Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: A future DOI leader

Tuesday, June 13, 2000 | 9:37 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

So I'm a smart guy for pointing at President Ronald Reagan's first secretary for the Department of Interior as exactly the type of person who shouldn't hold that job so important to the West. Now that I've scorched Reagan's Jim Watt it has become necessary to handle some questions such as, "Who would be a good DOI secretary?" Like other people being hit with a cold question my first reply is, "I'm happy you asked that question." Everybody in the crowd knows that the person being questioned isn't one bit happy, but is now gaining time to come up with an answer.

There is some place between zero and none that I'll be asked by either Gov. George W. Bush or Vice President Al Gore for any appointment recommendations. President Bill Clinton didn't seek such advice and neither did President George Bush, the daddy of George W. I doubt if Pat Buchanan or Ralph Nader will find it necessary to form a Cabinet.

There was talk at one time that Nevada Gov. Bob Miller would be offered the DOI post by his friend Bill Clinton. It might have been, if Secretary Bruce Babbitt had changed jobs. There's also good reason to doubt that if the offer had been made, he would have accepted it. In recent years, Miller has shown the qualities that would have made him an excellent secretary. As a protector of natural resources, Secretary Babbitt has been very successful.

Recently, during a conference called in Boise by former Idaho governor and DOI secretary Cecil Andrus, the discussion was centered on policy after politics in land management. Among the active participants were Montana Gov. Marc Racicot and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber. Either man would be a wise appointment for the new administration coming to Washington, D.C., next year. Kitzhaber is a Democrat and Racicot is a Republican, and both men have been identified as leaders in the field of conservation and natural resources.

Racicot made clear that good land policy decisions shouldn't be made according to who has the political juice at the moment. To do so reflects the law of the jungle and not a democracy.

The Montanan, an attorney, refused to say that the recent forest land roadless policy from Washington is all wrong. "There are some forests in Montana that should be roadless," he told the conference. He strongly believes that the policy shouldn't have come from the top down. He believes that more local and state input should have been included in the making of the roadless policy. He leaves little doubt that a more inclusive process in all policy formation should be followed.

Kitzhaber, in his opening address, like Racicot, gave examples of how he has worked with federal agencies, local government and private interests to promote successful conservation programs.

The Oregon governor told his audience to: "Imagine, if you will, three overlapping circles -- one representing economic needs, one representing environmental needs and one representing community or social needs. The area where the three circles overlap is the area of sustainability. Historically, the debate over public land management has been cast in a way that views these three circles as separate, unrelated entities. Our challenge in the 21st century is to understand that environmental, economic and community needs are interrelated and we must manage them with this in mind."

Kitzhaber, a medical doctor, defined sustainability as "managing the use, development, and protection of our natural, social and environmental resources in a way and at a rate that enables people to meet their current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

As I said earlier, I'm happy you asked who would be a good DOI leader.

Yes, I have heard land policy issues discussed by two men of the West who have the qualities to give Interior the leadership it deserves during the next four years. Would they accept the job? I don't know. I didn't ask them.