President Joe Biden’s interior secretary nominee, Rep. Deb Haaland, began her confirmation hearing Tuesday morning before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sparking reactions from the outdoor recreation industry.
Haaland was tapped in December to be President Biden’s interior secretary, a move considered historic as the New Mexico congresswoman was the first Native American ever nominated to serve the cabinet. One round of questioning by the committee was conducted today, with another round scheduled 10 a.m. EST Feb. 24.
“I understand how important the Department [of the Interior] is for all the stakeholders who rely on it and for the communities whose economies are connected to it,” Haaland said in her prepared testimony. “I know the bipartisan accomplishments of this committee stand out in Congress. Your work led to Interior having significant resources and authorities, especially with the Great American Outdoors Act and the Public Lands package. I will work collaboratively with all members of this committee to ensure these acts are implemented well.
“As chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, I also worked on these issues in Congress and listened to all of my colleagues and constituents about ways to improve management of the department,” she stated.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) held a call Feb. 22 to discuss Haaland’s nomination and ORR’s priorities for the department, while highlighting women leaders’ roles in the industry.
“We are really looking forward to working with Rep. Haaland and her team on the issues the department will be leading on the impact of outdoor recreation, from national parks and fisheries, to trail and campsite maintenance,” ORR acting Executive Director Lindsey Davis said. “The Department of the Interior is well-positioned to ensure outdoor recreation supports the Build Back Better plan, revitalizes our economy and provides equitable access to all recreation for every American.”
Davis was joined by other industry leaders, including Mary Ellen Sprenkel, CEO of The Corps Network, a national association containing 135 service and conservation corporations. Sprenkel noted the network engages more than 25,000 young adults per year, between the ages of 16 and 35. Jenn Dice, president and CEO of People for Bikes, also joined the call.
“Forty percent [of these youth] identify as women and 34 percent identify as people of color, both populations which have been significantly underrepresented in the conservation space and outdoor recreation for decades, centuries even,” Dice said. “That is why it is so important that Deb Haaland has been nominated to lead the Department of the Interior. As a women of color, she can set an example and demonstrate possibilities for young people – so young women and people of color can see themselves in outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, in the recreation workforce and as a leader of this field.”
Other women who led the conversation were Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).
“We need new thinking in how we can bring in all voices, create new tools and address more modern challenges, like closer access for people to park by trails,” Aangeenbrug said. “The OIA is also really pleased to support Rep. Haaland to be the next Secretary of the Interior. She is a champion of the outdoors and really a voice for all, and will be the kind of innovator this needed now.
“We look forward to working with ORR and a new secretary on her ideas,” she said.
Nicole Vasilaros, senior VP of government and legal affairs at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, said the ultimate goal is making sure outdoor recreation has a seat at the table.
“We are excited to roll up our sleeves and work with the department to make sure we are provided that close-to-home access, not only for health and well-being but for the economic development,” Vasilaros said.
“We look at this as an opportunity to really build on racial equity, making sure we are building a pipeline of a diverse workforce in the outdoor rec economy,” she added. “I mentioned [the industry] supports 5.2 million jobs, so there is a lot of opportunity there when we are focusing on racial equity and the workforce, but also in the people out there who are recreating. We all know women are driving decisions in their families and personal well-being. We think there is a lot of opportunity, especially having a female leader of the department, to build upon that plan.”
In her prepared testimony, Haaland cited her personal upbringing, saying she lived most her adult life from paycheck to paycheck.
“It is because of these struggles that I fully understand the role Interior must play in the president’s plan to build back better, to responsibly manage our natural resources to protect them for future generations, so that we can continue to work, live, hunt, fish and pray among them,” Haaland said.
