Senator Ken SalazarPresident Barack Obama recently shot some hoops in the Interior Department’s indoor basketball court–a place where the department’s secretary, Ken Salazar, is known for “tough D,” as The Washington Post notes. But any rivalries seem limited to the game. The two, who refer to each other as friends, are on the same page, administratively speaking.

Yesterday, Obama overrode a Bush administration rule to restore a requirement that the feds consult with experts before starting projects on lands that could threaten legally protected animals, according to The Los Angeles Times. The announcement, pertaining to the Endangered Species Act, came during the Interior’s 160th anniversary.

Obama promised that science would be restored to the decision-making process. A transcript (via the Post) is here.

Salazar, meanwhile, heralded a greener future: “When generations of the future look back at us, we want them to see and to say that we didn’t see them simply talk about renewable energy and energy efficiency, we took action on this time of opportunity.”