Located at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (La Paz), the new national monument becomes the 398th unit of our National Park System and will include Chávez’ home, the headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and the Memorial Garden where Chávez is buried.

By establishing this new national monument, President Obama has ensured that future generations will have a place to learn about this extraordinary man and the farm labor movement that improved the lives of millions of workers and continues to inspire us to achieve a more perfect union. 

President Obama’s establishment of the César Estrada Chávez National Monument is especially meaningful as we strive to tell a more diverse, rich and complete history of our nation – one that more fully recognizes the many contributions of women and minorities throughout history.

My own call to service was inspired by César Chávez. My oldest brother, Leandro, and his wife, Loretta, were organizers in the movement to gain dignity and justice for all people. And it was the Farm Workers' eagle of strength and grace that kept our family together in times of great pain and hardship. Even now, we are guided by Chavez’ moral arc that only in service to others do we find the true meaning of our lives.

A prayer written by César Chávez sits on my desk in Washington and encapsulates his spirit:

“Show me the suffering of the most miserable so I will know my people’s plight. Free me to pray for others for you are present in every person. Help me take responsibility for my own life so that I can be free at last. Grant me courage to serve others for in service there is true life.

"Give me honesty and patience so that the spirit will be alive among us. Let the spirit flourish and grow so that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember those who have died for justice for they have given us life.

"Help us love even those who hate us so we can change the world.”

The five year program we are implementing builds on the President’s strong record on oil and gas development. Nationwide, domestic oil and natural gas production has increased every year President Obama has been in office. In 2011, American oil production reached the highest level in nearly a decade and natural gas production reached an all-time high. America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since President Obama took office. We have cut net imports by ten percent – a million barrels a day – in the last year alone.  At the same time, we have implemented comprehensive reforms in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has made offshore development safer and more responsible.

Under the administration’s five year program, we have delivered what the American people have asked for: a smart way forward that focuses on the areas that contain the overwhelming majority of the resources rather than simply opening areas for the sake of achieving an imaginary acreage threshold.

And it’s only part of the progress we’ve made at the President’s direction to expand development of our domestic energy resources on public lands and waters in the past three years.

The Obama administration has overseen an overall expansion of production on federal lands and waters – as part of the nationwide rise in production levels. Total federal oil production (offshore and onshore) has increased by 13 percent during the first three years of the Obama administration combined, compared with the last three years of the previous administration. Offshore production alone has been higher or level in the past three years compared with production volumes from 2006-2008 – according to the EIA.

Two years removed from the spill, the Gulf of Mexico is back in business.

• The total number of active offshore rigs in the United States was higher at the end of April 2012 than the average total in 2009.
• Since our historic new safety standards were put into place, the pace of permitting is back at pre-spill levels
• Since our new standards were put into place, the Administration has approved nearly 700 permits for activities at hundreds of wells in the Gulf of Mexico alone. We continue to make millions of offshore acres available to industry.
• Just last month, DOI offered nearly 39 million acres for lease in the Central Gulf of Mexico, generating $1.7 billion in high bids for tracts covering more than 2.4 million acres in the most resource-rich areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
• In December, DOI offered more than 21 million acres for lease in the Western Gulf of Mexico – equal to an area the size of South Carolina.

All these are ways this administration continues to deliver on the President’s goal of expanding production of our domestic resources, while ensuring that as we continue to leverage more oil and natural gas it is done safely and responsibly.

The bottom line: it’s good news for American jobs, good news for the Gulf economy, and it’s good news for the President’s efforts to expand safe and responsible production of America’s abundant domestic resources. 

Despite misleading rhetoric from some, the President has made clear he is committed to expanding oil and natural gas production safely and responsibly, and today’s sale is just the latest example of his administration delivering on that commitment. As part of the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, this sale builds on a series of actions taken by the Obama administration, including additional lease sales in both onshore and offshore areas for oil and gas development. 

In 2010, we offered 37 million offshore acres for lease, and last year we held a lease sale in the Western Gulf of Mexico that made another 21 million acres available. The total number of active offshore rigs in the United States was higher at the end of April 2012 than the average total in 2009 – the year before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. And offshore permitting is nearly back to pre-spill levels, with more than 600 offshore permits to drill approved since we put in place historic and comprehensive new standards to ensure we’re developing our abundant resources in a safe and responsible manner. 

Onshore, we held more than 30 oil and gas lease sales on America’s public lands covering 4.4 million acres in 2011, and this year we’re holding at least 30 more. Last year, at the President’s direction, we held a lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska, and we’ve permitted infrastructure process to help bring Arctic energy to market and create jobs.

And we’re also moving forward with oil and gas activities in the Alaskan Arctic offshore with a proposed oil and gas program for the next five years that cautiously makes frontier areas in the Arctic available for leasing. All in all, the program would offer all offshore areas with high known resource potential for leasing and schedules 15 potential lease sales for the five-year period, including 12 in the Gulf of Mexico and 3 off the coast of Alaska. 

The numbers speak for themselves: every year the President has been in office, domestic oil and gas production has increased, foreign imports of oil have decreased, and we are currently producing more oil than any time in eight years. In fact, imports of foreign oil decreased by a million barrels a day in the last year alone. 

At the President’s direction, we will continue to take important steps, just as we are doing today in New Orleans, to make resource-rich areas of our public lands and waters available for increased domestic energy development.

Learn more:

• Everything you need to know about President's Obama's energy strategy

Last year, 62 million international tourists visited the United States and pumped a record $153 billion into local economies, helping to support the 7.6 million jobs in our travel and tourism industry. These numbers make tourism America’s number one service export.

