Photo Galleries
Forum Commemorates Asian American / Pacific Islander Heritage
THU, MAY 9, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTWASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today underscored the importance of efforts to commemorate and interpret Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) culture and history, particularly through the National Park Service, in order to tell a more complete story of those who have contributed our nation’s rich heritage. Read More >
Secretary Jewell Attends Offshore Technology Conference
WED, MAY 8, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTWASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to the safe and responsible development of offshore resources, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will travel to Houston, Texas on Wednesday to attend the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference.
Secretary Jewell's Tour of Offshore Drilling Rig, Production Platform in Gulf of Mexico
MON, MAY 6, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTNEW ORLEANS – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today visited an offshore drilling rig and production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, capping a two-day visit to the Department’s regional offices that oversee oil and gas development in federal waters. Read More >
Secretary Jewell Tours Everglades
WED, MAY 1, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTEVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fl. – In one of her first trips as Secretary of the Interior, and as part of the Obama Administration’s unprecedented commitment to the restoration of the Everglades, Sally Jewell today toured Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park. Read More >
AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS: Secretary Jewell Underscores Importance of Youth Engagement at National Park Week Event
THU, APRIL 25, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTTRIANGLE, Va. – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell joined National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and students from Stonewall Middle School at Prince William Forest Park to celebrate National Park Week and highlight the importance of outdoor recreation and education, especially to young people. Read More >
Secretary Jewell Arrives at Interior
MON, APRIL 15, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Assuming her responsibilities as the 51st Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell is spending her first full day in the office meeting some of the Department's more than 70,000 employees. She also began to hold meetings on important issues before the Department, including energy development, conservation, Indian Affairs and youth engagement. Read More >
Sally Jewell Sworn in as Secretary of the Interior
FRI, APRIL 12, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTSally Jewell was sworn in as the 51st Secretary of the Interior on April 12, 2013.
As Secretary of the Interior, Jewell leads an agency with more than 70,000 employees. Interior serves as steward for approximately 20 percent of the nation’s lands, including national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands; oversees the responsible development of conventional and renewable energy supplies on public lands and waters; is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 Western states; and upholds trust responsibilities to the 566 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.
Signing Ceremony for Kīlauea Point Lighthouse in Hawai'i to be Renamed in Honor of Senator Daniel Inouye
TUE, APRIL 9, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the renaming of the Kīlauea Point Lighthouse on the island of Kaua’i in Hawai'i in honor of the late Senator Daniel Inouye. The action is in recognition of his distinguished career and longtime support of conservation in Hawai'i and, in particular, the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. A formal ceremony to dedicate the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse will be held at the lighthouse on May 4, 2013. Read More >
President Obama Designates Five New National Monuments
MON, MARCH 25, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTWASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today signed proclamations establishing five new national monuments, using his authority under the Antiquities Act, which celebrate our nation’s rich history and natural heritage. The monuments, located in Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington, help tell the story of significant people and extraordinary events in American history, as well as protect unique natural resources for the benefit of all Americans. Read More >
Scenes from the 57th Presidential Inauguration
MON, JANUARY 21, 2013, 12:00 AM ESTPresident Barack Obama was sworn-in for his second term Jan. 20, with a public celebration and a repeat of his oath of office on Jan. 21.
The National Park Service has been at the center of planning presidential inaugurations for more than 70 years. The NPS is responsible for the care, maintenance and preservation of some of the most important locations used during inaugurations, from the National Mall to the inaugural Parade route to the site of the Presidential reviewing stand. Two National Parks- President's Park and the National Mall and Memorial Parks- play a role in the event.
The NPS also works in a support role to the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) , the Armed Forces Inaugural Committe (AFIC) and the Joint Congressional Committe on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC).
Secretary Salazar Joins U.S. and Mexico Delegations for Historic Colorado River Water Agreement Ceremony
TUE, NOVEMBER 20, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSAN DIEGO, Calif. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today joined U.S. and Mexico delegations in San Diego, California, at an official signing ceremony of Minute 319 to the 1944 Treaty with Mexico – an historic binational agreement to guide future management of the Colorado River through 2017.
As part of the ongoing dialogue on Colorado River issues, delegations from the United States and Mexico have been working over the past three years to reach an agreement on a set of cooperative measures for management for the next five years. Salazar joined principals to the agreement from the seven Colorado River Basin states, representatives from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. IBWC Commissioner Edward Drusina, Mexico IBWC Commissioner Roberto F. Salmon, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor to commemorate the effort.
Signed by all parties today, Minute 319 becomes effective immediately. Many of the projects and programs outlined in the agreement will be implemented through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region. The Lower Colorado Region manages the final 688 miles of the Colorado River on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior.
