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