The resignation today of Interior Secretary Gale Norton provides a chance for the Administration to align its approach to our nation’s public lands with what Americans really want: A balance between protecting the environment and our magnificent public lands, and responsible resource use and energy development.

Over the past five years, we have not seen that balance. As the threats and damage to our public lands have mounted during Sec. Norton’s tenure in office, Americans from across the political spectrum have come together in a renewed commitment to protecting and conserving our mutual natural heritage. In appointing the next Secretary of the Interior, the president would be wise to pay heed to the will of the people and seek a leader whose devotion to conservation is not overwhelmed by affiliation with mining, logging, energy, or other commercial development interests.

It is the role of the Interior Secretary to serve as steward of the nation’s public lands, not just for this generation but for those to come. We are not so poor a nation that we need to use up our land resources in one fell swoop; we are not so rich a nation that we can give away our land heritage. We look forward to a new Secretary of the Interior who will be a genuine conservative, dedicated to the conservation of our lands and wildlife.