A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore history and science materials removed from national parks and public monuments. The ruling pauses further changes and gives officials 21 days to reinstall affected displays.
Posts tagged as “The Interior Department”
A federal judge declined to block a UFC event planned for the White House South Lawn on President Donald Trump’s birthday. The lawsuit challenged the event as an improper private business opportunity and objected to a large temporary structure built on White House grounds.
U.S. Park Police are investigating large “8647” markings found in the grass on the National Mall near the Washington Monument. Officials said grass samples were collected and the cause of the discoloration has not been determined.
A nonprofit has sued to stop the Trump administration's resurfacing of the Reflecting Pool in blue, citing legal violations and historic preservation concerns. The administration defends the project as enhancing the visitor experience ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
President Trump's plan for a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery faces legal challenges over congressional approval and concerns about obstructing historic views and nearby airport flight paths.
This report from the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General reveals that the group that organized the pro-Donald Trump rally on Jan. 6, 2021 misled government officials about plans for attendees to march on the U.S. Capitol. Text messages between the rally's organizer and a representative of the group Women for America First show that they intentionally failed to disclose information about the march. The report is a reminder of the need for transparency and accountability in the planning of large-scale events and for government officials to be vigilant in ensuring that organizers are not withholding information.
The Biden administration has taken a major step in protecting the environment by canceling all remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and protecting an additional 13 million acres in the nearby National Petroleum Reserve from drilling and other development. This decision comes in response to the increasing global warming that is causing extreme weather disasters around the world, and is in line with Biden's campaign promise to “reverse the Trump administration’s assaults” on the environment. The Interior Department said that the 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve will be protected from drilling and other development, helping to ensure that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its 19.6 million acres of habitat remain safe and protected.
The Biden administration has released an environmental analysis of competing plans for how seven Western states and tribes reliant on the Colorado River should cut their water use. The review did not state which option should be chosen, but defended the Interior Department's authority to make sure basic needs such as drinking water and hydropower are met. The White House has proposed new measures to dramatically cut how much water states can draw from the Colorado River, and the Interior Department is expected to make a decision soon.