[env-trinity] Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Nominee

[Byron Leydecker]

Date: March 18, 2009

Contact: Joan Moody (202) 208-6416

 

Secretary Salazar Commends President Obama's Intention to

Nominate Michael L. Connor to

Lead the Bureau of Reclamation

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today commended
President Obama's announcement that he intends to nominate Michael L. Connor
as

Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Connor has more than 15
years of experience in the public sector, including having served as Counsel
to the U.S. Senate

and Natural Resources Committee since May 2001.

 

"With growing water challenges facing communities across the country, Mike
Connor's deep background in water, Indian rights and energy issues will help
us find common

sense solutions," said Secretary Salazar. "Mike has a proven track record of
building consensus with a wide range of stakeholders and is the right pick
for Commissioner. I

look forward to working with him to ensure that we are wisely managing our
nation's precious water resources."

 

At the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, Connor has managed
legislation for both the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological
Survey, developed water

resources legislation and handled Native American issues that are within the
Energy Committee's jurisdiction.  From 1993 to 2001, Connor served in the
Department of the Interior, including as deputy director and then director
of the Secretary's Indian Water Rights Office from 1998 to 2001. In this
capacity, Connor represented the Secretary of the Interior in negotiations
with Indian tribes, state representatives, and private water users to secure
water rights settlements consistent with the federal trust responsibility to
tribes.

 

Before joining the Secretary's Office, he was employed with the Interior
Solicitor's Office in Washington, DC and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He
began his Interior

career in the Solicitor's Honors Program in 1993. Connor received his J.D.
from the University of Colorado School of Law, and is admitted to the bars
of Colorado and New Mexico. He previously received a B.S. in Chemical
Engineering from New Mexico State University and worked for General
Electric.

 

The agency he will lead if confirmed by the Senate-the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation-is a contemporary water management agency and the largest
wholesale provider of water in

the country. It brings water to more than 31 million people, and provides
one out of five Western farmers with irrigation water for farmland that
produces much of the nation's

produce. Reclamation is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric
power in the western United States with 58 power plants.

 

--www.doi.gov--

 

Byron Leydecker, JcT

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 cell

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

 <http://fotr.org/> http://www.fotr.org 

 

 

 

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