Obama picking the right Jewell

Northern, WI 03/08/2013 (avauncer) - Dynamic, revolutionary and confident- This and more is what Sally Jewell seemed as she advocated her cause before the U.S western states governors. Her stand- Public lands are boon to the U.S economy. Jewell is the president of Recreational Equipment Inc and she put forth her views about how protecting America’s waters, parks and trails indirectly means protecting the country’s economy. It is the backbone of people and communities whose livelihood is dependent on the ability to play outdoors. REI is in the business of selling fishing poles, kayaks, fleece jackets and ski’s and the industry is worth $646 billion. In effect this makes it a much bigger part of the country’s economy and contributes more than what the gas or pharmaceutical industries do.

Support from several places
Today, the 57-year-old Jewell is President Barack Obama’s preferred choice for the Interior Secretary post and environmental and wildlife groups have been supporting her advocacy. Backers of oil drilling projects that plan to expand onto federal lands have been asking cautious questions from the sidelines. Post the committee hearing and confirmation from the U.S senate, Jewell would head the 70,000-employee department that is in charge of managing 500 million acres of lands that are rich with minerals, national parks, wetland conservation duck-stamps and Arctic drilling. Groups like the Conservation Alliance have been led by Jewell who is an avid mountain climber, a skilled skier and a dedicated bicycle commuter. The Conservation Alliance had compelled the U.S government to curb fossil-fuel mining activities on or near public lands.

Another point of view
There is another faction who is asking leading questions. The Western Energy Alliance is one of several oil-and-gas drilling groups who are of the opinion that U.S senators should be pressing Jewell to clarify how exactly she plans to tread the fine line between environmental activism and the need to increase production on public lands. The vice president of the group, Kathleen Sgamma said that it is understood that the recreation industry has latched onto the conservation lobby wagon but it relies completely on gas and oil. The demand from her group and others as well is that they need Jewell to convince them that equilibrium will be maintained in the different uses of land. Jewell’s colleagues are of the opinion that she has the capability to manage all these issues in a wider perspective and that she understands that just as outdoor recreation is important, she also realizes that every public land debate will involve interests who prioritize different things.