That’s why the White House released a new National Travel and Tourism Strategy today, charting a new course toward making America a more attractive and accessible destination than ever before. The Strategy sets a goal of drawing 100 million international visitors by 2021, which is expected to generate $250 billion annually in visitor spending by 2012. The strategy also encourages more Americans to travel within the United States.

America is the land of extraordinary natural wonders – from the Grand Canyon to the Florida Keys; from Yellowstone to Yosemite. America is where we do big things, and as a result, we have incredible landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building; the Hoover Dam and the Gateway Arch. This is the land of iconic cities and all their sights – from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to the Space Needle in Seattle to the skyline of Chicago. From the Mall of America to Walt Disney World, we have it all right here.

At President Obama’s direction in January, we co-chaired an interagency task force to develop the strategy – identifying concrete steps in five key areas designed to promote these destinations and make America as number one tourism destination in the world:

1. Federal agencies will expand efforts to promote a welcoming message for international visitors, coordinating with Brand USA to encourage international travel to America.
2. Federal agencies will enable more efficient and secure travel to and within the United States, and improve the visa application process, which has already been dramatically enhanced under the leadership of Secretaries Clinton and Napolitano.
3. We will foster greater cooperation with the private sector to provide a world-class U.S. travel experience. This includes leveraging technology in to help non-English speaking visitors and do more to help small businesses tap into this expanding market opportunity.
4. Through the Tourism Policy Council, we will work more closely with public and private partners to coordinate federal policies. Plus, the Commerce Department will establish a national travel and tourism office to provide leadership within the federal government.
5. We will work with both industry and academic researchers to collect and analyze the best data on travel and tourism to help make smart, strategic decisions that will maximize America’s growth and leadership in this industry.   

Tourism is our number one services export, and holds an incredible potential to create American jobs. As our nation’s economy continues to gain strength, we’re proud of this National Strategy and the promise it holds of being an economic engine for the country.

We look forward to working with our partners across government and industry to turn this strategy into action.

Learn more:

• We Can't Wait: President Obama launches new iniatiatives to increase tourism  
• Americans say why their town is great for tourists

On Tuesday, we took another major step forward in President Obama’s commitment to responsibly expand development of America’s abundant natural gas resources by approving the Greater Natural Buttes gas development project in Utah.

This project, proposed by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, could produce more than six trillion cubic feet of natural gas over its life, support more than 4,000 American jobs during the different phases of development, and infuse millions of dollars into local Utah communities.

The project is a model for a balanced approach to energy development: by using innovative technologies and best practices, the project will limit new surface disturbance to just five percent of the area. And, as part of a landmark cooperative agreement with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Anadarko will drill the 3,600 new wells while safeguarding air quality and ensuring the protection of critical wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation values.

Today’s announcement exemplifies the kind of progress we are making as part of the Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy. In 2011, U.S. natural gas production grew by more than 7 percent – the largest year-over-year increase in history. U.S. gas production is now at an all-time high and oil production is at an eight-year high. And America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since President Obama took office; we have cut net imports by ten percent – or a million barrels a day – in the last year alone.

But that’s not all.  Renewable energy production has nearly doubled over the last three years. And on public lands, we are well on our way to meeting the President’s goal of permitting 10,000 megawatts of large-scale renewable power by the end of the year.

Earlier this week, in the sun-drenched southwest corner of Nevada, we “flipped the switch” on the first large-scale solar energy facility on U.S. public lands to deliver power to American consumers. The Enbridge Silver State North solar facility uses innovative photovoltaic technology to deliver clean energy to more than 10,000 homes and businesses across Nevada.

The 50-megawatt project generates electricity with no air emissions, no waste production, and no water use. The advanced process displaces about 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road.

Prior to 2009, Interior had not authorized a single solar project on public lands. But today, the Silver State North project is one of 29 large-scale renewable energy projects that Interior has approved on public lands, including 16 solar projects, 5 wind farms, and 8 geothermal plants. If built by the companies, the facilities will provide more than 6,500 megawatts of power to communities across the West.

We need to keep this momentum going and help put America in control of its energy future. That’s why President Obama has called on Congress to pass legislation that will extend the Production Tax Credit to support American jobs and manufacturing in the wind industry alongside an expansion of the 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit that supports American-made clean energy manufacturing.

All of these trends show the gathering strength of America’s energy economy as we move forward with an all-of-the-above energy strategy.

As Women's History Month comes to a close, I am reminded that two very influential women in American history -- Clara Barton and Rachel Carson -- began their careers as employees of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Barton started as a recording clerk at the U.S. Patent Office - which was then part of the Department of the Interior - with a salary of $1,400 a year, equal to that of the men with whom she worked. But Robert McLelland, a predecessor of mine as Secretary of the Interior, did not believe women should be employed in government offices, much less paid as much as men, so he demoted her to a copyist and reduced her pay to 10 cents for every 100 words copied.

Clara Barton went on to found the American Red Cross. Its headquarters - now a National Historic Landmark - are across the street from her former employer, and a visible reminder to each Interior Secretary of her story and legacy.

Rachel Carson had a much better experience with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a biologist and editor in the 1930s and 1940s, where she worked until her best-seller, The Sea Around Us, allowed her to become a full-time writer. She eventually published her treatise on the effects of pesticides on wildlife, Silent Spring, which helped awaken a powerful conservation movement. Congress named Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine in her honor, and her house in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a National Historic Landmark.

