This Week at Interior February 21, 2025

Transcript:

This Week at Interior

Secretary Burgum was on hand this week at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a final rule approving the State of West Virginia’s request to regulate the injection of carbon dioxide into deep rock formations. The move, known as "Class VI Primacy," acknowledges that the state is best positioned to protect its underground sources of drinking water while bolstering energy independence.

This is a great day for West Virginia, and it's a great day for America, because we're delegating responsibility back to the state where it belongs and where it can be responsibly executed. And again, at the end of the day part of the EPA's mission is to make sure that we've got clean air, clean water, clean soil health all of those things, but this action helps move us in that direction.  

West Virginia is the fourth state granted Class VI primacy under the Trump administration, joining Louisiana, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Unleashing American energy was just one of a range of topics on the agenda this week as Secretary Burgum welcomed Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" to Interior for a live broadcast from the Yates Auditorium. Along with energy as a national security issue, the Secretary also talked about issues affecting the nation's economy, recent meetings with the Japanese and Indian ambassadors, and outdoor recreation.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs this week launched Operation Spirit Return, an initiative to help solve missing and unidentified person cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States. The initiative is being conducted by the Bureau's Missing and Murdered Unit and will focus on reuniting remains with family members and returning them to their tribal communities.  

Secretary Burgum this week welcomed the governors and delegates of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the Interagency Group on Insular Areas. The annual meeting allows representatives of the island territories direct access to administration leaders to discuss the many issues and challenges they face back home.

And our social media Picture of the Week, the Ansel Adams Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. This stunning region is named in honor of the legendary photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams, who captured the beauty of the American West through his iconic black-and-white landscapes.  

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That's This Week at Interior!  

 

This Week: Secretary Burgum applauds an EPA ruling to allow West Virginia to regulate its own carbon injection procedures; the Secretary welcomes Bret Baier of Fox News' "Special Report" for a live broadcast from Interior; the Bureau of Indian Affairs launches an initiative to help solve missing and unidentified person cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives; governors and delegates of American island territories convene at Interior for the annual Interagency Group on Insular Areas; and a colorful scene salutes a master of black-and-white photography in our social media Picture of the Week!

  • Video
    08/29/2025

    Inside Interior | August 29, 2025

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    This is Inside Interior.

    From minerals to monuments, from public safety to public lands, the Department of the Interior is focused on energy, security, and preserving what matters most to America.

    First up: the U.S. Geological Survey just released the draft 2025 List of Critical Minerals - designed to guide federal investments, permitting, and policy decisions. New additions to the list? Potash, silicon, copper, silver, rhenium, and lead. These additions strengthen domestic mining, streamline permitting, and boost U.S. mineral processing - ensuring America remains resource-secure and globally competitive.

    In more good news, Interior just announced 42 new hunting and sport fishing opportunities across 87,000 acres of public land - that's three times more than the last administration allowed. It's a win for conservation, the outdoor economy, and the American way of life.

    In Washington, D.C., crime is down, and our Park Police are stronger than ever. And now, thanks to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, more park police officers are being hired to keep America’s capital safe and secure. To thank our law enforcement for their brave work and dedication, Secretary Doug Burgum and Interior employees hosted a cookout this week for our Park Police officers in D.C. 

    Additionally, Interior deputized Customs and Border Protection officers to work alongside our park police to end rampant crime in our nation's capital.

    Mark your calendars for July 23, 2026, which has been officially designated by Interior as the Day of the American West, honoring the people, values, and traditions that shaped this nation’s frontier.

    And this past Monday, we celebrated 109 years of the National Park Service. That’s over a century of protecting America’s most treasured landscapes, from Alaska to the monuments in D.C.

    At Interior, we are building a safer, stronger, and more self-reliant America.

    That's it for this edition of Inside Interior.

    Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend.

    News and headlines from around Interior August 29, 2025

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