On April 16, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued her first two secretarial orders. The first establishes a climate task force, coordinating Department of the Interior efforts to address climate change. The second revokes a dozen听orders issued by both of Haaland鈥檚 Trump administration predecessors that were inconsistent with the DOI鈥檚 legal obligation to protect public health, make science-based decisions, and protect natural resources.听
鈥淎t the Department of the Interior, I believe we have a unique opportunity to make our communities more resilient to climate change and to help lead the transition to a clean energy economy,鈥 Haaland said听in a statement accompanying the action. 鈥淭hese steps will align the Interior Department with the President鈥檚 priorities and better position the team to be a part of the climate solution.鈥
The orders Haaland is revoking include:听
- 听(March 29, 2017)听
- 听(March 29, 2017)听
- 听(May 1, 2017)听
- 听(May 1, 2017)听
- 听(May 31, 2017)听
- 听(July 6, 2017)听
- 听(August听31, 2017)听
- 听(翱肠迟辞产别谤听25, 2017)听
- 听(December听22, 2017)听
- 听(March 10, 2020)听
- 听(September听14, 2020)听
- 听(December听22, 2020)听
All that adds up to a thorough undoing of the Trump-era DOI鈥檚 heavy pivot toward听policies skewed in favor of the oil and gas industries鈥攅verything from a rule that lifted public health regulations on fracking听to one that prioritized energy development in Alaska鈥檚 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
鈥淭he previous orders unfairly tilted the balance of public land and ocean management toward extractive uses, without regard for climate change, equity or community engagement,鈥 Haaland said.听
The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization, indicating that听Haaland鈥檚 action听will mean consultation听with tribal nations; reviews of听environmental impacts of major federal actions such as fossil fuel leasing will include analysis of indirect and cumulative effects, like the social cost of carbon; and greater scrunity for new听coal leasing.
Haaland does not have the authority to rescind the oil leases in ANWR that the Trump administration sold in its 11th hour, nor the orders to address the reductions that administration made to the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. It鈥檚 expected that the ANWR leases will be litigated in federal court, while Haaland has already visited the two monuments in Utah听and is consulting with local stakeholders听ahead of recommending actions there to the president later this year.听
鈥淭oday鈥檚 Secretarial Orders are another important step toward restoring scientific integrity, meaningful public process, and the longstanding stewardship responsibilities for America鈥檚 public lands and waters at the Department of听Interior,鈥 said Kristen Miller, conservation director at the , in a statement. 鈥淭his is the type of bold and visionary leadership we need if we鈥檙e to effectively fight climate change, tackle the extinction crisis, and prioritize environmental justice and tribal consultation.鈥