WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) today offered the following comments on the selection of Colorado Senator Ken Salazar to head the Department of Interior:

“I want to congratulate my friend and colleague Senator Ken Salazar on his nomination as the next Secretary of Interior. President-elect Obama has made another excellent choice in selecting a preeminent legislator, attorney, and policy maker with extensive experience in natural resources, water rights, energy development, and wildlife issues. Our nation needs a strong Western voice like Ken’s when it comes to the most pressing issues facing the Department of Interior such as conserving our natural resources, enforcing a balanced energy policy, protecting our wild places, and ensuring the safety of our endangered species.”