepdg" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 17, 2001</a>, and <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a041701cheneylay" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 17, 2001 and After</a>). Today is the one day where environmental groups are allowed to have any input. Anna Aurilio of the US Public Interest Group will later say, “It was clear to us that they were just being nice to us.” (Notably, the only people ever identified as “lobbyists” by the task force to the press are the representatives from the environmental groups from today’s meeting.) Their input is neither wanted nor used; an initial draft of the task force’s report has already been prepared and President Bush has already been briefed on its contents. The names of the various officials, executives, lobbyists, and representatives who meet with the task force will not be released for six years (see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=a071807nepdgparticipants" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">July 18, 2007</a>). Until this meeting, the only environmentalist group to meet with the Cheney task force has been the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, founded in 1998 by conservative tax activist Grover Norquist and Gale Norton, now the Bush administration’s Secretary of the Interior. That group is now run by Italia Federici, described by the Washington Post as “socially involved” with Norton’s deputy, J. Steven Griles. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1-4000-6576-3/centerforcoop-20" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">DUBOSE AND BERNSTEIN, 2006, PP. 18</a>;<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701987.html?hpid=topnews" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">WASHINGTON POST, 7/18/2007</a>]</cite><cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">
</cite><div class="t" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=richard(dick)cheney" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Richard (“Dick”) Cheney</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=j__steven_griles_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">J. Steven Griles</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=us_public_interest_group_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Public Interest Group</a>,<a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=national_energy_policy_development_group_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">National Energy Policy Development Group</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=italia_federici_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Italia Federici</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=anna_aurilio_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Anna Aurilio</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=grover_norquist" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Grover Norquist</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=council_of_republicans_for_environmental_advocacy_1" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=george_w.bush" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a>
<div id="atssh" style="width: 1px; height: 1px; border: 0px !important; visibility: hidden; position: absolute; z-index: 100000;"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=120&winname=addthis&pub=historycommons&source=men-120&lng=en&s=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.historycommons.org%2Fcontext.jsp%3Fitem%3Dthe_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005%23the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005&title=Gale%20A.%20Norton&logo=&logobg=&logocolor=&ate=AT-historycommons/-/-/540a358be326ed87/2&frommenu=1&uid=540a358b59c8cf6a&ct=0&pre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" class="snap_noshots" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://ct1.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-bookmark-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="AddThis" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">December 11, 2002: Changes Boosting ‘Fuels Treatment’ Projects in Forests Put Forward</a></h2><div>
</div><div>
</div><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"> </div></div>Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairman James L. Connaughton meet with President Bush to discuss the implementation of the administration’s “Healthy Forest Initiative.” After the meeting, they announce proposed changes that would expedite the approval of “fuels treatment” projects (forest thinning) by weakening the review process and restricting public input. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.doi.gov/hfi/HFI/home/archived_news/0504_02.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">US DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, 12/11/2002</a>; <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20021211-1149-bush-wildfires.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 12/11/2002</a>]</cite> Critics say the changes would make it easier for the timber industry to cut the larger, more fire resistant trees, making the forests more vulnerable to wildfires. They also charge that the proposed rules would allow logging interests to override local concerns. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/021211.asp" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, 12/11/2002</a>]</cite> Mike Francis, a forest specialist with the Wilderness Society, commenting on the proposed rule changes, tells the Associated Press, “Those are nothing more than administration’s typical desires to cut the public out of forest decisions. This administration doesn’t like what the public wants to do with their forests.” <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20021211-1149-bush-wildfires.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 12/11/2002</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=james_l.connaughton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">James L. Connaughton</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=george_w.bush" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=ann_m.veneman" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Ann M. Veneman</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 11, 2003: Protected Status Withdrawn for Millions of Acres in Utah</a></h2><div>
</div><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-45684" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>The Department of Interior informs Congress that it has decided to settle a lawsuit filed years ago by the state of Utah over the Bureau of Land Management’s policy of rejecting drilling and mining projects in areas under review for wilderness protection. The decision withdraws protected status for 3 million acres of land in Utah. Without designation as a Wilderness Area, portions of the Red Rock Canyons in southern Utah could be open to logging, oil and gas drilling, mineral extraction, road-building and other development. A federal appeals court had previously ruled against the state on all but one count and consequently the lawsuit’s status had been moribund since 1998. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-28-wilderness-usat_x.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">USA TODAY, 4/11/2003</a>]</cite> But in March, Utah made an amendment to its complaint, thus reopening the case and providing the Bush administration with an opportunity to make a “settlement.” Environmental groups say the settlement is the outcome of a deal made between Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Utah Governor Mike Leavitt behind closed-doors. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-28-wilderness-usat_x.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">USA TODAY, 4/11/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.suwa.org/library/The_Salt_Lake_Tribune--Assaulting_Wilderness.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/20/2003</a>;<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/2003/May/05062003/utah/54242.asp" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 5/6/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jun/06182003/utah/67121.asp" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 6/18/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.wilderness.org/NewsRoom/Release/20030828.cfm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">WILDERNESS SOCIETY, 4/28/2004</a>]</cite> In addition to the settlement, the Bush administration stops congressional reviews of Western lands for wilderness protection, capping wilderness designation at 22.8 million acres nationwide. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-28-wilderness-usat_x.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">USA TODAY, 4/11/2003</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=us_congress" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=us_department_of_interior" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Department of Interior</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=mike_leavitt" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Mike Leavitt</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1041" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">July 2, 2003: Interior Secretary Releases Misleading Report on Park Service’s Maintenance Backlog</a></h2><div>
</div><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-45665" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Interior Secretary Gale Norton presents President George Bush with a report detailing the achievements of the National Park Service. The report calls attention to the $2.9 billion that the Bush administration says it has set aside for the park’s maintenance backlog. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.nps.gov/accompreport2003/" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 7/2/2003</a>]</cite> But the figure is misleading because it actually refers the park’s entire maintenance budget. Only $370 million of that amount represents funds allocated to the maintenance backlog. Moreover, as the National Parks Conservation Association notes, “the president’s budget is [actually] contributing to the backlog by ignoring the annual needs of the national parks, which continue to operate with only two-thirds of the needed funding.” <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.death-valley.us/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=653" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 7/9/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/08/15/bush.environment.ap/" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">CNN, 8/15/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0816-03.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 8/16/2003</a>]</cite> According to the General Accounting Office, the Park Service needs upwards of $6.8 billion to complete the deferred maintenance and repairs. Critics of the administration’s record also note that the administration’s lax enforcement of clean air policies and its plan to replace some parks’ staff with private contractors are serious threats to the national park system. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0816-03.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 8/16/2003</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=george_w.bush" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=national_park_service(nps)" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">National Park Service (NPS)</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">October 8, 2003: Mining Companies Allowed to Sump more Waste on Public Land</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-46405" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Interior Secretary Gale Norton signs a legal opinion by Deputy Solicitor Roderick Walston reversing the interpretation of the agency’s previous solicitor-general, John Leshy, who had ruled in 1996 that the 1872 Mining Law limits each 20-acre mining claim on federal land to a single five-acre waste site. As a result of Norton’s decision, mining companies will be permitted to dump unlimited amounts of toxic waste on public lands, threatening surrounding waterways, wildlife, and the health of local human populations. The Bush administration and the mining industry have argued that the Clinton-era opinion caused a significant reduction in US minerals exploration, mine development and mining jobs since 1997. “It created an atmosphere of uncertainty and when you are making investments of hundreds of millions of dollars, uncertainty is not something you want to face,” explains Assistant Interior Secretary Rebecca Watson. “We anticipate we will now see more development and exploration for mining.” The decision was praised by the mining industry. “This is good news,L Russ Fields, executive director of the Nevada Mining Association. “The old opinion did create a lot of uncertainty for our industry.” <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2003/oct/10/101010086.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 10/10/2003</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=john_leshy" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">John Leshy</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=roderick_walston" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Roderick Walston</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1057" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">December 5, 2003: Proposed Rule Alteration May Weaken Measures to Prevent Overgrazing</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-46645" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Interior Secretary Gale Norton announces in a speech to a convention of livestock owners in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing new rules that would reverse rangeland management reforms implemented in 1995 aimed at deterring practices that cause overgrazing of public lands. According to Norton, the new proposal—which supporters say will act as a bulwark against suburban sprawl—“recognizes that ranching is crucial not only to the economies of Western rural communities, but also to the history, social fabric and cultural identity of these communities.” <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ohio/news/state/7416194.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 12/4/2004</a>; <a href="http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2003/pr031205_grazing.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 12/5/2004</a>; <a href="http://news.greateryellowstone.org/article.php?article_id=260" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">DENVER POST, 12/10/2004</a>]</cite> The proposal recommends giving the BLM two years, instead of one, to recommend changes after identifying occurrences of damaging grazing practices and another five years to implement those recommendations. But the agency would retain emergency authority to immediately suspend grazing privileges “if imminent likelihood of significant resource damage exists.” The proposal would also require the BLM to base all decisions on multiple years of monitoring data, even if the grazing damage is obvious and even though this would put a considerable strain on the agency, which oversees more than 18,000 grazing permits covering over 160 million acres nationwide. Other provisions in the proposal would make it more difficult to revoke the grazing permits of ranchers who violate the law; reduce public involvement in reviewing and commenting on decisions about grazing on public lands; and give ranchers partial ownership of any fences, water tanks, new water rights or other improvements to public rangelands. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/news/4453.php" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1/3/2004</a>;<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/articles/br_1917.asp?t=t" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, 7/3/2004</a>; <a href="http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ohio/news/state/7416194.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS,</a></cite>
<cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><a href="http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ohio/news/state/7416194.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;"> 12/4/2004</a>; <a href="http://news.greateryellowstone.org/article.php?article_id=260" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">DENVER POST, 12/10/2004</a>]</cite> The livestock industry applauds the new proposal but environmentalists warn that the recommendations would threaten wildlife, degrade water quality and quantity and damage archaeological, historic and Native American sites. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/articles/br_1917.asp?t=t" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, 7/3/2004</a>]</cite> The Natural Resources Defense Council, commenting on the recommended changes, says that it believes the proposal will result in increased overgrazing and other unsustainable grazing practices. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ohio/news/state/7416194.htm" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 12/4/2004</a>]</cite> The BLM will later draft an environmental impact study predicting short-term damage to grazing lands and wildlife (see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/item.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1071" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">January 2, 2004</a>).<div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bureau_of_land_management" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bureau of Land Management</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">January 21, 2004: More Permits for Gas Drilling to Be Issued in Wyoming</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-46625" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Interior Secretary Gale Norton says her department intends to increase the number of permits granted each year for gas drilling on public lands in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin from 1,000 to 3,000 and “streamline” the permit review process. The decision is a response to complaints by energy companies that the review process for drilling permits on federal property is three times as long as that for drilling on private and state-owned lands. Critics warn that the quicker permit approval process will come at the expense of thorough environmental impact assessments. Drilling for gas wells in the northeastern Wyoming basin requires pumping groundwater to release the natural gas trapped in coal seams. This often causes the wells of local residents to run dry. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a class="nL" style="cursor: not-allowed;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1/22/2004</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=us_department_of_interior" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Department of Interior</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><div class="iT" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061"></a><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a name="the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" /><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1061" title="View in context" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">January 23, 2004: Subsidies Announced for Gas Drilling in Gulf of Mexico</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-46626" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announces that the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) will provide an estimated $1 billion in subsidies to promote deep drilling for natural gas in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Companies that drill wells deeper than 15,000 feet will be exempt from having to pay royalties on the first 15 billion cubic feet of gas produced. For wells deeper than 18,000 feet, royalties will be waived on the first 25 billion cubic feet. The royalty waiver will be discontinued if natural gas prices exceed $9.34 per thousand cubic feet. Without the subsidy, it would be too costly for companies to drill such wells. Norton claims that the program will save consumers money and create an estimated 26,000 new jobs. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.darkforum.com/archive/index.php/t-39377.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1/23/2003</a>; <a href="http://www.petroleumnews.com/pnads/80364153.shtml" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">PETROLEUM NEWS, 2/1/2004</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=bush_administration" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Bush administration (43)</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=us_department_of_interior" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Department of Interior</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div><div class="i" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;"><a name="GaleNortonResigns" /><div class="iT" style="width: 524px; display: table;"><a name="GaleNortonResigns"></a><h2 style="margin: 3px 0px 0px; width: 400px; float: left;"><a name="GaleNortonResigns"></a><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=GaleNortonResigns#GaleNortonResigns" title="View in context" style="text-decoration: none;">March 10, 2006: Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton Resigns; Then Gets Hired by Shell Oil</a></h2><div class="eLB" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); width: 115px; float: right; vertical-align: top; text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.historycommons.org/eventedit.jsp?oid=1626004942-14861" title="Edit event" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://www.historycommons.org/pics/icons/edit.png" alt="Edit event" height="16" style="border: none;" /></a>  </div></div>Secretary of Interior Gale Norton resigns. In her resignation letter to President Bush she thanks him and praises him for “great work in the face of hurricanes, record-setting wildfires and droughts, acrimonious litigation, and expanded post 9/11 security responsibilities.” <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/03/10/norton/index.html" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">CNN, 3/10/2006</a>]</cite> Norton, who has been criticized by environmental groups for opening public lands up to timber (see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1005" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">December 11, 2002</a>), mining, and oil and gas interests (see <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1023" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">April 11, 2003</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1051" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">October 8, 2003</a>, and<a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton#the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record_1062" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">January 21, 2004</a>), will be hired as a key legal advisor for Royal Dutch Shell PLC in December. <cite style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: normal; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">[<a href="http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/67/24773" target="blank" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;">NEW WEST, 12/27/2006</a>]</cite><div class="t" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); padding-left: 15px;">Entity Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=george_w.bush" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">George W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=royal_dutch/shell" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Royal Dutch/Shell</a>, <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=gale_a.norton" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">Gale A. Norton</a>Timeline Tags: <a href="http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=the_bush_administration_s_environmental_record" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); text-decoration: none;">US Environmental Record</a></div></div></div></div><h1 class="entry-title" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); margin: 0.9091em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -0.3px; line-height: 1; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT ON GALE NORTON, SHELL SCANDAL – PART 1</h1><div class="entry-byline" style="color: rgb(119, 119, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><abbr class="updated" title="2010-12-15T16:36:12+0000" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">Dec 15th, 2010</abbr> <address class="author vcard" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; background: transparent;">by <a class="url fn" href="http://shellnews.net/blog/DonovanvRoyalDutchShell.htm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); background: transparent;">John Donovan</a>.</address></div><div class="entry-content" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49); margin: 1.5385em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">PART ONE PAGES 1 TO 7 INCLUSIVE OF 23 PAGES IN TOTAL<h2 style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -0.3px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL U.S.DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR</h2><p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Memorandum<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">To: Secretary Salazar
From: Mary L. Kendall Acting Inspector General
Subject: Report of Investigation – Royal Dutch Shell
Case No. PI-PI-08-0264-I<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">DEC 09 2010<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The Office of Inspector General concluded an investigation based on a complaint that Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) received preferential treatment during the awarding of oil shale Research, Development, and Demonstration (RDD) leases in 2005 and 2006 by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since former Secretary Gale Norton subsequently secured employment with Shell, we expanded our investigation to consider her involvement in the RDD process.<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">We found that Norton was very interested in the RDD program during her tenure as Secretary, but we did not find evidence to conclusively determine that Norton violated conflict-of-interest laws, either pre- or post-employment with Shell.<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">We discovered that BLM appeared to give preferential treatment to Shell in two specific issues regarding these leases. We found that two of Shell’s bid proposals included acreage amounts in excess of the allowable amount specified in the Federal Register notice, and that someone in BLM changed the amount to comply with the requirements. BLM did not disqualify Shell’s bids. We also found that Shell submitted three bids, while other prospective bidders were allowed to submit only one bid. Shell was awarded leases on all three bids. No other company received more than one lease.<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">We did not find evidence that Shell committed any criminal violation, but we did discover that someone in BLM provided Shell with information, which allowed Shell to submit a complete bid document on the same day that the Federal Register notice soliciting applications for leases was published. The next bid that BLM received came in 82 days later.<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">We provide this report to you for whatever action you deem appropriate. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 202-208-5745.<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Office of Inspector General I Washington, DC<p style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.5385; margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Page 2<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5385em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2010/12/15/inspector-general-report-on-gale-norton-shell-scandal-part-1/</div>==24. Gale Norton — A former industry lobbyist and Bush’s first Secretary of the Interior, Norton pushed a <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0109-07.htm">radical ideological agenda</a> “through <a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/33802">regulatory rollbacks</a>, suppression of science, preferential treatment, and collusion with industry” — including <a href="http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0110a/nortonanwr.html">doctoring scientific findings</a> on the impacts of oil drilling on caribou. After resigning under the cloud of <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Interior_Secretary_to_resign_Ties_to_0310.html">ties to Jack Abramoff</a>, she joined <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/28/norton-sails-through-the-revolving-door/?sortby=toprated">Shell Oil</a>.--

