Service to co-manage first marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean

September 15, 2016 - On the heels of creating the world’s largest protected area in the Pacific Ocean, President Obama today reaffirmed his commitment to marine conservation and protection by designating the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the first marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean. Permanently protecting these resources and reducing other threats to these ecosystems will provide a refuge for at-risk species such as deep sea corals, endangered whales and sea turtles and other species; improve ocean resilience in the face of climate change; and help sustain the ocean ecosystems and fishing economies for the long run.

News Release (DOI)

White House Fact Sheet

Minnesota artist James Hautman wins 2016 Duck Stamp Art Contest

September 12, 2016 - With his acrylic painting of Canada geese, Minnesota artist James Hautman won the 2016 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. The painting will be made into the 2017-2018 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp,” which will go on sale in late June 2017. Rebekah Knight of Missouri, who previously won the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, placed second. The Federal Duck Stamp is the nation’s oldest and most successful bird conservation effort. This year's contest was held in Philadelphia at the Academy of Natural Sciences and was also sponsored by the Friends of Heinz Refuge, Ducks Unlimited, Pennsylvania Game Commission, William Penn Foundation and National Audubon Society. 

News release

Learn more

View this year's entries

Secretary Jewell Tours Hughesville Dam Removal in New Jersey

September 8, 2016 - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today joined Interior, state and local officials and partners at the Hughesville Dam removal on the Musconetcong River.

The removal of the Hughesville Dam is part of a larger collaborative effort to restore the 42-mile Musconetcong – a designated “Wild and Scenic River” – to a free-flowing state. Hughesville is the fifth dam to be removed, helping to open up fish passage while improving safety and flooding risks for the local community.

The project is one of a dozen dam removals in the Northeast supported by federal funding for Hurricane Sandy recovery to help strengthen natural defenses along the Atlantic Coast and protect communities and wildlife against future storms predicted with a changing climate.

Read the press release

Learn more about the project

White House recognizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist as 'Climate Change Champion'

September 8, 2016 - Dr. Richard Bennett, regional scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Northeast Region based in Hadley, Mass., has been named 2016 GreenGov Presidential Awards Climate Champion for his leadership in Hurricane Sandy recovery. Following the devastation left by the storm in 2012, Bennett led the Department of the Interior response team, overseeing $167 million in FWS project funding to help revitalize the Northeast and to protect it from future storms and sea-level rise. Bennett worked to launch more than 100 sustainability-focused projects, and led a team that developed performance metrics for climate resilience that are changing the way the federal government prepares for severe weather events.

News release