 Spotlighting the Work to Restore, Connect and Conserve 30 Percent of Lands and Waters by 2030
News and Updates
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The Department of the Interior announced the establishment of the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area in Wyoming and the Paint Rock River National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee as the 569th and 570th units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The announcement, and a visit to Paint Rock River National Wildlife Refuge by Secretary Deb Haaland, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz and Service Director Martha Williams, came during National Wildlife Refuge Week, which commemorated the important role the Refuge System plays in providing vital habitat for wildlife species, offering outdoor recreation access to the public, and bolstering climate resilience across the country. These additions are the second and third units added to the Refuge System under Secretary Haaland’s leadership, following the establishment of the Lost Trail Conservation Area in Montana in August 2022. The expansion of the Refuge System furthers the Biden-Harris administration’s work to support community-led, partnership-driven efforts to conserve and restore the nation’s lands and waters through the America the Beautiful initiative.
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During Climate Week 2023, Secretary Haaland announced a $15 million commitment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to the Indian Youth Service Corps and other programs supporting the next generation of conservation and climate stewards. The Corps, launched by Secretary Haaland last year, is a partner-based program designed to provide Indigenous youth with meaningful, Tribally led public service opportunities. Projects can include the conservation and protection of natural and cultural resources through construction, restoration or rehabilitation of natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational or scenic resources. These efforts help advance the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative and ongoing efforts to support local and Tribally led conservation and restoration priorities.
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In remarks during the White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities, Secretary Haaland announced the publication of new policies to strengthen the Department’s ability to meet its mission in the face of a changing climate. In a first-ever effort to factor the climate crisis into all operations, four new Departmental Manual policies clarify and make more consistent the types of climate information used across the Department in order to strengthen and enhance mission-critical decisions and activities. These policies focus on climate adaptation and resilience in contrast with climate mitigation, which is focused on stopping or reducing the change to the climate itself. Approaches to climate change adaptation will evolve as science informs our understanding of climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. These actions align with America the Beautiful’s mission of pursuing a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation.
Montana-based researchers published a highly anticipated study about wildlife crossings this fall, furthering efforts to reconnect animal habitat while preventing costly wildlife-vehicle collisions on busy roads. The study analyzed road segments from 11 western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming — to find the best locations for wildlife crossings. The research comes at a time of increased momentum for building wildlife crossings across the country. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $350 million in federal funding to the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to be distributed among states.
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The Department of the Interior announced that all bureaus and offices have finalized sustainable procurement plans to phase out single-use plastics on public lands within the next decade. The Department-wide plans support Secretary’s Order 3407, which Secretary Haaland signed in June 2022, to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products. This Secretary’s Order is part of the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14057, which calls for federal agencies to take actions to reduce and phase out procurement of single-use plastic products to the maximum extent practicable. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland highlighted this effort in remarks as part of the White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities.
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