Jan 09 Government restaffs wildlife refuges during shutdown to allow hunters access By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press An email from the Fish and Wildlife Service indicates 38 wildlife refuges around the country will bring back some furloughed staff using carryover funds. Continue reading
Apr 03 Interior Department backs down from national park fee proposal By Associated Press The plan would nearly triple entrance fees at 17 of the nation's most popular parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion, forcing visitors to pay $70 per vehicle during the peak summer season. Continue reading
Dec 04 Watch 3:30 Trump move to downsize Utah national monuments could reshape land conservation By PBS News Hour President Trump took aim at two different national monuments in Utah, announcing a plan to downsize them in order to rectify what he says were instances of overreach by prior administrations. With the full support of the state's all-Republican congressional… Continue watching
Nov 16 Trump reverses ban on importing elephant ‘trophies’ amid apparent coup in Zimbabwe By Michael Biesecker, Associated Press The Trump administration said it will allow the importation of body parts from African elephants shot for sport, contending that encouraging wealthy big-game hunters to kill them will aid the vulnerable species. The U.S. decision comes as the longtime president… Continue reading
Jun 28 Utah lawsuits to test president’s power to shrink monuments By Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Native American tribes and environmental groups preparing for a legal battle to stop President Donald Trump from dismantling Utah's new national monument face a tougher challenge than anticipated. Continue reading
Apr 15 Interior Secretary: No harassment allowed at National Parks By Sam Smith, Associated Press U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is personally encouraging National Park Service employees to report any forms of workplace harassment they experience or witness. Continue reading
Dec 15 Watch 5:19 News Wrap: Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke chosen for Interior Department By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump picked Rep. Ryan Zinke to lead the Interior Department. A first-term congressman, Zinke has pushed for energy independence and voted to expand oil and gas drilling. Also, white supremacist Dylann Roof was… Continue watching
Dec 13 AP Sources: Trump offers Montana’s Zinke interior secretary By Julie Pace and Ken Thomas, Associated Press Zinke, 55, a retired Navy SEAL, was an early supporter of Trump and met with the president-elect Monday. Continue reading
Sep 09 Watch 4:51 After legal disappointment, North Dakota pipeline protesters vow to fight on By PBS News Hour There’s been a months-long standoff over the construction of a $3.8 billion pipeline extension designed to run near tribal land in North Dakota. On Friday, a federal judge denied the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request to stop the project. But… Continue watching
Feb 14 Valentine’s Day takes to the Internet By Colleen Shalby Love is all around, from Google to Facebook to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Continue reading