A Year of Progress: Preparing for the 21st Century.

Achievements of the Department of Interior for 1981 in the areas of natural resources, parks, wildlife areas, water, Western lands, Indian reservations, and island territories are reported. Section 1 outlines increases in onshore and offshore oil and gas, coal, and geothermal leases on federal lands. Section 2 describes results in the change of policy from acquiring more land to preserving the nation's parks, wildernesses, and wildlife refuge systems. Section 3 reports the partnership between Western states and the federal government to avert a water crisis in the next decade. Accomplishments include 10 new Western water projects, operation of 2 giant wind turbines, and revitalization of the Bureau of Reclamation. Section 4 notes the improvement in the relationship between the government and Western states, a result, among others, of revenue sharing, honoring states' rightful claims to land granted when they entered the union, and transferring federal land to state and local government. Section 5 outlines ways in which the Department has helped Indian tribes and island territories achieve economic self-reliance and governmental self-determination. The final section describes achievements in management, regulatory reform, red tape reduction, and national control. Numerous charts and photographs are included. (KC)