Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
ANCHORAGE — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland concluded a multi-day visit to Alaska today, as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s fifth Investing in America tour. The visit aimed to highlight how resources from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda are enhancing climate resiliency, advancing salmon conservation, and strengthening local economies in Alaska. This marks Secretary Haaland's fourth trip to Alaska since assuming her role.
The Department of the Interior has allocated significant resources to Alaska under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These include launching a new Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation program, providing wildfire resilience resources, addressing legacy pollution from extractive industries, and initiating a “Gravel to Gravel” program.
Secretary Haaland visited Katmai National Park and Preserve, managed by the National Park Service. The park is known for supporting the world’s largest remaining wild sockeye salmon run and its associated ecosystem, including Alaskan brown bears. Through the “Gravel to Gravel” Initiative and with over $40 million from the Investing in America agenda, efforts are being made to advance Tribal co-stewardship and salmon conservation across Alaska’s Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Norton Sound regions. This initiative responds to calls for federal action from Alaska Native Tribes and subsistence users by restoring degraded streams for improved fish passage, expanding salmon-run assessments incorporating Indigenous Knowledge, replenishing native vegetation, and supporting further research on salmon productivity.
Secretary Haaland also met with several Alaska Native communities benefiting from nearly $560 million in new resources from President Biden's agenda aimed at advancing climate resiliency and community-led relocation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have significantly boosted funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Climate Resilience program. This funding is part of over $50 billion invested through the Investing in America agenda to advance climate adaptation nationwide.
In Juneau, Secretary Haaland met with leaders from the Tlingit and Haida Tribes and toured the Sealaska Heritage Institute. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida has received $2.6 million for various climate resiliency projects, including a regional community greenhouse program designed to enhance food security.
In Sitka, Secretary Haaland met with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and toured Sitka National Historical Park. The Sitka Tribe is utilizing $298,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research network initiatives.
President Biden's Investing in America agenda aims to deploy record investments across Tribal communities for affordable high-speed internet access, safer infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges, modern wastewater systems, clean drinking water solutions, reliable electricity services, and job creation initiatives.
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