What’s On Interior’s To-Do List? A Full Plate of Public Lands Issues—and Trump Rollbacks—for Deb Haaland The Interior nominee would be the first Native American cabinet secretary if she wins Senate confirmation following hearings that begin Tuesday. February 22, 2021 U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), President-elect Joe Biden's choice for Interior Secretary, at the U.S. Capitol in January 2019. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Related Share this article Public lands are set to play a pivotal role in the Biden administration’s ambitious climate change agenda. The national parks, wildlife refuges and national recreation areas overseen by the U.S. Department of the Interior have been little-appreciated as climate solutions, even though they’re crucial sinks for greenhouse gas emissions. But Interior lands are also part of the nation’s climate problem, since they hold vast reserves of fossil fuels that, when extracted and burned, generate climate pollution.