Weekly News Roundup – December 21, 2012

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

NWF Applauds Nomination of Sen. Kerry to be Secretary of State

December 21 – President Obama is expected today to nominate Senator John Kerry to be the next Secretary of State.

Larry Schweiger, CEO, and president of National Wildlife Federation, issued the following statement:

“National Wildlife Federation enthusiastically supports Senator’s Kerry’s nomination to be Secretary of State.  President Obama has promised to make climate change a top priority for his second term and Senator Kerry is a great addition to his cabinet to help get the job done. Senator Kerry is a leader on the environment and climate change and he has worked across the aisle to build bipartisan support for action in the Senate.  Senator Kerry understands the urgent need for U.S. leadership and global cooperation to tackle climate change and speed the transformation to a clean energy economy.  National Wildlife Federation looks forward to supporting him as he tackles these critical threats to wildlife and our children’s future.”

New Plan Balances Wildlife Conservation with Drilling in Western Arctic

December 19 – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced a final management plan that will determine how oil and gas leasing can move forward while protecting wildlife in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, also known as the Western Arctic Reserve.

“Today’s release of the final Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement represents a balanced approach to managing the Western Arctic Reserve, taking into account the needs of local wildlife, local communities and for oil and gas production,” said Adam Kolton, executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s National Advocacy Center. “We commend the Interior Department for providing vital protections for Teshekpuk Lake, Kasegaluk Lagoon and the Colville River Special Area.”

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• UPI: Alaska oil plans draw fire, praise
• Reuters: U.S. unveils plan to manage huge Alaskan oil reserve
• Seattle Times: With climate change, winter isn’t what it used to be
• The Coloradoan: Report: Climate change already altering the rhythms of nature
• Deseret News: Climate change already playing out in West, report says
• Dot Earth (NYTimes blog): Scientists See Big Impacts on U.S. Ecosystems from Global Warming

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News