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Secretary Salazar to Kick-Off Three State Swing to Promote Energy and Tourism as Economic Engines for an America Built to Last

Will Visit Oil Fields in North Dakota, Host Travel & Tourism Town Halls in Nevada and California

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Next week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will travel to three Western states to highlight steps the Obama administration is taking to create jobs, decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and grow our economy as part of an all-of-the-above American energy strategy and efforts to make the United States the world’s top tourist destination.

On Monday, April 2, Secretary Salazar will visit Dickinson, N.D., and the surrounding area to tour oil and gas development operations on federal mineral estate in western North Dakota, where oil and gas production is rapidly expanding on federal, state, and private lands.

Accompanied by U.S. Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven, and Congressman Rick Berg, Secretary Salazar will visit a drilling rig actively producing oil from federal resources; tour a crude oil production facility where oil is processed, stored, and transported via truck, rail and pipelines to refineries across the country; meet with federal employees and hear about the work they are doing to safely expand domestic oil and gas production in the region; and tour private housing accommodations – nicknamed “man camps” – for workers from all over the country who come to North Dakota for high-paying jobs.

On Tuesday, April 3, Secretary Salazar, Governor Dalrymple, U.S. Senators Conrad and Hoeven, and Congressman Berg will meet with the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota to discuss the economic benefits of domestic energy production for American Indian communities. The Fort Berthold Reservation received more than $117.4 million in royalty revenue in 2011 – a 400 percent increase over the previous year – from the production of oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbons on Indian lands.

On Wednesday, April 4, Secretary Salazar and Senator Harry Reid will host a travel and tourism town hall meeting with Governor Brian Sandoval and local business leaders in Las Vegas, Nevada, to hear how the U.S. government can take additional steps to attract international and domestic visitors to the area. In 2010, tourism and recreational activities on Interior-managed lands in Nevada supported more than 9,000 jobs and contributed $978.2M in economic output.

In the afternoon, Secretary Salazar will travel to California to host a travel and tourism town hall at the San Diego Zoo. Home to over 4,000 rare and endangered animals, the San Diego zoo welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Combined with the 35 million visitors to California’s national park sites in 2011, the state has plenty of attractions and recreational activities to offer tourists who are planning their next vacation.

The travel and tourism town halls come as part of the Obama administration’s initiative – launched in January – to create a new national tourism strategy focused on creating jobs by becoming even more welcoming to guests from here at home and from all over the globe.

NORTH DAKOTA EVENT #1—Workers Lodging “Man Camp” Site Visit

WHO: Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Kent Conrad, U.S. Senator

John Hoeven, U.S. Senator

Rick Berg, U.S. Congressman

WHAT: Workers Lodging “Man Camp” Site Visit & Media Availability // Drilling Rig Visit // Oil Production Facility Visit

WHEN: Monday, April 2, 2012

1:20pm MDT

WHERE: Media interested in attending these events, please RSVP to Melodie Lloyd at malloyd@blm.gov or 406-690-0790. Additional instructions on locations will be sent to those who RSVP.

NORTH DAKOTA EVENT #2—Fort Berthold Media Availability

WHO: Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Jack Dalrymple, Governor of North Dakota

Kent Conrad, U.S. Senator

John Hoeven, U.S. Senator

Rick Berg, U.S. Congressman

Tex Hall, Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation

Jodi Gillette, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development, Indian Affairs

Mike Black, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

WHAT: Media Availability at Fort Berthold

WHEN: Tuesday, April 3, 2012

10:15 am CDT

WHERE: Media interested in attending, please RSVP to Nedra Darling at Nedra_Darling@ios.doi.gov. Additional instructions on meet-up location will be sent to those who RSVP.

NEVADA EVENT

WHO: Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Harry Reid, U.S. Senator

Brian Sandoval, Governor of Nevada

Steve Cloobeck, Chairman, Brand USA

WHAT: Travel & Tourism Media Availability

WHEN: Wednesday, April 4, 2012

10:30am PDT

WHERE: The Springs Preserve

333 S. Valley View Boulevard

Las Vegas, Nevada 89193

RSVP: Media interested in attending, please RSVP to Kristen Orthman at Kristen_Orthman@reid.senate.gov for additional information on b-roll opportunity of the town hall

CALIFORNIA EVENT

WHO: Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

WHAT: Travel & Tourism Media Availability

WHEN: Wednesday, April 4, 2012

3:30pm PDT

WHERE: San Diego Zoo

2920 Zoo Drive

San Diego, CA 92112-0551

Additional information on meet-up location and b-roll opportunity is forthcoming.

 

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