New Interior Secretary To Tour Everglades

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK (CBSMiami/AP) – Getting a first hand look at two areas of one of this nation's most treasured natural resources, new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is scheduled to take airboat tours of Everglades National Park and the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Jewell replaced Ken Salazar who led the Department of the Interior for four years.

Jewell, the former CEO of outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment Inc., was sworn in earlier this month.

The agency is responsible for more than 500 million acres of national parks and other public lands, plus more than a billion acres offshore. It oversees energy development, mining, recreation and other purposes. It also provides services to 566 federally recognized Indian tribes

Congress approved a multibillion-dollar Everglades restoration plan in 2000, but progress has been slow amid various planning and legal challenges.

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