norton in charge of 450 m acres land, 3 bill acres coastal waterways; year after

law school grad, MSLN under Watt; grazing limits, oil offshore and in wilderness

and wildlif refuges  p36 9 funders Burlington N, exxon, Indep Petrol assoc and rocky

mtn  oil and gas assoc 37. in 84 after 2 yrs at Hoover, got into dept of agric,

then int, then RR CEQ. at Pacific Res Inst ofr Public Pol, her takings rule  would

end enforcement. did not win senate seat  v37  advsor to TASSC, Defnders of prop

Rights WU, PERC, founded Council for Rep for Env protection (Newt on bd) $ from

Coors, arco, am forest and paper assoc, chem mfg assoc 37

at WU mtg, trashed wheelchair ramps, smog check, Fair labor St'd act, rid schools

of asbestos and Vio ~ Women Act 38

...

Norton approved biggest pit mine near Az's Gila mtns saying 3,360 copper mine no impact. reverse limits on mining waste; opened oil in  AK and utah; redraw monument lines for oil; 1st admin since ESA to list zero ( tried to make grey wolves easier to kill. petitoned UN to remove yellowstone as world heritage site 41

demands obedience and fired moved or demotes long-term employees 41

Sierra Framework 10 yrs in making; b2 admin asked gov arnold to drop, refused unless sci say change; rove said ok, but FServ 3x cut vs plan; frantic calls never ret. 43  watt said in 2001 that b2 was doing what he wanted to 44.