As Secretary of the Interior, where I have responsibility for the stewardship of our nation's history and culture, I am keenly aware of how much of women's history remains untold. In fact, just 12 of our 397 national parks focus solely on the lives and accomplishments of women, and just 4 percent of our National Historic Sites and National Historic Landmarks.

Barton and Carson both deserve recognition, but so do countless other women. Yes, we must recognize the many women who pushed the boundaries in fields ranging from agriculture to art, from medicine to engineering. But, just as importantly, we need to recognize, interpret, and preserve the stories of women from all walks of life - who may not have gained fame or notoriety - but who have all shaped our history and have made us who we are today as a people.

As our nation's storyteller, the National Park Service will play a central role in expanding our understanding and preservation of the sites that tell the story of women in America.
Over the coming months, the National Park Service will broaden a successful partnership with the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, through which they interpret women's history in the northeastern region of the country. We want to take that successful model to a national scale.

The National Park Service will also be launching a new study on the identification, preservation and education of women's suffrage and women's rights historic sites across the country.

These steps are part of a broader effort under President Obama's leadership to ensure that we are telling all of America's story. In the last year alone, we have created the Fort Monroe National Monument, celebrated the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to the National Mall, dedicated the Cesar Chavez "Forty Acres" site as a National Historic Landmark, taken steps to protect the sites of Japanese internment camps from world War II, and many other things.

With the National Park System nearing its 100th anniversary in 2016, we have a remarkable opportunity to build on our work of the last three years and expand our efforts to preserve and interpret the full breadth of American history for our children and grandchildren.

As we do so, may we be inspired by Clara Barton, Rachel Carson, and the generations of women who have forged the country we know today.

President Barack Obama is seen on a monitor as he delivers remarks during a conservation conference at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., March 2, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

There is no doubt that our nation’s public lands – national parks, refuges, waterways and open spaces – are economic engines that produce and support jobs across the country.

On Tuesday, a report issued by the National Park Service showed that visitors to the National Park System contributed more than $31 billion to local economies and supported 258,000 jobs in 2010, an increase of $689 million and 11,500 jobs over 2009.

These are incredible numbers – and just a slice of the pie when it comes to the economic contributions of our public lands.  For example, recreation in national parks, refuges, and other public lands led to nearly $55 billion and 440,000 jobs in 2009.

That’s part of the reason that President Obama called on his administration to take actions to promote travel and tourism in the United States.  Investing in our parks and public lands and promoting them to visitors, especially internationally, is one way we can make the United States - with all its natural, historic and cultural assets - the top tourist destination in the world.  International travel to the U.S. already supports 1.2 million jobs alone, so our efforts will help bolster job creation.

This is one of the topics we’re discussing today at the White House Conference on Conservation where President Obama and senior members of his Cabinet are meeting with conservation leaders from across the country to strengthen partnerships and identify next steps in advancing community-driven conservation, preservation and outdoor recreation initiatives that are building strong local economies and healthy lands, waters and wildlife. 

The White House conference – Growing America’s Outdoor Heritage and Economy – is bringing together hundreds of boaters, hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, land conservationists, historic preservationists, outdoor recreationists, small business owners, local governments, tribal leaders and other key stakeholders from around the nation.  

The Obama administration has already made great strides on conservation. And, together with our local communities across the country, we can continue the march of progress in implementing President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to create a conservation and outdoor recreation agenda for the 21^st century.

This is a promise shared throughout the Obama administration, and today’s conference was a great manifestation of the progress we’ve made – bringing together several members of the President’s cabinet, key federal officials from across the administration as well as the White House, and leaders from more than 565 federally-recognized tribes.

This morning I had the pleasure of announcing the promising results of a pilot program to reduce the high incidence of violent crime on four Indian reservations. The Safe Indian Communities initiative, a two-year program that included targeted community policing, achieved a 35 percent overall decrease in violent crime across the four communities.

We know that safer Indian communities mean stronger Indian communities. The positive results from the pilot program are extremely encouraging and far surpassed our goals. We are committed to building on that progress and will be expanding the Safe Indian Communities initiative to other reservations that are experiencing high levels of violent crime.

And throughout the week, I was proud to announce several other initiatives - developed in consultation with tribal leaders - that strengthen consultations, restore greater control to individual American Indians and Alaska Natives and tribes over their lands, reform trust asset management and resolve water rights disputes:

• The comprehensive and transparent consultation policy will provide a strong, meaningful role for tribal governments at all stages of federal decision-making on Indian policy. The draft policy embodies the best consultation practices and most innovative methods available, contains detailed accountability requirements for Interior managers, responds to the needs of tribal leaders to be more engaged in policy development and promotes more responsible decision-making on issues affecting Indian Country.
• The sweeping reform of antiquated, “one-size-fits-all” federal leasing regulations for the 56 million surface acres the federal government holds in trust for tribes and individual Indians will provide landowners certainty and flexibility on the use of their land. The revised regulations, the most comprehensive reform of Indian land leasing rules in more than 50 years, will streamline the approval process for home ownership, expedite business leases and spur renewable energy development in Indian Country.
• The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform was activated by naming five prominent tribal leaders to this national commission to undertake a forward-looking, comprehensive evaluation of how Interior manages nearly $4 billion in American Indian trust funds. The goal is to make the trust administration system more transparent, responsive, customer-friendly and accountable.
• The release of $21 million under the Soboba of Luiseño Indians Settlement Act marks the final step in an historic water rights settlement and fulfills promises made to the Soboba Band and southern California communities when Congress approved the Act in 2008. The settlement will stabilize water supplies in the San Jacinto River Basin and enhance economic development opportunities for the Soboba Band and its neighbors.

