FROM: U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
This Week at Interior March 13, 2015
March 13, 2015
Interior is now closer to its goal of one million volunteers on public lands, thanks to a $5m donation from American Express; Secretary Jewell releases the 2015 fire season strategy to protect and restore sagebrush lands in the west; and bat researchers at USGS, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service are honored for their conservation efforts.Transcript
THIS WEEK AT INTERIOR...
BIG NEWS IN THE BIG APPLE THIS WEEK… INTERIOR IS NOW ONE STEP CLOSER TO ITS GOAL OF GETTING ONE MILLION VOLUNTEERS ON AMERICA’S PUBLIC LANDS ANNUALLY, THANKS TO A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS. THE COMPANY IS INVESTING FIVE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WILL GO TOWARD BUILDING COALITIONS IN 50 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY… PART OF A GOAL TO *TRIPLE* THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS CURRENTLY CARING FOR PARKS AND OTHER PUBLIC LANDS. COMPANY AND NEW YORK CITY OFFICIALS JOINED SECRETARY JEWELL AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY AT THE CASTLE CLINTON NATIONAL MONUMENT IN BATTERY PARK.
WE WON’T HAVE ADVOCACY FOR OUR PUBLIC LANDS AND OUR OPEN SPACES IF OUR CITIZENRY DOESN’T VALUE THEM, IF THE FUTURE MAYORS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS AREN’T AWARE, BECAUSE THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE IS CRITICAL TO ENSURING A VIABLE FUTURE FOR OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS. AND WE WANT TO HELP PRESERVE THESE TREASURES AND AMERICA’S RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE.
AFTER THE CEREMONY THE SECRETARY JOINED VOLUNTEERS FOR A SERVICE PROJECT AT THE CASTLE CLINTON GARDENS OF REMEMBRANCE. NEW YORK CITY WAS SELECTED AS THE FIRST OF 50 CITIES FOR THIS NEW NATIONWIDE EFFORT. THE SECRETARY THEN TRAVELED TO MIAMI AND ATLANTA, THE NEXT TWO CITIES TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE VOLUNTEER NETWORK. THE SECRETARY ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, DENVER, LOS ANGELES, MINNEAPOLIS, SAN FRANCISCO, ST. LOUIS AND ST. PAUL HAVE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WILL RECEIVE A CITY COORDINATOR TO HELP THESE EFFORTS . STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL CITIES TO BE SELECTED LATER THIS YEAR… FIND OUT MORE AT DOI.GOV.
SECRETARY JEWELL THIS WEEK RELEASED A STRATEGY TO PROTECT AND RESTORE SAGEBRUSH LANDS FOR THE 2015 FIRE SEASON… THE REPORT ADVANCES WORK WITH FEDERAL, STATE, TRIBAL AND NON GOVERNMENT PARTNERS, TO PROTECT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT VITAL TO THE WAY OF LIFE IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES… THE SECRETARY SAYS THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WILL HELP ENSURE OUR PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AS THE FIRE SEASON APPROACHES… YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE REPORT AT DOI.GOV
AND USGS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND FISH AND WILDLIFE BAT CONSERVATION RESEARCHERS AND THEIR PARTNERS WERE RECOGNIZED THIS WEEK BY THE U-S FOREST SERVICE… THE BAT TEAM RECEIVED THE SERVICE’S *WINGS ACROSS THE AMERICAS RESEARCH AWARD* FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NORTH AMERICAN BAT MONITORING PROGRAM. USGS SAYS BAT RESEARCH IS NOT ONLY VITAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF THESE NIGHT FLYING MAMMALS AND THE ECOSYSTEM THEY SERVE… IT’S ALSO VITAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE KEY ROLE BATS PLAY IN PEST CONTROL AND PLANT POLLINATION.
THATS THIS WEEK, AT INTERIOR.
