The US Department of the Interior manages federal lands, natural resources, energy conservation, and Native American programs. Its agencies include the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service. It oversees the responsible use of ocean and freshwater resources and provides one-third of the nation’s fossil fuels. The Bureau of Indian Affairs manages tribal lands and natural resources, social services, and disaster relief.
The United States Department of the Interior is responsible for managing federal lands and territories along with natural resources and energy conservation. Native American programs are also managed by the department. Its policies cover mining, energy, wildlife and research, and its broad mission has earned it the tongue-in-cheek title of “Department of Everything Else”.
Interior Department officials are required to cover a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. About one-fifth of the United States is under federal management, mostly in the western states and Alaska. The National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Office of Surface Mining are all agencies within this department.
The lands under the department’s control provide about one-third of the nation’s fossil fuels. Coal, oil and natural gas are produced by private companies that lease land from the government. Federally owned lands also provide half of all geothermal energy generated in the United States
Environmental responsibility doesn’t end at the seaside. The US Department of the Interior also manages the responsible use of ocean resources. Conservation of wildlife, regulation and inspection of offshore drilling rigs, and protection of water quality are the responsibilities of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement. Until 2010, this agency was called the Minerals Management Service, but that year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico exposed lax policies and prompted the government to make changes within the agency.
Freshwater resources are also under the department’s control. The Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for hundreds of dams and reservoirs across the country. Water from these projects provides irrigation for one-fifth of all farmers in the western states. Studies by the United States Geological Survey test surface water and drinking water in all 50 states. Conservation of fish and waterfowl wildlife falls under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Native American issues are addressed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Office’s responsibilities include managing tribal lands and natural resources, administering existing treaties, social services, law enforcement, mediation, disaster relief, and public works. More than 1.9 million people, including Natives of the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii, benefit from the office’s resources. In the 21st century, the role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs has shifted from an administrative and managerial role to an advisory one as Native American peoples have assumed greater responsibilities for self-government.
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