Long before I ever became��secretary of the interior, I spent many hours on our nation’s public lands. Growing up, I learned from my family the importance of caring for the lands that keep our air clean, our soil fertile, and our water pure. As a single mom struggling to make ends meet, I passed these lessons down to my child, Somáh.

Together, we explored places like the Will Rogers State Historic Park in California. I would pack our snacks and water bottles and we’d set out—stopping to smell sage along the trails. In spite of our humble means, we experienced the wonders of nature that only our public lands could provide.

This Saturday, our nation will celebrate the 30th annual National Public Lands Day. It’s a day that calls us to action: together, we roll up our sleeves and help restore public lands of all kinds. It’s also one of the Department of the Interior’s , meaning that you and your family can experience our country’s national parks, wildlife refuges, or other public lands completely free of charge.

National Public Lands Day reminds us how central public lands are to our national identity. There, we hike, camp, explore, and make memories. When they were 10 years old, Somáh and I hiked Canyon de Chelly National Monument and stayed on the trails until we completed the Junior Ranger workbook. Identifying the trees, flowers, and animals brought our spirits closer to that beautiful landscape; looking out over the towering sandstone mesas and lush green blanket of desert shrubs, we imagined that we stood where our ancestors had.

Our country’s public lands don’t just serve us—they inspire countries around the world to protect the lands and waters that literally give us life and we’re seeing this global commitment to conservation take hold.

Here at home, the Biden-Harris administration takes the commitment to the outdoors to heart through our ongoing . Through locally led collaborative conservation, we’re ensuring more landscapes are protected as part of our shared natural heritage and expanding access to these beautiful places for everyone—no matter where they live or how much or how little they have.

Our actions are bolstered by the historic investments made possible through collaboration. I was proud to vote for the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) during my time in Congress, and today, GAOA is funding projects that restore habitats and make our public lands more accessible to every American.

But this work can’t just be for the here and now—it must outlive us so that future generations reap the benefits of public lands and waters set aside for our shared benefit. That’s why we’re putting resources toward empowering current and future generations of conservationists who can steward these places in perpetuity.

This week, I announced a $15 million commitment from our Department—made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda—that will fund Interior’s youth conservation programs to support our next generation of conservation and climate stewards. This will support projects that restore lands and waters across our public lands while providing essential opportunities for young people to learn critical skills, gain formative experience, and forge career paths that support our future of sustainability. Close to my heart is the Indian Youth Service Corps, which I established to offer Indigenous youth access to culturally informed conservation opportunities that bolster their communities and feed their souls, much like my childhood experiences that shaped my love for the outdoors.

Our work makes a difference in the health and resilience of our public lands, but far-reaching conservation must be a collective goal. This National Public Lands Day, I hope everyone can take the opportunity to enjoy nature—whether it’s for a brisk walk or a day of volunteering. You can find volunteer opportunities near you through our longtime partner, the .

Our public lands embody who we are as a country. They represent freedom and openness, deliver fresh air to breathe, and help us connect with the lands and waters that give us everything. It’s up to each of us to ensure these irreplaceable wonders stay that way.

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At her swearing-in ceremony in March of 2021, Deb Haaland made history as the first Native Cabinet secretary, taking the oath of office in a rainbow, ribbon-trimmed skirt, moccasins, and a turquoise and silver belt. It was a bold proclamation of what would soon become a tidal shift in land management, one aimed at critical issues like racial equity, tribal inclusion, and increasing access to nature for millions of Americans.

Almost immediately, Haaland, who is a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, got down to business, working to rebuild a mismanaged department left behind by the previous administration. She acted quickly to restore both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments, which had been slashed by 85 and 46 percent, respectively, under President Trump. She expanded the National Wildlife Refuge System with the addition of Montana’s Lost Trail Conservation Area. And she announced $61 million in funding to expand outdoor access in urban spaces. Perhaps most notably, Haaland hired directors for the BLM and the National Park Service, both of which had been without official leadership for several years.

Tracy Stone-Manning inherited a BLM in free fall, reeling from the loss of multiple veteran staff members who left the agency when the Trump administration relocated its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado, in 2019. Haaland returned the agency to D.C., where Stone-Manning has focused on expanding public access to BLM lands and aligning the agency’s multiple-use mandate with the Biden administration’s clean-energy goals. She is also reconsidering the midnight orders issued in the final weeks of the Trump administration that sought to open 28 million acres in Alaska to oil and gas development.

Using a Biden-era executive order and the Energy Act of 2020 as guidance, Stone-Manning wants to permit at least 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal energy production on public land by 2025. Plus, she’s opening up previously inaccessible areas for recreation by supporting the Dingell Act Priority Access List Portal, which highlights 712 parcels of land (covering 3.5 million acres across 13 western states) that require better access. The plan will hopefully alleviate conflicts between private landowners and recreationists in high-use areas and consolidate spotty swaths of BLM acreage into contiguous blocks that are easier for the public to enjoy.