These initiatives build on other Administration achievements during the past three years, including the historic $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement that addresses long-standing injustices; $1 billion in settlements to meet the critical water needs of Native American communities; the Tribal Law and Order Act, which allowed federal agencies to accelerate their focus on safe tribal communities; and acquiring more than 157,000 acres of land in trust on behalf of tribal nations.

Over the last three years we have made tremendous progress in Indian Country.  A lot of that progress is possible because the ideas that tribal leadership has shared at these conferences.  But we know we haven’t solved all of our problems and there is much work to be done. But I am confident with your help there isn’t anything we cannot achieve. As the President said today, this Administration has your back.

Fort Monroe (National Parks Service)

Today is truly an historic day for America as President Obama is announcing the establishment of Fort Monroe National Monument -- a historic fort in Virginia’s Tidewater region that was integral role to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military -- as the 396th unit of the National Park System.

With the strong support of the people of Virginia, from the congressional delegation to Governor McDonnell to Mayor Ward and the citizens of Hampton, President Obama has ensured that this historic fort, a symbol of the long struggle for freedom for African Americans, will be preserved as a national park for generations to come.

This video is no longer available.

Fort Monroe is one of 101 projects that I have highlighted as part of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, representing what states believe are among the best investments in the nation to support a healthy, active population, conserve wildlife and working lands, and create travel, tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs across the country.

This Thursday at 1:00 pm EDT, we will release the final 50-state report outlining some of the country’s most promising ways to reconnect Americans to the great outdoors. As part of that launch, I’ll be participating in a live web chat, where I will answer your questions about the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, Ft. Monroe National Monument,  and how conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives are strong economic engines for our nation’s economy.

Click here (newmedia@ios.doi.gov) to send me your questions in advance or tweet them to me at #askken.

I look forward to answering many of your questions on Thursday at 1:00 pm ET.

From the heroic service of my father and mother during World War II to my brother’s tireless work alongside César Chavez, the tales of my family’s past have always been a great source of identity and pride for me. It is a pride I carry with me every day, and it is a pride I will one day share with my granddaughter.

Every family has stories like these - stories that provide a deeper understanding of where we are from and what we have done to make this country what it is today. It is time that these stories, like those of my parents and brother, are shared beyond our families and reflected in our national narrative.

When I became Secretary of the Interior almost three years ago, I knew I had a lot of great resources at my disposal to help better tell the story of all Americans, including Latinos in this country. After sitting down with the National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis and his team, it became clear how the Department could help lead the effort to better recognize the contributions and stories of Latinos.

Some of this country’s most iconic moments and movements in history are captured in our national monuments, parks, and other sites of national significance. It is only fitting that the people and places of Latino heritage also join the National Park Service family for all Americans to visit and learn about their contributions.

With the National Museum of the American Latino being built in Washington, D.C. and the dedication of the Forty Acres site in California, we have made a lot of progress, but there is much work to be done. I look forward to hearing the ideas that come from today’s White House American Latino Heritage Forum and I am confident that we can make this project a reality.

Ken Salazar is the Secretary of the Interior

Today, we are announcing our strategic plan as part of the largest information technology (IT) reform in the federal government. Through this plan, we are making smart changes to IT services across the Department that will make our IT more cost-effective and customer-friendly while saving taxpayers half a billion dollars over the next decade. 

Some of the common-sense reforms we are undertaking include:

• Reducing the number of data centers and servers within the Department by up to 50 percent
• Moving to a single email system at half the current cost
• Moving to the cloud, with a cloud-based electronic forms system and cloud-based electronic records, documents and content management solutions.

The IT Transformation Strategic Plan we are announcing today is part of our effort to reduce spending and get our nation’s fiscal house in order.  In the last year, we at the Department of the Interior have also cut our contracting expenses by more than a quarter of a billion dollars.  On top of that, we have cut back on administrative expenses by nearly a hundred million dollars in the last year, and we’re going to cut another hundred million dollars in the coming year.

We are making these cuts – smart cuts – so that we can make the type of investments our nation needs to win the future, from the new energy frontier to the national parks and public lands that are economic engines for local communities.

Located eight miles west of Blythe, California, members of the small community, local officials, and representatives from Solar Trust of America braved the 100 degree heat to witness a historic moment in America’s new energy frontier. In the near future, the ground where we stood today will hold a solar power plant that will generate up to 1000 megawatts of power—enough energy to power more than 300,000 homes.

Today’s ceremony not only launched the beginning of construction, but it also marked another important step in making America’s clean energy future a reality. This project shows in a real way how harnessing our own renewable resources can create good jobs here at home and contribute to our nation’s energy security.

Just the first phase of this project will put about a thousand people to work out here in Blythe during construction and will create more than 200 permanent jobs. The second phase is expected to do the same. These are big numbers for the Blythe community.

Amidst today’s excitement, the unprecedented federal and state coordination and strong support from the local community must not go unrecognized. Together, we have demonstrated how separate government processes can be coordinated without cutting corners or skipping any environmental checks and balances in the process. Along with the other five approved solar projects on public lands in California, the Blythe project was part of an extraordinary cooperative effort between Interior and the State of California—who also licensed the project—to ensure these projects received appropriate and rigorous environmental review in a timely manner.

And we aren’t stopping here. Interior is moving forward to evaluate 19 additional priority renewable energy projects that have been identified on public lands that, if approved, will join Blythe Solar Project as an important part of our nation’s comprehensive energy portfolio. 

