WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.099 --> 00:00:01.720 Transcript: 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:04.480 This Week at Interior 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:09.480 Interior personnel joined emergency responders  and assistance agencies from across the country   00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:15.120 this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene –  which made landfall September 26th as a category   00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:20.880 4 hurricane, causing massive devastation,  flooding and more than 200 deaths. Employees   00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:25.360 from across the Department are supporting search  and rescue efforts as well as law enforcement,   00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:31.040 firefighting, landslide assessments and more. Work  is ongoing to assess damage to national parks,   00:00:31.040 --> 00:00:35.600 wildlife refuges and cultural sites in the  wake of the storm. People in need of help,   00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.600 or who would like to help, can  contact the Red Cross at redcross.org 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:45.520 Secretary Haaland and Department leaders traveled  to Carlisle, Pennsylvania this week as part of   00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:51.280 the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.  Secretary Haaland launched the initiative in 2021,   00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.280 the first comprehensive effort by the federal  government to recognize the troubled legacy   00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:00.480 of past policies. Carlisle Indian Industrial  School, which was located within what is now   00:01:00.480 --> 00:01:05.840 the U.S. Army Carlisle Barracks, was the first  of 400 off-reservation boarding schools in the   00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:10.480 continental United States. The school was a model  for the federal government’s boarding school   00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:16.280 policies aimed at stripping Indigenous children  of their languages, religions and cultures. 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:20.080 Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs  Bryan Newland traveled to the Pacific   00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:23.960 Northwest this week, where he talked  about the impact of President Biden’s   00:01:23.960 --> 00:01:30.080 Investing in America Agenda on critical Tribal  infrastructure projects. On Tuesday he attended   00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:34.320 a groundbreaking for new water and sewer  system upgrades at the Cascade Locks   00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:39.240 Treaty In-Lieu site in Oregon which provides  rehabilitation at Tribal fishing sites along   00:01:39.240 --> 00:01:43.280 the Columbia River. Wednesday, he joined  the Tulalip Tribe in Washington along with   00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:48.040 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration to mark a $240 million   00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:53.120 investment to support Tribal fish hatcheries  that produce Pacific salmon and steelhead. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:57.160 Interior this week announced more than $24  million from the President’s Investing in   00:01:57.160 --> 00:02:01.320 America agenda to restore our nation’s  lands and waters. The funding from the   00:02:01.320 --> 00:02:06.840 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support 50  ecosystem restoration projects in 34 states   00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:11.360 and multiple U.S. Territories, as well as  projects that provide nationwide benefits,   00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:16.000 building climate resilience, improved  habitats, and healthier communities. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:20.720 The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture  and Commerce this week made recommendations for   00:02:20.720 --> 00:02:25.880 promoting forest health and job creation through  community-led economic development that relies on   00:02:25.880 --> 00:02:31.200 sustainable forest product industries and outdoor  recreation. America’s forests provide millions of   00:02:31.200 --> 00:02:36.440 jobs and underpin local economies, particularly in  rural communities. The Biden-Harris administration   00:02:36.440 --> 00:02:41.240 is mobilizing historic resources to help  these forests and communities thrive. 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:44.840 Assistant Secretary for Insular and  International Affairs Carmen Cantor   00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:48.920 visited the Republic of Palau this week,  where she joined festivities celebrating   00:02:48.920 --> 00:02:53.680 its 30th year of independence. She announced  more than $80 million in grants under the   00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:57.080 Compact of Free Association for  the island nation's trust fund,   00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:02.640 for economic assistance for Palau's health and  education systems and to support debt reduction. 00:03:02.640 --> 00:03:08.120 Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David  Palumbo joined Gila River Indian Community leaders   00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:13.000 for a groundbreaking ceremony this week at the  first of three federally funded projects to   00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:17.840 enhance critical water infrastructure. The Deputy  Commissioner was also on hand to celebrate the   00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:23.480 completion of the Casa Blanca Solar Covered Canal  Project, which was also funded by Reclamation. In   00:03:23.480 --> 00:03:29.360 all, the Community will receive more than $107  million in federal funds for the three projects. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:33.280 Funded by the President’s Investing in  America agenda, the Bureau of Safety and   00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:37.200 Environmental Enforcement this week awarded  a contract for the decommissioning of eight   00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:42.680 orphaned pipelines in the Matagorda Island lease  area, about 12 miles off the Texas coast. The   00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:47.400 project will reduce pollution risks and improve  offshore safety by phasing out infrastructure   00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:51.840 that could interfere with navigation,  commercial fisheries, and other ocean uses. 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:54.080 And our social media Picture of the Week,   00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:59.160 this busy little pika at Cedar Breaks  National Monument in Utah. Every summer,   00:03:59.160 --> 00:04:04.800 pikas gather mouthfuls of wildflowers and grasses  and build giant haystacks to stock up for winter.   00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:09.240 They’ll lay them on rocks in the sun to dry  them out and then store them in their dens. 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:14.280 Make sure you follow us on Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:23.120 That's This Week at Interior!