WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President George W. Bush tapped Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne on Thursday to replace Gale Norton as the new interior secretary, but the nomination needs Senate confirmation.

    "Dirk understands that those who live closest to the land know how to manage it best," Bush said of the nomination.

    "He will work closely with state and local leaders to ensure wise stewardship of our resources," he said.

    Kempthorne, 54, was elected governor of Idaho in 1998 and reelected in 2002. Born in San Diego, California, he graduated from the University of Idaho in 1975 and was elected mayor of Boise of Idaho in 1986. He was elected to the Senate in 1998.

    Norton, 52, announced last Friday that she would leave office at the end of this month after five years in Bush's cabinet, at a time when the Interior Department was implicated in a lobbying scandal over Indian gaming licenses. Enditem