DOI

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced that $94.3 million will be distributed for outdoor recreation and conservation projects to the 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is funded through offshore oil and gas leasing. These funds are awarded through federal matching grants that leverage public and private investment in America’s state and local public parks.

The Department of the Interior announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation is awarding a construction contract of almost $62 million for part of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in New Mexico to increase the supply of clean drinking water to surrounding communities.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Colorado Senator Cory Gardner announced today that the National Park Service is teaming up with partners across the nation to distribute nearly $50 million in high priority maintenance and infrastructure projects at 42 parks in 29 states. Congress provided $20 million for the projects as part of the Centennial Challenge program which will be matched by $33 million from more than 50 park partners to improve trails, restore buildings, and increase visitor access to parks.

While meeting with local, state and federal officials in Nevada today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that more than 1,900 local governments around the country will receive $464.6 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2017. Nevada has more federally-owned land than any other state (as a percentage) and will receive $26,184,790

Building on recent initiatives to prevent privately operated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) from interfering with Federal, state, and local wildland firefighting activity, the Department of the Interior announced today that it is expanding and enhancing its wildfire location data-sharing program for 2017.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced that the Bureau of Reclamation awarded $23,619,391 to communities in seven states for planning, designing and constructing

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced the appointment of Vincent DeVito to serve as Counselor to the Secretary for Energy Policy to strengthen and better coordinate the Department's vast energy portfolio. DeVito will advise the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretaries on all aspects of energy policy and ensure policy coordination among the nine bureaus with energy responsibilities within the Department.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed two secretarial orders to advance American energy independence. The Secretary’s orders foster responsible development of coal, oil, gas, and renewable energy on federal and Tribal lands and initiate review of agency actions directed by President Trump’s executive order entitled “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth.”

President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Scott Pruitt, and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced a bold American energy Executive Order that will put our nation on track to full and dominant American energy independence.

The Department of the Interior today announced that through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS)  Cooperative Recovery Initiative (CRI) more than $3.74 million is being committed to nine projects across 12 states to help recover some of the nation’s most at-risk species on or near national wildlife refuges.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank today announced the completion of the nation’s seventh competitive lease sale for renewable wind energy in federal waters. A Wind Energy Area of 122,405 acres offshore Kitty Hawk, North Carolina received the high bid of $9,066,650 from Avangrid Renewables, LLC, the provisional winner.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced President Trump’s $11.6 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget blueprint request for the Department of the Interior. The budget meets the Department's core mission while also saving taxpayers $1.5 billion or 12 percent reduction from the FY 2017 Annualized Continuing Resolution level.