This Week at Interior
Secretary Bernhard joined President Trump
this week to designate the city of Wilmington,
North Carolina, as the first American World
War II Heritage City.
The designation recognizes the countless contributions
of the women and men who stepped into the
workforce to support America’s successful
campaign during World War II.
It is my tremendous honor to officially designate
Wilmington North Carolina as our nation’s
very first World War II Heritage City.
That’s a big deal our Nation’s very first.
Wilmington, congratulations to you all.
(Cheering and applause)
The move came on the 75th anniversary of the
official end of the Second World War on September
2nd, 1945.
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics this
week issued no findings or recommendations
for Interior’s ethics program.
That’s a first in the Department’s history.
Secretary Bernhardt has made improving Interior’s
ethics program a priority since he arrived
as deputy Secretary in 2017, having tripled
the number of staff and restructured the program
to better support Interior’s 65,000 employees.
The 2020 Ethics Program Review recognizes
the progress of the Department’s transformational
efforts and its work to address all fourteen
findings identified in 2016.
Interior's agencies were quick to respond
to Hurricane Laura, even before the Category
Four storm slammed into the Louisiana Gulf
Coast.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's
Hurricane Response Team oversaw the evacuation
of personnel from offshore oil and gas platforms
and rigs...agents from the Bureau of Land
Management were dispatched to Louisiana to
assist with relief and search and rescue efforts
in support of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency...Fish and Wildlife and National Park
Service personnel were assessing the impact
of the storm to sites they manage...and USGS
scientists provided real-time data on water
levels for rivers and streams.
Secretary Bernhardt has designated James Weldon
Johnson Park in Jacksonville, Florida as an
official site of the African American Civil
Rights Network.
The park was the site of an attack on peaceful
demonstrators by white supremacists in August
of 1960, an incident that came to be known
as Ax Handle Saturday.
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science
Dr. Timothy Petty visited Idaho, touring several
Bureau of Reclamation sites.
He also spoke at the Idaho Water Users Water
Law & Resource Issues Seminar, discussing
water supply reliability, water infrastructure
improvements, and collaborative efforts taking
place to move projects forward through partnerships.
BLM Deputy Director Perry Pendley has been
hitting the road this past couple of weeks,
conducting site inspections and supporting
staff in Utah, Colorado and Southern Nevada,
particularly with wildfire management.
BLM and other federal agencies continue to
aggressively combat the wildfires out West
to protect communities and people’s livelihoods.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement has announced the winners of its
2020 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards.
Winning projects represent the nation’s
highest achievements in Abandoned Mine Land
reclamation, demonstrating innovative techniques
and outstanding results in restoring previously
mined lands.
Checkout the winners at osmre.gov.
And our social media Picture of the Week,
the natural pools at the base of a six foot
waterfall, at Cavitt Creek Falls Recreation
Site in Oregon.
Surrounded by a forest of fir, maple and cedar
trees, it's a fun and relaxing place to frolic.
And as the fall approaches, you just might
find yourself swimming with salmon and steelhead.
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Have great Labor Day Weekend.
That's This Week at Interior.
