Nation: Idaho Has a Hot Potato

No Cabinet choice was easier for Jimmy Carter to make than that of Idaho Governor Cecil D. Andrus, 45, for Interior Secretary. He was the only man ever considered for the job, said Carter. A flamboyant, maverick Democrat, Andrus has built his political career on the bedrock of espousing conservation causes−a subject that much interests Carter. Andrus gained his experience in a mountainous, 83,550-sq.-mi. state, where nearly two-thirds of the land is under federal control and hence subject to intensive pressures from those who want to exploit its natural resources.

Oregon-born, the son...

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