U.S. Department of Interior Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Interior Department Initiative Means A Closer Look At Northwest Indigenous School Burial Sites

By Rob Manning July 7, 2021

Chemawa Indian School is the oldest continuously running off-reservation Indian boarding school. CREDIT: Rob Manning/OPB

When Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a sweeping investigation into burial sites on current and former school sites that have historically served Native Americans, it was met with amazement, even among people who’ve been searching out Indigenous remains for years. Read More

For Nez Perce Tribe, And Across The West, Deb Haaland Faces A Long To-Do List At Interior

By NPR News March 21, 2021

The Nez Perce tribe's vice chairman Casey Mitchell proudly wears a bead necklace sewn by his mother as a college graduation present that depicts Chief Joseph. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

Deb Haaland, the former Democratic congresswoman, made history Monday by becoming the first indigenous interior secretary. She's promising to begin repairing a legacy of broken treaties and abuses committed by the federal government toward tribes. It's one pillar of a long and ambitious to-do list of reforms the administration is planning at the sprawling agency that is Read More

Deb Haaland Confirmed As U.S. Interior Secretary, First Native American In Any Cabinet Post

By NPR News March 15, 2021

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., is sworn in before her Senate confirmation hearing to be Interior Secretary last month. Her confirmation makes her the country's first Native American cabinet secretary. CREDIT: Jim Watson/AP

The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic Congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration's ambitious efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature. Read More

Interior Department Moves To Make It Illegal (Again) To Accidentally Kill Migratory Birds

By NPR News March 10, 2021

Thousands of snow geese take flight near Conway, Wash. in 2019. The Biden administration is reversing a policy under President Trump that drastically weakened protections for most U.S. bird species. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

The Interior Department rescinded a controversial Trump-era legal opinion Monday that limited the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It also said it will soon propose a rule to replace one enacted at the end of the Trump administration that did the same. Read More

States Look To Ramp Up Wolf Kills Following Previous Administration’s Move To Ease Protections

By NWPB News March 8, 2021

The timing of the Wisconsin hunt was bumped up following a lawsuit that raised concerns President Joe Biden’s administration would intervene to restore gray wolf protections. The group behind the suit has close links to Republican political circles including influential donors the Koch brothers and notable Trump loyalists — Kris Kobach, a former U.S. Senate candidate from Read More

Interior Nominee Deb Haaland Faces Tough Questions On Climate Goals

By NPR News February 23, 2021

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., during her Senate hearing Tuesday to be Interior Secretary. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American to hold the post. CREDIT: Jim Watson/AP

Congresswoman Deb Haaland would be not just the first Native American Interior Secretary, but also the first in a presidential cabinet. She faced tough — and, at times, misguided — questioning from Republican lawmakers worried about the president's climate goals. Read More

Western Members Of Congress Call For Investigation Into Slashed Spotted Owl Protections By Interior

By Monica Samayoa February 4, 2021

A northern spotted owl. CREDIT: Todd Sonflieth/OPB

Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer joined with colleagues from Washington, California and Arizona Tuesday in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Interior. In it, they requested an immediate federal review into the previous administration’s decision to remove 3.4 million acres of the Northern spotted owl’s critical habitat in Read More

In Historic Move, Rep. Deb Haaland Will Be Nominated As First Native American To Lead Interior

By NPR News December 18, 2020

Deb Haaland poses for a picture with the Associated Press in New Mexico

If confirmed by the Senate, Rep. Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, would be the country's first Native American Cabinet secretary. Fittingly, she'd do so as head of the agency responsible for not only managing the nation's public lands but also honoring its treaties with the Indigenous people from whom those lands were taken. Read More

Possible Native American Interior Secretary ‘Would Mean A Lot To Indian Country,’ Rep. Haaland Says

By NPR News November 23, 2020

Dozens of House Democrats have called on President-elect Joe Biden to make the New Mexico congresswoman the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. Continue Reading Possible Native American Read More

Wolves Will Lose Federal Protections In The Northwest, Conservation Groups Vow A Fight

