This Week at Interior May 13, 2022

This Week at Interior 

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland this week released Volume 1 of the investigative report called for in the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. That's a comprehensive effort to address the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies. The report lays the groundwork for Interior's effort to address the intergenerational trauma created by those policies.  

Recognizing the impact of the federal Indian boarding school system cannot just be a historical reckoning, we must also chart a path forward to deal with these legacy issues. To address the inter-generational impact of federal Indian boarding schools and to promote spiritual and emotional healing in our communities, we must shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past.

This week marks National Police Week, a time to honor those who serve in the nation’s law enforcement agencies, and those who've given their lives in that service. In a ceremony this week Secretary Haaland called the more than 36-hundred officers who work at Interior critical to protecting public safety, and ensuring that we fulfill our promise to protect America’s natural resources, honor our commitments to Tribal Nations, and preserve treasured places for generations to come.  

Those who answer the call to service and the families who serve alongside them represent the best of our country. I am grateful to be a part of your team a member of the Interior family.

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz visited Minnesota this week. They announced $61.1 million in grant funding for 26 cities across the United States to upgrade or create new parks and trails through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program. That program makes it possible for urban communities to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors in economically underserved communities. 

Assistant Secretary Estenoz also visited Illinois this week, where she toured several sites that honor individuals and events that advanced the Civil Rights Movement. Those sites included places associated with Emmett Till, the Pullman National Monument, and the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. 

Interior leaders this week highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to reform hardrock mining laws, regulations and permitting policies. Secretary Haaland and Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau joined representatives to discuss reforms with states, Tribes, the mining industry, environmental groups, and other stakeholders at the White House on the 150th anniversary of theMining Law of 1872. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Steve Feldgus also testified before the House Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on Interior’s role in reforming that law. 

The Bureau of Reclamation this week announced that more than $240 million will be allocated to repair aging water delivery systems in 11 states. The funding comes from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which  makes one of the largest investments in drought resilience in American history, including $8.3 billion for water infrastructure programs. 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s wind energy auction in the Carolina Long Bay area this week drew competitive winning bids from two companies totaling $315 million. It's the second major offshore wind lease sale this year, and a significant milestone towards achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. 

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement this week proposed new regulations to improve operational safety, human health, and environmental protections offshore. The new rules also provide better clarity to industry regarding BSEE’s review of projects using new or unusual technology, including equipment used in high pressure and/or high temperature environments. 

National Park Service Director Chuck Sams and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands André Haspels, celebrated the 77th anniversary of Liberation Day and the end of a four-year restoration of the Netherlands Carillon. The Carillon was a gift to the United States following World War II, symbolizing Dutch gratitude to the American people for helping liberate the Netherlands and providing aid to rebuild the Dutch economy through the Marshall Plan. 

And our social media Picture of the Week is the scenic vistas of Utah's Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Red Cliffs features nearly 45 thousand acres of red rock mountains, and it's a great place to find solitude. 

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That's This Week, at Interior.