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 For many months Wild Wilderness has stood virtually alone in opposing the
confirmation as President Bush's nominee for the exceedingly powerful position
of Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
The only thing that stood in Laverty's way was a legislative "hold" placed
upon Laverty's confirmation by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. Wyden, to his credit,
was hanging tough in spite of the intense pressure to confirm being appplied by
the motorized recreation community, the tourism industry and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
Senator Wyden hung tough but two days ago his wife gave birth to twins and
while attending to his wife and new-born children, the Senate pushed through
Laverty's confirmation. Without Wyden being physically on hand to maintain his
"hold", Harry Reid rammed through Lavery's confirmation --- or so my sources
have said.
I will just add that I now expect Lyle Laverty to, with the help of his
friends in the wreckreation industry, do everything within his power to promote
further commercialization, privatization and motorization of America's National
Parks, Wildlife Refuges and other DOI-managed public lands.
Pasted below is the Department of Interior News Release announcing
Laverty's confirmation.
Scott
--- begin quoted ---
Office of the Secretary
Contact: Hugh Vickery 202-501-4633
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2007
Kempthorne Applauds Confirmation of Lyle Laverty
As Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today
praised the U.S. Senate’s confirmation last night of Lyle Laverty as
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
“Lyle Laverty has vast experience in park and natural resource
management that will enable him to do an outstanding job as assistant
secretary overseeing the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service,” Kempthorne said.
“As both Director of Colorado Parks and a longtime manager with the
U.S. Forest Service, Laverty understands the importance of working
together with states, tribes, local communities and private landowners
to address the many challenges of conserving our national parks and our
wildlife and its habitat while managing for recreation and other uses
of the land,” Kempthorne said.
Laverty has served as Director of Colorado Parks since 2001, leading a
strategic planning effort to improve stewardship of state parks.
Colorado opened two new state parks during his tenure and began
planning two others. He implemented a $40 million cost-share project
with the Army Corps of Engineers that rehabilitated three state parks.
He also played a key role in establishing the Front Range Trail, a
700-mile trail extending through Colorado from Wyoming to New Mexico.
Prior to this position, Laverty had a long career as a Forest Service
manager, rising to the level of Regional Forester of the Rocky Mountain
Region and then Associate Deputy Chief of the agency. In these roles,
he provided leadership of resource programs including timber
management, fire and fuel reduction efforts, and watershed, range,
wildlife, and recreation programs.
As a Regional Forester, he oversaw the management and stewardship of
more than 24 million acres of National Forests and National Grasslands
in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Laverty has a bachelor of science degree in Forest Management from
Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif. (June 1965); a master’s
degree in Public Administration from George Mason University, Fairfax,
Va. (May 1981); and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program
of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (August
1997).
He has served on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations,
including the National Association of State Park Directors; National
Society of Park Resources; Colorado Fourteeners’ Initiative; Volunteers
for Outdoor Colorado; and Denver Metro Advisory Board for The Salvation
Army.
Laverty is professionally accredited as a California Registered
Professional Forester and a Certified Forester, Society of American
Foresters. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters and the
National Recreation and Parks Association.
As Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Laverty will
oversee policy for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park
Service, which have a combined annual budget of about $3.6 billion, and
a combined workforce of about 30,000 employees.
-DOI-
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- Activism 