=

coal link may be mistake, tobacco link not explained

Gale Norton

Secretary of the Department of Interior (2001-2006)

â¢ Closely linked to Abramoff.

â¢ Joined Shell Oil immediately after leaving DOI.

â¢ Currently under federal investigation for discussing employment with Shell Oil while she was still DOI Secretary.

Gale Norton served as the Secretary of the Department of Interior from 2001 to 2006, at the height of Jack Abramoffâs influence. At the beginning of his administration, President Bush <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/gross-bush/">suspended many of Clintonâs late-term executive orders</a> regarding the environment. One environmentalist called Gale Norton â<a href="http://www.grist.org/article/gross-bush/">James Watt in a skirt</a>.â Abramoff clients <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701682.html">contributed about $500,000</a> to Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA), an organization that she created with Grover Norquist and Italia Federici. After taking office, Norton would make a succession of decisions in favor of Abramoffâs Indian casino clients. After resigning from DOI in 2006, Norton joined <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4910177">Royal Dutch Shell</a> â a company that she regularly dealt with in her position as DOI secretary. Under the Obama administration, Norton was <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/gale_norton_subpoenaed_by_grand_jury_report.php">subpoenaed by a grand jury</a> for holding discussions with Shell about employment while in the role of DOI Secretary. Under her watch, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/17/nation/na-norton17">DOI granted Shell three oil shale releases</a> on federal land, worth as much as hundred of billions.

<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/interior-scandals-under-bush">http://thinkprogress.org/interior-scandals-under-bush</a>

----

<h1 dir="ltr" class="title" style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">The co-presidency of Bush and Cheney</h1>

By Shirley Anne Warshaw

once wanted to disband doi, drill anwr, sell wildlife refuges

could not overturn clinton exec order, but sought to undermine it

many pro biz reg easing, doi hired coal co ppl

allowed mtntop removal 120 oil leases for everglades park!

conn coined Healthy Forest Init

==

Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior

The nation's foremost custodian of parks, beaches and public lands is a former oil lobbyist. Her clients included Delta Petroleum, an oil-interest, and NL Industries, which was being sued over childhood lead-paint exposure. She also headed the Coalition of Republican Environmental Advocates, funded by Ford Motor Company and BP Amaco. The group advocated abolishing the Endangered Species Act. Under Norton, the EPA stripped the Bureau of Land Management of power to block mining operations that are environmentally unsound or damage on Native American cultural sites.

----

<a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html" class="external text" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html">Gale A. Norton</a>, the first woman to head the U.S. <a title="Department of the Interior" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Department_of_the_Interior">Department of the Interior</a>, was sworn in January 2001.

Norton <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060310.htm" class="external text" href="http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060310.htm">resigned</a> as Secretary March 16, 2006, announcing that "she's giving up the Cabinet position to set 'new goals to achieve in the private sector,' and settle with her husband 'closer to the mountains we love in the West.'" <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/OPINION/603160327/1005" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/OPINION/603160327/1005">[1]</a>

President <a title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_W._Bush">George W. Bush</a> nominated Idaho Governor <a title="Dirk Kempthorne" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Dirk_Kempthorne">Dirk Kempthorne</a> as her successor.

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a id="togglelink" class="internal" href="javascript:toggleToc()">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A._Norton#Background">1 Background</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A._Norton#Timeline">2 Timeline</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A._Norton#Related_SourceWatch_Resources">3 Related SourceWatch Resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A._Norton#External_links">4 External links</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A._Norton#Profiles">4.1 Profiles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A.Norton#Articles.26_Commentaries">4.2 Articles & Commentaries</a>

<ul>

<h2 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">
Background</h2>

At the time that she was being considered for the appointment by President George W. Bush, her connections to corporations deeply involved in the metals industry were under scrutiny.

Norton was then Colorado Attorney General (1991-99). As a "negotiator of the $206 billion national tobacco settlement, Norton represented Colorado and 45 other states as part of the largest lawsuit settlement in history."<a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.doi.gov/secretary/biography.html" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.doi.gov/secretary/biography.html">[2]</a>

Norton was listed with the Colorado Legislature as a <a title="Lobbyist" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lobbyist">lobbyist</a> for, among others, <a title="NL Industries" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=NL_Industries">NL Industries</a>, a Houston company formerly known as National Lead Company. Norton's Denver law firm -- Brownstein Hyatt & Farber -- was also listed with the U.S. Congress as a lobbyist for NL Industries.<a rel="nofollow" title="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml" class="external autonumber" href="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml">[3]</a>  LEAD

In 1999, Norton joined Brownstein Hyatt & Farber. Congressional records revealed in 2001 that the law firm lobbied in Washington for a total of 45 clients, "including some with political interests before the Interior Department": <a title="Delta Petroleum Corporation (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Delta_Petroleum_Corporation&action=edit&redlink=1">Delta Petroleum Corporation</a> (interested in 'offshore resources'); <a title="Timet-Titanium Metals Corporation (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Timet-Titanium_Metals_Corporation&action=edit&redlink=1">Timet-Titanium Metals Corporation</a> (metals processor); the <a title="The Shaw Group, Inc." href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_Shaw_Group,_Inc.">Shaw Group</a> (makes pipes for oil companies and power plants); <a title="Ustman Technologies (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ustman_Technologies&action=edit&redlink=1">Ustman Technologies</a> (monitors underground storage tanks); and <a title="Warren Rogers Associates (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Warren_Rogers_Associates&action=edit&redlink=1">Warren Rogers Associates</a> (sells products and services for chemical and petroleum storage tanks).<a rel="nofollow" title="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml" class="external autonumber" href="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml">[4]</a>

"Prior to her election as Attorney General, Norton served in Washington, D.C. as Associate Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior, overseeing endangered species and public lands legal issues for the <a title="National Park Service" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Park_Service">National Park Service</a> and the <a title="Fish and Wildlife Service (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fish_and_Wildlife_Service&action=edit&redlink=1">Fish and Wildlife Service</a>. She also worked as Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and, from 1979 to 1983, as a Senior Attorney for the <a title="Mountain States Legal Foundation" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mountain_States_Legal_Foundation">Mountain States Legal Foundation</a>."<a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html">[5]</a>

"Norton graduated magna cum laude from the University of Denver in 1975 and earned her law degree with honors from the same university in 1978. Before becoming Interior Secretary, Norton was senior counsel at <a title="Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, P.C. (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Brownstein,Hyatt%26_Farber,_P.C.&action=edit&redlink=1">Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, P.C.</a>"<a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/norton-bio.html">[6]</a>

"Former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton is a protegee of <a title="Ronald Reagan" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> Interior Secretary <a title="James Watt (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=James_Watt&action=edit&redlink=1">James Watt</a>. She was hired by the <a title="Mountain States Legal Foundation" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mountain_States_Legal_Foundation">Mountain States Legal Foundation</a> in 1979. In 1983 Norton moved to the right-leaning <a title="Hoover Institution" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hoover_Institution">Hoover Institution</a>, where she urged a market-based approach to controlling air pollution. She also served on the advisory boards of two other right wing groups, <a title="Defenders of Property Rights" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Defenders_of_Property_Rights">Defenders of Property Rights</a> and the <a title="Washington Legal Foundation" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Washington_Legal_Foundation">Washington Legal Foundation</a>. In 1998, she founded a group called the <a title="Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Council_of_Republicans_for_Environmental_Advocacy">Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy</a> (CREA) to counter the image that Democrats are the party that protects the environment. But <a title="Martha Marks" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Martha_Marks">Martha Marks</a>, the head of a rival GOP group called <a title="Republicans for Environmental Protection" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republicans_for_Environmental_Protection">Republicans for Environmental Protection</a>, said the group was a front to obscure the records of Republicans with bad environmental records. Indeed the sponsors for CREA's kickoff gala included the <a title="Chlorine Chemical Council (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chlorine_Chemical_Council&action=edit&redlink=1">Chlorine Chemical Council</a>, <a title="National Coal Council (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Coal_Council&action=edit&redlink=1">National Coal Council</a>, <a title="Chemical Manufacturers Association" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chemical_Manufacturers_Association">Chemical Manufacturers Association</a>, and the <a title="National Mining Association" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Mining_Association">National Mining Association</a>." <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=6187" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=6187">[7]</a>

<h2 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">Timeline</h2>

<li>1979-1983: Senior Attorney, Mountain States Legal Foundation</li>

<li>1983: Hoover Institution</li>

<li>1984-1985: Assistant to Deputy Secretary of Agriculture</li>

<li>1985-1990: Associate Solicitor, Department of Agriculture: "where she worked to open the <a title="Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Arctic_National_Wildlife_Reserve&action=edit&redlink=1">Arctic National Wildlife Reserve</a> to drilling. She served under both James Watt and <a title="Don Hodel (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Don_Hodel&action=edit&redlink=1">Don Hodel</a> and served on <a title="George Herbert Walker Bush" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_Herbert_Walker_Bush">George Herbert Walker Bush</a>'s <a title="Western Water Review Commission (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Western_Water_Review_Commission&action=edit&redlink=1">Western Water Review Commission</a>."<a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton.html" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton.html">[8]</a></li>

