Salazar probable pick for Interior

Sen. Ken Salazar is President-elect Barack Obamas choice to be U.S. Interior secretary, responsible for overseeing national parks and energy production on federal lands, according to three Democrats close to the transition.

Salazar, 53, a first-term Democrat from Colorado, was an environmental lawyer for 11 years and served as the states attorney general. His Senate term will expire in 2010.

Obama is set to name his remaining Cabinet picks this week before leaving for vacation at the end of the week. A spokesman for Salazar declined to comment.

Obama Monday named Nobel Prize-winner Steven Chu as his choice for Energy Department secretary and Lisa Jackson as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. He also named former EPA chief Carol Browner to fill a new position as head of the National Energy Council and Nancy Sutley to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

As senator, Salazar has supported oil and gas drilling on federal lands, although he has insisted on higher royalty payments from the companies and on stricter environmental protection in and around lands that are being developed.

He has also criticized the Bush administrations efforts to develop oil from Western shale formations, saying that while shale may have potential to produce billions of barrels, the technology may not be commercially viable. He also says its not clear how much pollution shale would cause or how much water would be needed to produce it.

500 Million Acres

The Interior Department was created in 1849 and oversees 500 million acres, about 20 percent of the land in the U.S. Salazar would be the 50th Interior secretary. He would be responsible for protecting endangered species, overseeing logging in national forests and care of the national parks. He would also manage energy and mineral production on federal land and waters.

The post is subject to confirmation by the Senate. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, a Democrat, would name his replacement in the Senate for the remainder of the term if Salazar is nominated and confirmed.