Washington, D.C., December 17, 2008 —American Farmland Trust (AFT) President Jon Scholl is delighted to learn of the nomination of Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) as the nominee for Secretary of the Interior. “It’s an added bonus when you can speak personally to the qualifications of a cabinet nominee,” Scholl says. Salazar has served as a member of AFT’s President’s Advisory Council.

The immediate past-President of AFT, Ralph Grossi, was contacted about the nomination: “Ken Salazar did yeoman’s work in the 1990s to establish the Great Outdoors Colorado program, especially his efforts with AFT to build bridges between the ranching and conservation communities.” 

The result of Salazar’s efforts, Grossi says, “Is one of the most progressive farm and ranch land protection programs in the country. Collectively, local and state programs have protected over 376,000 acres of farm and ranch land, with the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust having protected over 305,000 additional acres. It’s a tremendous legacy for the future.”

Scholl said, “It will be a real plus to have a Secretary of Interior that knows the day-to-day challenges of operating a ranch.”

AFT has launched a new campaign called Agriculture & Environment that helps farmers and ranchers improve water quality and combat climate change while maintaining an economically vibrant agriculture sector. More information on this campaign can be found at www.farmland.org .

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