<li>1991-1998: Colorado's first female attorney general, served two terms</li>

<li>1998: Founded Council for Republicans for Environmental Advocacy</li>

<li>1999: Served as George W. Bush's environmental advisor</li>

<li>1999: Brownstein, Hyatt, and Ferber ["Denver's most politically connected law firm." (Rocky Mountain News, Dec. 30, 2000)]</li>

<li>1999: Registered lobbyist (Colorado) for City of Black Hawk, CO, and NL Industries (formerly <a title="National Lead Company (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Lead_Company&action=edit&redlink=1">National Lead Company</a>), which is controlled by the <a title="Tremont Corporation (page does not exist)" class="new" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tremont_Corporation&action=edit&redlink=1">Tremont Corporation</a></li>

</ul>

<h2 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">Related SourceWatch Resources</h2>

<li><a title="Bush administration" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bush_administration">Bush administration</a></li>

<li><a title="Tobacco industry" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tobacco_industry">tobacco industry</a></li>

<li><a title="U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Fish_and_Wildlife_Service">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a></li>

</ul>

<h2 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">External links</h2>

<h3 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">Profiles</h3>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Norton" class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Norton">Gale Norton</a> at <a title="Wikipedia" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.inboxrobot.com/newsletter.php3?brief_id=5032" class="external text" href="http://www.inboxrobot.com/newsletter.php3?brief_id=5032">InboxRobot: Gale A. Norton</a>. Current Daily Newsletter.</li>

</ul>

<h3 style="color: rgb(49, 49, 49);">Articles & Commentaries</h3>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/norton_profile.html" class="external text" href="http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/norton_profile.html">Interior Designer: Norton's History Suggests More Use of Public Land</a>, ABCNews, September 29, 2000: "Gale Norton, nominated to head George W. Bush's Interior Department, has a pro-development resume when it comes to public lands."</li>

<li>Charlene Porter, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.usembassy.it/file2000_12/alia/a0122904.htm" class="external text" href="http://www.usembassy.it/file2000_12/alia/a0122904.htm">Bush Names Former Colorado Atty. Gen. Gale Norton to Head Interior Dept.</a>, Washington Post, December 29, 2000.</li>

</ul>

<li>Matt Kelley, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://451world.com/i3/norton1-01.html" class="external text" href="http://451world.com/i3/norton1-01.html">Interior Nominee Billed Alaska for Assistance to Private Group</a>, 451world.com, 2001.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton_report.pdf" class="external text" href="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton_report.pdf">Gale Norton: An Environmental Profile</a>, <a title="National Resources Defense Council" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Resources_Defense_Council">National Resources Defense Council</a>, <a title="Wilderness Society" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wilderness_Society">Wilderness Society</a>, <a title="Defenders of Wildlife" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Defenders_of_Wildlife">Defenders of Wildlife</a>, <a title="Sierra Club" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sierra_Club">Sierra Club</a>, <a title="U.S. Public Interest Research Group" class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Public_Interest_Research_Group">U.S. Public Interest Research Group</a>, and <a title="League of Conservation Voters" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=League_of_Conservation_Voters">League of Conservation Voters</a>, January 2001.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml" class="external text" href="http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/010601/gen_0106017630.shtml">Norton Lobbied for Superfund Target</a>, Quest for the Presidency, January 6, 2001.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton.html" class="external text" href="http://www.ems.org/interior/norton.html">Gale Norton - Secretary of the Interior</a>, Environmental Media Services. Last update: July 10, 2001.</li>

</ul>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.fiyrra.com/fiyrra/norton.html" class="external text" href="http://www.fiyrra.com/fiyrra/norton.html">"Dept of the Interior Head, Gale Norton, held in contempt over mismanagement of funds,"</a> fiyrra, September 18, 2002.</li>

</ul>

<li>Joshua Pantesco, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/03/us-interior-secretary-norton-resigns.php" class="external text" href="http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/03/us-interior-secretary-norton-resigns.php">"US Interior Secretary Norton resigns, leaving legal problems behind,"</a> Jurist, March 10, 2006. See <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060310.htm" class="external text" href="http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/060310.htm">resignation letter</a>.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62199" class="external text" href="http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62199">News Release: "Interior Secretary Gale Norton Resigns; Statement of Earthjustice Executive Director Buck Parker,"</a> U.S. Newswire, March 10, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aDwwAMoQeHxc&refer=top_world_news" class="external text" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aDwwAMoQeHxc&refer=top_world_news">"U.S. Interior Secretary Norton Resigns; Served 5 Yrs (Update4),"</a> Bloomberg News, March 10, 2006.</li>

<li>Caren Bohan and Tom Doggett, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.localnewsleader.com/olberlin/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=157026" class="external text" href="http://www.localnewsleader.com/olberlin/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=157026">"Interior secretary Norton resigns,"</a> Olberlin Times, March 10, 2006 (posted March 13).</li>

<li>John Heilprin, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1712873" class="external text" href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1712873">"Interior Secretary Gale Norton Resigns,"</a> Associated Press (ABC News), March 11, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/3724023.html" class="external text" href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/3724023.html">Letters: "Who'll clean environment?"</a> Houston Chronicle, March 14, 2006.</li>

<li>Hal Rothman, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/6899/" class="external text" href="http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/6899/">"Norton's Resignation Runs Deeper than Norton Herself,"</a> New West, March 14, 2006.</li>

<li>John Hanchette, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/hanchette196.html" class="external text" href="http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/hanchette196.html">"Mountain Views: Gale Norton's Exit Good for Country,"</a> Niagara Falls Reporter, March 14, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3726671.html" class="external text" href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/3726671.html">"Norton's Mixed Legacy. Resigning U.S. secretary of the Interior lauded by industry but despised by environmentalists,"</a> Houston Chronicle, March 15, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2006/03/15/opinions/031506b.txt" class="external text" href="http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2006/03/15/opinions/031506b.txt">Opinion: "Gale Norton's ugly legacy,"</a> The Lompoc Record (CA), March 15, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/03/15/m14a_norton_edit_0315.html" class="external text" href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/03/15/m14a_norton_edit_0315.html">Editorial: "Good riddance to Norton; take a different approach,"</a> Palm Beach Post (FL), March 15, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/OPINION/603160327/1005" class="external text" href="http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/OPINION/603160327/1005">Editorial: "Moving on. Norton gives up Interior position,"</a> Press & Sun-Bulletin (Greater Binghamton, NY), March 16, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/03/16/opinion-16marched2-03-16.html" class="external text" href="http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/03/16/opinion-16marched2-03-16.html">Editorial: "Good riddance, Gale Norton,"</a> Times Herald-Record (NY), March 16, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.masslive.com/editorials/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1142498608273780.xml&coll=1" class="external text" href="http://www.masslive.com/editorials/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1142498608273780.xml&coll=1">Editorial: "U.S. interior secretary must like the outdoors,"</a> The Republican (MA), March 16, 2006.</li>

<li>George Ochenski, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5580" class="external text" href="http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5580">"End of an error. Saying good riddance to Gale Norton,"</a> Missoula Independent (Montana), March 16, 2006.</li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1142373343130530.xml&coll=7" class="external text" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1142373343130530.xml&coll=7">"Norton left conservation out in the wilderness. The Interior secretary spent five years,"</a> The Oregonian, March 16, 2006.</li>

<li>Mike Soraghan, <a rel="nofollow" title="http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_4494437" class="external text" href="http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_4494437">"Group led by ex-Norton associate criticized,"</a> Denver Post, October 14, 2006.</li>

</ul>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A.Norton">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gale_A.Norton</a>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Council_of_Republicans_for_Environmental_Advocacy">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Council_of_Republicans_for_Environmental_Advocacy</a>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 9, 2001

7:19 PM

CONTACT:  Sierra Club

Wendy Balazik, 202-675-2383

Gale Norton:

The Extreme Anti-Environmental Agenda

WASHINGTON - January 9 - "Gale Norton would be a natural disaster as Interior Secretary." -- Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director.

Gale Norton is an anti-environmental extremist whose record as a lobbyist for polluters, an attorney for loggers and miners, and a protege of James Watt makes her unfit to be Secretary of the Interior. Gale Norton favor allowing polluters to regulate themselves; as an attorney she sued the EPA to overturn clean-air standards; and, in the Reagan administration, she worked to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Due to her views and her record, the Sierra Club strongly opposes the confirmation of Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior.

Protecting Public Lands

Norton has long advocated opening America's wildlands to the oil, gas, mining and logging industries. During the Reagan administration, Norton served as associate solicitor at the Interior Department, where she helped support efforts to drill the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an issue that will be hotly debated at the beginning of the 107th Congress.

Before working for the Reagan administration, Norton was hired by James Watt at the arch-conservative Mountain States Legal Foundation, which often represents loggers, miners, ranchers and water developers in fights against environmental safeguards. Watt was later ousted as President Reagan's Interior Secretary for his extremist agenda.

As reported by the 1/7/2001 issue of the Sacramento Bee, an environmental lawyer who worked with Norton said: "I think that she [Norton] adheres to the same philosophies as James Watt, but she is infinitely more diplomatic in her presentations..."

