Senate Confirms Deb Haaland as Secretary of Interior

Photo credit: Vince Rankin, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Today, the Senate confirmed Deb Haaland’s nomination for Secretary of Interior by a vote of 51 to 40. Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, will become the first Native American to lead the office, a historic choice for an agency that oversees more than 450 million acres of public lands and fulfills the trust responsibility with tribal nations.

Haaland, previously a Congresswoman from New Mexico, was the Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. Haaland has been an outspoken leader for addressing climate issues – she introduced the House resolution last year to conserve 30% of our lands and waters by 2030, a goal to which the Biden administration has committed, as well. Haaland also joined protestors at Standing Rock Reservation to protest the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. She has consistently advocated for public lands and waters being a part of climate solutions, including through thoughtful renewable energy development on public lands.

On outdoor recreation issues, Haaland has championed the Great American Outdoors Act and measures to facilitate outdoor access, including the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act. You can read our full letter to the Senate in support of Haaland’s confirmation by clicking at right.

Adam Cramer, Outdoor Alliance’s Executive Director, said, “Deb Halaand is going to do a fantastic job as our next Secretary of the Department of the Interior. She has a rare depth of experience and perspective for the job. The gravity of having the first Indigenous person serve as Interior Secretary should be lost on no one. The growing bipartisan support is inspiring and gives us confidence that she will navigate the path ahead for our public lands deftly and with great purpose.”

In her role as Secretary of the Interior, Haaland will oversee more than 450 million acres of public lands, including National Parks and BLM lands. Outdoor Alliance will be working with Secretary Haaland, and other decision makers at Interior, on a number of key issues in the coming year. They include issues like implementing 30x30 and helping Interior pivot away from its focus on resource extraction and toward a more balanced approach to managing public lands, including greater roles for conservation, recreation, and responsible renewable energy development.

You can write a message to your Senator using the form below, thanking them for their vote for Haaland or expressing your disappointment if they voted in opposition to her confirmation. The form will automatically update based on your Senators’ votes.