Green groups divided over choice of Salazar to head Interior

.
...Jon Marvel, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, called the appointment "a travesty" and said Salazar "will completely undermine Obama's message of change. He will not bring change to the public lands of the western United States." "Ken Salazar does not bring the change we need at Interior," said Nicole Rosmarino, the wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. "Salazar will not take strong stances on behalf of science and environmental protection and is not up to the task of undoing the enormous damage the Bush administration has done to public lands, endangered species, and the credibility of the Department of the Interior over the last eight years." Others are upset that Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D), who had been a favorite among enviros, was not selected. "We've seen [Grijalva's] record -- that's very strong in regard to public lands and endangered species," Oregon Wild spokesperson Sean Stevens told NPR. "And I don't think we have the same sort of confidence in Ken Salazar. Hopefully we can grow to have that confidence." But Salazar also has his supporters. "Throughout his career, Sen. Salazar has campaigned on a pledge of support for 'our land, our water, our people.' With a perfect 100 percent score on the 2008 LCV Scorecard, he has lived up to that pledge," said League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski in a statement. "As a westerner, Sen. Salazar has hands-on experience with land and water issues, and will restore the Department of the Interior's role as the steward of America's public resources. We look forward to working with him to protect the health of America's land, water, and people in the coming years." Mike Matz, executive director of the Campaign for America's Wilderness, also applauded the pick....