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DOI News Archives 2009

Tom Strickland Confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar praised the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Thomas Strickland for Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. President Obama nominated Strickland for the position on Feb. 20, 2009. More More

Read Assistant Secretary Tom Strickland's Bio

Department of the Interior Progress Report

Secretary Salazar visited Philadelphia today and discussed his first 100 days in office, his major reform efforts at the Department of the Interior and America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Secretary visited Independence Hall and announced Recovery Act funding for long needed repairs. [Photo Credit: Ian Crane - NPS] Hi-Res

In his first 100 days in office, Secretary Salazar has made it clear that the Department of the Interior must change how it does business, regain the trust of the American people, and chart a new path. As the steward of America's natural resources, the Department of the Interior has a solemn responsibility to carry out its mission with openness and accountability to the American people, and must base its decisions on public input and the best science available.

Salazar and Locke Restore Scientific Consultations under the
Endangered Species Act to Protect Species and their Habitats

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - the two agencies that administer the ESA - before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species. more

Secretary Salazar Creates New Office of Youth at Interior

Secretary Salazar addresses all DOI employees and announces the new Office of Youth at the Department of the Interior [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI ]Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that he will establish an Office of Youth to provide Department-wide leadership for programs to educate, engage and employ youth. The Secretary made the announcement at an all-employee meeting to discuss the Department's progress on President Obama's agenda. more

2009 H1N1 Flu Update and Guidance

Human cases of 2009 H1N1 Flu (swine flu) have been identified in several states and in other countries. It is important to recognize the ongoing nature of this event and the fact that public health guidance may change as this event transpires and more becomes known about this new virus. Public health officials advise that good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. more

Secretary Salazar Moves to Withdraw 11th Hour Mountaintop Coal Mining Rule

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced his determination that the mountaintop coal mining "stream buffer zone rule" issued by the Bush Administration is legally defective. Salazar directed the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to file a pleading with the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. requesting that the rule be vacated due to this deficiency and remanded to the Department of the Interior for further action. more

Secretary Salazar Announces $280 Million Investment in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to Create Jobs and Promote Conservation

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announces $280 million investment in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during a press conference at the Montana State Capitol in Helena. The secretary was joined by U.S. Senator Jon Tester (standing) and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (seated). [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will invest $280 million in more than 770 projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to build visitors centers, improve infrastructure, and bolster conservation at national wildlife refuges and hatcheries across the country. more

Secretary Salazar Announces $500 Million in Indian Country Economic Recovery Projects

Secretary Salazar announced $134.6 million in funding under the Recovery Act for school replacement construction and $141.1 million in school improvements and repairs for schools on tribal lands. Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the Department will fund $500 million in new school and housing construction, road and bridge improvements, and workforce development projects for federally recognized tribes across the nation. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department's Indian Affairs office will also offer federally guaranteed loans for American Indian-owned businesses. These investments will significantly improve the quality of life in tribal communities nationwide. more

Earth Day Message from
Secretary Salazar

Secretary Salazar discusses the Department of the Interior's plans for a new energy frontier with forward-looking policies that help us protect our environment while powering a clean energy economy that will create millions of new jobs right here in America.

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Secretary Salazar Announces $750 Million Investment to Restore and Protect America's National Parks, Create Jobs

Secretary Salazar at the podium, behind him left to right Craig Obey, Vice President of the National Parks Conservation Association, Tom Kiernan, President of the National Parks Conservation Association and Terry Jones, President of the Wolftrap Foundation. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Wednesday an investment of $750 million in the national park system under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, part of more than $3 billion the Interior Department is investing in the nation's economy under President Obama's recovery plan. All the projects announced today are long-standing priorities of the National Park Service based on its capital planning process. more

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Secretary Salazar Joins New Mexico Congressional Leaders to Highlight Benefits to New Mexico of Omnibus Public Lands Act

L to R President of the Navajo Nation Joe Shirley, New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, Congressman Martin Heinrich BLM New Mexico State Director Linda Rundell [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall and Congressman Martin Heinrich at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Friday, April 17, to highlight the many benefits to New Mexico from the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, recently signed into law by President Obama. Benefits include the designation of the Sabinoso Wilderness in northeastern New Mexico, the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument near Las Cruces, and the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area in Lincoln County. more

