Archive

Secretary Jewell joined Chinese officials to establish a sister park relationship between Shenandoah National Park in the United States and Baihuashan National Nature Reserve in China, creating a framework for the parks to foster international cooperation in preserving and promoting these protected areas.

Secretary Jewell met with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang last week to discuss cooperation between the two countries in combating illegal trade in wildlife that threatens to drive species into extinction.

U.S. Secretary Jewell finished her visit in Vietnam, where she met with senior government officials including Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to discuss the nations' cooperation in combatting illegal wildlife trafficking.

Secretary Jewell and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Washburn announced a reform of the process Indian tribes undergo to receive federal recognition, promoting transparency, consistency and speed.

Through the Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, Deputy Secretary Connor today announced, more than $500 million has been paid to landowners to restore the equivalent of nearly 850,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

Secretary Jewell today announced that about 1,900 local governments around the country are receiving a total of nearly $405 million under the 2015 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. “Rural communities across the country contribute significantly to our nation's economy, food and energy supply, and help define the character of our diverse and beautiful country,” Secretary Jewell said.

The Secretary applauded the granting of presidential trade authority by Congress, noting benefits a Pacific trade partnership could bring to environmental protection and stop illegal wildlife trafficking.

The Federal agencies recognized three new collaborative landscape partnerships across the country where agencies will focus efforts with partners to conserve and restore important lands and waters and make them more resilient to a changing climate. These include the California Headwaters, California’s North-Central Coast and Russian River Watershed, and Crown of the Continent.

Interior's economic report for FY 2014 found that national parks, national wildlife refuges, national monuments and other public lands managed by Interior hosted an estimated 423 million recreational visits in 2014 – up from 407 million in 2013.

Scientists expect a one-meter rise in sea level to occur in the next 100-150 years. In some select areas of Alaska, relative sea-level is decreasing because as land-based glaciers and ice sheets melt, land mass is actually rising faster than sea-levels.