TPL’s Statement on Kempthorne Nomination

SAN FRANCISCO, 3/17/2006 – Alan Front, Senior Vice President of The Trust for Public Land, today issued the following statement on the nomination of Governor Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho to be the next Secretary of the Interior.

“The Trust for Public Land appreciates Governor Kempthorne’s abiding commitment to the conservation of wildlife habitat, recreation lands and access, natural and scenic landscapes, and other resource areas. Throughout his career, he has rightly placed a high priority on programs and projects that resolve land-use challenges faced by communities and property owners by securing threatened resource properties for public use and enjoyment. Among the positive results in recent years of Governor Kempthorne’s focused personal efforts on behalf of conservation is the strong Forest Legacy program he established in Idaho, which is helping to ensure that some of the state’s most treasured landscapes will continue to provide their natural, recreation, and economic bounty to the generations to come.”

“In the next few years, America’s public land resources and the communities that depend on them will face unprecedented challenges. We hope and expect that Governor Kempthorne, as Secretary of the Interior, would bring his considerable conservation perspective, experience, and leadership to bear on the key land protection decisions before the nation. We look forward to working with him to take full advantage of the conservation opportunities that bring the greatest benefits to America’s resources, communities, and the public at large.”

The Trust for Public Land, established in 1972, specializes in conservation real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. With funding from the Forest Legacy Program, the federal Land & Water Conservation Fund, state and local open-space funds, and other public and private investments, TPL has helped to protect more than 2 million acres across the country. For more information, visit TPL on the web at www.tpl.org.