Salazar Launches New Resources for Open Government

Washington, D.C. – Continuing his pledge for an open and transparent department, US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the department will be launching two new resources to allow the public to view government data about America's hydropower resources on a monthly basis and data about wildland fires from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) on-line.

“The Department of the Interior is committed to the success of the President's Open Government Initiative and transparency sites like Data.gov,” said Secretary Salazar. “Interior has played a key role in the development, on-going management, and evolution of Data.gov and will continue to do so.”

Interior is the second largest contributor in the Federal government to the overall number of datasets and tools accessible through Data.gov.

For the first time, the Department of the Interior is making key government data about America's hydropower resources available on a monthly basis. These data provide more detailed and timely information about the amount of raw energy generated through hydropower which helps industry, academic researchers, and government work together to develop informed strategies for sustaining a dynamic and independent energy future for all Americans. This level of analysis can be used to predict future power needs and the energy needed to meet those needs, as well as identify locations for future wind, solar, and other green energy development.

In addition to the hydropower data, the Department's Bureau of Reclamation is taking additional steps to be more open and accessible including, featuring highly requested information on the main page of its website, www.usbr.gov, and utilizing new communication channels like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Secondly, the Department of the Interior is making data about wildland fires from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) available on-line. NIFC, located in Boise, Idaho, is an interagency facility that provides a national focus for the planning, coordination, and execution of a common wildland firefighting mission among the Department of the Interior land managing bureaus, the USDA Forest Service, and state, local, and tribal partners. The interagency dataset provides a statistical summary of wildland fires dating back to 1960. Access to information about wildland fires will enable the public, industry, academia, and government to work together to develop and execute informed strategies for better protecting all Americans from wildland fires.

Secretary Salazar and the Department of the Interior are committed to the success of Data.gov and the Open Government Initiative.