Bruce Babbitt

No stranger to politics, Bruce Babbitt (b. 1938) was the attorney general and governor of Arizona, a Democratic candidate for president in 1988, and the head of the League of Conservation Voters prior to becoming President Clinton's secretary of the Interior in 1993. Babbitt traveled extensively to acquaint new audiences with the work of the Department. While in office he gained certification as a wild land fire fighter and fought on the fire lines; this personal interest translated into new fire management policy for federal lands that went beyond fire suppression to emphasize ecosystem maintenance and restoration. Babbitt reorganized the U.S. Geological Survey to include wildlife and conservation biology, and—after years of studies and planning—he was on hand in 1995 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced gray wolves to Yellowstone. Under the auspices of the Endangered Species Act, nearly 20 million acres were protected through more than 400 Habitat Conservation Plans. Further, Babbitt established the National Conservation Lands in 2000 for the preservation of millions of acres of the most culturally and ecologically significant land stewarded by the Bureau of Land Management. Twenty-two new national monuments were named during his tenure, including the 1.8 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah. After leaving Interior, Babbitt practiced international law and was considered for openings on the U.S. Supreme Court. He is an author, emeritus member of the World Wildlife Fund Board of Directors and president of an investment firm.