Today, at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California congressional leaders, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the Department of the Interior will invest $1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in America’s water infrastructure to create jobs and get the economy moving again.
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Secretary Salazar Hosts Regional OCS Meeting in Anchorage, AK
On April 14, Secretary Salazar hosted a regional OCS Meeting at the Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, AK to gather information and public comment to help build a comprehensive energy strategy for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Secretary Salazar Announces Department of Interior Economic Stimulus Projects
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Department of the Interior’s first projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – $140 million that will fund 308 U.S. Geological Survey projects across the 50 states. The USGS, the leading science research bureau in the federal government, supports the science needs of all the other bureaus of the Department of the Interior and other departments of the U.S. government. The USGS will play a critical role in addressing the nation’s energy and climate change challenges.
more Secretary Salazar Joins Congressional Leaders to Dedicate Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Celebrate Public Lands in Colorado
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined members of the Colorado congressional delegation to dedicate Rocky Mountain National Park’s new wilderness area and to celebrate public lands in Colorado. The dedication of Wilderness at Rocky Mountain National Park is the culmination of an effort that began in 1974 and was jump started in recent years through the efforts of many including the park’s gateway communities of Grand Lake and Estes Park. Secretary Salazar Hosts Second OCS Meeting in New Orleans, LA
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted a meeting at Tulane University’s McAlister Auditorium to gather information and public comment to help build a comprehensive energy strategy for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The meeting is the second of four regional meetings the Secretary will hold this month. Next week the Secretary will host meetings in Anchorage, Alaska and in San Francisco, California.
Secretary Salazar Hosts OCS Meeting in Atlantic City, NJ.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted the first of four regional public meeting at the Atlantic City Convention Center Monday to gather information and public comment on building a comprehensive energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf. Secretary Salazar will host a second meeting Wednesday, April 8, at Tulane University’s McAlister Auditorium at 9 a.m. and will be carried live by webcast. Secretary Salazar will also host meetings for the Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast and Alaska.
U.S. Offshore Wind Resources Could Lead America’s Clean-Energy Revolution
U.S. offshore areas hold enormous potential for wind energy development near the nation’s highest areas of electricity demand – coastal metropolitan centers, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today at a summit meeting of 25X’25 America’s Energy Future, a group working to lower America’s carbon emissions. Salazar said information from the U.S. Geological Survey-Minerals Management Service Report will be a starting point for public comment meetings around the country in the next few weeks, starting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and New Orleans, Louisiana, next week. more
President Obama Signs Omnibus Public Lands Management Act
On March 30, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined President Obama as he signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 at the White House. The bill combines more than 160 individual measures introduced in the previous Congress by both Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate. Among its many provisions, the bill includes new wilderness designations, wild and scenic rivers, National Park units, hiking trails, heritage areas, water projects, and historic preservation initiatives. more
Interior Department & its Agencies Assist Citizens Threatened by Midwest Floods
The Department of the Interior and its agencies around the country, in cooperation with state and local partners, are acting to help citizens threatened by the record-setting Midwest floods in ways ranging from providing the streamgage and satellite data used in weather predictions to conducting search-and- rescue operations in boats usually used in national parks and wildlife refuges. more Secretary Salazar Joins Australia’s Prime Minister & Secretary of Agriculture in Lauding Wildland Firefighters
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at a ceremony Thursday where Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd thanked U.S. wildland firefighters for their assistance during recent devastating fires in the State of Victoria, Australia. The fire took the lives of 210 people, destroyed 2,000 homes and nearly one million acres of land. more National Cherry Blossom Festival Kicks Off in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined with the National Park Service, the District of Columbia and a number of partners to mark the beginning of the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual 16-day celebration that is expected to draw more than 1 million visitors to the nation's capital.
The festival celebrates the planting of the cherry trees in 1912 as a gift of friendship from Japan. The Festival officially begins March 28 with the lighting of a 300 year old Japanese stone lantern, given as a gift to the United States in 1954, and will run through April 12. more
Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska EruptsThe Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey are keeping a close eye on Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska. The volcano, located approximately 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, erupted five times on Sunday March 22, spewing ash as high as 60,000 feet. No seismic activity has been reported since then however, an ash fallout advisory still remains in effect as of early Tuesday. On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar held a teleconference to address the eruption at Mount Redoubt.
Secretary Salazar Releases U.S. State of the Birds Study
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today released the first ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the United States, showing that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline due to habitat loss, invasive species, and other threats.