Ms. Norton has consistently opposed Congressional designation of new wilderness areas in Colorado if designation protect the water flowing through the wilderness. She would have Congress acknowledge the unique rock formations, rich and diverse vegetation, and healthy wildlife, then allow developers to drain the water, the very substance that makes all those features possible.

She opposed Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and its earlier versions, because it included provisions that recognized the need for water in wilderness, even though that legal recognition did nothing to diminish any existing or future water right.

Defending the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Norton opposes protecting the last pristine portion of Alaska's North Slope, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Instead Norton wants to open the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas drilling, which will destroy this fragile habitat -- home to herds of caribou, polar bears and musk oxen -- and threaten the native Gwich'in people who depend on these animals to live.

As reported in the Washington Post (Dec. 29, 2000), Norton, at the press conference introducing her nomination, said: "President-elect Bush took a position... that we should explore opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas exploration... I cannot comment in terms of my own actions on that, but I do support the president in the positions that he has taken during his campaign."

Protecting Endangered Species

Norton is opposed to federal environmental protections and is in favor, of what she calls, "market-oriented, property rights-based, locally controlled solutions." (as reported by abcNEWS.com).

She has objected to the Endangered Species Act, advocating that landowners be paid by taxpayers to comply with the law. She advocates such payments because they would have a "chilling effect" on wildlife protections.

National Environmental Policy Act

Norton has also objected to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires the government review the environmental harm of proposed federal projects to public lands and endangered species.

Testifying on NEPA before Congress on March 18, 1998, Norton indicated her desire to revamp our nation's most over-arching environmental protection law.

Protecting Clean Air and Water

Norton opposes enforcing anti-pollution laws and instead supports a "self-audit" system that has been criticized by the EPA because it lets polluters off the hook with secret settlements that allow the polluter to avoid punishment.

In 1993, Attorney General Norton failed to enforce the Clean Air Act against the Hayden coal-fired power plant in northern Colorado. This facility's pollution was so severe that it was measurably increasing acid rain damage in Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorado wilderness areas. Her failure to enforce the law came despite her statements that she prefer delegating enforcement authority to the states, as this power was. Ultimately, a private lawsuit, a federal court action and the U.S. EPA got the act enforced, the private corporation operating the plant acknowledged their violations and settled with EPA, and the pollution was reduced. (Denver Post 1/7/01)

Similarly, Ms. Norton failed to enforce federal or state law against operators of the Summitville Mine after a tailings pond there collapsed, sending high-acid pollution into natural streams, killing all life in them for thirty miles. (New York Times, 1/6/01)[cf 2015 RW bs on EPA sub-contractor spill]

She did not take action against Louisiana-Pacific, operators of a wood products plant near Olathe, Colorado, despite evidence from a successful citizens' lawsuit showed that the plant was intentionally dumping illegal levels of air pollution at night. Federal prosecutors had to step in, confirming 18 separate illegal dumping violations and exacting over $30 million in fines. (Denver Post 1/7/01)

Ms. Norton also took no action against a petroleum company that spilled oil into Sand Creek near Denver. A suit by the Sierra Club finally brought a $1 million penalty.

Norton is also a registered lobbyist for NL Industries of Houston. NL Industries, formerly known as the National Lead Company, has been sued for children's exposure to lead paint.

Fighting Global Warming

Norton opposes efforts to curb global warming and has publicly questioned whether global warming is a threat.

In an editorial printed in the 6/29/1997 issue of The Gazetter (Colorado), Norton said: "Ironically, there is little consensus over whether global warming is occurring. Only 17 percent of the Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Society membership believes greenhouse gas emissions caused the warming earlier this century."

Gale Norton's Biography

Gail Norton is currently a lawyer with the firm of Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, and Strickland, where she specializes in business regulation and the environment. She will not disclosed what clients she has worked for.

Norton sits on the board of the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden, CO.

Norton is also a founder, and serves on the advisory committee, of the Coalition of Republican Environmental Advocates (CREA), which is considered by the Republicans for Environmental Protection (a legitimate GOP environmental group) to be a greenscam: "a transparent attempt to fool voters who care about environmental protection." CREA focuses on free market and local solutions to environmental problems and counts Helen Chenoweth and Senator Larry Craig as supporters. CREA actually gave an environmental award to Newt Gingrich. Contributors to CREA include the American Forest Paper Association, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, ARCO and Amoco.

During the Reagan presidency, Norton served as Associate Solicitor at the Interior Department where she authored and signed legal opinions supporting drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Norton has also pointed to the government's handling of endangered species cases as an example of excessive regulation.

A former Libertarian, Norton vigorously supports private property rights in takings cases. For example, she signed onto a letter addressed to Senator Hatch supporting Congress' Constitutional authority to enact a law that strengthens personal property rights under the takings Provision of the Fifth Amendment. The bill, S. 1028, would have allowed citizens to bypass state court and proceed directly to federal court with taking cases.

Norton was advocated Colorado's "self-audit" law, which allows companies to conduct voluntary audits to determine whether they are complying with environmental requirements. The law gives businesses immunity from litigation and fines if they report the violations and correct them. The federal EPA has objected to these self-audit laws. She wrote testimony presented before the Senate EPW Committee in support of self-audit as an antidote to the "command and control" approach of federal environmental regulations.

###

===<h2 class="date-header" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; position: static; clear: both; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); padding: 3px; line-height: 19.5px;">November 17, 2005</h2><div class="entry-category-national_politics entry-author-rockthrower entry-type-post entry" id="entry-7523416" style="position: static; overflow: hidden; clear: both; width: 370px; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 19.5px;"><div class="entry-inner"><h3 class="entry-header" style="margin: 1px 0px 10px; border: 0px; line-height: normal;">Is Karl Rove the New Kevin Bacon?</h3><div class="entry-content" style="position: static; clear: both; margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="entry-body" style="clear: both;">Six Degrees of Karl Rove -- Can you connect Italia Federici?No one is going to mistake Karl Rove for a movie star, but lately I have been wondering if maybe Rove hasn’t become the new Kevin Bacon.  Bacon is the icon of popular culture that, so popular theory goes, is no more than six persons removed from anyone else.  In other words, everyone knows someone who knows Bacon.  That’s not quite the case with Rove.  It’s just that lately wherever there is a political scandal, it seems that there is a connection between the people involved and Karl Rove.Take for instance the little escapade wafting out of Jack Abramoff’s lobby shop and threatening to engulf the Republican Congress. On Thursday, the mystery woman of the Senate Indian Affairs investigation, Italia Federici is scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee regarding her involvement in the Jack Abramoff/Michael Scanlon Indian Tribe rip-off.  Federici it seems cut her political teeth working for Interior Secretary Gale Norton’s U.S. 1996 Senate Campaign.  Take one guess who Norton’s campaign consultant was.  Well, it wasn’t Kevin BaconI know, I know, it’s just a coincidence.  As Scott McClellan said about the outing of Joseph Wilson, “Karl Rove was not involved.”  But Rove did work with Federici in the Norton campaign and it was Rove’s pal and confidant Grover Norquist who helped Federici and the future Interior secretary Gale Norton form something called the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA), which is going to be the main exhibit in Thursday’s Senate Indian Affairs debacle.Maybe someone should make up one of those games people are always playing about Kevin Bacon, except if could feature Karl Rove.  It could have a schematic or some kind of visual showing Rove’s connections to all the participants in the Republican scandals threatening to swamp Washington.  We could call it “Six Degrees of Karl Rove.” The way you would play is to link any character in a political scandal to Rove.  For example let’s use Jack Abramoff.  Karl Rove hired Jack Abramoff’s personal assistant, Susan Ralston, to be his executive secretary.  Therefore, Jack Abramoff has a Rove score of 2. (Actually, I think Rove and Abramoff have a direct relationship, so Abramoff has a score of 1, but you get the idea).  This could be a big hit on the Beltway cocktail circuit.Thursday’s hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee would be a great place to play.  Not only does Rove know Federici, but he is easy to connect with Ralph Reed, Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, Stephen Griles and others involved in this sordid mess.  For more advanced players we could try names like Julie Finley and see if players can connect her to Italia Federici and Rove. (read more to get the answer)On the other hand, Thursday’s hearing might not be the best place to play.  Things might get a little heated and it might be hard to keep your attention on the game.It should be interesting to hear what Federici has to say.  First off, there is the little matter of explaining what exactly the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA) is and does.  It bills itself as an environmental organization, but it puts out press releases saying things like drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wilderness Area Refuge would be good for the environment.  It also says on its website that it is a non-profit organization and it collects donations, but Bill Brunson, a spokesperson for the IRS, told the Arizona Republic that the IRS has no record that CREA has been granted tax free status as a non-profit corporation. One thing is clear though.  Now that it has been alleged that at Jack Abramoff’s instructions the Cushetta Indian tribe paid CREA $250,000 in exchange for assistance in setting up a meeting with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, no one could blame Republicans for doing their best to distance themselves from the organization.  But that may not be so easy. According to a March 2005 article in Roll Call, Norton, who together with Federici and Grover Norquist established CREA, attended a dinner for CREA at the house of Republican rainmaker Julie Finley* in the fall of 2001. The event was attended by 60-70 people including representatives from Indian tribes, such as the Coushatta’s. This was after Norton headlined a gala event launching CREA in Washington D.C.  According to a January 2001 article published in the Washington Post, the guest of honor at the event was Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and the keynote address was delivered by House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The sponsors for the gala included none other than the political consulting firm of Karl Rove. *(Game players, Finley’s bio lists her as having served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee's major fundraising arm, Team 100. She is also the national committee woman for the D.C. Republican Committee, a founding member of the Council for Republicans, chairman and founder of the Republican Primary PAC, and a founding member of the WISH List and, lo and behold, the Council for Republican Environmental Advocacy (CREA). See, it’s easy to play.)As much as the Republican establishment might wish it wasn’t so, Federici and CREA (not to mention others in the Abramoff/Scanlon scandal) are enmeshed in the Washington establishment and connected to the Bush administration. According to documents obtained from the Justice Department by the National Resources Defense Council, CREA provided the Interior Department with public opinion research (dated 5/16/01) from focus groups in several cities suggesting how to talk about energy issues and emphasizing using rising gas prices to promote increased drilling. The research concludes, "language that . . . emphasizes price increases in gasoline and natural gas and the California situation resonates with voters and makes the case that "Gasoline price stability is the single most potent argument for opening up ANWR." I wonder if those discussions are what Gale Norton was referring to?As for the game “Six Degrees of Karl Rove,” I’m beginning to wonder if it’s such a good idea.  Given the widespread connections of the Republican establishment in Washington D.C. to the burgeoning Abramoff/Scanlon scandal, I’m going to need a scorecard to keep track.</div></div><div class="entry-footer" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; clear: both; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); padding: 3px; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold;">November 17, 2005 in <a href="http://rockthrower.blogs.com/rockthrower/national_politics/">National Politics</a> | <a class="permalink" href="http://rockthrower.blogs.com/rockthrower/2005/11/is_karl_rove_th.html">Permalink</a></div></div></div>

