Red Lodge Clearinghouse

Hoffman generated controversy in his previous position as deputy secretary for fish, wildlife and parks when he proposed changing National Park Service guidelines to allow more commercial activity and off-highway vehicle use in national parks.

Interior spokeswoman Tina Kreisher said Hoffman plans to retire to a farm he bought in Virginia.

Kreisher said Hoffman sent a letter to employees saying, in part, "I have a deep sense of fulfillment for having advanced the Department of the Interior and the conservation and enjoyment of the parks, refuges, and public lands, the resources, and the fish and wildlife therein."

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility posted an e-mail the group said Hoffman had sent out as his farewell message.

"I can attest to the fact that Interior gets in your blood, but I can also say that it does not necessarily turn it green," the e-mail said.

Kreisher declined to respond to PEER's posting or comment on whether it was accurate.

"This man has had a very good career here; he's an honorable man," Kreisher said. "He's worked very hard here. We have a lot of respect for him."

Before coming to the Interior Department in 2002, Hoffman had served for a dozen years as executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Cody, Wyo. Before that he was state director to then-Rep. Dick Cheney (R).

Hoffman came under fire in 2005 after proposing to loosen regulations on motor vehicle access and commercialization in national parks. After public and congressional criticism, the agency backtracked and issued guidelines saying the parks must emphasize preservation over other activities like recreation (Greenwire, June 19, 2006).

In March 2005, then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton moved Hoffman from his position overseeing parks to the human capital job.

"National parks were the one environmental issue on which George W. Bush campaigned, but under Hoffman, parks became 'The Bad News Bears' for Bush," said PEER executive director Jeff Ruch.

Hoffman in 2004 upheld decisions to fire Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers after she publicly raised concerns about her force's inability to safely monitor federal parkland.

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