Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico was nominated for interior secretary on Thursday night by president-elect Joe Biden. The historic pick would make Haaland the first Native American to become a cabinet secretary and hold the interior position, which involves the management of federal lands and resources.
Texas environmental advocates say Biden鈥檚 pick signals that the administration plans to prioritize environmental justice.
Following news of the nomination on Thursday, Haaland said 鈥渁 voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior.鈥�
A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior.
— Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM)
Growing up in my mother鈥檚 Pueblo household made me fierce. I鈥檒l be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.
I am honored and ready to serve.
Kevin Richardson, a DFW organizer with the Texas Campaign for the Environment, said he was 鈥渄elighted鈥� and 鈥渆xcited鈥� when he first heard news of the nomination.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a historic moment to have a Native American leading the Department of the Interior but also one that鈥檚 so focused on environmental issues...like ending fossil fuel leasing on federal land and fighting climate change,鈥� he said.
He said Haaland鈥檚 tenure in the role would be a 鈥渃omplete reversal鈥� of the policies implemented by the Trump administration. Not only is Haaland expected to pull back oil drilling on federal lands, the representative doesn鈥檛 have ties to the oil and gas industry.
鈥淚 think this will be a shift towards having people who are more impartial and interested in protecting the environment, tribes and public resources in general,鈥� he said.
Additionally, Richardson said he鈥檚 hopeful Haaland will help protect the National Forestlands in east Texas and the grasslands in North Texas, specifically the . While much of the land is under the state鈥檚 jurisdiction, he said the Department of the Interior handles oil and gas leases on these lands 鈥� meaning it would still have the authority to halt fracking efforts in these areas.
Aaryaman Singhal, the DFW organizer of the Sunrise Movement, says he also strongly supports Haaland鈥檚 nomination. It鈥檚 significant, he said, because Haaland is a leader who respects the land and will work to preserve it, while giving access and resources to indigenous people.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited about this pick, someone who has no fossil fuel ties and is the first indigenous woman in a cabinet post,鈥� he said 鈥淒eb Haaland would usher in a new era of indigenous authority over soil and land.鈥�
Singhal said Texas often faces criticism for its involvement in the oil and gas industry, but many people forget that it鈥檚 also a leader in wind and solar energy.
鈥淭exas is such a critical state in terms of our national energy picture,鈥� he said. 鈥淭exas is one of the states best positioned because of our wind and our sun to lead the transition into a new clean energy future.鈥�
And with Rep. Deb Haaland as secretary of the interior, Singhal says there鈥檚 hope that the transition will be accelerated.
One of Haaland鈥檚 key responsibilities in her new position would be protecting federal lands and wildlife. Janice Bezanson, the Texas Conservation Alliance鈥檚 senior policy director, said she鈥檚 eager for Haaland to step into her new role because she鈥檚 already shown a real commitment 鈥� and boots-on-the-ground approach 鈥� to conservation.
Bezanson recalls when Haaland joined tribal leaders in 2016 at the Standing Rock Sioux鈥檚 reservation in North and South Dakota to protest the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.
鈥淚 thought it was so charming 鈥� she not only went there, she went there and brought with her tortillas and green chile stew that she had cooked herself and she opened up the trunk of her car and fed the people who were protesting this,鈥� she said.
Looking ahead, Bezanson hopes Haaland will follow through with the 鈥� a bill that the representative co-sponsored and helped push through the House Natural Resources Committee.
鈥淭his is one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation before the Congress right now,鈥� Bezanson said. It would provide ongoing funding for habitat and wildlife conservation which, she says, could mean as much as $50 million for Texas.
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