Interior

As Work Begins on Largest US Dam Removal Project, Tribes Look to Future of Growth

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won't conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives. But in some... Read More

2023-07-05 18:31:36
by Kennedy Thomason
Interior Sec. Haaland to Visit Albany, Talk Offshore Wind

ALBANY, N.Y. — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will travel to Albany, New York, Thursday to discuss offshore wind... Read More

ALBANY, N.Y. — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will travel to Albany, New York, Thursday to discuss offshore wind energy and how it ties into President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda.  Haaland is set to talk with local... Read More

2023-04-11 20:10:50
by Dan McCue
Potential Water Supply Reductions Proposed for Western States

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed cutting water allotments from the Colorado River in a potentially precedent-setting bid... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed cutting water allotments from the Colorado River in a potentially precedent-setting bid to save the waterway by dramatically reducing the water Arizona, California and Nevada draw from it. Along with the Rio... Read More

AP Sources: Biden OKs Huge Willow Oil Project in Alaska

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is approving the major Willow oil project on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope, according to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is approving the major Willow oil project on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope, according to two people familiar with the decision. The decision revealed Monday, one of President Joe Biden’s most consequential climate decisions, is... Read More

2023-03-08 19:19:21
by Dan McCue
Interior Dept. Moves to Restore Wild Bison on Tribal Lands

WASHINGTON — The Interior Department is investing over $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to advance an effort to... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Interior Department is investing over $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to advance an effort to restore wild and healthy populations of American bison and the prairie grassland ecosystem. Through a wide-ranging initiative announced last week,... Read More

Don't Feed the Bears! But Birds OK, New Tahoe Research Shows

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Don't feed the bears! Wildlife biologists and forest rangers have preached the mantra for nearly a... Read More

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Don't feed the bears! Wildlife biologists and forest rangers have preached the mantra for nearly a century at national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, and for decades in areas where urban development increasingly invaded native wildlife... Read More

EPA Finalizes Water Rule That Repeals Trump-Era Changes

ST. LOUIS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams,... Read More

ST. LOUIS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to... Read More

US Bat Species Devastated by Fungus Now Listed as Endangered

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration declared the northern long-eared bat endangered on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort... Read More

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration declared the northern long-eared bat endangered on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to save a species driven to the brink of extinction by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease. “White-nose syndrome is decimating... Read More

2022-07-19 23:03:40
by Dan McCue
Northern Section of GW Memorial Parkway to Undergo $161M Renovation

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was among the officials who took part in a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday for the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was among the officials who took part in a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday for the $161 million renovation of the northern section of George Washington Memorial Parkway. The project is one of the largest infrastructure... Read More

2022-06-13 20:57:48
by Dan McCue
Interior Seeks Public Comment on Maryland’s First Offshore Wind Project

WASHINGTON — The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is seeking public comment as part of its environmental review... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is seeking public comment as part of its environmental review of the first offshore wind project proposed off Maryland’s coastline. Baltimore-based wind energy developer U.S. Wind has proposed the development... Read More

Investigation: Zinke Misused Position as Interior Secretary

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his... Read More

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, according to a report from federal investigators released... Read More

Apple, Google Raise New Concerns by Yanking Russian App

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised to obey local laws and... Read More

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed a political-opposition... Read More

2021-09-17 21:17:50
by Dan McCue
In a Reversal of Trump Era Policy, Interior Moves BLM Headquarters Back to DC

WASHINGTON - The Interior Department announced Friday that it has decided to move the headquarters for the Bureau of Land... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Interior Department announced Friday that it has decided to move the headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management back to Washington, D.C., while continuing to maintain its Colorado office as a “Western headquarters.” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland... Read More

2021-09-16 13:52:20
by Brock Blasdell
Broadband Summit to Decide The Future of Internet on Tribal Land

WASHINGTON -- A variety of federal departments will come together Friday to discuss the future of broadband internet connectivity for... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A variety of federal departments will come together Friday to discuss the future of broadband internet connectivity for Native American communities. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Summit, led in part by a coalition of tribal governments, organizers and seven... Read More

2021-06-03 13:30:20
by Dan McCue
It’s No-Go for Fireworks Show on Mount Rushmore, Judge Rules

A federal judge in South Dakota sided with the Biden administration on Wednesday, upholding its decision to block Fourth of... Read More

A federal judge in South Dakota sided with the Biden administration on Wednesday, upholding its decision to block Fourth of July fireworks at Mount Rushmore. The decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange temporarily ends a contentious legal battle... Read More

2021-05-27 18:24:25
by Dan McCue
Greater Protections Sought for Gray Wolves

Wildlife advocates pressed the Biden administration on Wednesday to revive federal protections for gray wolves across the Northern Rockies after... Read More

