This Week at Interior November 15, 2024

Transcript:

I'm Jason Lawrence, Chief of Police, Winnebago Agency, and you're watching This Week at Interior!

This Week at Interior  

Secretary Haaland joined veterans and servicemembers this week for the 27th annual Military Women’s Memorial Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. She shared Interior's enduring commitment to support veterans in the federal service, as well as her personal connection to the military as the daughter of two servicemembers. Veterans and Gold Star families are eligible for a lifetime pass for free access to our nation’s national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national monuments. Check out store.usgs.gov.

Secretary Haaland traveled to the homelands of the Winnebago and Omaha Tribal Nations in Nebraska this week, where she took part in a bison transfer, and highlighted the Department’s work to expand Tribal herds and restore them to ancestral Indigenous lands with funding from the President’s Investing in America agenda. As many as 60 million bison once roamed the plains before western expansion drove that number down to as few as a thousand. Last year, the Department invested $25 million to empower its bureaus and partners to use the best available science and Indigenous Knowledge to help restore bison across the country.

Interior released a new report on the sweeping economic impact of the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which marks its third anniversary this week. The analysis shows the Department’s work to implement the law supported more than 28,000 jobs and contributed more than $3.3 billion to the economy in fiscal year 2024. The Law devotes an overall $28.1 billion over 15 years to the Department’s initiatives, including combatting legacy pollution, restoring critical habitats, addressing the drought crisis, assisting with wildland fire management, and helping communities prepare for extreme weather events.

The Bureau of Land Management this week updated its Central Yukon Resource Management Plan, which covers nearly 13.3 million acres of public lands in central and northern Alaska. It's a product of more than a decade of discussion and input from the public, Tribes, cooperating agencies, and stakeholders, and strikes a balance between responsible development and resource protection -- that includes important habitats for several fish and wildlife species and other subsistence resources that are vital to rural Alaskans, including Alaska Native communities.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams attended a recent summit in South Africa, delivering remarks on combatting the illegal wildlife trade. She also engaged with wildlife conservation leaders and visited grantees from the Service’s International Affairs program, making stops to observe endangered plants and threatened species from African penguins to geometric tortoises.

And our social media Picture of the Week, just one of the many incredible sights along the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument. As it flows from Colorado into Utah, the river passes through famous fossil finds, dramatic river canyons, intriguing petroglyphs and endless opportunities for adventure.  

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That's This Week at Interior!  
                                
 

This Week: Secretary Haaland joins veterans and servicemembers for the 27th annual Military Women’s Memorial Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery; the Secretary travels to the homelands of the Winnebago and Omaha Tribal Nations in Nebraska to take part in a bison transfer; a new report documents the tremendous economic impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as it advances the Department's key initiatives;  the Bureau of Land Management updates its Central Yukon Resource Management Plan for nearly 13.3 million acres of public lands in central and northern Alaska; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams visits South Africa as part of the worldwide effort to combat wildlife trafficking; and a river runs through our social media Picture of the Week!

  • Video
    08/29/2025

    Inside Interior | August 29, 2025

    Video

    Transcript:

    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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