By Courtney Flatt October 29, 2020

A wolf from the Snake River Pack passes by a remote camera in eastern Wallowa County, Ore. A wolf advocate group in Colorado is challenging the model for U.S. wildlife management. CREDIT: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP

The federal government says it will remove endangered species protections for gray wolves in the Lower 48. The move will reduce protections for the predators in the western two-thirds of Washington and Oregon. Continue Read More

Interior Dept. Grant To Help States With Wildlife Migration. One Area In North Idaho Is A Chokepoint

By NWPB News February 14, 2020

A mule deer uses a wildlife crossing below Highway 97 in Oregon, the same major north-south route in north-central Washington's Okanogan County looking at similar measures. CREDIT: ODOT

A new federal grant aims to improve wildlife habitat and migration corridors in the Northwest. About $100,000 is going to a project related to a wildlife underpass that will be built under U.S. Highway 95 in North Idaho. Read More

Numbers Of Imperiled Sage Grouse Tumble Even Lower Across The West

By NWPB News September 12, 2019

Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and other states are reporting population declines for the birds in 2019. CREDIT: Jerret Raffety/The Rawlins Daily Times via AP

Grouse numbers also continued to drop in 2019 in Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. Weather can affect populations from year to year, and wildlife officials say those short-term cycles are most directly responsible for the recent declines. Continue Read More

Federal Government Expands Hunting And Fishing At National Wildlife Refuges

By NWPB News September 10, 2019

Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge near American Falls, Idaho. CREDIT: Bill Schaefer/Idaho State Journal via AP

The Trump administration says it is expanding hunting and fishing in 77 national wildlife refuges, including those in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, in a move that critics contend is deferring management to states and could harm wildlife. Read More

Federal Interior Department Official Who Pushed Arctic Drilling Joins Oil Company In Alaska

By NPR News September 5, 2019

Joe Balash, left, after a meeting earlier this year in Arctic Village, where some oppose oil drilling in nearby Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. CREDIT: Nat Herz/Alaska's Energy Desk

Joe Balash, a top U.S. Interior Department appointee who pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil leasing, is taking a job with an oil company seeking to develop a major project in Alaska. Continue Read More

Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Endangered Species Protections

By NPR News August 12, 2019

A bald eagle looks for its next meal along the Skagit River. Eagles converge there in great numbers every winter. CREDIT: JASON RANSOM/ NPS 2017

In a move that critics say will hurt plants, animals and other species as they face mounting threats, the Trump administration is making major changes to how the Endangered Species Act is implemented. Continue Reading Trump Read More

U.S. Department Of Interior Moves To Roll Back Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations

By NPR News May 4, 2019

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig is seen here in July 2010, shortly before the Macondo well was capped after spilling oil for 87 days. The Trump administration has proposed revisions to Obama-era rules that aimed to prevent similar disasters. Dave Martin/Associated Press

The Interior secretary touted the revised rules as eliminating "unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining safety." But environmental groups said the move demonstrates oil industry influence. Continue Reading U.S. Department Read More

On Public Lands, Visitors Surge While Federal Management Funds Decline

By NPR News March 31, 2019

Like most American ski areas, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area operates on U.S. Forest Service land thanks to a federal lease. Shrinking federal budgets to maintain recreational access to public lands mean locals have to be creative to keep trails open and safe. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

Across the western U.S., towns surrounded by public lands are facing an increasing bind: They're seeing a huge surge in visitors coming to play in the forests and mountains surrounding them, which is leading to an economic boom. But, at the same time, federal funding to manage these lands has been drying up. Read More

Interior Secretary Nominee Gets Grilled On Ethics At Confirmation Hearing

By NPR News March 28, 2019

David Bernhardt, a former oil and gas lobbyist, speaks before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing to head the Interior Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 28, 2019. CREDIT: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

During a testy confirmation hearing on Thursday, President Donald Trump's pick to be the nation's largest land steward told senators that he would take steps to prevent conflicts of interest and to improve ethics guidelines at the Interior Department. Read More

