DOI deputy touts IIJA benefits for public lands
Key Takeaways
In his second stint at the Interior Department, now-Deputy Sec. Tommy Beaudreau feels a tremendous responsibility to help counties face their current challenges. He previously served as chief of staff to Sec. Sally Jewell during the Obama administration.
Those challenges include drought, wildfire, crumbling infrastructure and devastation from extreme storms.
“These are national-level challenges that defy political boundaries and yet, every county feels the stress and needs to have the resources to serve their constituents,” he said during the Feb. 14 General Session. “Something we all have in common is that we care about results and we want to deliver for the people we serve.”
He described the programs financed by the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, including $28.1 billion to help states plug orphan oil and gas wells and recover abandoned mine lands, restore critical habitat, address drought through water delivery infrastructure, assist with wildfire management and help communities prepare for extreme weather events.
“There’s no better feeling than to be able to give these communities a shot in the arm, and we’ll be doing it every year for 15 years thanks to the bill,” he said.
Addressing wildfire risk in the West will include $1.5 billion for forest restoration, fuels management and post-wildfire restoration activities across the National Park Service and $8.3 billion for water and drought resilience, water efficiency, recycling and rural water projects.
“These are the types of projects that are possible with this once-in-a-lifetime investment to help communities navigate the broad range of funding available to the president’s bipartisan infrastructure law, we need to work together on technical assistance and providing a guideline and handbooks for how to access these funds.”
He said the Interior Department will be in contact with state, county and local governments and other stakeholders regarding the practical considerations of accessing grant funding and provide project support.
“We want to work with you on how to provide technical assistance to access this funding,” Beaudreau said. “This is a major conversation happening right now across the federal family, and with our state, local and tribal partners, we do not want any communities left behind.”
Attachments
Related News
Congress advances resolutions to overturn three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans
On October 8 and 9, the U.S. Congress passed resolutions under Congressional Review Act authority expressing disapproval of three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans covering public lands in Montana, Alaska and North Dakota. The resolutions repeal recently finalized resource management plans and revert the areas to prior land use plans.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces it will not develop a recovery plan for the gray wolf
On November 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not develop a national recovery plan for the gray wolf, which is currently considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act in much of the contiguous United States. The Service’s assessment, which determines that a nationwide recovery plan is no longer necessary for gray wolves, is consistent with previous federal agency findings that the species no longer warrant endangered or threatened species protection.
Bipartisan legislation encouraging active forest management advances in U.S. Senate
On January 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471/S. 1462), also known as FOFA. Initially introduced by Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.), this bipartisan legislation will promote active forest management to curtail the wildfire crisis and protect rural communities, infrastructure and natural resources.