Secretary Salazar announces the FY2010 budget for the Department of the Interior at an all employee meeting. (Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann DOI) Hi-Res

$12 Billion Interior Budget Focuses
on New Energy Frontier, Climate
Impacts, America’s Treasured Landscapes, a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps, and Native
American Communities

President Obama’s proposed $12 billion budget for the Department of the Interior in FY2010 will allow the nation’s largest land manager to play a central role in carrying out the President’s vision for addressing the challenges of our times. more

• Department of the Interior Budget in Brief

Secretary Salazar Pledges
to Open Four Renewable Energy Permitting Offices, Create Renewable Energy Teams

To expedite production of renewable energy on public lands while protecting land, water, and wildlife, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar pledged to create four Renewable Energy Coordination Offices, one each in California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona, along with smaller renewable energy teams in New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Oregon. more

• Secretary's Remarks

Interior Secretary Salazar talks about the potential of alternative energy development on the Atlantic’s Outer Continental Shelf. To the Secretary’s right is Delaware Senator Tom Carper. (Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann DOI) Hi-Res

Vice President, Secretary Salazar
Travel to Delaware to Underscore Renewable Energy Potential on Outer Continental Shelf

Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) visited the University of Delaware Monday, where they underscored the importance of alternative energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), especially offshore wind resources for Delaware and other Atlantic coastal states. On Earth Day, President Obama announced that Interior had finalized a long-awaited framework for renewable energy production on the OCS.

"This Administration sees the ever-lasting benefits in a clean-energy future. With this rule, the Interior Department is unlocking our vast offshore renewable resources," said Vice President Biden. "By harnessing offshore wind power and other resources we will be able to power tens of millions of homes using clean, renewable power." more

• View Additional Photos

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at the Red Rock National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada, announces $305 million will be invested by the Bureau of Land Management in funds that will restore landscapes, development renewable energy and create jobs. (Photo credit: Andy Pernick, Bureau of Reclamation)
Hi-Res

Salazar Announces $305 Million
Economic Stimulus Investment through the Bureau of Land Management

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced $305 million will fund more than 650 Bureau of Land Management projects across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The investments will restore landscapes and habitat, spur renewable energy development on public lands, and create jobs. more

• More information on Bureau of Land Management Recovery Investments
• More information on Department of the Interior Recovery Investments
• View Additional Photos

Tom Strickland Confirmed
as Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar praised the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Thomas Strickland for Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. President Obama nominated Strickland for the position on Feb. 20, 2009.

More

• Read Assistant Secretary Tom Strickland's Bio

Secretary Salazar visited Philadelphia today and discussed his first 100 days in office, his major reform efforts at the Department of the Interior and America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Secretary visited Independence Hall and announced Recovery Act funding for long needed repairs. [Photo Credit: Ian Crane - NPS] Hi-Res

Department of the Interior
Progress Report

In his first 100 days in office, Secretary Salazar has made it clear that the Department of the Interior must change how it does business, regain the trust of the American people, and chart a new path. As the steward of America's natural resources, the Department of the Interior has a solemn responsibility to carry out its mission with openness and accountability to the American people, and must base its decisions on public input and the best science available.

• View the Department of the Interior Progress Report
• View Additional Photos

Salazar and Locke Restore
Scientific Consultations under
the Endangered Species Act to
Protect Species and their Habitats

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - the two agencies that administer the ESA - before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species. more

Secretary Salazar addresses all DOI employees and announces the new Office of Youth at the Department of the Interior [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]Hi-Res

Secretary Salazar Creates New
Office of Youth at Interior

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that he will establish an Office of Youth to provide Department-wide leadership for programs to educate, engage and employ youth. The Secretary made the announcement at an all-employee meeting to discuss the Department's progress on President Obama's agenda. more

• Secretary Salazar's Remarks
• Podcast of Secretary Salazar's Remarks
• Department of the Interior Progress Report
• Video: Secretary Salazar announces Office of Youth and Natural Resource

2009 H1N1 Flu Update and Guidance

Human cases of 2009 H1N1 Flu (swine flu) have been identified in several states and in other countries. It is important to recognize the ongoing nature of this event and the fact that public health guidance may change as this event transpires and more becomes known about this new virus. Public health officials advise that good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. more

Secretary Salazar Moves to Withdraw 11th Hour Mountaintop Coal Mining Rule

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced his determination that the mountaintop coal mining "stream buffer zone rule" issued by the Bush Administration is legally defective. Salazar directed the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to file a pleading with the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. requesting that the rule be vacated due to this deficiency and remanded to the Department of the Interior for further action. more

• Secretary Salazar's Remarks
• Podcast of the Secretary's Remarks

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announces $280 million investment in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during a press conference at the Montana State Capitol in Helena. The secretary was joined by U.S. Senator Jon Tester (standing) and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (seated). [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI] Hi-Res

Secretary Salazar Announces $280 Million Investment in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Create Jobs and
Promote Conservation

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will invest $280 million in more than 770 projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to build visitors centers, improve infrastructure, and bolster conservation at national wildlife refuges and hatcheries across the country. more

• More information on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery investments
• More information on DOI Recovery investments

• View Additional Photos

Secretary Salazar announced $134.6 million in funding under the Recovery Act for school replacement construction and $141.1 million in school improvements and repairs for schools on tribal lands. Hi-Res

Secretary Salazar Announces
$500 Million in Indian Country
Economic Recovery Projects

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the Department will fund $500 million in new school and housing construction, road and bridge improvements, and workforce development projects for federally recognized tribes across the nation. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department's Indian Affairs office will also offer federally guaranteed loans for American Indian-owned businesses. These investments will significantly improve the quality of life in tribal communities nationwide. more

• More information on Indian Affairs Recovery investments
• More information on DOI Recovery investments

Earth Day Message from
Secretary Salazar

Secretary Salazar discusses the Department of the Interior's plans for a new energy frontier with forward-looking policies that help us protect our environment while powering a clean energy economy that will create millions of new jobs right here in America.

• View Additional Photos

DOI News Archives

About the Department of the interior The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Interior is a large, decentralized agency with over 67,000 employees and 180,000 volunteers located at approximately 2,400 operating locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and freely associated states. more Mission Statement History Key Officials Past Secretaries Organizational Chart Quick Facts DOI In the News Strategic Plan DOI en Español Interior Library Significant Guidance Documents Below are links to some DOI sites that may be of interest: Water Science Floods Astrogeology at USGS Conservation Hurricanes Resources Earthquakes Land Wildlife Fire Endangered Species Maps Habitats & Conservation Parks / Refuges / BLM Lands Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Offshore Lands/Volcanoes Duck Stamps Communities InfoLinks Special Trustee Healthy Forests Indian Trust Avian Influenza Information Territories and Islands 2005 Hurricane Recovery