Press Releases

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust from willing sellers at fair market value.

The grants will assist nine states, two Indian tribes and a local government prepare nominations of properties representing  Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, women and LGBTQ Americans.

The Secretarial  Order issued today provides direction for the Department, and particularly Reclamation and FWS, with scientific support and technical advice from the USGS, to complete the technical, scientific, and analytical work necessary to make permitting, regulatory, and other decisions associated with various water initiatives.

Today President Obama designated the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah and the Gold Butte National Monument in southeastern Nevada.

The withdrawal does not restrict other uses of these federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, and will help to sustain commercial and recreational fisheries in the Atlantic to support fishing-dependent communities, as well as the harvest of marine resources on which many Alaska Native communities rely for subsistence use and cultural traditions.

"The Centennial Act is part of our contribution to preserve the legacy of some of our Nation’s greatest treasures for generations to come."

After an extensive and transparent public process, Interior today released final regulations to prevent or minimize impacts to surface water and groundwater from coal mining.

Over the past 8 years, BOEM has fostered offshore renewable energy development through a collaborative state-federal process to identify Wind Energy Areas and hold competitive lease sales. 

The Colorado River Basin is just one area where the Department is working with its partners to address water conservation and other water-saving strategies. Today’s WaterSMART report and data visualization tool details progress made since 2010 to improve water conservation and help water-resource managers narrow the gap between water supply and demand.

Since the Program began making offers in December 2013, more than $950 million has been paid to individual landowners and the equivalent of about 1.7 million acres of land has been transferred to Tribal governments.