WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:01.660 --> 00:00:04.190
This Week at Interior

00:00:04.190 --> 00:00:09.040
This week marks the start of Black History
Month, a time to focus on Black history, heritage

00:00:09.040 --> 00:00:11.139
and communities in our country.

00:00:11.139 --> 00:00:15.870
As Secretary Haaland put it, "there is no
American history without Black history.

00:00:15.870 --> 00:00:20.910
This month, as we celebrate the Black experience
and culture, let us also use it to fight for

00:00:20.910 --> 00:00:25.929
equity and justice and to honor the contributions
and sacrifices made by Black Americans to

00:00:25.929 --> 00:00:29.210
make this country what it is today."

00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:34.730
Interior this week announced $1.15 billion
in available funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure

00:00:34.730 --> 00:00:39.600
Law for states to create jobs cleaning up
orphaned oil and gas wells.

00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:45.230
Those wells are polluting backyards, recreation
areas, and public spaces across the country.

00:00:45.230 --> 00:00:49.840
Cleaning up those hazardous sites will create
good-paying, union jobs, spur economic growth

00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:54.250
and revitalization, and reduce dangerous methane
leaks.

00:00:54.250 --> 00:00:58.010
This week's session of the White House Council
on Native American Affairs focused on the

00:00:58.010 --> 00:01:03.329
implementation of President Biden’s Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law and public safety resources

00:01:03.329 --> 00:01:05.070
across Indian Country.

00:01:05.070 --> 00:01:09.160
Secretary Haaland is a co-chair of the Council,
which brings together senior administration

00:01:09.160 --> 00:01:14.320
officials and Tribal leaders to discuss challenges
facing Tribal communities, such as community

00:01:14.320 --> 00:01:19.050
resilience, replacing aging infrastructure,
and expanding access to clean drinking water

00:01:19.050 --> 00:01:21.370
and high-speed internet.

00:01:21.370 --> 00:01:26.120
It was the annual meeting this week of the
Interagency Group on Insular Areas, bringing

00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:30.950
together territorial governors, members of
Congress, and top government officials to

00:01:30.950 --> 00:01:36.540
discuss the challenges facing the U.S. territories
of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth

00:01:36.540 --> 00:01:40.420
of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.

00:01:40.420 --> 00:01:44.670
Secretary Haaland was co-chair of the session,
which discussed the implementation of the

00:01:44.670 --> 00:01:49.110
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law throughout the
territories, along with other key issues such

00:01:49.110 --> 00:01:55.720
as climate change, economic development, energy,
health, education, public safety, and justice.

00:01:55.720 --> 00:02:00.410
The Bureau of Reclamation made its initial
selection of 13 projects for $20.5 million

00:02:00.410 --> 00:02:05.520
in grants to build long-term drought resiliency
in five states.

00:02:05.520 --> 00:02:09.610
Reclamation's Drought Response Program is
part of WaterSMART, Interior's program that

00:02:09.610 --> 00:02:14.540
focuses on improving water conservation and
helping water-resource managers make sound

00:02:14.540 --> 00:02:16.550
decisions about water use.

00:02:16.550 --> 00:02:21.850
The National Park Service this week announced
the 2022 application period for local jurisdictions

00:02:21.850 --> 00:02:25.860
to apply for the American World War II Heritage
Cities Program.

00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:30.260
That's an honorary designation applied to
a city in recognition of its contributions

00:02:30.260 --> 00:02:35.670
to the American war effort of World War II,
and its continuing work to preserve its military

00:02:35.670 --> 00:02:37.340
history.

00:02:37.340 --> 00:02:42.020
And our social media Picture of the Week comes
from the snowy slopes of Washington's Olympic

00:02:42.020 --> 00:02:47.540
National Park, the perfect location to send
out our best wishes to all the athletes representing

00:02:47.540 --> 00:02:53.450
Team USA at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics
games, as they get underway this week in Beijing.

00:02:53.450 --> 00:02:57.350
Make sure follow us on Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, and You Tube.

00:02:57.350 --> 00:02:59.300
That’s This Week, at Interior