Sally Jewell was sworn in as Interior secretary Friday, two days after the Senate approved the Obama administration nominee by an 87-11 vote.

“Sally’s commitment to energy and climate issues, her belief in our strong government-to-government relationship with Indian Country, and her understanding of the inherent link between conservation and good jobs ensure that she will be an exceptional Secretary of the Interior,” President Obama said after the Senate vote. “I am very glad she is joining my team, and I look forward to her counsel on these important issues, as we continue to leverage our natural resources responsibly while protecting our nation’s treasures for generations to come.”

The Senate vote followed a favorable nomination report from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month (see NGI, March 25).

“Sally Jewell has the brains, the experience and the drive to lead the Interior Department, and I’m glad my colleagues voted overwhelmingly to approve her nomination,” said Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“She made clear in her confirmation hearing that she intends to strike a balance between the dual roles of conserving and developing resources. That’s exactly the right approach to take on the diverse issues facing Interior, including safely developing natural gas, maximizing jobs and opportunities from recreation and improving management of federal forests, including the O&C lands [Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands].”

American Petroleum Institute CEO Jack Gerard took a more cautious tone in congratulating Jewell.

“Domestic oil and natural gas production supports millions of jobs and generates billions of dollars in government revenue every year, but we could do so much more with the right policies. Regulatory uncertainty, slow permitting, and restricted access to energy resources on federally-controlled land all prevent the U.S. from achieving its full energy potential. We look forward to working with Secretary Jewell with the hope of addressing these issues and helping the president follow through on his commitment to a true all-of-the-above energy approach,” Gerard said.

Republican Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Mike Lee of Utah and Tim Scott of South Carolina, who had voted against advancing Jewell’s nomination from the Senate energy panel, were among the senators who voted against Jewell’s final confirmation. All 11 votes against the confirmation came from Republicans.

“While I wish Ms. Jewell well in her new job, I voted against her nomination because I remain concerned with her commitment to multiple-use of public lands in light of her prior record,” Barrasso said. “Although I had hoped the nominee would clarify discrepancies in past positions during the committee consideration process, the nominee refused to address them in a substantive way.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the ranking member of the Senate energy panel who had raised the possibility of placing a procedural hold on Jewell’s nomination in committee, voted for her confirmation.

In her new job, Jewell will oversee Interior policies governing oil and natural gas drilling on millions of acres of public onshore and offshore lands. Jewell, the former CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc., succeeds Ken Salazar, who had been a member of the Obama administration cabinet since 2009.

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