Public Lands Commissioner-elect Peter Goldmark issued a statement today declaring the guidelines by which he planned to run his office throughout the next four years.

"There is a nexus where science, sustainability, and economic opportunity meet and that point is where the policies of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources need to be," said Goldmark. "We face a terrible national economy and a difficult state budget, but those challenges will provide opportunities for green jobs and renewable energy on our public lands."

Along those lines, Goldmark said the key priorities of his office would be to benefit the public interest both in its decisions and in its transparency, protect natural resource, seek out sustainable uses of public land and to use the land to create economic opportunities.

"Environmental protection can and must happen during challenging economic times. We need to make decisions now with our children's grandchildren in mind," said Goldmark.

Goldmark, an Okanogan rancher and former candidate for Congress, is no stranger to science. He holds a PhD in molecular biology from the University of California at Berkeley.