"Interior: Controversial Lawyer Named To Key Fish And Wildlife Post"

"The Interior Department has tapped Wyoming attorney Karen Budd-Falen for a key, behind-the-scenes legal position with considerable sway over parks and wildlife policies.

As deputy solicitor for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Budd-Falen will render legal opinions that can either bind or unleash Interior officials. And though her appointment alarms some Westerners and environmentalists, allies see in her a strong property rights proponent.

Budd-Falen, in a brief interview today with E&E News from her private law office in Cheyenne, Wyo., acknowledged that her appointment is likely to spark criticism."

Scott Streater and Michael Doyle report for Greenwire October 15, 2018.