Meanwhile, Charles “Chuck” Sams III became the first tribal citizen to lead the Park Service, when he was sworn in on December 16, 2021. A member of the Cayuse and Walla Walla tribes, he is the first Senate-confirmed director of the Park Service in five years. So far he has designated Colorado’s Amache National Historic Site as a national park, appointed $2.1 million in grants to support the repatriation of tribal cultural items, and worked with affiliated tribes in Park Service units to further incorporate their narratives into visitor centers. In less than a year, he’s racked up a résumé of restorative justice wins—no small feat for a department often criticized for forcibly removing tribes from their ancestral homelands.

Sams has also proactively administered a massive infrastructure investment using the Great American Outdoors Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act. When monsoon rains and historic flooding took out roadways in Yellowstone earlier this year, Sams swiftly dispatched $50 million in emergency funding to the national park.

Both Haaland and Sams are shedding light on the relationship between Natives and public lands. The agencies they oversee needed revamping, and Indigenous people are now at the forefront of multiple new projects, like the Tribal Homelands Initiative, which will improve federal stewardship of land, waters, and wildlife by drawing on Indigenous knowledge and increasing co-management opportunities for tribes on federal lands. Haaland has also launched the Indian Youth Service Corps, aimed at providing education, employment, and training opportunities to Indigenous youth through conservation projects.

“As a U.S. citizen, I just feel proud and fortunate that we finally figured out how to have a member of a tribal community serving in the Cabinet of the president,” says Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “That’s long overdue, and I think her impact will be felt well beyond the Interior Department.”

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The sale of single-use water bottles and other containers will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new plan from interior secretary Deb Haaland.

On Thursday, Haaland requiring federal land managers to phase out the sale of single-use plastic products on 480 million acres of Interior Department property by 2032. The move supports a recent executive order from President Biden calling for federal agencies to minimize waste and increase recycling efforts. The order also effectively undoes a 2017 policy, issued by the Trump administration, that stopped national parks from banning the sale of plastic water bottles.��

“As the steward of the nation’s public lands, including national parks and national wildlife refuges, and as the agency responsible for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, [the Interior Department is] uniquely positioned to do better for our Earth,” Haaland said in a statement.

The decision is one that leaders in the outdoor industry have consistently rallied for over the past several years. In January, CamelBak president Greg Williamson wrote an calling for more water stations on federal lands to slow the sale of plastic water bottles in national park visitor centers and other public facilities.

“The result of a throwaway culture is more plastic waste finding its way into landfills or, worse, into waterways,” Williamson writes in that piece. “Expanding water refilling stations on public lands, along with promoting the practice of reusable water bottles and hydration packs, would give visitors more options for staying hydrated, improve the visitor experience, and reduce waste and trash collection costs.”

In a statement Thursday, Williamson expanded on his earlier comments: “CamelBak’s longstanding mission has been for the world to ‘ditch disposable,’ and this order brings that ideal within reach. We wholeheartedly support Secretary Haaland’s order because reducing plastic use on public lands is good for all stakeholders. Phasing out single-use plastics by 2032 and creating alternative options, such as installing reusable water bottle filling stations, will bring myriad benefits for our people and our planet.”��

According to Interior Department reporting, almost 80,000 tons of municipal solid waste was generated on Interior lands in the 2020 fiscal year. Plastics accounted for a significant portion of that total.

“Less than 10 percent of all the plastic ever produced has been recycled, and recycling rates are not increasing,” Secretary Haaland wrote in Thursday’s order. “The United States is one of the world’s largest producers of plastic waste and other types of waste, and the U.S. Government is a large consumer with significant market power and the ability to drive change through its waste reduction policies and procurement patterns.”

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In a decade, plastic water bottles on federal lands may be a thing of the past, thanks to a new plan from interior secretary Deb Haaland.

Earlier today, Haaland requiring federal land managers to phase out single-use plastic products on 480 million acres of Interior Department property by 2032. The move supports a recent executive order from President Biden calling for federal agencies to minimize waste and increase recycling efforts. The order also effectively undoes a 2017 policy, issued by the Trump Administration, that stopped national parks from banning the sale of plastic water bottles.��

“As the steward of the nation’s public lands, including national parks and national wildlife refuges, and as the agency responsible for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, [the Interior Department is] uniquely positioned to do better for our Earth,” said Haaland in a statement released today.

The decision is one leaders in the outdoor industry have consistently rallied for over the past several years. In January, CamelBak president Greg Williamson wrote an op-ed, published in ���ϳԹ��� Business Journal, calling for more water stations on federal lands to slow the sale of plastic water bottles in national park visitor centers and other public facilities.

“The result of a throwaway culture is more plastic waste finding its way into landfills or, worse, into waterways,” Williamson wrote in that piece. “Expanding water refilling stations on public lands, along with promoting the practice of reusable water bottles and hydration packs, would give visitors more options for staying hydrated, improve the visitor experience, and reduce waste and trash collection costs.”

