Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar held a press conference today to announce 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 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 the to the Department of the Interior for further action.  Related News Release.

Topic: Secretary Salazar says that the Bush Administration ruling does not pass the “smell test.” (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says that withdrawing the ruling will not have an affect on coal mining since the industry is still under a 1983 SMCRA ruling. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says that future impact on the coal mining industry and America’s energy supply will come from the need to reduce carbon emissions. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined President Obama as he signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 at the White House.  Among its many provisions, the bill makes permanent the 26 million acre National Landscape Conservation System along with new wilderness designations, wild and scenic rivers, National Park units, hiking trails, heritage areas, water projects, and historic preservation initiatives.

Topic: The Secretary says the act recognizes the value of America’s treasured landscapes. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar calls the creation of the National Landscape Conservation System an historic milestone. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar worked on many of the measures included in Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 as a senator from Colorado. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today met with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley to discuss water, education, road and job training initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for residents of the Navajo Nation, other American Indian communities and residents of New Mexico. A major topic of discussion was the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, authorized in the recently enacted Omnibus Public Land Management Act.

Topic: Secretary Salazar called today's meeting important and said there were many issues to discuss. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says he looks forward to making the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project a reality (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar said New Mexico and the nation will benefit from the recently signed Omnibus Public Land Management Act (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday on the Department of the Interior’s energy policies, priorities and initiatives for U.S. public land and the Outer Continental Shelf.  He also announced that an agreement had been reached with the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee to facilitate the permitting of renewable energy in offshore waters.

Topic: Secretary Salazar signed a joint statement with Acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Jon Wellinghoff announcing that the two agencies will work together to help get renewable energy projects off the drawing board and onto the Outer Continental Shelf. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says action is needed to build a super electronic highway to get renewable energy to population centers. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar will be the auctioneer at Wednesday’s oil and gas lease sale in New Orleans.  He says oil and gas remain an important part of any comprehensive energy development plans. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says the administration’s position remains the same on the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, no drilling until the technology is proven. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar along with Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, spoke to the National Association of Counties this morning in Washington D.C. Each addressed how their departments will carry out the President’s Recovery and Reinvestment plan and other issues effecting county governments.

Topic: The Secretary announced that royalties for energy produced on public lands will return to a 50/50 split with the states where the energy comes from. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says a new energy super highway is planned to bring energy from public lands to population centers. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar will work to restore landscapes to preserve them for future generations. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar promised that the Department of the Interior will stay involved as a partner addressing water challenges facing the country. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, speaking to the to the 111th Congress of American Indians Tribal Nations Legislative Summit, today highlighted more than $2 billion in President Obama’s economic recovery package to create jobs and economic opportunity in Indian Country.

Topic: The Secretary says close to a half billion of the money will come through Interior Department Programs. (Text)

Topic:  Secretary Salazar says that Indian country will play a key role and benefit economically from the administration’s renewable energy development plans. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar pledges to make education a top priority. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar commented on the ongoing Cobell litigation. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar met with the Senate Indian Affairs committee on Capitol Hill on Thursday, February 12 to address the new administration’s commitment to Native Americans.

Topic: Secretary Salazar on the priority of Native American issues within the Obama Administration. (Text)

Topic:  Secretary Salazar's comments on economic recovery plan's investments in Native American communities. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar on the need to bolster law enforcement in Indian Country: (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a strategy Tuesday, February 10, extending public comment period on a proposed 5-year plan for oil and gas development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and calling for a detailed report from Interior agencies on conventional and renewable offshore energy resources.

Topic: The Secretary says he will extend the comment period on the Bush administration’s 5-year plan by 180 days. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar has directed scientists in the USGS and MMS to assemble all available information on offshore gas, oil and renewable resources, to help guide decisions on an offshore energy strategy.(Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar will convene meetings in coastal areas to hear from stakeholders on offshore energy development. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar describes the scale of what is at stake, given the area that the Department of the Interior oversees in the Outer Continental Shelf is nearly ¾ the size of the United States landmass. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was joined by Senator Benjamin Cardin, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Congressman John Sarbanes on Monday Februay 9 at the Patuxent Research Refuge and Wildlife Research Center in Maryland to highlight the job creation and conservation benefits of President Obama’s economic recovery plan, which is currently before Congress.

Topic: The Secretary says the projects submitted as part of the stimulus package meet the criteria of job creation. (Text)

Topic: The research refuge, located between Washington and Baltimore, gained national renown as the place where researchers discovered the link between the pesticide DDT and the decline of many bird species. Secretary Salazar pledged he will work hard with the President to get the stimulus package passed. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says the 100,000 jobs that could be created by the Department of the Interior will help to stand up the country’s economy again. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today withdrew 77 contested BLM oil and gas leases citing a need to review environmental considerations and consultation with other agencies as well as their proximity to national treasures. Below are excerpts from Wednesday’s teleconference on the decision.

Topic: Secretary Salazar says the 77 leases were withdrawn to insure proper consultation with affected agencies and for environmental review. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says he will seek balance in use of the public’s natural resources and that oil and gas will continue to be part of America’s energy portfolio. (Text)

Topic: The area of the leases included Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Parks, Dinosaur National Monument, and Nine Mile Canyon. Secretary Salazar said the nation’s treasures must be protected. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar repeated his charge from the President to reform the Department of the Interior on behalf of the American People. (Text)

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted a "pen and pad" meeting with journalists Wednesday morning in Washington D.C. and via teleconference. Below are excerpts from that meeting.

Topic: The Secretary says his first priority is to restore the integrity and confidence of the American people. (Text)

Topic: On the issue of energy production on public lands, Secretary Salazar says the Department of the Interior has a very central role in the nation's energy future. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says that energy exploration and global warming are strongly linked by science from USGS and the FWS. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar comments on water conflicts and competing needs of agriculture, wildlife and municipalities. (Text)

Topic: Secretary Salazar says he wants to restore collaboration between the United States of America and Indian tribes across the country. (Text)

Topic: Community Service is a key White House Initiative to engage citizens, many for the first time, to participate in public service. The Department of the Interior Department has many opportunities for volunteers, Secretary Salazar said. (Text)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will meet with the staff of the Minerals Management Service's Denver office on January 29, 2009 and announce the first steps of his agenda to undertake reform at the Department of the Interior. The Secretary will hold a press conference following the meeting.