Summary
back to the land In the midst of a week-long tour of New England states, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, jetted to Iowa for the rural economic forum in Peosta. Tuesday morning Salazar spoke to the Telegraph Herald about what he and he brought to the discussion. "We've already done a huge amount in rural America, but we're looking for additional ideas to work on," said Salazar, who once noted "Rural America is the forgotten America." "I came to make sure conservation and tourism are part of the discussion. They are the fifth-largest employer in the country's economy and we can create between 2.1 and 3.3 million more jobs in those areas," he said. Communing with the out-of-doors benefits people mentally and physically, especially in stressful times, Salazar said. "Last year, 1.9 million Iowans hunted or fished or hiked in the state's wildlife refuges. Nationally hunters and boaters and hikers put billions of dollars into the economy," he said. In a nod to his own roots Salazar said, "Farmers were the first conservationists and environmentalists." Mary Nevans-Pederson
PEOSTA, Iowa - The White House Rural Economic Forum in Peosta featured a number of what were called "breakout" sessions, including one led by former Colorado senator and current U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.See the full content of this document
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Ffa Members Tout Education
Four federal employees led the session.
Eschewing his customary 10-gallon hat, Salazar began the meeting b...See the full content of this document
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