(Photo by Tami Heilemann, Office of Communications)

On February 21^st I traveled to Delano, California to honor the life and legacy of César Chávez and to designate the “Forty Acres” site as a National Historic Landmark. It truly was a momentous occasion to bring recognition to the home of the farm worker movement; the place where Chávez led civil rights and social reform in the 60’s and 70’s.

It was through Chávez’s tireless leadership and commitment to non violent protests that focused national attention on farm workers’ issues. Through boycotts, pickets and fasts, Chávez raised our nation’s awareness to the struggles of farm workers and the quest for fair pay, safer working conditions and the importance and dignity of the migrant laborers.   

Hundreds of people turned out for this dedication, from the many volunteers who marched with Chávez, to the farm workers who gained dignity and respect through the creation of the United Farm Workers union, to those who today, are still inspired and empowered by Chávez’s commitment to improving the lives of our most forgotten.

We should all be inspired by César Chávez. His leadership, tireless work ethic, and selfless sacrifice helped forge a new era of justice for millions of farm workers and gave them hope for a better future, both for themselves and for their children. He’s an American hero and one of the great civil rights icons of our country’s history. By recognizing the Forty Acres site as a National Historic Landmark we are ensuring that César Chávez’s story, and the story of all who struggled with him, is remembered, honored, and passed along to future generations.

Ken Salazar is Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior

Secretary Salazar and Secretary Chu announce Wind Energy Areas for the Atlantic Coast. Photo by Tami Heilemann-DOI.

This week, the Administration continued its work to build a clean energy future on our nation’s lands and oceans.

On Monday, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and I went to Norfolk, Virginia to unveil the first-ever coordinated strategicplan to accelerate the development of offshore wind energy. In support of our plan, Secretary Chu announced $50.5 million in funding opportunities to develop breakthrough offshore wind energy technology and to reduce specific market barriers to its deployment. 

I also announced the first of several Wind Energy Areas for the Atlantic Coast.  For four states -Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland – the Department of the Interior has identified areas with the highest wind potential and fewest conflicts with competing uses.  If our environmental reviews on these Wind Energy Areas find no significant impacts from potential leasing, we could be offering wind leases in these areas by the end of 2011 or early 2012. 

This week, Interior also hosted a workshop about onshore renewable energy.  The two-day conference brought together nearly 400 stakeholders from across the government, renewable energy industry, and conservation community to discuss the Administration’s efforts to rapidly and responsibly stand up renewable energy projects on our nation’s public lands.

Secretary Chu and Secretary Vilsack joined me to kick off the conference with a discussion about what our Departments are doing to meet President Obama’s ambitious goal of creating 80 percent of America’s electricity from clean energy by 2035.

As we start to unlock our nation’s renewable energy potential in unprecedented ways – thanks in part to smart siting of projects and economic incentives from the President’s tax cut package – we are making great strides toward reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home.

Secretary Salazar, Secretary Chu and Secretary Vilsack an Onshore Renewable Energy Conference at Department of the Interior. Photo credit Tami Heilemann - DOI

As America’s principal public lands management agency with stewardship responsibility over 20 percent of the nation’s land mass and 1.75 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, Interior manages areas with extensive renewable energy potential.

In 2010, we began to unleash the potential of these resources in unprecedented ways, approving historic renewable energy projects, as well as developing strategic plans for a strong future.

Some milestones:

SOLAR

• We approved nine large-scale solar energy projects in the sunny deserts of California and Nevada, including the first solar project ever permitted on public lands, and what will be the largest solar project in the world when completed.  Together, the projects will provide nearly 3,700 megawatts - enough to power more than one million homes - and create over 7,000 new jobs. 
• We teamed up with the Department of Energy to develop long-term, landscape level planning for solar energy that will lead to a more efficient and effective process for project permitting and siting. This initiative includes a comprehensive environmental analysis that identifies proposed ‘solar energy zones’ on public lands in six western states most suitable for environmentally sound, utility-scale solar energy production. 

WIND

• We signed a lease for the Cape Wind energy project, the nation’s first commercial wind energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf.  With the potential to power more than 200,000 homes in Massachusetts, Cape Wind signals a new era for offshore energy production.
• We launched a ‘Smart from the Start’ wind energy initiative for the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf to facilitate siting, leasing and construction of new projects. The initiative slashes red tape and will identify priority Wind Energy Areas for potential development. Smart planning and early environmental reviews will pay dividends in spurring responsible renewable wind energy development.
• We approved a 150-megawatt wind project in Nevada that will generate enough energy to power more than 52,000 homes. This project joins the 29 wind development projects already in production on public lands with an installed capacity of approximately 580 megawatts. 

GEOTHERMAL AND TRANSMISSION

• We broke ground on the 235-mile One Nevada transmission line which will help deliver renewable energy to consumers. This line will join more than 500 miles of critical, new electric transmission lines crossing Nevada and Idaho that this administration has greenlighted. 
• We approved two new geothermal projects in Nevada which will harness the earth’s energy to produce about 79 megawatts of energy and generate enough energy to power about 79,000 homes.

Together these projects and initiatives are important, significant steps in our nation’s march toward a prosperous, sustainable renewable energy future.

On Monday, our Nation will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,  a man whose service and sacrifice touched the lives of all Americans. 

Dr. King’s vision for empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and bridging social and economic barriers is as relevant today as it ever has been.  That is why I encourage all Americans to honor Dr. King’s life by participating in Monday’s  "National Day of Service," through which you can get out in your community to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors.

I am also proud to report on the progress underway at the memorial being constructed on the National Mall in Dr. King’s honor.  Yesterday, I visited the memorial site with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, DC Mayor Vincent Gray and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. When completed later this year, the memorial will serve to remind us of Dr. King’s hope, sense of justice, and quest for equality.  

