http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/index.html U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) latest audio news releases/podcasts. en-us webteam@ios.doi.gov (DOI Office of Communications (Web Content Manager) 07/24/2008 2:00 PM http://www.doi.gov/images/doi_seal.jpg http://www.doi.gov/ Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Stephen Allred announced that the Bureau of Land Management has published proposed regulations to establish a commercial oil shale program that could result in the addition of up to 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from lands in the western United States. In keeping with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the BLM is proposing regulations that would provide the critical “rules of the road” on which private investors will rely in determining whether to make future financial commitments to prospective oil shale projects. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080722OilShaleTeleconf.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the National Park Service Superintendents Summit in Snow Bird, Utah. Superintendent meetings are rare for the National Park Service. This is the third such national gathering in two decades. Superintendent Summit ’08 is the first such meeting since 1988 in Wyoming. Summit sessions focused on the role of the parks in a rapidly diversifying American population, youth programs, emerging technologies and citizen stewardship. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080716DKnpssuperintendents conf.MP3 National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar addressed park superintendents and senior park leadership at the NPS Superintendents Summit 2008 held in Snowbird, Utah. It was the first such gathering since 1988. The summit focused on three themes: reconnecting Americans with their national parks, increasing the capacity of the national park system, and developing park leaders for the next century. The National Park Service will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080716NPSdirectorBomar.MP3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed 11 Western Governors and four Canadian Premiers at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Agenda topics included energy, climate change, wildlife corridors and water policy. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080629KempthorneWGAJacksonHole.mp3 The National Park Service is participating in National Pollinator Week. They've partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey scientist Sam Droege to count native bees in the National Capital Region. The survey finds they coexist very well, sharing their habitat, with millions of tourists each year. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080624NPSpollinatorweekPODCAST.mp3 The Bureau of Land Management is participating in National Pollinator Week as proclaimed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. BLM Botanist Carol Spurrier and the Executive Director of the Xerces Society, Scott Blak, tell about BLM's participation in the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080618PollinatorPdcstBLM.mp3 More than 20,000 acres of wetlands were recently added to America's National Wildlife Refuges at this year's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service H. Dale Hall explains what the acquisition means to one of our nations greatest resources, it's wetlands and waterfowl. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080612PODCASTfws.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the 2008 Ducks Unlimited National Convention on Friday, May 23, in Baltimore. The Secretary discussed issues facing North America’s waterfowl and praised the members of Ducks Unlimited for their continuing support to conservation. Duck hunters have contributed to adding 5 million acres ( an area nearly the size of the state of Maryland) to the National Wildlife Refuge System through the purchase of Federal Duck Stamps. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/Podcast20080523copyDucksEdit.MP3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This Podcast presents his remarks at the beginning of today's news conference. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/Podcast20080514.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne hosted a wreath-laying ceremony Monday in the auditorium of the U.S. Department of the Interior in observance of National Police Week 2008. Police Week honors men and women in law enforcement who make daily sacrifices to serve their communities and the United States, particularly those killed in the line of duty in the service of others. The 2008 national theme is “Surrounded by Heroes.” The Department of the Interior has some 4,000 law enforcement officers who serve in the United States Park Police, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation. 90 DOI officers who have been killed in the line of duty since the Department’s founding in 1849. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/podcast20080512.MP3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne addressed the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, April 28. The Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit, designed for the Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities, discussed best practices to incorporate sustainable tourism which benefits the environmental, historical and cultural heritage of a region, while simultaneously sustaining the economic growth of that region. The Summit is a partnership effort of the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, The University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080428edit.MP3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, joined the Commandant of Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a member of Ulysses S. Grant’s family, to honor Grant’s 186th birthday Sunday, April 27 at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City. The event, on the final day of National Park Week, honored the man who signed the law creating Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080427GrantMemorial.MP3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined Members of Congress and National Park Service supporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to announce more than $51 milllion in Centennial Challenge Projects and Programs to be funded in 2008. More than 100 parks will benefit from the Congressional appropriation of $24.6 million and matching money totaling nearly $27 million from friends groups and national park supporters. The National Park Centennial Challenge is the public/private matching element of the President's National Park Centennial Initiative to prepare national parks for a second century of excellence in time for the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080424PODCAST.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined National Park Service Director Mary Bomar and honored guests to unveil new and enhanced visitor services on the National Mall for the 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival. This Podcast features remarks from Director Bomar and Secretary Kempthorne speaking at the Tidal Basin among the famous cherry trees. