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Next Interior Memos weekly digest, 03 July 2025

A few updates as we head into Independence Day weekend

Jacob Malcom

• 2 min read
Whitish, red, and green fireworks explode over and reflect in a body of water, with the silhouettes of trees in the distance.
'Tis the week to celebrate American independence, with fireworks playing a big part of our traditions, as this scene from the National Mall and the Tidal Basin in our Nation's capitol in 2024. Photo CC-BY-SA Jacob Malcom.

Welcome to this week's digest of news and views related to the Department of the Interior and Next Interior. This week's digest is short given the short week. 

What happened

  1. One Big, Beautiful Bill passage. The big news is that the administration's main legislative priority, OBBB, passed the Senate and as of this writing looks assured to pass the House today. While some of the worst parts were removed, it's bad news for tens of millions of people and their health and well-being, our Nation's energy future, critical funding for the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, and so much more. Read more
  2. People appreciate honest history. The blowback from the administration's attempts to rewrite history continues. Press coverage continues to highlight that people reject the ideas of censorship when asked to "report" things they don't like in our national parks, like uncomfortable history. Kudos to the American History Association for standing against censorship, and see this reflection on the history that parks too often forget. Read more

A few more items:

  • Not Interior-specific, but Oregon decided to do away with their wildfire risk map despite the consequences of not being prepared and accounting for the risks. Read more
  • The US Global Change Research Program's website, including all past National Climate Assessments, was taken down (but here's an archive). Read more
  • Not Interior-specific, but good water news nonetheless: the replacement of Flint, Michigan's lead water pipes is complete! Read more
  • Interior-specific, not-so-good water news: water levels in a lot of the Bureau of Reclamation's reservoirs is low, low, low. Read more
  • We said happy 85th birthday to the US Fish and Wildlife Service this week!

What's coming up

  1. Tomorrow is Independence Day. We shared a few thoughts on the day, the Four Freedoms, and how Interior and its public servants help make it possible.
  2. FY 2026 appropriations. Congress will return to its normal lines of work starting next week, including a couple of hearings related to the Bureau of Reclamation's budget, plus a hearing on the nomination for Interior's Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. (Other planned hearings have been postponed.) We'll share updates as they become available.
  3. Partnership with Tribal Business News. Next Interior will be piloting a partnership with Tribal Business News in the coming weeks, where we share short stories relevant to Indian Country from Next Interior Memos through their publications. Here's the first example, about Secretary Burgum's idea to use AI to address the Indian probate case backlog. Consider subscribing to TBN and its sister publication, Native News Online!

Parting shot

A young person sits on the bow of a red packraft in the middle of a river, with tree-covered hills along the sides of the river and mostly clear skies overhead.
The Department of the Interior makes summer outings, like this bikerafting trip on the Potomac River last week, possible through our public lands...which ARE NOT FOR SALE.