This Week at Interior November 5, 2021

This Week at Interior   

President Biden led the U.S. delegation this week at the COP26 in Glasgow...that's the United Nations' international conference to address the global climate crisis. Secretary Haaland is among 13 Cabinet Secretaries taking part in the conference. She's showcasing Interior's offshore commitments to wind development and our goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. She also met virtually with Indigenous youth to discuss the impacts of climate change on young people, and on future generations. And she'll join leaders to discuss nature-based solutions to climate change, as well as the America the Beautiful initiative and our collaborative effort to conserve at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030. Throughout the week Secretary Haaland and the entire U.S. delegation have underscored that there is incredible opportunity and urgency for every single nation to make a generational investment in our global climate resilience. 

The Bureau of Land Management this week announced auctions for utility-scale solar energy development leases in each of the three solar energy zones in Arizona. The announcement helps advance the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to achieve 100% carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035, and to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on public land by 2025. 

November is Native American Heritage Month, a month set aside to celebrate the countless contributions of Indigenous peoples past and present, while re-committing ourselves to upholding our trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening Tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination. 

"All of our work is done with the leadership of President Biden and an all-of-government approach to ensure Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Island communities have a seat at the table. As the first Native American cabinet secretary, I know that we have a lot of work to do, but I also know that our ancestors are smiling down on us, giving us strength, and are proud of what we’ve accomplished so far." 

November is also National Military and Veteran Families Month. This week Secretary Haaland, the daughter of military parents herself, saluted those who serve alongside their loved ones, as they serve the country. She also shared resources for veterans and their families to increase access to the outdoors. 

"At Interior, we know that the outdoors can offer a place of solace and healing for servicemembers, veterans, and their families. In fact, we created a map of sites near military installations and VA facilities, so that public lands are just a click away to connect to a national park." 

You can find that map at nps.gov/subjects/military. 

The Bureau of Reclamation celebrated the completion of a decade-long project this week in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agencies designed a new Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage, which is a new fish ladder and flume fishway to collect adult fish more reliably. The new structure also features underwater public viewing windows. 

The holiday season approaches, and a new National Christmas Tree is firmly in place at President's Park in Washington D.C. The donated 27-foot-tall white fir from Middleburg Pennsylvania replaces the 2019 and 2020 tree, which succumbed to disease earlier this year. The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place annually in the park...the official date for this year's lighting will be announced soon at thenationaltree.org. 

And our social media Picture of the Week, autumn colors exploding like fireworks at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park in Rhode Island. Secretary Haaland recently announced new expanded boundaries for the park, which will help strengthen the local economy and increase access to outdoor recreation in the region. 

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That’s This Week, at Interior.