Photos: César E. Chávez National Monument
MON, OCTOBER 8, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary Salazar joined President Obama for the establishment of the César E. Chávez National Monument at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz in Keene, California, Chávez’ home and the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) since the early 1970s when Chávez was its president.
The National Park Service will manage the new national monument as the 398th unit of the National Park System in cooperation with the National Chávez Center. In consultation with the UFW, the César Chávez Foundation and members of César Chávez’ family, the Center donated properties at La Paz, including the Chávez home where Helen Chávez will continue to reside, the Memorial Garden where César Chávez is buried, and Visitor Center, to the federal government. Once the land was donated to the federal government, President Obama used the Antiquities Act to create the César E. Chávez National Monument.
Photos: Center of the American West and Public Lands Foundation Symposium
THU, SEPTEMBER 13, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary Salazar offered remarks at the Center of the American West and Public Lands Foundation Symposium where he discussed Interior’s work to stand up a renewable energy economy and to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production on our nation’s public lands.
Photos: September 11th observance at the Flight 93 National Memorial
TUE, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary Salazar joined Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday, September 11 to deliver the keynote remarks at the annual September 11th observance at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA.
At 10:03 a.m. – the moment Flight 93 crashed – the names of the passengers and crew members were read and Bells of Remembrance were rung by members of the Families of Flight 93 and community members who assisted in the aftermath of 9/11. The ceremony also included a wreath laying at the Wall of Names.
Photos: Cooperative Management Agreement for Jamaica Bay
TUE, JULY 17, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed an unprecedented agreement between the National Park Service and the City of New York Department of Parks of Recreation – spelling out ways the two agencies will cooperatively manage 10,000 acres of federal and city-owned parks in and around Jamaica Bay to promote visitation, education programs, scientific research and opportunities for outdoor recreation.
By allowing the National Park Service and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to work on each other’s property, comingle resources and undertake joint planning, this innovative new partnership will serve to better connect urban communities to the natural beauty and history of Gateway National Recreation Area and adjacent city park lands.
Photos: Penobscot River Restoration Event
MON, JUNE 11, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTOn Monday, June 11, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar participated in a ceremony to begin removal of the Great Works Dam on the Penobscot River in Maine – a major step toward enabling the river to flow freely from Old Town to the Gulf of Maine for the first time in generations.
Later, Salazar held a press conference at the L.L. Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, Maine. Along with the National Park Foundation, the official non-profit of America’s national parks, and L.L. Bean, Salazar will provide an update on the year-long Million Moment Mission. A celebration of the company’s 100-year anniversary, L.L. Bean has committed $1 million to the National Park Foundation’s “America’s Best Idea” program in support of efforts to increase children’s opportunities to spend time outdoors.
Photos: America’s Great Outdoors Beaches
THU, JUNE 7, 2012, 12:00 AM EST
President Obama has declared June as National Oceans Month. This photo gallery highlights just a few of America’s “best beaches” that are found on Interior lands as millions of travelers plan their summer vacations. These lands include 85 marine and coastal parklands, 180 marine and coastal wildlife refuges, and 1,100 miles of the California coast administered by Interior agencies. In addition to beautiful scenery, these areas help local tourist economies. In 2010, coastal national park units alone contributed an estimated $3.5 Billion to local economies, while refuges contributed at least $900 million.
Photos: Secretary Salazar Names the Connecticut River Watershed as the Nation's First National Blueway.
THU, MAY 24, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary Salazar signed a Secretarial Order establishing a National Blueways System and announced that the 410-mile-long Connecticut River and its 7.2 million-acre watershed will be the first National Blueway— covering areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Joined at Riverside Park in Hartford by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal; U.S. Rep. John Larson;
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Terrence “Rock” Salt; Friends of the Silvio O. Conte Refuge Chairman Patrick Comins and other members of the conservation and business communities, Secretary Salazar said that partnerships along the Connecticut River provide an example for the rest of the nation.
Photos: Fort Ord Monument
SAT, MAY 19, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTSecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined by federal and local officials, including White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and Director of the Bureau of Land Management Bob Abbey, to officially dedicate the 14,560-acre Fort Ord National Monument. The Secretary was also joined by Rep. Sam Farr; Garrison Commander Col. Joel J. Clark; and Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes. Nearly 400 community members and military veterans also participated in the ceremony.
Photos: Secretary Salazar Expands Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
WED, MAY 16, 2012, 12:00 AM ESTJoined by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and other leaders in a ceremony at Sandy Point State Park, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar designated four water trails as new historic connecting components of the existing Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.