Interior agencies have 30 days to detail steps to end DEI programs

By Scott Streater | 01/31/2025 01:45 PM EST

The secretarial order issued Thursday follows an earlier order by President Donald Trump.

Interior Department headquarters in Washington.

Interior Department headquarters. Francis Chung/E&E News

The Interior Department is giving its bureau directors 30 days to outline the steps their agencies plan to take to comply with President Donald Trump’s order ending all diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Walter Cruickshank, the acting Interior secretary, issued a new secretarial order late Thursday directing all Interior bureaus and agencies to provide a written report by the deadline to the assistant secretary for policy, management and budget. Charlie Dankert is currently the acting official filling that assistant secretary’s post.

Cruickshank’s order directs that the deputy secretary — Trump has nominated Katharine MacGregor for the post — to oversee Interior’s efforts “to halt all actions related to ‘illegal and immoral discrimination’ programs.”

Advertisement

The Senate voted to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Thursday night, but he had not yet been sworn in by publication time.

GET FULL ACCESS