Interior Department’s Push To Limit Public Records Requests Draws Criticism

By NPR News February 18, 2019

Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke left the Trump administration amid unresolved ethics investigations. His department has been inundated by Freedom of Information requests and is now proposing a new rule which critics charge could limit transparency. CREDIT: Cliff Owen/AP

A new rule proposed by Interior in December appears designed to make it harder for public interest groups like Western Values Project to get public records. The rule would give the agency greater discretion over how it handles public records requests. Read More

The New Acting Interior Secretary Is An Agency Insider And Ex-Oil Lobbyist

By NPR News January 2, 2019

David Bernhardt, a former oil-industry lobbyist and a polarizing figure, will lead the Department of the Interior for now as Ryan Zinke steps down. CREDIT: DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP

As Ryan Zinke steps down amid a string of ethics investigations, his deputy David Bernhardt — a former oil-industry lobbyist and a polarizing figure — will take over at the Department of the Interior. Continue Reading The New Acting Read More

As Ryan Zinke Departs Interior, Chances Dim For North Cascades Grizzly Reintroduction

By Courtney Flatt December 23, 2018

This undated file photo provided by the National Park Service shows a grizzly bear walking along a ridge in Montana.National Park Service CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

A controversial plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to Washington’s North Cascades will not be finished by the end of the year. Federal officials had pushed to bring grizzlies back to wilder parts of the state. Those efforts have stalled. Read More

Ryan Zinke Stepping Down As Interior Secretary Amid Ethics Investigations

By NPR News December 15, 2018

Ryan Zinke at a May 2018 Senate Appropriates subcommittee meeting. CREDIT: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Ryan Zinke is out as secretary of the Interior. Zinke will be leaving the Trump administration at the end of the year; his successor is expected to be announced next week. Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers was considered a top candidate for the job before Zinke was named in 2017. Read More

President Trump’s Push For ‘Energy Dominance’ Boosts Drilling On Public Lands

By NWPB News November 26, 2018

Environmental groups say the expansion of oil and gas drilling on public land could harm habitat for pronghorn antelope and sage grouse. CREDIT: Cooper McKim/Wyoming Public Media

Analysts say a perfect storm is making Wyoming, the country's largest coal state, more favorable for oil and gas. Higher oil prices are certainly one factor, says Carl Larry, who advises oil and gas companies with the financial consulting firm Refinitiv in Houston. Read More

Grizzlies Have Recovered, Officials Say; Now Montanans Have To Get Along With Them

By NPR News September 4, 2018

A sow grizzly bear spotted near Camas in northwestern Montana. Wildlife officials endorsed a plan in August to keep northwestern Montana's grizzly population at roughly 1,000 bears as the state seeks to bolster its case that lifting federal protections will not lead to the bruins' demise. CREDIT: MONTANA FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PARK

A healthy population of grizzlies in and around Glacier National Park means the bear may soon come off the endangered species list. But more bears mean more confrontations with humans. Continue Reading Grizzlies Have Recovered, Read More

Amendment Defunding Grizzly Reintroduction In Washington Passes U.S. House

By Courtney Flatt July 23, 2018

An amendment to prevent the relocation of grizzly bears to Washington’s North Cascades has passed the U.S. House. The move is opposed by conservation groups, which say more grizzly bears are needed in the state. Continue Reading Read More

Grizzlies Coming Back To North Cascades? What Washington Can Learn From Montana

By Courtney Flatt June 7, 2018

Montana officials immobilization and processing a male grizzly bear that they’re transporting to a remote location. The 3-year-old bear had been wandering close to homes and eating bird seed and garbage. Photo courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

People in Montana say what’s happened with grizzlies in their state could be a guide for Washington, where the bears are in big trouble but on the verge of getting reinforcements. Continue Reading Grizzlies Coming Back To North Cascades? What Washington Can Read More

State Department Vague But Optimistic On Columbia River Treaty Renegotiations

By Emily Schwing May 31, 2018

An aerial photograph of the Revelstoke Dam in British Columbia. CREDIT - KELOWNIAN PILOT - TINYURL.COM/YDF7L9X2

