Interior secretary to Congress: If you don’t act, we will

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says the administration is going to continue protecting public lands because “no one has the courage” in Congress to act on conservation bills.

Speaking to wilderness advocates in New Mexico on Thursday night, Jewell called on Congress to move the measures forward, The Associated Press reports.

{mosads}”There are dozens of bills in Congress, and they need to be passed — dozens of bipartisan bills, bills with wide support, broad support — but no one has the courage to pass them,” Jewell said. “We need to encourage this Congress to get on with it and to move forward. Otherwise, we will take action.”

Congress hasn’t passed a conservation bill since 2009. President Obama recently designated a national monument in California, making his count 13 — enraging Republicans, who called it an abuse of power.

Jewell also said that preserving America’s landscape right now will not only boost local economies but will better help the country prepare for climate change.

“Wilderness becomes more important, not less important, at a time of climate change,” Jewell said.

“We’re going to have to learn lessons from Mother Nature if we’re going to reduce the impact to ourselves of this freight train that is moving down the tracks very quickly — and that is climate change,” she said.