In a statement today, Williamson expanded on his earlier comments: “CamelBak’s longstanding mission has been for the world to ‘ditch disposable,’ and this order brings that ideal within reach. We wholeheartedly support Secretary Haaland’s order because reducing plastic use on public lands is good for all stakeholders. Phasing out single-use plastics by 2032 and creating alternative options, such as installing reusable water bottle filling stations, will bring myriad benefits for our people and our planet.”��

According to Interior Department reporting, almost 80,000 tons of municipal solid waste was generated on Interior lands in the 2020 fiscal year. Plastics accounted for a significant portion of that total.

“Less than 10 percent of all the plastic ever produced has been recycled, and recycling rates are not increasing,” secretary Haaland wrote in the order published today. “The United States is one of the world’s largest producers of plastic waste and other types of waste, and the U.S. Government is a large consumer with significant market power and the ability to drive change through its waste reduction policies and procurement patterns.”

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Infrastructure is a hot topic right now. Federal, state, and local elected leaders are considering budgets that contemplate how much financial attention our various forms of infrastructure require to maintain, improve, or expand. Fortunately, through our efforts in the outdoor, RV, and marine industries over the past decade, we have a voice in these discussions.������

As a business leader in the outdoor industry, I have enjoyed being part of successful advancements in outdoor recreation approach and policy. In 2017, North Carolina became the fourth��state in the U.S. to create an Office of Outdoor Industry, and the first among eastern states. During that time, I had the honor to be the chairperson of the newly created North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition. Our first purpose was to help our state establish and guide the initial creation of this office.

Throughout the dialogue with our legislators and governor, I frequently shared this equation: public lands are to the outdoor industry as roads and bridges are to the automotive or transportation industry. We’ve considered traditional infrastructure like highways, bridges, airports, and rail systems to be essential to our national economic wellbeing for centuries. It is important to understand that public lands like national parks, state parks, forests, rivers, and monuments carry the same level of essential economic importance to the outdoor industry. Where else can our customers use our products?��

It makes sense on many levels—economic, environmental, societal. The economic benefits are clear, the environmental benefits have been known to us for decades, and the societal impact is broad, especially in rural and remote communities. Physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing for all of our citizens is gained from quality access to our outdoor spaces. It is a non-partisan statement. As we in the outdoor industry are committed to increasing diversity in the enjoyment of our public lands, this investment in outdoor infrastructure is more important than ever.��

As an industry, it is tremendously gratifying to see results from our collective work. The Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 provides up to $1.6 billion per year for five years to address maintenance backlogs in our national parks, forests, and on other public lands. The act also earmarked $900 million per year in perpetuity to be invested from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for new land conservation and recreational needs.��

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has embraced the challenge of deploying these funds immediately in 2021 with a plan to address over 150 deferred maintenance needs across all types of federal lands. Many states with recently established outdoor industry offices have announced robust budget commitments aimed at once-in-a-generation outdoor infrastructure projects. These forward-thinking state leaders are to be commended.��

Many of us in the outdoor industry have a lot for which to be thankful. During the pandemic, the outdoor economy has been a bright spot, and we’ve seen millions more people engage in outdoor recreation. There could not be a better opportunity than now to ensure that our outdoor infrastructure is given the priority that it deserves to best build upon and grow our national outdoor heritage. The strength of the outdoor industry economy has given us the opportunity and responsibility to use our voice to ensure that future generations have outdoor infrastructure to protect and enjoy.�� Let’s all continue to remind our elected leaders how important this is.

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Deb Haaland made history Monday by becoming the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.

The Senate voted 50-41 to confirm Haaland as Secretary of the Interior. While most Republicans voted against Haaland, four Senators—Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, and Dan Sullivan, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—joined the Democrats in confirming Haaland.

Haaland herself recognized the importance of the occasion but says her election should mean more than one American Indian woman serving as a Cabinet secretary in Joe Biden’s administration.

“The historic nature of my confirmation is not lost on me, but I will say, it is not about me,” Haaland said during her confirmation hearings. “Rather, I hope this nomination would be an inspiration for Americans—moving forward together as one nation and creating opportunities for all of us.”

Still the moment is worth celebrating. As Dr. Len Necefer writes in an essay titled “The Department of the Interior Shaped My Life” in�����ϳԹ��� magazine, Haaland’s rise to Cabinet secretary is a pivotal moment in American history.

“The nomination of an American Indian to the role of secretary of the interior represents another shift in the relationship between Native Nations and the federal government,” Necefer wrote. “It’s been a long time coming and a reality that seemed impossible even just a few years ago. Deb Haaland, a Pueblo woman, is the most fitting to serve this role.”

Haaland has served as U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s 1st congressional district since 2019; her district includes most of Albuquerque and most of its suburbs. Before that, she was chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

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