The first round of talks to modernize the U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty took place this week. Officials from the U.S. negotiating team briefed reporters on Thursday on progress at the talks, which are aimed at revising the 54-year-old agreement which governs hydropower and flood control along the Columbia River. Read More

Federal Government Says It Won’t Sell Off Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Lines

By Courtney Flatt May 25, 2018

File photo of the power lines at Bonneville Dam. CREDIT: BRADLEY W. PARKS/OPB

The Trump administration has abandoned its bid to sell off the Pacific Northwest’s publicly owned utility transmission lines, according to Republican members of Congress who were briefed on the decision. Continue Read More

Chinook Tribe Has Its Day In Court, But Still Faces Long Road To Recognition

By Molly Solomon May 9, 2018

The Chinook Indian Nation gather outside a federal courthouse in Tacoma to rally support for federal recognition. CREDIT: MOLLY SOLOMON

The Chinook Indian Nation is taking its fight for federal recognition into the courtroom. U.S. District Court Judge Ronald B. Leighton heard oral arguments and will take the next two weeks to decide if the case moves forward. Continue Read More

National Park Service To ‘Modestly’ Raise Entrance Fees In Plan To Cut Repair Backlog

By NPR News April 13, 2018

The National Park Service will increase entrance fees at 117 national parks by at least $5. The increases are far smaller than had previously been proposed by the Trump administration. Continue Reading National Park Service Read More

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke Downplays Possibility Of Drilling Off Washington, Oregon Coasts

By Tom Banse April 11, 2018

File photo of an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. CREDIT: BERARDO62 / TINYURL.COM/Y8KHPH57

In congressional testimony Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said he has heard the strong opposition from the West Coast to the Trump administration's plan for offshore oil and gas drilling. He expressed doubt drilling would ever happen along the Pacific Northwest coast. Read More

Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke Coming To Washington To Talk Grizzly Bear Recovery

By Courtney Flatt March 22, 2018

This undated file photo provided by the National Park Service shows a grizzly bear walking along a ridge in Montana.CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is heading to the North Cascades Friday to speak on reintroducing grizzly bears in that part of Washington. His agency had previously suspended controversial efforts to bolster the bears in the area. Continue Read More

Interior Secretary Zinke: West Coast Lacks ‘Resources Of Any Weight’ For Offshore Drilling

By Ericka Cruz Guevarra March 13, 2018

Drilling platform off Southern California

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell that his proposal for offshore oil and gas drilling will reflect the “interests of Washington.” “You should know off the coast of Oregon, Washington, most of California, there are no known resources of any weight,” Zinke said. Read More

Interior Secretary Zinke Ties National Parks Fixes To Oil And Gas Profits On Public Lands

By Eilís O'Neill February 12, 2018

Mount Rainier’s Alta Vista trail is filled with potholes. CREDIT: EILIS O’NEIL/KUOW/EARTHFIX

The U.S. Interior Department plans to expand energy development on public lands and offshore to pay for the National Parks’ maintenance backlog. Continue Reading Interior Secretary Zinke Ties National Parks Fixes To Oil And Gas Read More

Oregon Senators Merkley And Wyden Oppose Interior Department’s Offshore Drilling Plan

By Brian Bull February 7, 2018

Offshore oil rig in California. CREDIT: SELBE LYNN/FLICKR

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is taking input on the administration’s plan to open waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to oil drilling. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says that would endanger the Oregon Coast’s environment, tourism and fishing industry. Read More

Feds Ease Rules For Wind Turbines (And Bird Advocates React)

By Courtney Flatt January 22, 2018

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MTBA) is the primary federal law protecting birds in the U.S. It initially targeted poaching and a feather-obsessed fashion industry that was laying waste to migratory birds across the continent. Continue Reading Feds Ease Read More

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden Wants Audit Of Ryan Zinke’s Use Of Wildfire Funds

By Zachary Garner January 11, 2018

Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is calling for an investigation into Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s use of wildfire preparedness funds after news reports revealed Zinke used the funds for unrelated travel. Continue Reading Oregon Sen. Ron Read More