United States Department of the Interior

Description

The United States Department of the Interior is a federal executive department responsible for managing most of the country’s federal lands and natural resources.

It protects and manages the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage, provides scientific and other information about those resources, and carries out trust responsibilities and special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and affiliated island communities. It was created on March 3, 1849, and is headed by the secretary of the interior, a member of the president’s cabinet. It manages roughly a fifth of the land in the United States, including national parks, wildlife refuges, dams and reservoirs.

Its work is carried out through bureaus such as the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the United States Geological Survey. These agencies manage federal lands and waters, oversee energy and mineral development, run historic preservation programs and administer Indian affairs. The department also publishes a strategic plan, annual performance plans and a history of its work.