Haaland Leaves Lasting Tribal Legacy but Mixed Record on Energy

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will be remembered for being the first Native American to serve in that role, but her legacy is mixed because she either did too much to vanquish fossil fuels on federal land, or too little, advocates and environmental attorneys say.

Martha Williams, US Fish and Wildlife Service director, summed up Haaland’s legacy during the dedication of a new national wildlife refuge in southern Maryland on Dec. 13, which featured members of the Piscataway tribal community.

Haaland’s sense of fairness, care for imperiled species, and “impeccable moral compass” have permeated all of the Interior Department’s decisions during ...