08/28/08 |
|
The Bureau of Land Management is contributing to a national exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil,” is a 5,000-square-foot exhibition using models, interactive displays, and videos to demonstrate the science of soils and the importance of soils in people’s daily lives.
"Dig It!" features a monolith or soil profile for each of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. The monoliths for the Montana state soil (scientific name Scobey) and the Nevada state soil (scientific name Orovada) were collected on BLM land. This Podcast features BLM soil scientist Gordon Toevs and Smithsonian Exhibit Developer Barbara Stauffer. |
|
08/01/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne convened the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) on Friday, August 1, to oversee the adoption of the new 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan. The plan was developed collaboratively with 13 federal departments and agencies and their partners. Federal expenditures on invasive species are estimated to exceed $1.3 billion annually. The plan is the culmination of an extensive process of expert review, and public comment. It can be found on http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/2008-2012NationalInvasiveSpeciesManagementPlan.pdf |
|
07/30/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne held a teleconference today to announce proposed measures that would jumpstart the development of a new oil and gas leasing program for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The action could give the next administration a two-year head start in expanding energy production from federal offshore jurisdictions, including some areas where a congressional ban had prevented oil and gas development. http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/080730a.html |
|
07/22/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Stephen Allred announced that the Bureau of Land Management has published proposed regulations to establish a commercial oil shale program that could result in the addition of up to 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from lands in the western United States. In keeping with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the BLM is proposing regulations that would provide the critical “rules of the road” on which private investors will rely in determining whether to make future financial commitments to prospective oil shale projects. http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/080722.html |
|
07/16/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the National Park Service Superintendents Summit in Snow Bird, Utah. Superintendent meetings are rare for the National Park Service. This is the third such national gathering in two decades. Superintendent Summit ’08 is the first such meeting since 1988 in Wyoming. Summit sessions focused on the role of the parks in a rapidly diversifying American population, youth programs, emerging technologies and citizen stewardship. |
|
07/16/08 |
|
National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar addressed
park superintendents and senior park leadership at the NPS Superintendents
Summit 2008 held in Snowbird, Utah. It was the first such gathering since
1988. The summit focused on three themes: reconnecting Americans with their
national parks, increasing the capacity of the national park system, and
developing park leaders for the next century. The National Park Service
will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016. |
|
07/12/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the 100th annual meeting of the National Governors Association in Philadelphia on Saturday July 12. Kempthorne, the former governor of Idaho was joined by more than 30 former governors also attending the meeting. |
|
06/29/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed 11 Western Governors and four Canadian Premiers at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Agenda topics included energy, climate change, wildlife corridors and water policy. |
Transcript
|
06/26/08 |
|
Thursday, June 26, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and the National Park Service hosted members of the Diplomatic Corps near San Francisco. The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions, representing 41 countries, visited Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz Island, Crissy Field and Fort Baker, all part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Secretary Kempthorne addressed the gathering at a luncheon at Fort Baker. |
|
06/24/08 |
|
The National Park Service is participating in National Pollinator Week. They've partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey scientist Sam Droege to count native bees in the National Capital Region. The survey finds they coexist very well, sharing their habitat, with millions of tourists each year. |
|
06/18/08 |
|
The Bureau of Land Management is participating
in National Pollinator Week as proclaimed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. BLM Botanist Carol Spurrier and the Executive Director of
the Xerces Society, Scott Blak, tell about BLM's participation in the North
American Pollinator Protection Campaign. |
|
06/12/08 |
|
More than 20,000 acres of wetlands were recently added to America's
National Wildlife Refuges at this year's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. Director
of the Fish and Wildlife Service H. Dale Hall explains what the
acquisition means to one of our nations greatest resources, it's wetlands
and waterfowl. |
|
05/23/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed
the 2008 Ducks Unlimited National Convention on Friday, May 23, in Baltimore.
The Secretary discussed issues facing North America’s waterfowl and praised
the members of Ducks Unlimited for their continuing support to conservation.
Duck hunters have contributed to adding 5 million acres ( an area nearly
the size of the state of Maryland) to the National Wildlife Refuge System
through the purchase of Federal Duck Stamps. |
Transcript |
05/21/08 |
|
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals
Managent, C. Stephen Allred, announced on Wednesday the release
of a study by the Bureau of Land Mangagement that shows vast untapped oil
and natural gas resources exist on public lands in the U.S. The report
is the third in a series of congressionally mandated scientific studies
of U.S. onshore Federal oil and natural gas resources and limitations on
their develop. The report can be viewed at www.blm.gov |
Transcript |
05/14/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This Podcast presents his remarks at the beginning of today's news conference.
