WASHINGTON -- Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Tuesday defended fossil fuel development on public lands, as the Obama administration faces increasing pushback from its environmental base.

"We are a nation that continues to be dependent on fossil fuels," Jewell told reporters at an event Tuesday morning. "The president in his Climate Action Plan has said clearly that we need to move to a lower-carbon future. I am very proud to work for a president that has been as direct and forceful in his messaging as President Barack Obama ."

Environmental groups have criticized the administration for advocating for action on climate change while also approving oil drilling in the Arctic and opening new areas off the East Coast for exploration.

Jewell said that her department, along with other parts of the federal government, has been working to reduce the United States' contribution of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.

"But," she continued, "right now, we are sitting under lights that are likely powered by coal. Most of you probably burned some fossil fuels in one way or another to get here. There are millions of jobs around this country that are dependent on these industries. You can't just cut it off overnight and expect to have an economy that is, in fact, a leader in the world."