President-elect George W. Bush named Gale Norton, a formerColorado attorney general to head the Interior Department onFriday.

Norton, now a Denver Lawyer, held posts in the Interior andAgriculture departments in earlier Republican administrations. Bushsaid she will help him “find ways to develop our nation’s resourcesin a balanced and environmentally friendly way.”

Jerry Jordan, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Associationof America, said Norton was a “sound, capable attorney general inColorado and understands the issues in the West where federal landso dominates access to the natural resource base. IPAA is lookingforward to working with her to address the energy supply problemsthat are so significant in our nation today.” The IPAA represents5,000 independent oil and natural gas producers and servicecompanies across the United States.

Christine Hansen, executive director of the Interstate Oil andGas Compact Commission, also lauded the appointment, saying Norton”brings a much-needed state perspective to Washington, D.C.”

Norton was among three others named to Bush Cabinet posts onFriday. Bush chose Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson as his secretaryof Health and Human Services, Houston schools superintendent RodPaige as his education secretary and former deputy secretary ofveterans affairs Anthony Principi as secretary of that department.The Friday appointments left three Cabinet slots to be filled afterthe New Year, the secretaries of labor, energy and transportation.

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