Deb Haaland reflects on her tenure as Interior Secretary [Video]

Deb Haaland, the highest-ranking New Mexican in the Biden administration, is wrapping up her time as secretary of the interior.”I’m honored that President Biden kept his promise to have his cabinet look like America,” Haaland said.Haaland, the nation’s first Native American Cabinet secretary, hails from Laguna Pueblo and graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School.She is days away from completing a four-year term leading the Interior Department, overseeing public lands and waters across the U.S.”It’s been wonderful that we’ve had opportunities to conserve lands in New Mexico,” Haaland said.In April, Haaland directed the Department of the Interior to cease mineral development on 4,200 acres near Placitas.She also awarded $60 million for water security projects below Elephant Butte into West Texas and banned oil and gas drilling for 20 years on Chaco Canyon’s federal lands, a decision that sparked controversy.”Absolutely. Yes. Some places are too special to drill or …