-----For Norton, A Party Missionhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/01/08/for-norton-a-party-mission/By William Booth January 8, 2001  Follow @boothwilliamOn a June evening in 1998, in the big ballroom of the J.W. Marriott on Pennsylvania Avenue, Gale A. Norton hosted the national kickoff for an organization she founded that is now called, after several name changes, the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy.To understand why environmentalists in Washington are so worried about President-elect Bush's choice of Norton for interior secretary -- and why conservatives are applauding the nomination -- CREA is a good place to start.The organization was conceived by Norton, then the outgoing Colorado attorney general. Its purpose: to confront an "overriding problem," as its first mailings put it, that "over the last two decades, Democrats have created the impression that they are the defenders of the environment while Republicans are environmental destroyers. Our bad guy image hampers the election of Republican candidates and makes it difficult to promote common-sense policies."Norton, through CREA, vowed to do something about that. The June gathering was part of her plan. The gathering included a Who's Who of GOP powerhouses in Congress.The guest of honor was Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Miss.). The keynote address was delivered by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.). The sponsors for the gala that night included the National Coal Council, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the National Mining Association, the Chlorine Chemical Council and the political consulting firm of Karl Rove, one of Bush's closest advisers.To environmental advocacy groups in Washington, CREA represents everything they fear about Norton. Their concern is that as the steward of America's public lands and the gamekeeper of the nation's wildlife, she is beholden to the extractive industries and will open up large tracts of land to mining, oil and gas drilling, and timber harvesting; that she will side with private property owners and businesses against the needs of endangered creatures.
Indeed, the head of a rival GOP group, Martha Marks -- founder and president of Republicans for Environmental Protection -- accuses CREA of being nothing more than a front to gussy up the poor records of some Republican officeholders.
"It's the classic green scam," Marks said, "green scam" meaning to slap the "green" label on someone or something that is actually working against conservation and environmental protections.
CREA members have given awards to GOP officeholders, have spoken at conferences and have issued a couple of reports and briefed Republicans. Marks calls the reports nothing more than "a Web page and a press release."
But to Norton's supporters, a group such as CREA is just the right medicine for a Washington-driven environmentalism that they say has run amok.
What, these supporters (who include GOP governors of the western states) ask, is wrong with working with industry? Norton's allies say that America's public lands should be able to support "multiple use," meaning serving not only as wildlife refuges but also as the source for materials that Americans and the economy need to continue to grow and prosper.
"She will definitely be more favorably disposed to multiple uses," said Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R). "She won't lock up our lands, sight unseen. She'll be concerned with the rights of private property versus public need. But she will not be throwing Molotov cocktails. She will not be Jim Watt," the controversial interior secretary of the early years of the Reagan administration.
"Gale Norton will be a very considered and very steady secretary of the interior," Owens said.
The environmental community, however, promises to go to war over Norton's confirmation. "She is going to be very, very controversial," said Greg Wetstone, director of programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "And she will be vigorously opposed."
At this point, of course, no one really knows what kind of interior secretary Norton might make, but her re{acute}sume{acute} gives clues to her personality and politics.
She was raised in Thornton, Colo., a suburb of Denver. Her father was an aircraft mechanic and an admirer of legendary conservative Barry M. Goldwater.
Norton, 46, blasted through the University of Denver, first as an undergraduate majoring in political science, and then in the law school. She posted a perfect score on her Law School Admissions Test. In high school, she protested the war in Vietnam.
Her politics took a turn after the young Norton began reading Ayn Rand novels such as "The Fountainhead." She became active in Libertarian Party politics and served as a delegate when Edward Clark ran for the White House on the Libertarian ticket in 1980. KOCH?
After graduating from law school, Norton was hired in 1979 by the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which was founded by James G. Watt. "She sought us out," Watt recalled last week. "She wanted to work for a cause-driven public law foundation."
Mountain States was formed in 1977, supported by money from the Coors beer-brewing family, as a way for conservatives to use the courts to further their aims in public policy and the law. Over the years, Mountain States has taken on cases that sought to overturn affirmative action set-asides, to oppose windfall profit taxes for oil companies, and to pursue a "wise use" agenda by opening more public lands for hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, mining, logging, and oil and gas exploration.
Watt called Norton "a first-class lawyer" and "a great gal who has come into her own."
After leaving Mountain States in 1983, Norton chose another ideologically driven job. She became a scholar at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institute, where she explored new ways to control air pollution -- not by regulation, but by using such then-novel methods as market incentives.
Watt said he "sponsored" Norton and brought her into the Reagan administration as a political appointee, first in the Agriculture Department and then as associate solicitor at the Interior Department.
While at Interior, Norton was one of the authors of a report that supported opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- a vast wilderness area filled with caribou and polar bears -- to oil exploration.
Don Barry, an executive vice president of the Wilderness Society, was previously head attorney at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but left the department right before Norton came aboard. She would have been his boss. Barry describes Norton as "a very nice person, and a very conservative person." He was impressed that Norton contacted him about whom she should name as his replacement, and that she appointed the person he recommended, a career government lawyer.
"She chose competency and knowledge over political ideology," Barry said.
Norton returned to private practice in Colorado in 1987. Married once and divorced, she got married for a second time, to real estate agent John Hughes. She was elected in 1990 and 1994 as attorney general and worked under a Democratic governor, Roy Romer.
Pam Eaton, regional director of the Colorado-based Wilderness Society, said that, as attorney general, Norton did not leave much of a record on environmental issues. But Eaton gave Norton credit for allowing her attorneys to pursue corporate polluters.
"She did not put an ideological spin on things," Eaton said. "But I tell people that in Colorado her job was to enforce the laws of the state. Her job at Interior will be to formulate rules and laws."
Eaton and other environmentalists insist that more telling than her tenure as attorney general is her early mentoring by Watt, and her continued alliances with groups that say Washington is trampling property rights in the name of the environment.
However, Norton did not hide her views on the environment. She has openly criticized the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as good legislation gone bad -- as the federal government took more and more power away from state and local governments.
Norton has often criticized the federal government, which she has called the worst polluter in the nation for the toxic mess it has left behind at government weapons factories and military bases. She tangled with Washington and won the right to enforce Colorado's stricter cleanup standards at the Army's Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
As attorney general, she also sought to allow companies to "self-audit" their pollution, a policy that the Environmental Protection Agency has vigorously opposed.
Denis Berckefeldt, secretary of the Colorado Democratic Party, said that in his state, "which is dominated by the right wing," Norton is generally considered a moderate, mostly because she supports abortion rights.
In 1996, she ran for the Senate but lost in the primary to a more conservative opponent, the eventual winner, Wayne Allard (R). Though considered a Colorado moderate, in her stump speeches she called for federal term limits, a limited role for the federal government, a two-thirds-majority requirement in Congress for tax increases and the elimination of the departments of Commerce, Energy, Education, and Housing and Urban Development.
Her nomination as interior secretary was a surprise to almost everyone in Colorado. The front-runner for that position was Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), but his nomination would have tilted the balance of power in the evenly divided Senate. When it appeared that the Bush team was moving away from Campbell, Owens, who is close to Bush, suggested Norton.Her nomination, according to knowledgeable sources, was greatly eased by Rove, who had worked for Norton on her Senate bid.Her former mentor, Watt, said: "The one thing the press never understands is that Cabinet officers are loyal to their president." Why was Norton chosen? "She was picked because Bush believes that she will carry out his agenda," Watt said.
Gale A. Norton says GOP has image of "environmental destroyers."Gale A. Norton, shown at a news conference with President-elect Bush announcing her nomination as interior secretary, was a prote{acute}ge{acute} of James A. Watt in Reagan administration.
William Booth is The Post’s Jerusalem bureau chief. He was previously bureau chief in Mexico, Los Angeles and Miami.==

George W. Bush's ecologist

Gale Norton, Minister of Ideological Pollution

by Paul Labarique

Gale Norton has two faces: when she addresses voters, she is an ecologist lawyer and a pacifist in favor of the legalization of soft drugs and the elimination of CIA. But when she was appointed Bushâs Minister of Environment, she only dealt with extreme right-wing associations, defended what she called "the industrialists' constitutional right to pollute" and sabotaged the Kyoto Protocol. She represented American multinational companies' capacity to express "value-freedom" and guaranteed their impunity.

