![Secretary Haaland and others at Masonville Cove in Maryland](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667492/4015340/main-thumb-sec-haaland-at-masonville-cove_crop.png) This Week: Secretary Haaland concludes a two-day visit to Maryland, where she highlighted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $200 million investment in ecosystem restoration; the Secretary took the stage at the SXSW Conference to explain why representation matters; Interior celebrates Women's History Month; Secretary Haaland marks her one-year anniversary at Interior's helm; Deputy Secretary Beaudreau wraps up a three-day visit to Idaho, Washington and Oregon; new research shows traditional forest management by Tribes may have done a better job of preventing forest fires than modern practices; there's a new tool to enhance safety practices off the Outer Continental Shelf; and our social media Picture of the Week sends our birthday greetings to the National Wildlife Refuge System!
Secretary Haaland Honors Urban Refuge Partnership in Maryland
![ducks float on a pond surrounded by trees, city bridges cross the water in the background](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667493/4015341/s1-haaland-maryland-visit_crop.png) Secretary Haaland concluded a two-day visit to Maryland this week with a tour of Masonville Cove, the nation’s first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership that connects the city’s residents to the outdoors. The Secretary also traveled to Catonsville to tour the Patapsco River Restoration Project and discuss how nature-based-solution projects can enable ecosystems and communities to be more resilient to climate change. She highlighted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $200 million investment in the National Fish Passage Program, which supports aquatic ecosystem restoration projects to restore fish passage and aquatic connectivity.
Secretary Haaland Speaks on Representation at SXSW Conference
![Secretary Haaland speaks at the SXSW Conference](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667497/4015342/s2-sxsw_crop.png) The Secretary took the stage this week at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference in Austin, Texas. She presented what she called "Auntie Deb’s Guide to Equity & Inclusion," and outlined her philosophy about why representation matters, how to take it to the next level, and what can be possible when we recognize America’s full history and provide space for all voices to have a seat at the table.
Interior Celebrates Women’s History Month
![Secretary Haaland remarks on Women’s History Month](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667486/4015343/s3-womens-history-month_crop.png) Secretary Haaland saluted Women's History Month this week, a time to highlight the inspiring women who break barriers and challenge systems designed to keep them out. "At Interior, we’re making strides in increasing representation of women in leadership and fostering an environment for women to grow – no matter what field they work in,” the Secretary said. “It’s an incredible responsibility that we don’t take lightly, and I challenge others to do the same. Take time this month to thank the fierce women in your life who make the world a better place."
Secretary Haaland Celebrates One Year on the Job
![Secretary Haaland and others celebrate after her swearing in by Vice President Harris](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667488/4015344/s4-secretary-haaland-one-year_crop.png) Secretary Haaland marked her first anniversary at Interior's helm this week. She was sworn in one year ago as the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, and calls the past year nothing short of engaging, inspiring and memorable, but most of all, impactful.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau Visits Idaho, Oregon, Washington
![Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau at the National Interagency Fire Center](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667502/4015345/s5-depsec-western-tour_crop.png) Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau wrapped a three-day visit to Idaho, Washington and Oregon this week, where he highlighted the historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in wildfire resilience, conservation and ecosystem restoration.
![Smoke rises from a field and forest](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667505/4015346/s6-usgs-fire-fuels_crop.png) New research by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, and others, suggests that traditional ecological indigenous practices to remove forest fuels in what is now northern California created healthier forests. The work suggests that it’s federal suppression policies that have doubled the amount of fuels in the area since it was colonized by Euro-American settlers in approximately 1850.
![An offshore oil rig seen from the air](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USDOI/2022/03/5667519/4015347/s7-bsee-dashboard_crop.png) The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced a new tool for advancing safety in oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf is now available to industry and the public. The new web-based dashboard increases transparency and improves BSEE and the industry’s ability to improve inspection planning, as well as safety and environmental stewardship.
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