A cabinet chief with pull

The nomination of REI’s Sally Jewell to serve as U.S. Secretary of Interior marks a sea change in President Obama’s approach to public lands and conservation. Ken Salazar, the current Interior head, has been a seldom-seen profile in inertia. The do-little MO symbolized the department’s low priority for a first-term Obama freighted by the Great Recession.

With Jewell, the president recruited a get-it-done executive with a visceral understanding of the environmental and economic value of America’s National Parks. He’s also tapped a cabinet member who sees our natural heritage through a Northwest lens, cognizant of the thread that binds wild places, people, outdoor recreation and the economy.

“Sally has walked our trails, paddled in the Sound and climbed our mountains,” Rep. Rick Larsen said. “I have no doubt that she will be an outstanding advocate for the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to working with Sally on issues important to our economy and environment, starting with the designation of the San Juan Islands National Monument.”

The San Juan Islands National Monument is a no-brainer and the first test of Jewell’s arm-twisting savvy. For decades islanders have embraced the natural gems that comprise the San Juan Islands National Conservation Area proposal, elbowing for added protection of places such as Turn Point on Stuart Island along with Patos Island. These are unique, radiant landscapes, key habitat for nesting falcons, marine mammals, bald eagles and rare plants.

Gaining access to these natural areas is essential to the local community. The windfall from wildlife viewing, kayaking, and hiking ripples out to the regional economy, as visitors rent boats, shop, and frequent hotels. It’s why 150 San Juan Island businesses and the local chamber signed a letter encouraging President Obama to exercise his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act.

There’s more. Jewell could elbow for action on a White Cloud Mountains National Monument in Idaho. She could work with a recalcitrant and wilderness-averse Congress, reminding them of the $289 billion outdoor-recreation industry which is the source of 6.5 million jobs. Jewell’s business-centric rationale could move well-studied proposals such as the bipartisan effort to create a Pratt River Wilderness and the Wild Olympics Wilderness.

Presupposing that Jewell lasts all four years of Obama’s second term, she will oversee the centennial of the National Park Service in 2016. Her role advancing America’s Great Outdoors initiative will inform the anniversary. She understands rule one, to get young people and families outdoors and connected to wild places.

In an interview with the SeattlePI.com’s Joel Connelly, former Idaho Governor and Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus said that the key is to think big. Perhaps everyone in public service should hang a sign in their office that reads, “memento mori, remember you will die.” Time is short, and Jewell will hold sway on a range of key challenges from Northwest coal trains, to Indian affairs, to drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. She has the talent and hopefully the access and pull to leave a permanent legacy.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Douthat: Trump is chasing off lawyers he’ll need at some point

The deal to clear Adams serves Trump only as a way of identify whom he can consider loyal in the DOJ.

President Donald Trump listens alongside Elon Musk as he explains the administration’s cost-cutting efforts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Musk has for weeks posted on social media about government spending, often amplifying and seeding false information. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)
Comment: This crisis can’t be left to courts alone

The courts can uphold the law, but they can’t match the speed of the executive branch in tearing down systems.

Eco-nomics: Climate change is making insurance a risky bet

Keeping home insurance affordable amid climate change will take adaptation to threats and broader efforts.

The Buzz: When you gotta boogie, best to shake it off, kid

A pasquidadian review of the week’s news.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

bar graph, pie chart and diagrams isolated on white, 3d illustration
Editorial: Don’t let state’s budget numbers intimidate you

With budget discussions starting soon, a new website explains the basics of state’s budget crisis.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, Feb. 16

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Stick with solutions to homelessness that have heart

A friend of mine, a poet from Leningrad who was born during… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.