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from Saturday, March 29th through Sunday, April 13th, 2008. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080328Podcast.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne the opened jet tubes at Wednesday morning at Glen Canyon Dam to release about 41,500 cubic feet per second of Colorado River water into the Grand Canyon. The Secretary’s action launched a scientific experiment aimed at learning more about how to improve the river for wildlife and visitors. Joining the Secretary Wednesday were Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Bob Johnson, USGS Director Mark Myers and NPS Director Mary Bomar. Evaluation of the results of the release will be part of an effort to fashion a long-term, science-based adaptive management process. Scientists hope to gain a better understanding about whether higher flows created by releasing water from the dam can be used to rebuild eroded beaches downstream. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080305GlenCanyonDam.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne delivered remarks at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008), during the ministirial luncheon on Tuesday, March 4, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080304WIRECpodcast.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne attending the 2008 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, Greenville, South Carolina, announced the distribution of more than $700 million to 56 state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to fund fish and wildlife conservation efforts, boat access, shooting ranges and hunter education. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080221BassMasterMediaDay.mp3 Secretary Kempthorne was the featured speaker at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction dinner, held in connection with Bassmaster Classic professional fishing tournament near Greenville, South Carolina. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20020221PodcastBASShof.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne celebrated the brown pelican's remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction by formally proposing to remove the remaining protected populations of the bird along the Gulf and Pacific coasts, and in the Caribbean, and Central and South America from protection under the Endangered Species Act. Kempthorne announced the proposal at the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge during a joint appearance with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080208BrownPelicanESA.mp3 Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Carl J. Artman, hosted a kick off event at the Department of the Interior for its Intertribal Economic Consortium Initiative. The Interior Department signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut and the Seminole Tribe of Florida formalizing the two tribes' cooperative economic relationship. The concept, developed by the DOI's Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, facilitates tribes with purchasing power buying their goods from tribes with goods or services to sell. Also heard on this Podcast are Richard Bowers, vice-chairman, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and president, Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc. and Kenneth Reels, vice-chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut. The invocation at the beginning of this event was given by Dalton Henry of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080211PodcastASArtman.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne presented the administration's proposed FY 2009 budget for the Department of the Interior. Kempthorne and Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett discussed Interior’s key priorities for the $10.7 billion budget that will continue to maintain high levels of support for conservation and natural resource stewardship programs, national parks, healthy lands, safe Indian communities, and Indian education initiatives launched last year and proposes new strategic investments to address emerging environmental and resource management challenges. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080204Podcast.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced budget increases for Indian Country initiatives at a press conference at the National Press Club Thursday. He also joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson and other Administration officials and Indian leaders in announcing a new Native American-focused training course. Called "Working Effectively with Tribal Governments," the online course is now available to federal employees. Delivering the invocation was Joe Garcia, President of the National Congress of American Indians. Also heard on this Podcast are Department of the Interior's Carl Artman, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and Janet Creighton, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080131PodcastDKbiainitiatives.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne commemorated the 79th Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a ceremony at the Department of the Interior. Participants included the National Park Service Deputy Director Lindi Harvey and NPS Regional Director Joseph Lawler. Other participants included the choirs of Kimball Elementary School and Dunbar Senior High School and the National Park Service Honor Guard. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080118MLKspeech.mp3 Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, joined California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other dignitaries, in an historic groundbreaking ceremony, launching construction of the Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project. When completed in 2015, the $1.3 billion project will protect Sacramento from a 200-year flood, two times greater than the current protection. http://www.doi.gov/news/audio/podcasts/20080111FolsomDam.mp3 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed continuation of liberal hunting regulations for the upcoming 2007-2008 late waterfowl seasons thanks to improved habitat conditions and waterfowl population estimates, some at record highs according to Paul Schmidt, the Service’s assistant director for migratory birds. http://www.doi.gov/aunews.html#802 The Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne planted a blight-resistant American chestnut tree in the nation’s capital Friday, pledging to work with state and local governments and private restoration groups to help return this fabled natural icon to American landscapes. The planting marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act which Secretary Kempthorne called one of the most successful environmental programs in American history. http://www.doi.gov/aunews.html#726 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a 90-day finding to consider the status of 10 species’ of penguin and whether to propose them for inclusion on the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Dr. Peter Thomas, part of the service’s international affairs division, says a special provision of the Endangered Species Act covers foreign listed species. http://www.doi.gov/aunews.html#710