Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell will make a visit to Idaho Tuesday. The Obama Administration official is on a final tour highlighting environmental initiatives taken on by her department since 2013.
With just three weeks left in office, Secretary Jewell will talk with wildfire officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. Fire has been a big focus during her tenure, as bigger and more damaging wildfires have ripped through the western landscape in recent years. Jewell – who oversees agencies like the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – has worked on inter-agency cooperation when it comes to preventing these blazes.
Part of her visit will include a briefing from her Idaho staff. Two years ago, the Obama cabinet member set out a new plan to manage and restore wildfire-prone landscapes. The initiative was part of a larger effort to save critical habitat for imperiled wildlife – particularly the sage grouse – while keeping the bird off the endangered species list.
It’s not clear if a new Interior Secretary under President-elect Trump will continue Jewell’s policies, which includes an acknowledgment of the role climate change has to play in large wildfires.
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