Will Shafroth, the recently appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, addressed a crowd of 900 during the plenary session of the 74th Annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference last month in Arlington, Virginia.

Shafroth opened by acknowledging the importance of partnerships with the agencies and organizations that were represented at the conference, stating that this Administration will value and cultivate those relationships. His remarks focused on the goals and objectives of the Department under Secretary Ken Salazar, with a primary message of integrity, science and process, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. Shafroth also discussed some of the new Secretary's top priorities during his tenure, including protecting the country's treasured landscapes, renewable energy development and more.

Shafroth, a fourth-generation Coloradan with a long history on conservation issues, has worked closely with Salazar for more than 15 years. He was the first Executive Director of the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Trust Fund from 1994 to 2000. he then founded and became the Executive Director of the Colorado Conservation Trust, at which his efforts helped leverage hundreds of millions of dollars to permanently protect 30,000 acres of habitat and open space. From 1991 to 1994, Shafroth served as Assistant Secretary for Land and Coastal Resources in the California Resources Agency, for which he developed and implemented policies on wetlands, oceans, agricultural lands and rivers. He has served on the boards of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Land Trust Alliance and the Resources Legacy Fund in California, chairing the latter two. He ran for Congress in 2008, but was defeated in the primary by now Congressman Jared Polis.

According to the new Deputy Assistant Secretary, one of the Interior Department's top priorities will be creating a lasting legacy to preserve "treasured landscapes and national icons." When in Colorado, Secretary Salazar was the visionary behind the GOCO program, which uses lottery revenues to provide funds over and above existing budgets for land conservation and wildlife management. The program has been extremely successful in the state and has helped to foster partnerships and relationships among conservation organizations, federal agencies and the state Division of Wildlife. This program is a seed of an idea that the Secretary has brought with him to Washington and presents a vision for a similar legacy for his tenure. The Secretary is thinking big and looking at a program that will function at landscape level or ecosystem level. There were no details about whether such a program would be a funding initiative or how it would unfold, but Shafroth and others who were integrally involved in GOCO will be overseeing its development.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy in the context of global climate change also were indicated as important priorities. The Department will be making an aggressive push to utilize renewable energy resources on federal public lands and there will be a substantial increase in the renewable energy footprint. Shafroth noted that this priority will be implemented in a way that has minimal impact on wildlife and natural resources. To the end of accomplishing this, Shafroth asked for the advice and best thinking from audience members on siting of wind, geothermal, solar as well as the grid, to make certain that renewable energy can coexist with natural resources. In addition, the Department will be looking for support to ensure that mitigation dollars generated from renewable energy development are invested in wildlife practices to mitigate climate change impacts and other challenges.

Shafroth acknowledged the challenges and opportunities with funding for the Department. He highlighted the $280 million of new funds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the stimulus package, which will be used for shovel-ready capital and restoration projects. He noted that he was astounded to learn that the FWS effectively had $2 million last year in its capital budget, stating: "There will be a quantum leap in funding for capital projects that's going to make dramatic improvements to the National Wildlife Refuge System. This Administration is committed to working with the FWS to ensure the Refuge System becomes the world-class system that it is."

In his remarks, Shafroth touched on other management priorities. In the near term, the Department is reviewing decisions made by the last Administration, to determine which they will support. While he stated that they do not have preconceived a notion that all decisions are bad, they do have concerns with some. These include reversals that have already been publicized, such as the Endangered Species Act consultation regulations, and pulling some oil and gas leases in Utah and Colorado where there was inadequate evaluation of the impacts to wildlife and natural and cultural resources. Shafroth emphasized Salazar's integrity stating that there will be a focused effort on ethics reform within the Department. There will also be a commitment to youth, recognizing that engaging the next generation is one of the most important tasks they face.

In closing, Deputy Assistant Secretary Shafroth spoke of his experience growing up in Colorado and his personal commitment to the outdoors, fishing, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing. He assured conference participants that the Department of the Interior will be a friend and will work closely with all partners to ensure they can accomplish their priorities. (jas)