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Secretary Salazar meets with Navajo President Joe Shirley

Secretary Salazar and Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today met with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley to discuss water, education, road and job training initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for residents of the Navajo Nation, other American Indian communities and residents of New Mexico. more

Audio: Secretary Salazar discusses meeting with Navajo Nation President Shirley

Secretary Salazar hosts fourth OCS meeting in San Francisco, CA

Hundreds of citizens and representatives from industry and environmental groups participated in the listening session at the University of California-San Francisco's Mission Bay Conference Center. Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted the last of four regional meeting to gather information and public comment to help build a comprehensive energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf. The meeting was held at the University of California-San Francisco's Mission Bay Conference Center.

Secretary Salazar Announces Recovery Act Funds to Upgrade Earthquake Networks

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-16th CA), Jackie Speier (D-12th CA), Secretary Salazar, and Rep Grace Napolitano (D-38th CA) at a press conference to announce recovery act funding in San Francisco. Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the U.S. Geological Survey will fund $29.4 million in earthquake network upgrades nationwide through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, an investment that will significantly improve the timely delivery of information to high-hazard regions such as the Bay area. more

Secretary Salazar Announces $1 Billion in Water-Related
Economic Recovery Investments

Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Secretary Salazar return from an aerial tour of the drought-stricken Sacramento Delta prior to announcing $1 Billion in in water related investments today, including $260 million to help California address long-term water supply challenges and devastating drought conditions. Hi-Res

Today, at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California congressional leaders, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the Department of the Interior will invest $1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in America’s water infrastructure to create jobs and get the economy moving again. more

Secretary Salazar Hosts Regional OCS Meeting in Anchorage, AK

Secretary Salazar at the OCS meeting in Anchorage, AK on
April 14, 2009. Hi-Res

On April 14, Secretary Salazar hosted a regional OCS Meeting at the Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, AK to gather information and public comment to help build a comprehensive energy strategy for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

Secretary Salazar Announces Department of Interior Economic Stimulus Projects

Ugashik-Peulik Volcano, Station PLWL, the main repeater for the Peulik network. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $15.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey to modernize the monitoring networks and warning systems at its five volcano observatories. [Photographer: Cyrus Read. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Department of the Interior's first projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - $140 million that will fund 308 U.S. Geological Survey projects across the 50 states. The USGS, the leading science research bureau in the federal government, supports the science needs of all the other bureaus of the Department of the Interior and other departments of the U.S. government. The USGS will play a critical role in addressing the nation's energy and climate change challenges. more

Secretary Salazar Joins Congressional Leaders to Dedicate Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Celebrate Public Lands in Colorado

Left to right: Former Senator Wayne Allard, Sen. Michael Bennet, Rainey Kreis, Jim Sanborn, Ivan Kassovic (behind Jim), Tara Vessella, Jim Dougan (behind Tara), Jan Pauley, Tim Phillips (behind Jan), Secretary Salazar, Senator Udall, Chief Ranger Mark Magnuson, Mark Pita, Cindy Purcell, Congresswoman Betsy Markey [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined members of the Colorado congressional delegation to dedicate Rocky Mountain National Park's new wilderness area and to celebrate public lands in Colorado. The dedication of Wilderness at Rocky Mountain National Park is the culmination of an effort that began in 1974 and was jump started in recent years through the efforts of many including the park's gateway communities of Grand Lake and Estes Park.

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Secretary Salazar Hosts Second OCS Meeting in New Orleans, LA

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar with (from l to r) Rep. Joseph Cao, Rep Bill Cassidy, Secretary Salazar, Sen. Mary Landrieu, Rep Charlie Melencon, Rep. Gene Taylor. Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted a meeting at Tulane University's McAlister Auditorium to gather information and public comment to help build a comprehensive energy strategy for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The meeting is the second of four regional meetings the Secretary will hold this month. Next week the Secretary will host meetings in Anchorage, Alaska and in San Francisco, California.

Secretary Salazar Hosts OCS Meeting in Atlantic City, NJ.