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At the beginning of the 70s, the young lady began to study law at the University of Denver where Condoleezza Rice studied too. During the Viet Nam war, she participated temporarily in several pacifists\ demonstrations, just before joining the big extremely liberal ideologuesâ family. She joined the Libertarian Party (not a powerful political party in the U.S.) at the end of the 70s and went to Colorado to run the presidential campaign of the Libertarian Party candidate, Mister Ed Clarke, between 1979 and 1980. Clarkeâs program was opposed to that of Ronald Reagan and accused the ânational securityâ institutions: he wanted the Department of Energy, the FBI and the CIA to be dismantled. The young lawyer wrote speeches for Mr. Clarke in which she demanded the legalization of marihuana and uncensored pornography. On foreign policy issues, Ed Clarke called for the return of every American soldier abroad [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb2" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Laura Flanders: Bushwomen - Tales of a cynical species, Verso, (...)" id="nh2">2</a>].

The campaign was backed up by Charles Koch, heir of Koch Industries, whose father Fred Koch, had always financed anti-union movements and had been a prominent member of the national council of anticommunist organization John Birch Society. âLibertariansâ were also assisted by the Cato Institute which was subsidized by Charles Koch himself. At the end of the campaign, Ed Clarke won a million votes, a remarkable record for an unknown candidate and an insignificant party.

Gale Nortonâs membership in Bushâs team allow us to question the âlibertarianâ ideology for the powers of the Federal state police were strengthened in an unusual way, regulations against freedom were multiplied, the moral order was reestablished and the soldiers were sent to two foreign wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It seems that this ideology only helps the captains of industries to implement their own projects without considering ecological or health-related issues. This is what Gale Norton did when she finished Ed Clarkeâs campaign. When she graduated in 1979, she was recruited by the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a jurists association based in Denver âdevoted to the individual freedom, the right to private property, government control and the free market systemâ. Its founder, Joseph Coors, made his fortune in one of the three major American breweries and decided to invest his money in the ideological reform of the Right. In 1973, he financed the Heritage Foundation by making a 250 000 dollars contribution and had already subsidized the Committee to Save a Free Congress in 1972 [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb3" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Russ Bellant: The Coors Connection - How Coors Family Philanthropy (...)" id="nh3">3</a>].

During this period, extreme conservatives lost many legal cases while their lawyers were also working in favor of the minoritiesâ civic rights, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Organization of Women which succeeded in limiting existent discrimination in the labor market.

On their side, Indians in the U.S. were successful in the recognition of their religious rights and the protection of some of their more sacred sites. By that time, the Congress passed several texts in which âindustrial accidentsâ such as aquifer pollution and the emission of toxic products to the atmosphere were censored. Hence, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) passed in 1969 demanded the government to make a research on âthe impact on the environmentâ before implementing any project or activity. Other texts defended species or animals to be in danger of extinction whereas the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air and Clean Water Act protected water and the ecosystem.

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The extreme Right tried to react against this new movement which included consumers as well as ecologists. The Heritage Foundation worked on the ideological presentation but a structure was needed to make this âsolidâ in court. In this context, Coors founded in 1977 the Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) and became its first president. This institution, directed by republican James Watt, was immediately described by militant ecologists Â«as a right-wing and anti-ecologist organization aimed at sabotaging environmental lawsÂ» [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb4" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="To know about the association funding, visit the site MediaTransparency" id="nh4">4</a>].

Actually, this institution has been characterized by its extremely liberal conception on the defense of the environment: for instance, Mountain States Legal Foundationâs jurists have permitted mountain guides to work on the Devilâs Tower, Wyoming, despite its classification as a ânational monumentâ and the fact that the National Park Service wanted to prohibit such a practice to show respect to the Indians who has lived there and considered the place sacred. A survey publish by the Yale Law Journal in 1984 revealed that in 24 litigations taken to court by Mountain States, the positions defended âbenefited societies represented in its board of directors, clients of societies represented in its legal board or MSLFâs main fund suppliersâ.

Ronald Reaganâs accession to the White House in 1980 meant new perspectives to ecologyâs extreme liberals. The director of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, James Watt, was appointed Minister of Environment and dealt with national reserves. Then, Gale Norton was promoted and defended by all possible legal means the positions and interests of the major enterprises on environment related issues. One of her arguments became famous: based on the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the U.S. which states that private property can not be hindered by a public use without a âfair compensationâ, Gale Norton affirmed that the big industries had to be compensated by the Federal State for their pollution was in favor of the general interest. As she harshly explained: Â«we should recognize that there is an individual right to pollute or make noise in a given areaÂ».

However, this legal argument was eliminated since 1887 by the Supreme Court of the U.S.: in a famous decision it stated that Â«a government can prevent an owner from using his assets if he harms other individuals and do not pay any compensation for the damageÂ». Ronald Reagan's conservative revolution challenged this jurisprudence first with Gale Norton's works and then with writer Richard Epstein. This former law professor wrote that laws on environmental issues, minimal wage, working codes, and even the personal income tax, could be associated with ownership privations and accordingly justify the payment of a financial compensation to the enterprises upon which they are imposed.

Gale Nortonâs intelligence is noticeable. In 1983, she was offered a post at Stanford Universityâs Hoover Institution where she studied the possibilities of avoiding environmental laws and âpermissions to polluteâ - a new topic by then- which is an idea that can be found in the Clean Air Act proposed during the Bushâs Admintration. In 1984, she became a member of the team who worked for the Department of Environment after James Wattsâ forced resignation under the ecologistsâ pressure.

The Minister of environment, Don Hodel, future leader of the Christian Coalition, gave Gale Norton what she needed to work on a report that would support oil prospecting in a remarkable natural reserve of the Artic region. Then, from 1985 to 1988, the former âlibertarianâ worked for the Presidential Council on the Quality of the Environment which is a paradoxical position for a former opponent of the Federal State interference on ecological issues...

In 1987, when Ronald Reaganâs second term came to an end, Gale Norton returned to Colorado to start a local political career. Her thesis and ideas were very popular in the industrial world as was shown in 1988 with the foundation of the Wise Use movement, an initiative by Ron Arnold and Alan Gottlieb. 250 delegates closed to the industrial world or lobby were present in that meeting and proposed Alaska be given to oil companies, natural reserves to mining companies and âpro-developmentâ groups such as the Mountain States Legal Foundation be authorized to chase ecologists who injured industrial societies.

Aware of the need of maintaining her presence in this sector, Gale Norton joined the Independence Institute of the libertarian movement, the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb5" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy is San Franciscoâs (...)" id="nh5">5</a>] and, above all, the Federalist Society, a conservative juristsâ organization which included Kenneth Starr, Robert Borke and Edwin Meese, Ronald Reaganâs Secretary of Justice. But what Gale Norton had in mind was to be the Attorney General of the state of Colorado, a post she got in 1991, given to a woman for the first time. Once she was appointed, her policy was neither âlibertarianâ nor ecological. She favored the death penalty, increased juvenile detention centers, and reduced one third of her administration budget for environmental issues. She even refused to press charges against an enterprise which worked on a gold mine and spilled cyanide in a local river exterminating every form of aquatic life in an area of more than 20 kilometers.

Things went even worse for members of her constituency pressed charges against different societies which had damaged aquifers with heavy metal and she proposed them laughable financial agreements when she refused to act. That was the case of Louisiana-Pacific: whereas Gale Norton refused to press charges against the company, federal authorities decided to interfere and Louisiana-Pacific had to pay a 37 million dollars fine.

Gale Nortonâs record as the General Attorney of Colorado was shameful. However, she was reelected in 1995. This time, her campaign was financed by the tobacco industry (Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, the Smokeless Tobacco Council and the Tobacco and Candy Political Action Campaign) and, as a result, Colorado did not join the 23 states that were willing to condemn it. She even testified before Congress on the âunconstitutionalityâ of such a procedure and Denverâs media began to call her Â«Mrs. MarlboroÂ». She only joined the battle in the last moment, an action by which she got part of the compensations gained.

After that, she opposed positive discrimination programs, especially those to protect disabled people, defended a legislation passed by Colorado voters which discriminated homosexuals and nostalgically recalled the courage of the confederate soldiers of slavery south during the Civil War. Gale Norton went too far and in 1996 she lost senatorial elections despite the invaluable help of political genius Karl Rove [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb6" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Bushwomen, op.cit" id="nh6">6</a>].

