This Week at Interior March 17, 2023

Transcript:

This Week at Interior 

Interior this week announced it will commit more than $417 million for 47 projects dedicated to recreation and restoration in Nevada and California.  The projects are funded through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The investments help advance the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which aims to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing $56.5 million to state fish and wildlife agencies through the State Wildlife Grant Program. The funding will support conservation and stewardship efforts for imperiled wildlife and their habitats. The announcement comes as Interior marks 50 years since the Endangered Species Act became law in 1973. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced it's exploring the possibility of a conservation area across Southwest Florida, and will seek the public's input. The area in question stretches from Lakeland to Naples with Lake Okeechobee along its eastern edge. The announcement comes the same week the National Wildlife Refuge System celebrates its 120th birthday. President Theodore Roosevelt created America's first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island Florida on March 14th, 1903. 

The National Park Service says a number of parks in California are implementing severe weather plans due to impacts from recent and ongoing winter storms that have brought record amounts of rain and snow. An incident management team is assisting employees at impacted parks, organizing for the recovery work ahead, and bringing in additional staff resources to conduct damage assessments, coordinate debris removal, and provide access to park areas. 

Happy Birthday to the Interior Museum! For 85 years, the Museum has displayed the history of Interior and educated visitors about our efforts to preserve the nation’s public lands, natural resources and cultural heritage. And thanks to a new virtual tour you can catch a glimpse into Interior’s story from anywhere, and explore exhibitions of historical objects, works of art and scientific specimens. 

And our social media Picture of the Week comes from Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Named after one of the nation’s great conservationists, this hidden gem is perfect for watching prairie sunsets while bison graze on native grasses. 

Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. That's This Week at Interior. 

This Week: Interior commits over $417 million for recreation and restoration projects through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes $56.5 million to state agencies to help conserve imperiled wildlife and their habitats; the Service also seeks public input on a potential conservation area across Southwest Florida; national parks in California implement severe weather plans; the Interior Museum launches a new virtual tour for its 85th birthday; and a hidden gem in North Dakota is our social media Picture of the Week!