WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.130 --> 00:00:07.390 Hi I'm Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. You’re watching This Week at Interior. 00:00:07.390 --> 00:00:09.490 This Week at Interior 00:00:09.490 --> 00:00:14.940 A busy first full week for the 54th Secretary of the Interior. After being sworn in last 00:00:14.940 --> 00:00:20.480 week as the Nation’s first Native American Cabinet Secretary, Deb Haaland held a live All-Staff 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.079 Forum with more than 15,000 Bureau and Office representatives Department-wide. 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:28.919 She stressed the need for all of us to work together to create new jobs in a clean 00:00:28.919 --> 00:00:33.940 energy economy, address racial inequity, honor our government to government relationships 00:00:33.940 --> 00:00:36.810 with Tribal Nations, and take the climate crisis seriously. 00:00:36.810 --> 00:00:40.580 On Day One, Secretary Haaland received a briefing from 00:00:40.580 --> 00:00:45.360 the Interior Department Ethics Office. One of her first official acts as Secretary was 00:00:45.360 --> 00:00:49.800 to sign the Biden-Harris Administration’s Ethics Pledge, which she told staff reaffirmed 00:00:49.800 --> 00:00:54.290 her longstanding dedication to make decisions based exclusively in the public interest and 00:00:54.290 --> 00:00:58.600 continuing her vow to respect and abide, at all times, by the letter and the spirit of 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:03.210 ethics laws. The Secretary has made clear that the highest ethics and integrity will 00:01:03.210 --> 00:01:07.819 guide not only her leadership but her expectations of agency employees. 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:12.210 The Secretary also committed Interior’s support to implementing the Administration’s 00:01:12.210 --> 00:01:16.840 American Rescue Plan to deliver immediate relief to families, businesses, Tribes, and 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:19.080 schools across the country. 00:01:19.080 --> 00:01:24.670 At Interior we’re committed to working with federal, state, local, Tribal and territorial 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:30.780 governments, public health officials, health care providers, researchers and the public 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:36.810 to execute a whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic so we can protect 00:01:36.810 --> 00:01:40.729 the health and safety of the American people. 00:01:40.729 --> 00:01:45.469 Interior this week hosted a virtual public forum, part of its comprehensive review of 00:01:45.469 --> 00:01:50.740 the federal oil and gas program. The forum featured several panels to highlight perspectives 00:01:50.740 --> 00:01:57.289 from labor and environmental justice organizations, natural resource advocates, industry representatives, Indigenous 00:01:57.289 --> 00:02:02.789 organizations, and other experts.  All this to outline next steps and recommendations 00:02:02.789 --> 00:02:08.130 for Interior and Congress to improve stewardship of public lands and waters, create jobs, and 00:02:08.130 --> 00:02:12.720 build a more equitable energy future. Members of the public can submit their input through 00:02:12.720 --> 00:02:18.230 April 15th at energyreview@ios.doi.gov. 00:02:18.230 --> 00:02:22.600 Good news this week for an American icon...a new report from the Fish and Wildlife Service 00:02:22.600 --> 00:02:28.400 shows the population of the American bald eagle has quadrupled since 2009. Bald eagles 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:32.480 once teetered on the brink of extinction, but new estimates show their population in 00:02:32.480 --> 00:02:37.980 the lower-48 states has increased to well over 300-thousand, with more than 71-thousand 00:02:37.980 --> 00:02:43.380 nesting pairs. Secretary Haaland applauded the news...and said Interior will use all 00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:47.940 of the tools at its disposal, including key provisions of the Endangered Species Act, 00:02:47.940 --> 00:02:51.680 to conserve America's natural heritage and strengthen the economy. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.330 For the first time in 100 years, the endangered California condor will return to the Pacific 00:02:56.330 --> 00:03:00.870 Northwest. The Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and the Yurok Tribe 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:05.100 announced a final rule this week that will help facilitate the creation of a new California 00:03:05.100 --> 00:03:10.220 condor release facility in Redwood National Park, which is in the northern portion of 00:03:10.220 --> 00:03:12.290 the species’ historic range. 00:03:12.290 --> 00:03:17.170 The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposed solar energy project 00:03:17.170 --> 00:03:22.620 in Riverside County, California. If approved, the Oberon Solar Project would generate enough 00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:27.590 clean electricity to power 200,000 homes...it's one of the first projects seeking approval 00:03:27.590 --> 00:03:31.100 under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. 00:03:31.100 --> 00:03:36.030 Reclamation’s Yuma Area Office has begun dredging operations above Imperial Dam on 00:03:36.030 --> 00:03:40.950 the Colorado River. The dredging will remove accumulated sediment and debris from the inlet 00:03:40.950 --> 00:03:46.150 channels to ensure the continued and efficient delivery of river water to 600-thousand acres 00:03:46.150 --> 00:03:49.680 of farmland, and the Yuma municipal area. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:54.290 The National Park Service this week predicted Washington DC’s storied cherry blossoms 00:03:54.290 --> 00:03:59.180 will hit their peak bloom between April 2nd and April 5th. However, the public is encouraged 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:03.510 to experience the cherry blossoms virtually this year, to help avoid crowding at the Tidal 00:04:03.510 --> 00:04:08.720 Basin, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All vehicular and pedestrian access around 00:04:08.720 --> 00:04:13.280 the blossoms will be limited, but you can get the best view on our Bloom Cam! 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:18.160 And our social media Picture of the Week, the night sky above the Pa'rus Trail at Zion 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:23.690 National Park in Utah. Following the Virgin River in the broadest section of Zion Canyon, 00:04:23.690 --> 00:04:28.900 the trail provides daytime visitors with dramatic views of sunrises and sunsets, and at night, 00:04:28.900 --> 00:04:34.130 a sky-full of stars. Just bring some water, your mask, and your sense of wonder. 00:04:34.130 --> 00:04:38.190 Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and You Tube. 00:04:38.190 --> 00:04:39.500 That's This Week, at Interior.