Beginning with
Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981, Lujan was often mentioned as a potential nominee for
interior secretary. Along with
Dick Cheney, he was one of the top contenders to replace
James G. Watt following his resignation, although the position eventually went to
William Clark. When the Bush transition team approached Lujan about the job in late 1988, he declined to accept it, but changed his mind only after a personal appeal from the president-elect. After the tenure of James Watt and
Donald Hodel, Lujan was widely regarded as a moderate at the time of his unanimous confirmation in February 1989. His nomination faced little opposition, although some environmental groups criticized his congressional voting record (the
League of Conservation Voters gave Lujan a 23 percent career rating).
Early tenure Just months into his term, Lujan came under criticism from conservationists and the media for his hands-off approach to policy and his gaffe-prone speeches. In one oft-quoted error, he told a reporter that the federal government received royalty payments for certain mineral rights, only to later admit "I didn't know what I was talking about."
Offshore oil drilling As the chairman of a
White House task force studying offshore oil drilling, Lujan expressed his strong support for drilling off the California coast in a speech to western governors. 19 members of the California congressional delegation — all Democrats — and Republican
Governor Pete Wilson called for Lujan to resign from the study group because he was prejudiced to one point of view but Lujan declined to step down. As the administration point man on offshore drilling, he opposed Democratic efforts to halt the practice after the
Exxon Valdez oil spill in April 1989.
Endangered Species Act Although Lujan gained more respect throughout his term, he remained a lightning rod for environmentalists. In a 1990 interview, he described the
Endangered Species Act as "too tough", and said it may not be necessary to "save every subspecies". The Bush administration distanced itself from Lujan's position at a time when newspapers had just begun to write about the interior secretary's rebound from earlier public relations woes.
1992–1993 Other notable events of Lujan's term included frequent debates over the
spotted owl, the construction of the
Washington Commanders NFL football team stadium on federal property in
Washington, D.C., and the increased regulation of
Indian casinos. Lujan generally won praise for his handling of Indian affairs, an interest he had pursued earlier while in Congress. After leaving the Interior Department at the end of Bush's term, Lujan characterized his job as one of constant tensions. "No one is satisfied. If you do something that's pro-development, you get the environmental groups against you, and if you do something that's pro-environmental you get the industry groups after you," Lujan said in a May 9, 1993,
Associated Press report. "What I tried to do — and I think I was successful in doing — was to bring a balance between the use of resources on public lands and environmental concerns." ==Post-Washington days==