However, Gale Norton kept her contacts in Washington, especially among the most reactionary elements of the Republican Party. In 1988 she founded the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy with the purpose of challenging Martha Marks' Republicans for Environmental Protection who was considered to be too ecological. In fact, many owners of the major polluting industries were present at the inaugural meeting and were ready to finance the former libertarianâs new toy, especially the Chlorine Chemical Council, the National Coal Council, the Chemical Manufacturers Association and the National Mining Association. Extremely conservative Newt Gringrich became a regular guest, always received as a God by the new Republican group [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb7" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="William Booth: Â«For Norton, a Party MissionÂ», Washington Post, January 8, (...)" id="nh7">7</a>].

In 1999, Gale Norton worked at the same time as a jurist for the Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, P.C law firm. Her job was to defend Houston-based society NL Industries, the former National Lead Co., which became famous for spreading the use of paint with lead and causing the appearance of cancer in young people, said American courts. Gale Norton was not only the National Lead Co.âs lawyer; she was also registered as a lobbyist of this society in Colorado judicial institutions [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb8" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Â« Norton lobbied for superfund target Â», Associated Press, January 5, (...)" id="nh8">8</a>].

Gale Norton was also the representative of Saudi society Delta Oil and of BP-Amoco during the unsuccessful negotiations with the Talibans for the construction of an oil pipeline through Afghanistan [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb9" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Ahmed Rashid: Taliban: Islam, Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia, (...)" id="nh9">9</a>]. This career with the major polluting industrialists was highly applauded by the new Bush Administration. In January 2001, she was appointed Minister of Environment. Since then, her main task has been ... not to do anything that might upset the major polluting industries and, above all, to oppose the Kyoto Protocol. The same thing happens with her assistant secretary, Steven Griles, who sometimes is presented by President Bush as the real head of department. This man has a lobby record too to the eyes of the polluting industries [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb10" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="See Adam Werbach: Â«Son of James WattÂ», AlterNet, September 17, (...)" id="nh10">10</a>]. In addition, industrialists count on the influence of the Federalist Society to which Gale Norton belongs to, and whose founder is Spencer Abraham, former representative of the automobile industry in the Senate and current Secretary of Energy [<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nb11" class="spip_note" rel="footnote" title="Arthur Lepic: Â«Spencer Abraham, un homme de confiance Â», Voltaire, April 15, (...)" id="nh11">11</a>].

Gale Nortonâs duplicity is a transposition in the political world of the communications methods already adopted in commercialization matters by some transnational companies: it is not about products but about values. In this case, it is not about political decisions but about ecological and freedom values.

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[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh1" id="nb1" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 1" rev="footnote">1</a>] Quoted by Serge Halimi, Â«Quand la droite amÃ©ricaine pensait lâimpensableÂ», Le Monde Diplomatique, January, 2002

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh2" id="nb2" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 2" rev="footnote">2</a>] Laura Flanders: Bushwomen - Tales of a cynical species, Verso, 2004

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh3" id="nb3" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 3" rev="footnote">3</a>] Russ Bellant: The Coors Connection - How Coors Family Philanthropy Undermines Democratic Pluralism, Political Research Associates, 1988-1991

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh4" id="nb4" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 4" rev="footnote">4</a>] To know about the association funding, visit the site MediaTransparency

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh5" id="nb5" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 5" rev="footnote">5</a>] The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy is San Franciscoâs homologous of New Yorkâs Manhattan Institute

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh6" id="nb6" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 6" rev="footnote">6</a>] Bushwomen, op.cit

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh7" id="nb7" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 7" rev="footnote">7</a>] William Booth: Â«For Norton, a Party MissionÂ», Washington Post, January 8, 2001

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh8" id="nb8" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 8" rev="footnote">8</a>] Â« Norton lobbied for superfund target Â», Associated Press, January 5, 2001

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh9" id="nb9" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 9" rev="footnote">9</a>] Ahmed Rashid: Taliban: Islam, Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia, Tauris & Co, 2000

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh10" id="nb10" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 10" rev="footnote">10</a>] See Adam Werbach: Â«Son of James WattÂ», AlterNet, September 17, 2004

[<a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article30083.html#nh11" id="nb11" class="spip_note" title="Footnotes 11" rev="footnote">11</a>] Arthur Lepic: Â«Spencer Abraham, un homme de confiance Â», Voltaire, April 15, 2004

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=Timothy Michael Tymkovich (born November 2, 1956) is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_judge" title="Federal judge" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">federal judge</a> on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Tenth_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.6; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#Background" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1 Background</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#Tenth_Circuit_nomination_and_confirmation" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">2 Tenth Circuit nomination and confirmation</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#Notable_Cases" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3 Notable Cases</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#References" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">5 External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Background[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timothy_Tymkovich&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Background" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver,Colorado" title="Denver, Colorado" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Denver, Colorado</a>, Tymkovich received a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Arts" title="Bachelor of Arts" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">B.A.</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_College" title="Colorado College" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Colorado College</a> in 1979 and his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" title="Juris Doctor" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">J.D.</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_at_Boulder" title="University of Colorado at Boulder" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">University of Colorado</a> College of Law in 1982. He then clerked for the Hon. William Erickson, Chief Justice of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Supreme_Court" title="Colorado Supreme Court" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Colorado Supreme Court</a>, from 1982 to 1983.From 1983 to 1991, Tymkovich worked in private practice in Denver and Washington, D.C. In 1991, Colorado Attorney General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Norton" title="Gale Norton" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Gale Norton</a> appointed him <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solicitor_General_of_Colorado&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Solicitor General of Colorado (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Solicitor General</a> of the State of Colorado. Tymkovich served in that position until 1996, arguing several cases in front of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Supreme_Court" title="U.S. Supreme Court" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. Supreme Court</a>. The most notable of these was the Romer v. Evans case, in which he unsuccessfully represented Colorado in its argument that Colorado's Amendment 2 (which revoked local legal protections for members of the LGBT community) was not a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. He then returned to private practice in Denver.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Tenth Circuit nomination and confirmation[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timothy_Tymkovich&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Tenth Circuit nomination and confirmation" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">George W. Bush</a> nominated Tymkovich to the seat on the Tenth Circuit on January 7, 2003. President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bill Clinton</a> previously had nominated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Arguello" title="Christine Arguello" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Christine Arguello</a>for the seat, but she never received a hearing or a vote from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Senate" title="U.S. Senate" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. Senate</a>. Tymkovich was confirmed swiftly by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United States Senate</a> in a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00113" style="text-decoration: none; padding-right: 13px; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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); background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%, 100% 50%;">58-41 vote</a> less than two months later on April 1, 2003, and he received his commission the same day. Tymkovich replaced Judge <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carbone_Porfilio" title="John Carbone Porfilio" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Carbone Porfilio</a>, who took <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_status" title="Senior status" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">senior status</a>.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Notable Cases[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timothy_Tymkovich&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Notable Cases" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Lewis v. Burger King, No. 09-2160 (10th Cir. 2009) -- In an unpublished opinion written by Judge Tymkovich, the Tenth Circuit held that animals lack standing to sue.United States v. McCane, 573 F.3d 1037 (10th Cir. 2009) -- Markice McCane was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). On appeal, he contended that the felon-in-possession statute was unconstitutional in light of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v.Heller" title="District of Columbia v. Heller" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">District of Columbia v. Heller</a>, 128 S. Ct. 2783 (2008). But the Tenth Circuit affirmed the conviction after noting the statement in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v.Heller" title="District of Columbia v. Heller" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Heller</a> that "nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons." 128 S.Ct. at 2816-17. In a concurring opinion, Judge Tymkovich expressed concern that the statement “short-circuits at least some of the analysis and refinement that would otherwise take place in the lower courts,” particularly since the statement was based on a possibly questionable premise—that the felony-in-possession prohibition was longstanding.Guttman v. Khalsa, No. 10-2167 (10th Cir. 2012) -- Dr. Stuart Guttman brought suit under Title II of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990" title="Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990</a> after the New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners revoked his medical license. In an opinion written by Judge Tymkovich, the Tenth Circuit held that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" title="Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Eleventh Amendment</a> protected States from lawsuits based on professional licensing decisions.United States v. Strandlof, No. 13-1358 (10th Cir. 2012) -- Rick Glen Strandlof was convicted of violating the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005" title="Stolen Valor Act of 2005" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Stolen Valor Act</a>, 18 U.S.C. § 704(b), which makes it illegal to falsely claim to have received a military award or honor. In an opinion written by Judge Tymkovich, the Tenth Circuit held that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" title="First Amendment to the United States Constitution" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">First Amendment</a> does not protect knowingly false statements of fact. In United States v. Alvarez (2012), the Supreme Court held that the Act was unconstitutional, although a majority of justices held that lies about easily verifiable facts (e.g., receiving military honors) are outside the core of First Amendment protection.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Tymkovich#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a>Hobby Lobby Stores v. Sebelius, No. 12-6294 (10th Cir. 2013) -- For-profit corporations Hobby Lobby and Mardel Christian Bookstores could assert religious freedom as "persons" under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.<<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/12/12-6294.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; padding-right: 18px; background-image: url(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Icons-mini-file_acrobat.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat;">http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/12/12-6294.pdf</a>>===

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Norton, Gale

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