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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs John Tahsuda announced today that the Department of the Interior has signed an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon to guide implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations.

Showcases Initiatives to Safeguard Western Waters and Hydroelectric Facilities

The Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) today announced the availability of the Fiscal Year 2018 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation grants, which will provide $300.7 million to states and tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mines.

Drone flights to support natural resource management across DOI, including support to firefighters suppressing wildfires, increased 82 percent from 2016 to 2017.

The region-wide lease sale, which is the largest in U.S. history, is scheduled for March 21, 2018, and will include all available unleased areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The draft list of minerals that DOI published today as critical to the United States includes 35 mineral commodities, such as aluminum -- used in almost all sectors of the economy.

Along with strengthening the nation’s infrastructure, the proposed budget prioritizes economic growth and expanded public access for outdoor recreation.

Smith brings nearly four decades of public service experience, including serving as superintendent of Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, to this important leadership role. 

An updated resource assessment​ for​ the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the Western Beaufort Sea, adjacent State and Native lands, and State waters​ estimates the mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources both on and offshore to include 17.6 billion barrels of oil and more than 50 trillion cubic feet of gas.

All roads, trails and beaches open at Virgin Islands National Park 105 days after Hurricane Irma ravaged the island of St. John.