Norton touts administration’s policies

Suzanne Struglinski

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2004 | 11:10 a.m.

NEW YORK -- President Bush has helped Nevada with its drought and its high federal land percentage problems, Interior Secretary Gale Norton reminded Nevada's delegates at breakfast today.

"I understand what it's like to live in a state that's dominated by federal ownership," Norton said, adding that with President Bush from Texas and Vice President Dick Cheney from Wyoming, it makes an important difference that their leadership springs from a Western perspective.

She said she has visited Carson City and saw the damage from wildfire there. She also saw the house that had been saved because of the thinning out of some area around them to protect them from fires.

"That's what we want to do all over the West," Norton said.

She highlighted water policy and the current drought pointing to the department efforts to get the states using the Colorado River Basin to work together and to plan what to do if the drought continues.

Norton also talked about the administration's efforts to protect the sage grouse without putting it on the Endangered Species list, which was an effort to protect landowners in Nevada and 10 other states where the bird's habitat is located.

Nevada only has one national park, but Norton said "the other candidate's plan to put $600 million toward national parks could come from the mining industry, which could put 40,000 Nevada jobs in jeopardy.

"That would hurt a lot of people in Nevada. He (Kerry) doesn't understand the issue," she said.