Here are some photos of the progress underway at this tremendous monument.  The memorial will be a proud tribute to Dr. King’s life and legacy. 

Secretary of the Department of the Interior Ken Salazar, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and DC Mayor Vincent Gray tour the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial site. January 14, 2011. (by Tami Heilemann, Department of the Interior)

The Everglades rural working ranch landscapes are an important piece of our nation’s history and economy, and this initiative would work to ensure that they remain vital for our future. 

The partnerships being formed would protect and improve water quality north of Lake Okeechobee and restore wetlands which are so vital to the entire Florida economy.  The proposed conservation area and refuge would also protect important habitat for 88 federal and state listed species, including the Florida panther, Florida black bear, whooping crane, and Everglade snail kite.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, along with its partners, is conducting a thorough, preliminary study to establish a new National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area of approximately 150,000 acres of important environmental and cultural landscapes in the Kissimmee River Valley south of Orlando. The proposed area includes 50,000 acres for potential purchase, and an additional 100,000 acres that could be protected through conservation easements and cooperative agreements, keeping the land in private ownership.

Much like the Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area we established in 2010 to protect the tall grass prairies of Kansas, this conservation initiative represents a 21^st century approach to land conservation that is science-based, partner-driven, and takes into account working landscapes and entire ecosystems. 

We want everyone to be a part of the conversation and we will be holding public meetings throughout the spring to gather input from all stakeholders to ensure the best proposal for the community.

I look forward to working with our partners to conserve such important cultural and environmental landscapes in south-central Florida for future generations.

Lake Wales National Wildlife Refuge, which is on the edge of the proposed 150,000 acre study area. (Photo by Reed Bowman).

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This morning we kicked off the White House Tribal Nations Conference, a gathering that is a testament to President Obama's respect for the inherent sovereignty of Indian nations and determination to honor the Nation's commitments to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

President Obama is hosting the conference here at the Department of the Interior - the second he has convened since taking office - and delivered keynote remarks to leaders of the 565 federally recognized tribes in the United States.  Members of the President's cabinet and other high-ranking Administration officials will be participating in a series of breakout sessions with tribal leaders, discussing a wide range of social, economic and political challenges facing Indian Country.   It is rare that so many of us are in one place at the same time and it speaks to President Obama's high-level engagement with and commitment to Indian Country.

A little over a year ago - at the first-ever White House Tribal Nations Conference - President Obama pledged that we would work with American Indian leaders to fulfill our trust responsibilities, to empower tribal governments and to help build safer, stronger and more prosperous tribal communities.

While we have made great progress on these fronts, there is much work to be done - by all of us.  It is my hope that today provides a venue through which to continue a candid and honest dialogue between and among nations as we develop a comprehensive agenda to reform, restructure and rebuild federal relations with Indian Country. 

Together we are building a solid foundation for a bright, prosperous and more fulfilling future for the First Americans.

A Navajo Code Talker from WWII and others in the audience listen as President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the opening session of the Tribal Nations Conference at the U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. December 16, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today we took a giant step toward fulfilling that promise with Congressional approval of five major settlements for Indian country that are nothing short of historic.

First, Congress has authorized the Cobell settlement, an agreement that will resolve the 14-year, highly contentious class action lawsuit regarding the U.S. government's trust management and accounting of individual American Indian trust accounts. The settlement honorably and responsibly addresses long-standing injustices and demonstrates President Obama's commitment to reconciliation and empowerment for Indian nations.

The settlement also establishes a $1.9 billion fund for the voluntary buy-back and consolidation of fractionated land interests to address the continued proliferation of thousands of new trust accounts caused by the division of land interests through succeeding generations and for other trust related activities. The land consolidation program will provide individual Indians with an opportunity to consolidate and transfer divided ownership interests to their tribal governments, where they will remain in trust for the benefit of tribal communities. Individual Indians will receive cash payments for these transfers and, as an additional incentive, transfers will trigger government payments into a $60 million Indian scholarship fund.

Second, Congress approved four Indian water rights settlements - totaling more than $1 billion - that will deliver clean drinking water to tribes in New Mexico, Arizona and Montana. For these communities, the permanent water supply will offer economic security and end decades of water allocation controversy and contention among neighboring communities.

Administration support for four water rights settlements in a single Congress is unprecedented. The settlements reflect the willingness of the parties, including state, tribal and other stakeholders, as well as this administration's commitment, to work together constructively rather than stay locked in an endless cycle of litigation.

The Obama administration is making progress along a wide front in fulfilling the president's pledge to our First Americans, investing hundreds of millions of recovery dollars in new schools and roads, strengthening tribal law enforcement, improving Indian education and speeding land into trust to expand tribal resource bases.

But there is no doubt that much work remains. That is why President Obama announced that he is hosting a second White House Tribal Nations Conference December 16 to build upon our commitment to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship with Indian country.

Native Americans must be full partners in our nation's economy, thrive in safe communities, and have equal access to quality education and health care.

Step by step - as with the passage of Cobell and the four historic water rights settlements - we are getting there.

October 13, 2010. (by Tami A. Heilemann - DOI)

Yesterday, I spoke at the Solar Power International Conference in Los Angeles, California. Being at the largest solar conference in North America gives you a real sense of possibility and promise. The pace at which these technologies are advancing is truly remarkable.

Just look at the large-scale solar projects we at the Department of the Interior have approved for construction in the past two weeks alone. They are the firsts of their kind on public lands and some will be among the largest solar projects in the world.

