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This Week: Secretary Haaland marks the 80th anniversary of the tragic incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II; President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law means the U.S. Geological Survey is getting a new state-of-the-art research facility; the Secretary visits Arizona to underscore Interior’s commitment to Indian Country and addressing the Western water crisis; Interior announces possible replacement names for geographic features currently containing a derogatory term; a new interagency working group will recommend reforms to hardrock mining laws, regulations and permitting; USGS releases a new list of minerals critical to the U.S. economy and national security; it’s the first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Council at Interior; and our social media Picture of the Week is a taste of paradise!
Secretary Haaland Recalls Japanese Incarceration of WWII
 This week marked the 80th anniversary of the wrongful incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II. Secretary Haaland visited the Amache Historical Park in Colorado to meet with survivors and descendants of Japanese incarceration to remember a shameful period in American history and commit to telling America’s story, even when it is ugly.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Fund New USGS Research Building
 The Secretary joined leaders in Golden, Colorado, to announce that President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund a new state-of-the-art research facility for the U.S. Geological Survey. The $167 million investment will help replace deteriorating laboratories used by USGS scientists working on critical energy and mineral programs.
Secretary Haaland, Assistant Secretary Trujillo Visit Arizona
 The Secretary then traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where she was joined by Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. Her visit underscored Interior’s commitment to Indian Country and the historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address the Western water crisis. As part of her visit with the Arizona congressional delegation, Secretary Haaland announced the Department’s plan to fulfill settlements of Indian water rights with funding from the Law by allocating $1.7 billion to enacted settlements that have outstanding federal payments necessary to complete their terms.
Interior Announces Next Steps to Remove Derogatory Place Names
 Interior this week announced a list of candidate names for more than 660 geographic features containing a racist term that has been officially declared a derogatory word as a result of Secretary’s Order 3404. Interior will now consult with Tribes and the public on potential replacement names.
Interagency Working Group on Mining Reform Launches
 Interior this week announced the launch of a new interagency working group on hardrock mining in the United States. The group will convene experts, stakeholders and the public to review and recommend reforms to mining laws, regulations and permitting, part of President Biden’s vision for an all-of-government effort to promote the sustainable and responsible domestic production of critical minerals.
 The U.S. Geological Survey this week released a new list of 50 mineral commodities critical to the U.S. economy and national security. The 2022 list of critical minerals was determined using the most up-to-date scientific methods to evaluate mineral criticality. The new list contains 15 more commodities compared to the nation’s first list created in 2018.
 Secretary Haaland this week established the first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Council at Interior to better incorporate the Biden-Harris administration’s work to prioritize these practices across our bureaus. With representatives from senior leadership in every bureau, the Council will ensure that decision-making processes include input from employees at all levels.
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