Secretary Salazar hosted the first of four regional public meetings to gather information and public comment regarding an energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted the first of four regional public meeting at the Atlantic City Convention Center Monday to gather information and public comment on building a comprehensive energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf. Secretary Salazar will host a second meeting Wednesday, April 8, at Tulane University's McAlister Auditorium at 9 a.m. and will be carried live by webcast. Secretary Salazar will also host meetings for the Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast and Alaska.

U.S. Offshore Wind Resources Could Lead America's Clean-Energy Revolution

Photo Courtesy Minerals Management Service Hi-Res

U.S. offshore areas hold enormous potential for wind energy development near the nation's highest areas of electricity demand - coastal metropolitan centers, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today at a summit meeting of 25X'25 America's Energy Future, a group working to lower America's carbon emissions. Salazar said information from the U.S. Geological Survey-Minerals Management Service Report will be a starting point for public comment meetings around the country in the next few weeks, starting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and New Orleans, Louisiana, next week. more

President Obama Signs Omnibus Public Lands Management Act

President Obama signs the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 into law on March 30 at the White House. Also pictured from left to right: Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) (White House Photo, 3/30/09, Chuck Kennedy) Hi-Res

On March 30, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined President Obama as he signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 at the White House. The bill combines more than 160 individual measures introduced in the previous Congress by both Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate. Among its many provisions, the bill includes new wilderness designations, wild and scenic rivers, National Park units, hiking trails, heritage areas, water projects, and historic preservation initiatives. more

Interior Department & its Agencies Assist Citizens Threatened by Midwest Floods

Cannonball River from bridge on State Route 8 in North Dakota. Photo courtesy USGS North Dakota Water Science Center. For more photos and video click here. Hi-Res

The Department of the Interior and its agencies around the country, in cooperation with state and local partners, are acting to help citizens threatened by the record-setting Midwest floods in ways ranging from providing the streamgage and satellite data used in weather predictions to conducting search-and- rescue operations in boats usually used in national parks and wildlife refuges. more

Multimedia: Photos and video from USGS

Secretary Salazar Joins Australia's Prime Minister & Secretary of Agriculture in Lauding Wildland Firefighters

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at a ceremony to thank U.S. wildland firefighters. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilmann - DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at a ceremony Thursday where Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd thanked U.S. wildland firefighters for their assistance during recent devastating fires in the State of Victoria, Australia. The fire took the lives of 210 people, destroyed 2,000 homes and nearly one million acres of land. more

Audio of the Secretary's Remarks

National Cherry Blossom Festival Kicks Off in Washington, D.C.

Secretary Salazar at the press conference kicking off the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined with the National Park Service, the District of Columbia and a number of partners to mark the beginning of the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual 16-day celebration that is expected to draw more than 1 million visitors to the nation's capital.

The festival celebrates the planting of the cherry trees in 1912 as a gift of friendship from Japan. The Festival officially begins March 28 with the lighting of a 300 year old Japanese stone lantern, given as a gift to the United States in 1954, and will run through April 12. more

Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska, March 23, 2009. [Photo Credit: AVO/USGS]. Hi-Res

Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska Erupts

The Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey are keeping a close eye on Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska. The volcano, located approximately 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, erupted five times on Sunday March 22, spewing ash as high as 60,000 feet. No seismic activity has been reported since then however, an ash fallout advisory still remains in effect as of early Tuesday. On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar held a teleconference to address the eruption at Mount Redoubt.

Secretary Salazar Releases U.S. State of the Birds Study

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined representatives from bird research and conservation organizations Thursday to release the first ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the United States. The report, The U.S. State of Birds, was developed by a partnership among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, state government wildlife agencies and non-governmental organizations. The full report can be viewed at http://www.stateofthebirds.org. Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today released the first ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the United States, showing that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline due to habitat loss, invasive species, and other threats.