Wildlife advocates pressed the Biden administration on Wednesday to revive federal protections for gray wolves across the Northern Rockies after Republican lawmakers in Idaho and Montana made it much easier to kill the predators. The Center for Biological Diversity, Humane... Read More

2021-05-25 19:08:18
by Dan McCue
White House Opens Pacific Coast to Commercial-Scale Wind Farm Development

The Biden administration is opening up the northern and central coasts of California to the first commercial scale offshore wind... Read More

The Biden administration is opening up the northern and central coasts of California to the first commercial scale offshore wind farm projects in the region. The first location, called the Morro Bay 399 Area, is roughly 400 square miles off... Read More

2021-04-21 19:29:40
by Reece Nations
Haaland Announces Indian Affairs Bureau Missing and Murdered Unit

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a new division of the Missing and Murdered Unit will operate... Read More

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a new division of the Missing and Murdered Unit will operate within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. The new unit will direct federal resources in unsolved investigations... Read More

Interior Secretary Steps Into Utah Public Lands Tug-of-War

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — For decades, a public lands tug-of-war has played out over a vast expanse of southern... Read More

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — For decades, a public lands tug-of-war has played out over a vast expanse of southern Utah where red rocks reveal petroglyphs and cliff dwellings and distinctive twin buttes bulge from a grassy valley. A string... Read More

Haaland OK'd at Interior, 1st Native American Cabinet Head

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as interior secretary, making her the first... Read More

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as interior secretary, making her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet department and the first to lead the federal agency that has wielded influence over... Read More

Indian Country Gripped by Haaland Hearing for Top US Post

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — For Native Americans, Deb Haaland is more than an elected official on track to become the... Read More

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — For Native Americans, Deb Haaland is more than an elected official on track to become the first Indigenous secretary of the Interior Department. She is a sister, an auntie and a fierce pueblo woman whose political... Read More

Interior Nominee Haaland Vows 'Balance' on Energy, Climate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oil and natural gas will continue to play a major role in America for years to come,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oil and natural gas will continue to play a major role in America for years to come, even as the Biden administration seeks to conserve public lands and address climate change, President Joe Biden's nominee to head... Read More

2020-12-18 18:20:44
by Dan McCue
Visit By COVID-Infected Official Shutters Washington Monument

WASHINGTON - The interior of the Washington Monument will be temporarily closed to visitors over exposure concerns from an earlier... Read More

WASHINGTON - The interior of the Washington Monument will be temporarily closed to visitors over exposure concerns from an earlier visit by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who tested positive this week for the coronavirus. The National Park Service initially said... Read More

2020-12-17 14:11:59
by Dan McCue
Biden Picks Haaland to be First Native American Interior Secretary

WASHINGTON - President-elect Joe Biden has asked Democratic Rep. Deb Haaland, of New Mexico, to serve as the first Native... Read More

WASHINGTON - President-elect Joe Biden has asked Democratic Rep. Deb Haaland, of New Mexico, to serve as the first Native American interior secretary, a historic pick for a department that oversees the country’s vast natural resources and much of the... Read More

Without Senate-Confirmed Leaders, Interior Rules May Be at Risk

WASHINGTON — Three Interior Department divisions have gone without Senate-confirmed leaders during the entire Trump administration, endangering department policies and decisions over violations of... Read More

WASHINGTON — Three Interior Department divisions have gone without Senate-confirmed leaders during the entire Trump administration, endangering department policies and decisions over violations of laws that govern presidential appointments and nominations. Through a series of appointments that appear to have bypassed the Appointments Clause... Read More

Interior Moves to Speed Energy Development on Formerly Protected Utah Land

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump drew the ire of tribes and environmentalists when he issued proclamations in December 2017 significantly... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump drew the ire of tribes and environmentalists when he issued proclamations in December 2017 significantly reducing the size of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments, two sites designated by previous Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton... Read More

2019-12-13 15:06:28
by Dan McCue
Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Push To Block Wild Mustang Capture

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote the House and Senate appropriations panels this week, asking them to withhold... Read More

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote the House and Senate appropriations panels this week, asking them to withhold funding from a new Trump administration proposal to accelerate the capture of 130,000 wild horses across the west in the... Read More

2019-08-29 21:15:05
by Dan McCue
Interior Department to Convene Summit to Improve Tribal Broadband Access

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Interior Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Education Department and the Institute of Museum and Library... Read More

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Interior Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Education Department and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will host the first-ever National Tribal Broadband Summit, Sept. 23 and 24 in Washington, D.C. According to the Federal... Read More

2019-08-29 19:46:40
by Dan McCue
Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale Attracts $159 Million in High Bids

WASHINGTON - Last week's sales of Gulf of Mexico leases for oil and gas exploration generated over $159 million in... Read More

WASHINGTON - Last week's sales of Gulf of Mexico leases for oil and gas exploration generated over $159 million in high bids for 151 tracts covering 835,000 acres in federal waters, the Interior Department reports. A total of 27 companies... Read More

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