The Latest Breaking News from the Interior Department

Judge blocks government plan to scale back Gulf oil lease sale to protect whale species

A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to expand next week’s scheduled sale of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases by millions of acres

The Independent UK · Sep 22, 2023

Congressional watchdog describes border wall harm, says agencies should work together to ease damage

Congress' official watchdog says in a report that the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Donald Trump toppled untold numbers of saguaro cactuses in Arizona, put endangered ocelots at risk in Texas and disturbed Native American burial grounds

The Independent UK · Sep 7, 2023

US government is funding kills of endangered animals, activists say

June hunt in Alaska that killed 99 bears and five wolves prompts activists to renew their call for crackdown on ‘rogue states’

The Guardian - US · Aug 31, 2023

DOJ sues W.Va. governor's coal empire

DOJ seeks millions in unpaid environmental fines as Gov. Jim Justice begins his campaign for the U.S. Senate

Salon · Jun 2, 2023

Inmates continue to die in tribal jails despite promises of reform

At least four inmates died and 46 others attempted suicide from July 2021 through June 2022, according to a new report. It is the most yearly deaths and attempted suicides recorded since 2016.

WEKU · May 19, 2023

Funding to support oral histories in boarding school era

The National Endowment for the Humanities is supporting an effort to record oral histories and digitize records on Indigenous boarding schools

The Independent UK · Apr 26, 2023

Pentagon sounds alarm over Biden plan for offshore wind sites

The Pentagon is sounding alarms over Biden administration plans to advance offshore wind projects along the central Atlantic U.S. coast, warning that almost all of the new terrain eyed for development conflicts with military operations.

Tribune News Service · Apr 18, 2023

Remembering Deepwater Horizon, the worst offshore oil spill in our history

As the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster approaches, the government is selling more oil and gas leases. That could weaken the enthusiasm of American voters who care about climate change, Ben Jealous of the Sierra Club writes.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 17, 2023

EXPLAINER: What might Colorado River cuts mean for states?

The Biden administration floated two ideas this week for how Western states and Native American tribes could reduce their water use from the dwindling Colorado River

The Independent UK · Apr 14, 2023

Tribe, US officials reach deal to save Colorado River water

A Native American tribe in Arizona has reached a deal with the U.S. government not to use some of its Colorado River water rights in return for $150 million and funding for a pipeline project

The Independent UK · Apr 7, 2023