In Imperial County, California, we've approved Tessera Solar's 709-megawatt solar project. This project will create more than 900 jobs, and it will be the first to make use of SunCatcher technology on public lands.

In San Bernardino County, we've approved Chevron Energy's 45-megawatt Lucerne Valley solar project. It is the first large-scale solar project to use photovoltaic panels on public lands.

Also in California, we have approved the 370-megawatt Ivanpah solar project by BrightSource Energy. Ivanpah, which will create more than 1,000 jobs during peak construction and another 100 in operations and maintenance, will be the first solar project on public lands to use "power tower" technology.

And yesterday, I signed off on the first large-scale solar project ever to be approved for construction on public lands in Nevada. That project is the Silver State Solar Project by First Solar. It will supply more than 15,000 homes in Clark County, Nevada, with renewable power.

Combined, the four projects add up to nearly 1200 megawatts of power. That's 1200 more than have ever been built on public lands before.

These projects are milestones in our energy future. They show what great strides we are making through innovation and technology. And they reflect President Obama's focus and commitment to standing up America's renewable energy economy.

The Department of the Interior is resolute and determined to secure a safer, more sustainable energy future for our nation.

We do so because we can't afford to remain dependent on foreign oil. We do so because we can't afford the risks that our energy dependence creates for national security, economic security, and environmental security.

So while there is much more to accomplish, let us take stock of how much we have already accomplished. Let's celebrate the first solar projects approved for construction on public lands, which will create thousands of jobs and help secure our nations path to a clean energy future.

The Tessera Solar Imperial Valley Solar Project and the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project will both be built in the sunny California desert.  Together, the projects could produce up to 754 megawatts of renewable energy, power 226,000 – 566,000 American homes, and support almost 1,000 new jobs.

These two projects reflect the priority President Obama has placed on growing America’s clean energy economy.  From spurring the deployment of energy-saving windows and advanced batteries for cars to installing solar panels on the White House roof, the Administration is incentivizing and promoting clean energy technology on a historic scale.  

At the Department of the Interior, we have a special responsibility to help lead this effort.  As stewards of our nation’s public lands, we oversee deserts, plains, and oceans that can make significant contributions to our nation’s renewable energy portfolio. 

To capture wind, solar, and geothermal power on public lands, the Bureau of Land Management has worked to create a collaborative and coordinated permitting process that allows the efficient and responsible review of potential renewable energy projects.

The two large-scale solar projects I approved today went through a vigorous assessment, extensive environmental review, and input from the public.  Companies have had to take significant steps to mitigate the projects’ environmental impacts, including shrinking the projects’ footprints and creating alternative habitats for wildlife in consultation with conservation stakeholders and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Today’s projects are proof that we can cut red tape without cutting corners.  

We should be proud of today’s milestone as we wisely grow our nation’s clean energy economy, stimulate investment in cutting-edge technology, create jobs for American workers, and promote clean energy for American homes, businesses and industry.

Tomorrow I will join more than 170,000 volunteers across the country as we roll up our sleeves to help preserve and improve our nation’s public lands.

At 2,200 sites across the country – from neighborhood green spaces to city parks, and from our beaches to our national parks – we’ll be celebrating two important occasions: National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Whether you like to get dirt under your fingernails planting trees or cast your rod along a river near your house, I encourage you and your family to get outside tomorrow and enjoy our nation’s natural and cultural areas.

The President and First Lady have emphasized how important it is for the health of all of us—especially our children—to unplug from electronic devices and get outdoors.

The lands and sites that the Department of the Interior protects are waiting to be explored - from Yellowstone National Park and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to Cape Cod National Seashore and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.  And tomorrow, the National Parks Service will be waiving all entrance fees at our 392 national parks.

I’ll be in Louisiana tomorrow, joining hundreds of volunteers who are helping restore the marshes of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.  I hope you’ll join me, or find a location near you where you can volunteer.

So tomorrow, join a volunteer crew, grab a shovel, plant a tree, or help teach someone how to hunt or fish.  Let’s celebrate our public lands and our nation’s outdoor heritage.  This is a great chance to experience your America.

Today, our youth face high unemployment rates, rising health risks such as childhood obesity, and less time spent in the great outdoors. The unemployment crisis facing today’s youth is particularly acute in the African-American and Hispanic communities. 

This afternoon, I spoke at the National Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education, hosted by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), about preparing our nation’s youth – particularly Hispanic youth - for the clean energy jobs of the future. 

The Department of the Interior provides thousands of jobs protecting, conserving and restoring our nation’s natural resources and building a new foundation for the clean energy economy of tomorrow. And, over the next seven years, 40% of our Interior’s workforce will retire. This presents us with both a challenge and an opportunity.  As youth face unprecedented unemployment rates, young Americans are in a unique position to find work in America’s Great Outdoors. The Department of Interior is leading the charge, putting thousands of young people to work, especially during the summer, when they need jobs the most.

But we need to do more than just provide young people with a job; we need to provide them with a career path. Under President Obama’s leadership, building the new clean energy economy will help provide these careers while making America more competitive in the global marketplace. Working with HACU member institutions, we are developing a Conservation Curriculum for colleges and universities that will build a pathway to green careers with a special emphasis on young Latinos and Latinas.

Partnerships like this one will help diversity the workforce for green agencies like Interior, but will also help diversity the clean energy workforce of the future. 

Ken Salazar is Secretary of the Interior

The National Park system is a fundamentally American and democratic idea: protecting our nation’s finest landscapes, preserving our history and culture, and providing places of recreation and respite for all Americans to enjoy.  As Secretary of the Interior, I’m proud to continue this tradition of investing in and protecting these places that define us as a nation.

