Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton |
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Welcome to www.DOI.gov
On behalf of the 70,000 dedicated employees of the Department of the Interior, I want to welcome you to the Department and invite you to explore the broad range of opportunities for recreation, education, and conservation on the lands and facilities that we manage. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy in our National Park system, wildlife refuges, monuments, and recreation areas.
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We take seriously our awesome responsibilities to the American public:
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The Department manages one of every five acres of land in the United States, providing opportunities for wilderness, wildlife protection, recreation, and resource development;
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We supply water for much of the West so that farmers can grow food and people can turn on their taps;
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We provide access to energy and minerals so that people can warm and cool their homes, and drive to their jobs;
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We honor our special responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated Island communities; and
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We protect wildlife and improve the environment.
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We meet these responsibilities every day following the guide of what I call the 4 Cs: communication, consultation, cooperation, all in the service of conservation. We are committed to building partnerships to encourage conservation and preserve our natural and cultural resources; to bringing innovative approaches to solving land management and water disputes; and to developing energy, including renewable sources of energy, in the most environmentally protective manner.
During the time I have served as Secretary of the Interior, I have had the opportunity to observe firsthand the success of the 4 Cs. I have met with ranchers and farmers who have changed how they do business in order to protect wildlife and save water; I have visited landowners who are preserving habitat for endangered species; and I have seen industry step up to the plate to help us address important environmental issues, for example, by donating and restoring thousands of acres of hardwood bottom lands in the Southeast that will provide habitat for species and help sequester greenhouse gases. I have met with American Indian and Alaska Native leaders who are determined to improve the quality of life for their people through better educational opportunities and enhanced economic development.
This is an exciting time to be at the Department of the Interior and an exciting time to be involved in conservation. Through programs like Take Pride in America and friends groups at individual parks and refuges, we have over 200,000 volunteers and countless public and private partner organizations that are helping to preserve and improve our public lands and meet the mission of the Department. Together, we are achieving healthy lands and thriving communities, a legacy for future generations.
Thank you for visiting www.DOI.gov!
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| Congressman John D. Dingell and Secretary Gale Norton look on, as a peregrine falcon is being readied for release into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.
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| Secretary Norton visits with students of the Santa Fe Indian School, a school that went from the weakest to one of the best schools in the BIA system.
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