WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.620 --> 00:00:04.280 This Week at Interior 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:09.590 The Trump Administration is granting military veterans and Gold Star families free access 00:00:09.590 --> 00:00:14.469 to national parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands managed by Interior starting 00:00:14.469 --> 00:00:16.270 this Veteran’s Day. 00:00:16.270 --> 00:00:21.310 While in Iowa at the Gold Star Families Museum this week, Secretary Bernhardt made the announcement 00:00:21.310 --> 00:00:23.340 with veterans and their families. 00:00:23.340 --> 00:00:28.710 The Secretary says extending free access to our most iconic and treasured lands is a meaningful 00:00:28.710 --> 00:00:31.810 way to honor these American patriots. 00:00:31.810 --> 00:00:35.399 More exciting news as our nation's 5th grade students and their families will now have 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:39.929 free access to our public lands through August 31, 2021. 00:00:39.929 --> 00:00:44.120 Secretary Bernhardt signed a Secretary’s Order establishing the policy as some of our 00:00:44.120 --> 00:00:48.329 nation’s 5th grade students were unable to make full use of the Every Kid Outdoors 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:55.449 Annual 4th Grade Pass during the 2019-2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 00:00:55.449 --> 00:00:59.730 Now both 4th and 5th graders will have free access to national parks and other Federal 00:00:59.730 --> 00:01:03.569 lands managed by the Department during this academic year. 00:01:03.569 --> 00:01:08.260 Secretary Bernhardt announced the successful recovery of gray wolves at Minnesota Valley 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:13.280 National Wildlife Refuge in Minneapolis, returning the management of the species to states and 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:17.940 tribes, after the wolves spent 45 years on the Endangered Species List. 00:01:17.940 --> 00:01:23.340 The gray wolf population in the lower 48 states is now more than 6,000 wolves, the latest 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:28.590 in a strong list of ESA recoveries that includes the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, American 00:01:28.590 --> 00:01:31.990 alligator, brown pelican and numerous other species. 00:01:31.990 --> 00:01:37.170 The US Fish and Wildlife Service will monitor the species for five years to ensure its continued 00:01:37.170 --> 00:01:38.910 success. 00:01:38.910 --> 00:01:44.590 Secretary Bernhardt this week released Interior’s Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2019, which 00:01:44.590 --> 00:01:49.140 highlights the Department's positive impact on managing public lands and the jobs created 00:01:49.140 --> 00:01:51.950 from private sector activities that take place. 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:56.360 The report says one-fifth of the nation’s energy supply came from Interior-managed lands 00:01:56.360 --> 00:02:01.740 and waters, and points to Interior's contributions in recreation, non-fuel minerals, and a wide 00:02:01.740 --> 00:02:03.560 swath of other activities. 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:11.379 Together they supported $336 billion in economic output and 1.9 million jobs across the country, 00:02:11.379 --> 00:02:16.319 an increase of 200,000 jobs in comparison to FY 2016. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:20.819 Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor was in Pennsylvania and Ohio this week. 00:02:20.819 --> 00:02:25.489 She visited Penn State University’s Center for Critical Minerals for a briefing and tour 00:02:25.489 --> 00:02:30.209 of the lab, then traveled to South Fork to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony highlighting 00:02:30.209 --> 00:02:35.799 the reclamation of an old coal mine and extension of a 1.6 mile recreational trail. 00:02:35.799 --> 00:02:40.530 She also toured the Flight 93 National Memorial, and learned about the National Park Service's 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:45.560 contribution to the Trump Administration’s One Trillion Trees efforts through OSMRE’s 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:48.720 Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative. 00:02:48.720 --> 00:02:52.660 Later MacGregor visited the Buckeye State, where she announced the Ten Day Notice Rule 00:02:52.660 --> 00:02:57.610 at Sally Buffalo Park in Cadiz, and toured the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Training 00:02:57.610 --> 00:02:59.469 facility. 00:02:59.469 --> 00:03:03.519 Interior this week announced the completion of a new mobile tool that provides real-time 00:03:03.519 --> 00:03:08.450 information on water levels, weather and flood forecasts all in one place on a computer, 00:03:08.450 --> 00:03:10.980 smartphone or other mobile device. 00:03:10.980 --> 00:03:15.999 Developed by USGS, the new National Water Dashboard provides critical information to 00:03:15.999 --> 00:03:21.349 decision-makers, emergency managers and the public during flood events, informing decisions 00:03:21.349 --> 00:03:24.129 that can help protect lives and property. 00:03:24.129 --> 00:03:29.029 It's Bat Week, our annual celebration of the role of bats in nature and all that these 00:03:29.029 --> 00:03:30.930 amazing creatures do for us. 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:36.030 From providing essential pest control to pollinating our plants, bats are the unsung heroes of 00:03:36.030 --> 00:03:39.829 the night, when they eat their body weight or more in insects, helping protect crops 00:03:39.829 --> 00:03:41.209 from pests. 00:03:41.209 --> 00:03:45.769 And our social media Picture of the Week, this amazing autumn photo of McKittrick Canyon 00:03:45.769 --> 00:03:48.079 in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. 00:03:48.079 --> 00:03:51.969 It's one of the best spots in the state to enjoy watching the leaves shift from lush 00:03:51.969 --> 00:03:55.279 green to spectacular shades of yellow and orange. 00:03:55.279 --> 00:03:59.359 Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and You Tube. 00:03:59.359 --> 00:04:00.839 That's This Week, at Interior.