National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Hal Quinn issued the following statement today on the announcement that REI CEO Sally Jewell will be nominated to become the next secretary of the Department of the Interior:
“We are encouraged that Ms. Jewell would bring a wealth of business experience to her new position overseeing the vast mineral and coal resources of the federal government. We trust she will put her experience to good use in addressing long-standing impediments to more efficient development of these resources. In that regard, we look forward to hearing her views in the confirmation process about how the department can help incentivize responsible development of natural resources.
“The great majority of minerals critical to American manufacturing, national defense and consumer products are located on lands managed by the department. But an antiquated permitting system that ranks among the slowest and least efficient of the world’s mining regions inhibits domestic mining investment and its potential to create high-wage employment. We hope Ms. Jewell makes fixing this chronic problem an urgent priority, and we welcome the opportunity to assist her in her future undertakings.”
For more information on U.S. mineral wealth, see NMA’s Minerals Make Life initiative at www.mineralsmakelife.org.