Wednesday, May 8 2013 3:55PM
The DOI released a new environmental report highlighting its various programs, plans and policies.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released its annual Environmental Justice Implementation Progress Report for 2012, which highlights the existing resources and programs that help facilitate environmental, health and economic community development for Native American tribes and low-income Americans.
The report addresses projects, policies and programs carried out by the DOI's many offices, and examines how these initiatives were carried out to ensure environmental integrity was maintained. The agency is focusing more heavily on this issue as it seeks to safeguard water and land resources for tribal members and Americans. Additionally, the DOI plans to develop projects with sustainability and conservation in mind. Findings also outline plans and programs that can assist groups facing health and environmental risks.
"This annual report is a continuation of the Obama Administration's broad efforts to reinvigorate federal commitment to addressing the need for environmental justice and related concerns of minority and low-income populations," said Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget.
The findings in the report may also help the DOI build stronger bridges with the local and tribal governments with whom it works, particularly in regards to making decisions about tribal lands. For example, the DOI is currently making determinations about whether to remove four privately owned hydroelectric facilities on the Klamath River and how this decision would impact the tribal community.
For more information, check out this resource: The U.S. Department of the Interior