“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” — Wendell Berry
Secretary of the Interior, Rose Linke
"It seemed inexplicable to me then, as it does now, that the same person responsible, more or less, for preserving wild lands, is also responsible, more or less, for exploiting those lands.
Under the guidance of the McCarthy administration, this will change. And it will change for good. Meaning it will change for the better and it will change for all time."
Read more from the Secretary
We Stand with the Land
The Department of the Interior is sometimes called The Department of Everything Else—because our range of responsibilities is so vast and varied. But we know that our disparate responsibilities in fact comprise an interconnected system of ecosystems:
20% of our nation’s lands fall under our watchful care, including our national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. We believe in a land-first approach to the Interior—meaning that our ability to positively impact the well-being of our planet will in turn positively impact every citizen in every community of our country.
Climate Change
Climate change is the greatest issue facing our country and our world. We stand with scientists the world over who are working to develop and implement science-based strategies to combat climate change and mitigate the devastating effects of increases in temperature and sea level.
The Rights of Native Tribes
We pledge to honor our existing treaties and expand the rights of native tribes. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the centuries of persecution and the continual withholding of jurisdiction by our government. President McCarthy’s executive order to halt the construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines exemplifies the need to stand with tribes to protect their rights.
Healthy Watersheds
Approximately 70% of our planet is covered in water. When a person is born, their body is also roughly 70% water. We are at a threshold. We know that water is life and yet we still must fight to dissolve the mentality of decades past—that water is for industry. Common sense has not prevailed in the commons, in large part due to the prioritization of profit over planet. We take it upon ourselves to promote policies that will protect our watersheds and hold corporations accountable.