Secretary Jewell Offers Vision for Conservation, Balanced Development, Youth Engagement in National Press Club Speech

Calls on Congress to protect and support nation’s lands and waters; Issues first Secretarial Order to establish Department-wide mitigation strategy to ensure efficiency, consistency, conservation in infrastructure development; Sets ambitious targets to engage, employ youth on public lands

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In remarks today at the National Press Club, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell laid out a strong agenda to strengthen our economy and ensure that we pass along our nation’s rich conservation legacy to the next generation – a path forward that includes balanced development and engaging and employing youth on our public lands. “President Obama believes that we have a moral obligation to the next generation to leave our land, water, and wildlife better than we found it,” Jewell said. “Passing along the blessings that we have inherited will take action and a commitment to take the long view, particularly in this era when our lands and waters are facing unprecedented challenges from climate change and a growing population.” In the wake of the government shutdown, Jewell underscored the real need for Congressional action to support our national parks, refuges, rivers and conservation lands, including mandatory, full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund by 2015. “Protecting the special places that communities care about most and passing sustainable budgets that support our public lands are the kind of commonsense, bipartisan actions that Americans want to see Congress take – but we cannot and will not hold our breath forever,” said Jewell. “We owe it to future generations to act, and President Obama is ready and willing to step up where Congress falls short.”

As part of Interior’s efforts to encourage balanced development and ensure landscape-level planning, Secretary Jewell today issued her first Secretarial Order, which calls for a Department-wide mitigation strategy. The Order will ensure consistency and efficiency in the review and

permitting of new energy and other infrastructure development projects, while also providing for the conservation, adaptation and restoration of our nation’s valuable and natural and cultural resources.

“This Order will help Interior create a simpler, more straightforward approach for businesses to be good partners and good stewards of our public lands,” said Jewell. “Today we have an unprecedented opportunity – using science and technology to create a better understanding of landscapes than ever before – to advance important conservation goals and achieve our development objectives. We know it doesn’t have to be an either-or.” Jewell also laid out ambitious goals to engage the next generation through education, employment and volunteer opportunities on public lands. Specifically, by 2017, Interior will work to: develop or enhance partnerships in 50 cities to create opportunities for outdoor recreation for more than ten million young people; provide educational opportunities to at least ten million of the nation’s K through 12 students annually; engage one million volunteers in support of public lands, effectively tripling the numbers we have now; and provide 100,000 work and training opportunities to young people.

“For the health of our economy and our public lands, it’s critical that we work now to establish meaningful and deep connections between young people – from every background and every community – and the great outdoors,” said Jewell. “There’s no doubt that these goals are ambitious. That’s why we’re going to work with schools, private and non-profit partners and communities to leverage resources to help turn this vision into a reality.”