WASHINGTON - Outgoing Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton today announced that Deputy Interior Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett will become Acting Secretary following Secretary Norton's departure from Interior.

In her March 10 resignation letter to President Bush, Norton announced that her final day as Interior Secretary would be today, March 31. By operation of law, the Deputy Secretary assumes the title of Acting Secretary in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the Secretary. On March 16, President Bush nominated Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne to succeed Norton as Interior Secretary.

"Interior will be in the fine and capable hands of Lynn Scarlett from the time of my departure until the Senate confirms Governor Kempthorne," Norton said. "Lynn has been a tremendous Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary. Under her leadership, Interior will continue to serve the American people well."

Scarlett, who previously served as Interior's Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, was sworn in as Deputy Secretary on November 22, 2005.

"I've had the great honor of serving two roles under the strong leadership of Secretary Norton - first as Assistant Secretary and now as Deputy Secretary," Scarlett said. "As Acting Secretary, I pledge to keep Interior on the course that Secretary Norton has charted during her five years of exemplary service. I look forward to working with Gov. Kempthorne upon his confirmation as the next Secretary of the Interior."

Before joining the Bush Administration in July 2001, Scarlett was President of the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation, a nonprofit current affairs research and communications organization. In addition to her management role, her policy research focused on environmental, land use and natural resources issues.

Scarlett received her B.A. and M.A. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she also completed her Ph.D. coursework and exams in political science and political economy.

Scarlett's complete biography is available at http://www.doi.gov/bio/bioscarlett.htm.