WASHINGTON – President Bush yesterday visited a resort destroyed by runaway fires in Arizona’s Santa Catalina mountains and called on Congress to allow the thinning of overgrown forests to get rid of easy-burning dead wood.
The president said some of this work should be done by private contractors, adding, “that will save taxpayer money and help the economy.”
Also yesterday, officials said Bush has selected Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt as new chief of the Environmental Protection Agency.
He replaces New Jersey’s ex-Gov. Christie Whitman, who resigned in May. Leavitt supports environmental cooperation between state and federal governments.