At the same time, the report highlights examples, including many species of waterfowl, where habitat restoration and conservation have reversed previous declines, offering hope that it is not too late to take action to save declining populations. more

Audio of Secretary Salazar's Remarks

Secretary Salazar Unveils New Energy for America Plan

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar reads the first bid in the Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 208, which attracted $703,048,523 in high bids from 70 companies for Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas parcels. The sale was held in the New Orleans Superdome on March 18, 2009. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar detailed President Obama's New Energy for America Plan that will create a clean energy-based economy that promotes investment and innovation here at home, generating millions of new jobs. It will ensure energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, increasing efficiency, making responsible use of our domestic resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Secretary also noted that Interior and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have reached agreement on managing renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. more

Secretary Announces 2009 Oil and Gas Lease Sale Schedule

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar stressed the need for a balance of traditional and renewable energy resource development on U.S. public lands in a teleconference with news media. Hi-Res

The Department of the Interior will hold more than 40 major lease sales for oil and natural gas development on public lands this year, which are predicted to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for American taxpayers as well as billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas to help meet the nation's energy needs, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today. But he also is establishing the development of renewable and alternative energy sources on U.S. public lands as a Departmental priority and as a component of a comprehensive national energy strategy that will help the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil. more

Secretary Salazar Issues Order to Spur Renewable Energy Development
on U.S. Public Lands

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told American Indian leaders that President Obama's economic recovery package provides more than $2 billion to Indian Country to create jobs and stimulate business activity. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signs a Secretarial Order making the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy top priorities for the Department. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

Citing the critical need to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, build a clean energy economy and create new jobs, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today issued a Secretarial Order making the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy top priorities for the Department. “More so than ever, with job losses continuing to mount, we need to steer the country onto a new energy path,” Salazar said. “One that creates new jobs and puts America out front in new, growing industries, one that promotes investment and innovation here at home and one that makes wise use of our domestic resources." more

View Secretary Order

President Obama, Secretary Salazar Mark Interior's 160th Anniversary

President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar mark the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior in a ceremony at Interior Headquarters. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar marked the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior today in a ceremony at the Yates Auditorium in the Main Interior Building. In addition to the 600 employees who packed the auditorium to watch the event, Department employees around the nation watched via satellite broadcast or listened via teleconference bridge. The Department was established on March 3, 1849. more

Secretary Salazar: Recovery Plan to Create Jobs, Stimulate Economic Activity in Indian Country

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told American Indian leaders that President Obama's economic recovery package provides more than $2 billion to Indian Country to create jobs and stimulate business activity. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

Speaking to a summit of American Indian leaders, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today highlighted more than $2 billion in President Obama's economic recovery package to create jobs and economic opportunity in Indian Country. "The challenges we face as a nation are not new to Indian Country," Salazar told a Tribal Nations Legislative Summit of the National Congress of American Indians. "But President Obama's recovery package will provide significant investments in Indian Country which can play an important role in helping to stand-up tribal economies." more

Salazar Names Recovery Czar

President Recommends $12 Billion for Interior in Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Proposal

The President's 2010 Budget includes $12 billion for the Department of the Interior to undertake initiatives to promote energy security with a focus on clean renewable sources and strategies to address climate change, protect and preserve America's national parks and public lands, strengthen Native American communities, enhance outdoor opportunities for young people, and conserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. more

President's FY2010 Budget for Interior

Secretary Salazar Discusses Interior's Role in Developing, Transmitting Renewable Energy

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joins House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Former President Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a National Clean Energy Project Conference on Feb. 23, 2009. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar participated in an historic roundtable of many of the nation’s top leaders today at a summit examining how development of renewable energy in conjunction with a “National Clean Energy Smart Grid” is an economic, environmental and national security imperative. Salazar joined former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, energy entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens and others in a roundtable discussion at the event. more

Audio of Media Roundtable

Secretary Salazar, Interior Employees Welcome First Lady Michelle Obama

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Nedra Darling, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Public Information Office listen to the Honor Song by the Black Bear Singers. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today welcomed First Lady Michelle Obama to the Department of the Interior, hailing her as "a rock for the future of the nation." The third visit of the First Lady to a federal department featured a ceremony rooted in Interior's responsibilities to Native Americans--Indian drum rolls and presentation of a shawl marking her achievements. Joined by some of the department's longest-serving employees on stage, the First Lady and Secretary thanked all employees for their service and reaffirmed President Barack Obama's commitment to the environment as part of the economic stimulus package for which he is currently touring the country as well as his commitment to respecting sovereign Indian nations. more