http://www.doi.gov/news/
08_News_Releases
/080514a.html |
Transcript |
05/12/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne hosted a wreath-laying ceremony Monday in the auditorium of the U.S. Department of the Interior in observance of National Police Week 2008. Police Week honors men and women in law enforcement who make daily sacrifices to serve their communities and the United States, particularly those killed in the line of duty in the service of others. The 2008 national theme is “Surrounded by Heroes.” The Department of the Interior has some 4,000 law enforcement officers who serve in the United States Park Police, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation. 90 DOI officers who have been killed in the line of duty since the Department’s founding in 1849. |
|
|
04/28/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, April 28. The Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit, designed for the Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities, discussed best practices to incorporate sustainable tourism which benefits the environmental, historical and cultural heritage of a region, while simultaneously sustaining the economic growth of that region. The Summit is a partnership effort of the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, The University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. |
Transcript |
04/27/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, joined the Commandant of Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a member of Ulysses S. Grant’s family, to honor Grant’s 186th birthday Sunday, April 27 at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City. The event, on the final day of National Park Week, honored the man who signed the law creating Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park. |
Transcript |
04/24/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined
Members of Congress and National Park Service supporters on the steps
of the U.S. Capitol to announce more than $51 milllion in Centennial
Challenge Projects and Programs to be funded in 2008. More than 100 parks
will benefit from the Congressional appropriation of $24.6 million and
matching money totaling nearly $27 million from friends groups and national
park supporters. The National Park Centennial Challenge is the public/private
matching element of the President's National Park Centennial Initiative
to prepare national parks for a second century of excellence in time
for the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016. |
|
03/28/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined National Park Service Director Mary Bomar and honored guests to unveil new and enhanced visitor services on the National Mall for the 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival. This Podcast features remarks from Director Bomar and Secretary Kempthorne speaking at the Tidal Basin among the famous cherry trees. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from Saturday, March 29th through Sunday, April 13th, 2008. |
Transcript |
03/05/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne the opened jet tubes at Wednesday morning at Glen Canyon Dam to release about 41,500 cubic feet per second of Colorado River water into the Grand Canyon. The Secretary’s action launched a scientific experiment aimed at learning more about how to improve the river for wildlife and visitors. Joining the Secretary Wednesday were Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Bob Johnson, USGS Director Mark Myers and NPS Director Mary Bomar. Evaluation of the results of the release will be part of an effort to fashion a long-term, science-based adaptive management process. Scientists hope to gain a better understanding about whether higher flows created by releasing water from the dam can be used to rebuild eroded beaches downstream. http://www.doi.gov/news/
08_News_Releases/080305.html |
Transcript |
03/04/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne delivered
remarks at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC
2008), during the ministirial luncheon on Tuesday, March 4, at the Washington
Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
http://www.doi.gov/secretary/
speeches/080304_speech.html |
Transcript |
02/21/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk
Kempthorne attending the 2008 Bassmaster
Classic at Lake Hartwell, Greenville, South Carolina, announced the distribution
of more than $700 million to 56 state and territorial fish and wildlife
agencies to fund fish and wildlife conservation efforts, boat access,
shooting ranges and hunter education.
|
|
02/21/08 |
|
Secretary Kempthorne was the featured speaker at
the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction dinner, held in connection with
Bassmaster Classic professional fishing tournament near Greenville, South
Carolina. |
|
02/12/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne celebrated the brown pelican’s remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction by formally proposing to remove the remaining protected populations of the bird along the Gulf and Pacific coasts, and in the Caribbean, and Central and South America from protection under the Endangered Species Act. Kempthorne announced the proposal at the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge during a joint appearance with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. |
|
02/11/08 |
|
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs,
Carl J. Artman, hosted
a kick off event at the Department of the Interior for its Intertribal
Economic Consortium Initiative. The Interior Department signed a memorandum
of understanding with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut and
the Seminole Tribe of Florida formalizing the two tribes' cooperative economic
relationship. The concept, developed by the DOI's Office of Indian Energy
and Economic Development, facilitates tribes with purchasing power buying
their goods from tribes with goods or services to sell. Also heard on this
Podcast are Richard Bowers, vice-chairman, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and
president, Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc. and Kenneth Reels, vice-chairman,
Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut. The invocation at the beginning
of this event was given by Dalton Henry of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw
Indians. |
|
02/04/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne presented the administration's proposed FY 2009 budget for the Department of the Interior. Kempthorne and Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett discussed Interior’s key priorities for the $10.7 billion budget that will continue to maintain high levels of support for conservation and natural resource stewardship programs, national parks, healthy lands, safe Indian communities, and Indian education initiatives launched last year and proposes new strategic investments to address emerging environmental and resource management challenges.
http://www.doi.gov/news/
08_News_Releases/080204.html |
|
01/31/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced budget increases for Indian Country initiatives at a press conference at the National Press Club Thursday. He also joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson and other Administration officials and Indian leaders in announcing a new Native American-focused training course. Called “Working Effectively with Tribal Governments,” the online course is now available to federal employees. Delivering the invocation was Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of American Indians. Also heard on this Podcast are Department of the Interior's Carl Artman, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and Janet Creighton, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. http://www.doi.gov/news/
08_News_Releases/080131.html |
|
01/18/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne commemorated the 79th Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a ceremony at the Department of the Interior. Participants included the National Park Service Deputy Director Lindi Harvey and NPS Regional Director Joseph Lawler. Other participants included the choirs of Kimball Elementary School and Dunbar Senior High School and the National Park Service Honor Guard.
Following the ceremony, children from Watkins Elementary ended their school day on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Using the same place the reverend used as his pulpit at the March on Washington in 1963, they recited Dr. King's “I Have a Dream” speech. Ceremonial wreaths were laid on the steps afterward.
|
|
01/11/08 |
|
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, joined California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other dignitaries, in an historic groundbreaking ceremony, launching construction of the Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project. When completed in 2015, the $1.3 billion project will protect Sacramento from a 200-year flood, two times greater than the current protection.
http://www.doi.gov/news/
08_News_Releases/080111a.html |
|