At the same time, the report highlights examples, including many species of waterfowl, where habitat restoration and conservation have reversed previous declines, offering hope that it is not too late to take action to save declining populations. more Secretary Salazar Unveils New Energy for America Plan
In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar detailed President Obama's New Energy for America Plan that will create a clean energy-based economy that promotes investment and innovation here at home, generating millions of new jobs. It will ensure energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, increasing efficiency, making responsible use of our domestic resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Secretary also noted that Interior and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have reached agreement on managing renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. more
Secretary Announces 2009 Oil and Gas Lease Sale Schedule
The Department of the Interior will hold more than 40 major lease sales for oil and natural gas development on public lands this year, which are predicted to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for American taxpayers as well as billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas to help meet the nation's energy needs, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today. But he also is establishing the development of renewable and alternative energy sources on U.S. public lands as a Departmental priority and as a component of a comprehensive national energy strategy that will help the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil. more Secretary Salazar Issues Order to
Spur Renewable
Energy Development
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![Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told American Indian leaders that President Obama's economic recovery package provides more than $2 billion to Indian Country to create jobs and stimulate business activity. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/Renewable%20signing%20DOI_0343.JPG)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signs a Secretarial Order making the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy top priorities for the Department. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res |
Citing the critical need to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, build a clean energy economy and create new jobs, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today issued a Secretarial Order making the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy top priorities for the Department. “More so than ever, with job losses continuing to mount, we need to steer the country onto a new energy path,” Salazar said. “One that creates new jobs and puts America out front in new, growing industries, one that promotes investment and innovation here at home and one that makes wise use of our domestic resources." more
![President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar mark the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior in a ceremony at Interior Headquarters. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/160th%20O%20and%20KLS%20close%20up%20podium%20IOD_3810.JPG)
President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar mark the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior in a ceremony at Interior Headquarters. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res |
President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar marked the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior today in a ceremony at the Yates Auditorium in the Main Interior Building. In addition to the 600 employees who packed the auditorium to watch the event, Department employees around the nation watched via satellite broadcast or listened via teleconference bridge. The Department was established on March 3, 1849. more
![Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told American Indian leaders that President Obama's economic recovery package provides more than $2 billion to Indian Country to create jobs and stimulate business activity. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/DOI_0204.jpg)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told American Indian leaders that President Obama's economic recovery package provides more than $2 billion to Indian Country to create jobs and stimulate business activity. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res |
Speaking to a summit of American Indian leaders, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today highlighted more than $2 billion in President Obama's economic recovery package to create jobs and economic opportunity in Indian Country. "The challenges we face as a nation are not new to Indian Country," Salazar told a Tribal Nations Legislative Summit of the National Congress of American Indians. "But President Obama's recovery package will provide significant investments in Indian Country which can play an important role in helping to stand-up tribal economies." more
The President's 2010 Budget includes $12 billion for the Department of the Interior to undertake initiatives to promote energy security with a focus on clean renewable sources and strategies to address climate change, protect and preserve America's national parks and public lands, strengthen Native American communities, enhance outdoor opportunities for young people, and conserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. more
![Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joins House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Former President Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a National Clean Energy Project Conference on Feb. 23, 2009. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/Salazar%20Energy%20Conference%20IOD_3264.JPG)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joins House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Former President Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a National Clean Energy Project Conference on Feb. 23, 2009. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res |
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar participated in an
historic roundtable of many of the nation’s top leaders today at a summit
examining how development of renewable energy in conjunction with a “National
Clean Energy Smart Grid” is an economic, environmental and national security
imperative. Salazar joined former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President
Al Gore, Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, energy entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens and
others in a roundtable discussion at the event. more
![Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Nedra Darling, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Public Information Office listen to the Honor Song by the Black Bear Singers. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/flotus%20shawl%20DOI_7950.JPG)
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Nedra Darling, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Public Information Office listen to the Honor Song by the Black Bear Singers. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC] Hi-Res |
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today welcomed First Lady Michelle Obama to the Department of the Interior, hailing her as "a rock for the future of the nation." The third visit of the First Lady to a federal department featured a ceremony rooted in Interior's responsibilities to Native Americans--Indian drum rolls and presentation of a shawl marking her achievements. Joined by some of the department's longest-serving employees on stage, the First Lady and Secretary thanked all employees for their service and reaffirmed President Barack Obama's commitment to the environment as part of the economic stimulus package for which he is currently touring the country as well as his commitment to respecting sovereign Indian nations. more
![Secretary Salazar at the podium, behind him left to right Craig Obey, Vice President of the National Parks Conservation Association, Tom Kiernan, President of the National Parks Conservation Association and Terry Jones, President of the Wolftrap Foundation. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/NPSRecov3.jpg)
![L to R President of the Navajo Nation Joe Shirley, New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, Congressman Martin Heinrich
BLM New Mexico State Director Linda Rundell [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/salazar/04202009/photos/0420091h.jpg)
![Ugashik-Peulik Volcano, Station PLWL, the main repeater for the Peulik network. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $15.2 million to the U.S. Geological Survey to modernize the monitoring networks and warning systems at its five volcano observatories. [Photographer: Cyrus Read. Image courtesy of AVO/USGS]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/Volcano2.jpg)
![Left to right: Former Senator Wayne Allard, Sen. Michael Bennet, Rainey Kreis, Jim Sanborn, Ivan Kassovic (behind Jim), Tara Vessella, Jim Dougan (behind Tara), Jan Pauley, Tim Phillips (behind Jan), Secretary Salazar, Senator Udall, Chief Ranger Mark Magnuson, Mark Pita, Cindy Purcell, Congresswoman Betsy Markey [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/040909%20RMNP6.jpg)
![Secretary Salazar hosted the first of four regional public meetings to gather information and public comment regarding an energy strategy for the Outer Continental Shelf [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/1148.jpg)
![Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at a ceremony to thank U.S. wildland firefighters. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilmann – DOI]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/FireTHankyou.jpg)
![Secretary Salazar at the press conference kicking off the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/Cherry_Blossom_Salazar.jpg)
![Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska, March 23, 2009. [Photo Credit: AVO/USGS].](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/1237902265_ak231.jpg)
![Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar reads the first bid in the Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 208, which attracted $703,048,523 in high bids from 70 companies for Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas parcels. The sale was held in the New Orleans Superdome on March 18, 2009. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090507183512/http://www.doi.gov/photos/highresolution/IOD_4248.JPG)
