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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Climate change stirs call to adjust


Kempthorne
 (The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

BOISE – Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne says climate change is making wild-life habitat restoration more difficult and federal managers of land, water and wild-life must adapt.

“We need to focus on adapting to this changing atmosphere,” he told the Idaho Statesman.

He said fires burning around the West, droughts and growing water shortages around the nation are putting new demands on agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service.

He said those concerns are why he organized a 90-person task force to look into ways that the 73,000 employees in the Interior Department can help deal with climate change.

“(It’s) not to answer the question if there’s climate change,” Kempthorne said. “There is.”

He said one immediate challenge will be rehabilitating about 1,000 square miles of rangelands scorched by the Murphy Complex of fires in southern Idaho and northern Nevada. The lightning-caused fire that started July 16 was contained on Thursday.

“The key is doing as much as possible right after the fires,” Kempthorne said.

He plans to tour the Murphy Complex to find out how federal agencies, ranchers and environmentalists would like to see the area rehabilitated.

Sagebrush and bunch grass in the area are needed by sage grouse and other species, and are also important to livestock grazing.

He said burned areas could be invaded by cheatgrass and other plants not native to the region, and should be treated quickly. But he said the overall process of rehabilitating the area could take time.

“I don’t know that anybody thinks in one year we can restore what nature built,” Kempthorne said.

Kempthorne, the former Idaho governor until becoming interior secretary last year, plans to work out of the BLM state office in Boise for the month of August, though he will be traveling frequently in the region to look at fires, wildlife problems, energy development, Indian affairs, and parks.

He said he looked forward to being back in Idaho.

“I felt like a kid on that plane last night,” Kemp-thorne said. “I didn’t know how much I wanted to come.”