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Interior Secretary Ken Salazar–former U.S. senator and Colorado attorney general–has been so busy during his first 100 days in office that he had little time to recognize the small milestone in an interview with The Denver Post over the weekend. He had just returned from a listening tour on off-shore oil drilling in four coastal states and was on his way to meet with American Indian leaders in North Dakota.
In all, he’s been to 14 states as head of the Interior Department and has already made several big decisions, such as scaling back Bush administration rules to slow the pace of oil-and-gas development. Salazar “has been more active than any secretary in history in this early period,” says Charles Wilkinson, a University of Colorado professor.
Salazar’s department is sending more than $300 million in stimulus dollars to help renewable energy projects and to update and restore landscapes and watersheds, according to The Associated Press. A press release outlines the projects, including several in Colorado.
Read more about Ken Salazar’s unlikely ascent in 5280.