Interior Secretary Salazar visits Washington state

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was in Washington state Wednesday to discuss local efforts to preserve Bureau of Land Management lands in the San Juan Islands. About 40 people came to hear him speak and answer questions about the BLM’s work to develop a management plan for about 445,000 acres of public lands in Eastern Washington and the San Juan Islands. Those in attendance included his daughter, Melinda Salazar, a University of Washington graduate student. Salazar commended Gov. Chris Gregoire for innovative conservation efforts in Washington state and he says Washington is setting a good example of 21st Century conservation for other states.