US Deputy Interior Secretary David J. Hayes announced he will leave his post June 30 to become a senior fellow at the Hewlett Foundation and teach at Stanford University’s law school.
Hayes, who was confirmed by the US Senate in May 2009, quickly became then-US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s right-hand after Salazar canceled leases awarded in a late 2008 US Bureau of Land Management lease sale because he considered them environmentally inadequate. Hayes led a review of the sale and the resource management plans that supported it, beginning a process designed to increase public participation earlier than before.
As deputy secretary, he also played an important part in developing and implementing significant federal offshore oil and gas regulatory reforms following the April 2010 Macondo deepwater well accident and subsequent massive crude oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.
Hayes also led the Obama administration’s effort to coordinate federal departments and agencies involved in Alaskan fossil and renewable energy resource development discussions. In a report to the president earlier this month, he recommended that the United States develop an innovative, government-wide “Integrated Arctic Management” strategy.
Greg Pensabene, acting president of America’s Natural Gas Alliance, applauded Hayes for his public service, and for his understanding of the critical issues related to gas development.
“During a time when technological advances associated with gas production have created new opportunities for our country, [he] has emphasized the need for safe and responsible development, while recognizing the important role that this abundant, American fuel plays in improving national security, cleaning the air, and jump-starting our economy,” Pensabene said on Apr. 30.
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