ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 23, 2021
Oil and natural gas will continue to play a major role in America for years to come, even as the Biden administration seeks to conserve public lands and address climate change, President Biden’s nominee to head the Interior Department pledged Tuesday. Deb Haaland, a New Mexico congresswoman named to lead the Interior Department, said she is committed to “strike the right balance” as the agency manages energy development and seeks to restore and protect the nation’s sprawling federal lands. Haaland, 60, would be the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.