Interior Secretary Calls For ‘Major Course Correction’ On Conservation

"Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called Tuesday for major changes in how the country handles conservation in an effort to modernize efforts to protect public land.

In a major speech in Washington to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service, Jewell said federal lands — parks, wildlife refuges, forests, grazing areas and more — are facing numerous threats that are natural, manmade and political.

“If we stay on this trajectory, 100 years from now, national parks and wildlife refuges will be like postage stamps of nature on a map, isolated islands of conservation with run-down facilities that crowds of Americans visit like zoos to catch a glimpse of our nation’s remaining wildlife and undeveloped patches of land,” Jewell said.

“That can’t and won’t happen. But as a country, we need to make a major course correction in how we approach conservation to ensure a bright future for our public lands and waters.”

Jewell’s speech follows a violent wildlife refuge occupation in Oregon that ended in February. It also comes amid congressional threats to public land, including the House’s Puerto Rico bankruptcy bill, which allows for the sale of a wildlife refuge in the territory."

Timothy Cama reports for The Hill April 19, 2016.