The golden-cheeked warbler has been considered endangered since 1990. Scientific research and conservation work on Ft. Hood has improved its lot. USFWS photo.
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November is Manatee Awareness Month; but no matter what time of year it is, manatees deserve to be celebrated. These amazing creatures fulfill a unique niche by serving as indicator species for ecosystems across the United States. Because of their reliance on the health of their habitat, manatees often act as a signal of their environment’s well-being. NOAA photo by Michael Buchanan.
Spring is coming early in 3/4 of national parks, according to a new study. Awesome? Not so much. As flowers bloom earlier every year, it’s disrupting the link between the wildflowers and the arrival of birds, bees, and butterflies that feed on and pollinate the flowers. In Shenandoah, an earlier spring is giving invasive plants a head start, and they’re displacing native wildflowers, leading to costly management issues.
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, the first national monument to preserve the landscape and honor the history and culture of Maine’s North Woods. Photo courtesy of Scot Miller.
Before the 1960s almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) person was illegal. New York City laws against homosexual activities were particularly harsh. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for LGBT civil rights and provided momentum for a movement.
Resource Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Team
The Resource Protection, Preparedness, Response and Recovery Team and the Regional Offices work with multiple federal, state and local agencies and other organizations to improve preparedness, protection and recovery of Interior’s lands and resources, and the Nation’s natural and cultural resource and historic property interests for both emergency and longterm responses.
Environmental Preparedness, Response and Recovery
Safeguard both Interior’s and the Nation’s natural and cultural resources and historic properties during disasters and emergencies. OEPC leads DOI's environmental preparedness and response processes to be more efficient and effective through inter-bureau/interagency collaboration. Two principal responsibilities are to serve as the:
- Departmental lead for preparedness and response to oil spills and hazardous substances releases under CERCLA, the Oil Pollution Act, and the Clean Water Act, and Emergency Support Function (ESF) #10 of the National Response Framework.
- Federal government’s lead for the protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties (NCH) nationwide, under ESF #11 of the National Response Framework (NRF).
- Federal government’s lead for the recovery of natural and cultural resources nationwide, under the Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support Function (NCR RSF) of the National Disaster Recovery Framework.
Natural Resources Trust
The Team works with OEPC Regional Environmental Officers (REOs) to coordinate environmental response with natural resource restoration. Resolution of contamination and hazardous waste problems is best achieved when response and restoration actions are effectively coordinated. OEPC facilitates such coordination by providing response agencies with a single point of access to the full range of resources and expertise within DOI, coordinating DOI response activities when more than one bureau is involved, and resolving potential problems to expedite environmental response and restoration actions, to uphold key environmental statutes, including CERCLA & Oil Pollution Act, and the Clean Water Act.
Remedial Response
The Team establishes and provides interagency policy and guidance when multiple Federal agencies are involved in remedial response actions affecting DOI resources. The Team and the REOs work towards early, upfront resolution of interagency issues so that subsequent, multiple case-specific remedial response actions can be taken more quickly and effectively at a reduced cost. The two lines of effort are:
- Responses on non DOI-managed lands affecting DOI resources; and,
- NonDOI responses on DOI-managed lands.
Management Excellence
The RPPRR Team provides principal support for OEPC's continuity of operations, budget formulation, and financial management execution. The Team supports the establishment, tracking and analysis of performance measures, workload measures and other metrics needed for documenting the office's programs and performance supporting DOI's Strategic Plan.