I hope you’ll enjoy this never before seen footage of the first family’s trip to Yellowstone last summer -- or an extended version here -- and we look forward to seeing you at one of our National Parks this summer!

Ken Salazar in Secretary of the Interior

Grand Teton, Snake River, Wyoming, National Archives no. 79-AAG-1 Ansel Adams

On display in the main hallways of the first and second floors of the main Interior building, these stunning black-and-white photos convey the beauty Adams’ saw in our Department’s diverse mission, and include: a pair of Native American children; the eruption of Old Faithful; and the intricate network of power lines at Boulder Dam.

Ickes and Adams first met in 1936, while attending a conference on the future of national and state parks.  Ickes was secretary of the Interior under President Franklin Roosevelt; Adams, a renowned photographer and president of the Sierra Club. The two immediately found a common bond in a deep love for the beauty of our nation’s land and a desire to see it conserve that land for future generations.

In fact, Adams used his photographic talent to lead a successful campaign to save the Kings River area of the Sierra Nevada and have Congress designate it as Kings Canyon National Park.

Ickes believed that the Interior building, which was completed in 1936, should be symbolic of the Department’s mission to manage and conserve our nation’s vast resources. So in 1941, he hired Adams to create a photographic mural for display in this building that reflected the Department’s mission: the beautiful land, the proper stewardship of our resources, and the people we serve.

The attack on Pearl Harbor and our nation’s entry into World War II brought the project to a halt.  The more than 200 photographs that Adams took have been stored in the National Archives, but never printed or hung as murals.

Now, with our installation of the murals, we are able to share with visitors from across the nation Ickes and Adams’ timeless vision for this Department — and how we are in the business of fulfilling that vision today.

Boulder Dam Power Units, Colorado River, Nevada / Arizona Border, National Archives no. 79-AAB-5 Ansel Adams

Ken Salazar is the Secretary of the Interior

Today, however, Americans are losing touch with the land, water, and wildlife that sets our nation apart. Children spend half as much time outside as their parents did. That means less time fishing and swimming, hunting and hiking, camping and exploring. This trend is one that we can and must reverse by helping young Americans get outdoors and reconnect with the places that make our country so special.

Last week, I had the opportunity to discuss this important issue with a fourth grade class at Bruce Monroe at Parkview Elementary School in Washington, D.C.  We talked about the outdoors, conservation, and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I am always so encouraged by the enthusiasm and sprit of our nation’s young people, and this class was no exception. Taught by Teach for America corps member Will Harman, the student’s were eager to learn more about protecting our natural and cultural heritage.

Secretary Salazar calls on 4th grade students at Bruce Monroe at Parkview Elementary School February 26, 2010. (by Tami A. Heilemann-DOI)

With the enthusiasm of young people like those at Bruce Monroe at Parkview Elementary School, and with new initiatives to encourage young people to get outdoors, we can help reconnect Americans to the places they love. That’s why at the Department of the Interior we  are expanding our efforts to educate the next generation of conservationists and community leaders. Our parks, refuges and Interior programs throughout the nation offer opportunities for youth to learn about our lands, our waters, and our cultural heritage. These programs turn Interior lands into outdoor laboratories where students and teachers can experience firsthand the science lessons they learn in the classroom. 

To learn more about Interior’s youth programs, click here.  I look forward to seeing you in America’s great outdoors.

Ken Salazar is Secretary of the Interior

Yesterday, my staff and I hosted a Clean Energy Economy Forum with 164 stakeholders from 39 states across the country. Participants represented a broad-based network of organizations and institutions – including sportsmen and women, business leaders, conservationists, and Indian country. Thank you to all who attended in person and who participated online. 

The discussions centered around the need for a comprehensive energy plan that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, creates jobs, and reduces the pollution that causes climate change. The Department of the Interior has a unique role to play in each of these challenges.  

As the managers of twenty percent of our nation's landmass and 1.7 billion acres of the outer continental shelf, Interior lands supply much of the nation's traditional and renewable energy resources. Since January, we have invested $41 million in recovery funds to facilitate a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of renewable energy on public lands and tribal lands. These investments are bringing about new clean energy jobs at a time when our country needs them most.

Interior is also leading the way when it comes to addressing the impacts of climate change. Recently, we established the first-ever coordinated departmental strategy to address climate change and are providing sound science, delivering land management strategies and innovative carbon sequestration strategies for the country. 

But we can't do this alone. We need combined efforts of the groups represented at today’s forum and the American people to bring about such a massive change for our country and our world. Together we can create jobs, protect our treasured landscapes, and ensure a clean energy future for generations to come.

I look forward to more productive conversations and discussions in the days and months ahead. Check out Part 1 of the Clean Energy Economy Forum above, and the rest at the links below:

• Clean Energy Economy Forum Part 2
• Clean Energy Economy Forum Part 3

Ken Salazar is the Secretary of the Interior

Yesterday, I was in Houston, Texas – the Energy Capital of the World - visiting CenterPoint Energy Houston. CenterPoint is a regional utility that received $200 million of this grant to spur its deployment of a smart grid to improve efficiency and help area consumers manage and control their electricity usage. Investments like this one will create jobs, save energy, and empower consumers to cut their electric bills, as I explained in this video:

These grants are just some of the many ways federal agencies are working together to bring about a new energy frontier.  I also announced a Memorandum of Understanding with eight other federal agencies that will expedite the siting and permitting of electric transmission projects on federal lands.

Ken Salazar is Secretary of the Interior