Letter of Concern

RE: Nomination of Rebecca W. Watson for Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Interior Department

December 5, 2001

Dear Senator:

We are writing to express our concerns regarding Rebecca W. Watson, who has been nominated as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. The Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management is one of the most important posts at the Department of Interior, with responsibility for overseeing the operations and policies of the Bureau of Land Management, the Minerals Management Service and the Office of Surface Mining and Enforcement. This position carries with it the responsibility of balancing the use of our public lands for livestock grazing, and energy and mineral production with protection of a host of cultural, archeological, historic and environmental values.

For that reason we would like to urge your close scrutiny of Ms. Watson for this important position. As a partner at the Helena law firm of Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, Ms. Watson represented extractive industries in a number of cases that sought to weaken environmental safeguards imposed on those industries by state law.

For example:

Ms. Watson unsuccessfully represented defendants, including, the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture and Canyon Resources Corporations, in a 1999 clean water case that sought to uphold the rights of Montanans to a clean and healthful environment under the Montana constitution. The suit was filed because the Montana Department of Environmental Quality had allowed the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture to pump, without treatment, millions of gallons of arsenic-tainted water into the Landers Fork and Blackfoot Rivers. The Montana Supreme court upheld the constitution and affirmed Montanans' right to a clean and healthful environment. In response to this decision Watson said, "This is another blow at the economic vitality and at the future of Montana and Montana's children".

In 1996, Ms. Watson represented a group called Montanans for Common Sense Water Laws/Against Initiative 122. Initiative 122 would have required mining compkianies to remove carcinogens, toxins, metals and nutrients prior to the release of mine discharges into state waters. Although this initiative failed a similar initiative banning the use of cyanide in mines passed in 1998. In response to the passage of this initiative, Ms. Watson published a paper entitled "Democracy Is The Theory That The Common People Know What They Want, And Deserve To Get It Good And Hard," which outlined industry strategies for defeating citizen initiatives. Key recommendations Ms. Watson includes in this paper are; "litigate early and often -- don't hold back to make the voters like you -- they don't" and "raise money early and raise enough". Ms. Watson cites an example in 1994 where the Oregon mining industry had to spend between $3-$4 million to defeat an initiative that proposed to restrict open-pit mining by banning the use of cyanide.

Ms. Watson also represented opponents of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument designated by President Clinton. This monument protects one of the last remaining intact areas discovered by the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Ms. Watson further represented three landowners in a challenge to the Montana Stream Access Law, a law that ensures a citizen's right to use the state's rivers and streams for recreation. This lawsuit was eventually thrown out by the U.S. District Court.

From 1993-1995, Ms. Watson represented a number of industries, including major multi-national businesses and national trade associations in the areas of mining, forest products, agriculture, and construction when she practiced law with the Washington D.C. law firm Crowell and Moring. While in Montana, Ms. Watson lobbied for a number of industries, including Golden Sunlight Mines, Inc., Redstone Gas Partners, the Montana Mining Association and Express Pipeline Partnership. All of these companies are involved in natural gas, coal bed methane or hardrock mining production.

The responsibility for overseeing the Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining, and the Mineral Management Service is one that should not be taken lightly. Whoever holds this position will be called on to make important decisions regarding the use and the stewardship of America's public lands. Through her work in the private sector, Ms. Watson has consistently worked to undermine public health and environmental laws while trivializing citizens' access to the democratic process. We urge you to closely scrutinize Rebecca W. Watson's record and her ability to manage our public lands in a fair and unbiased manner.

Sincerely,

Rachel Martin Outreach Program Director Allegheny Defense Project Lisa Dix Public Lands Lobbyist American Lands Alliance S. Elizabeth Birnbaum Director of Government Affairs American Rivers Deb Kmon Public Lands Advocate American Wildlands Dan Barry Executive Director Clearinghouse for Environmental Advocacy Research John McCormick Washington Coordinator Citizens Coal Council Robin Hubbard Field Director Colorado PIRG Citizen Lobby Elise Jones Executive Director Colorado Environmental Coalition Bruce Pendery Government Relations Associate Defenders of Wildlife Jeff Juel Forest Watch Coordinator Ecology Center (MT) Brock Evans Executive Director Endangered Species Coalition Garrett W. Megis Forest Watch Coordinator Finger Lakes Forest Watch Congress Mark Ferrulo Campaign Director Florida PIRG Kristen Sykes Interior Department Watchdog Friends of the Earth Mike Roselle Forest Campaign Coordinator Greenpeace Jen Weiss Outreach & Development Coordinator Heartwood (IN) Ron Mitchell Executive Director Idaho Sporting Congress, Inc. Joshua Martin Indiana Forest Alliance

Lexi Shultz Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Mineral Policy Center Peter Schurman Executive Director MoveOn.org Jim Jensen Executive Director Montana Environmental Information Center David Ponder Executive Director Montana PIRG Tom Weis Executive Director National Forest Protection Alliance Amy Frykman Communications Coordinator Northern Plains Resource Council Robert K. Musil, PhD, MPH Executive Director & CEO Physicians for Social Responsibility Eric Wingerter National Field Director Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Alan Rolston San Juan Citizens Alliance Ara Marderosian Executive Director Sequoia ForestKeeper (CA) Charlene Little Sequoia Forest Alliance (CA) Keith Hammond Washington Director Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Linda Lance Vice President for Public Policy The Wilderness Society Anna Aurilio Legislative Director US PIRG Denise Boggs Executive Director Utah Environmental Congress Darin Wieneke Washington DC Representative Western Organization of Resource Councils Dan Heilig Legislative Director Wyoming Outdoor Council James K. Wyerman Executive Director 20/20 Vision