Interior Department

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the only agency in the Federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the American people. Its origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries to study why the nation’s food fishes were decreasing and recommend ways to reverse that decline. A second predecessor agency, the Bureau of Biological Survey, was established in 1885. In 1939, Fisheries and Biological Survey were moved to the Department of the Interior, and on June 30, 1940, they were combined to create the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was established by the Organic Act of March 3, 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31). USGS classifies public lands, examines the geological structure, and assesses the energy, mineral, water, and biology resources and products within and outside the national domain. USGS provides relevant, objective scientific studies and information used to help address issues and solve problems dealing with natural resources, natural hazards, and the environmental effects on human and wildlife health.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) exercises the delegated authority of the Secretary of the Interior to conduct hearings and decide appeals from decisions of the bureaus and offices of the Department of the Interior. OHA provides an impartial forum for parties who are affected by the decisions of the Department's bureaus and offices to obtain independent review of those decisions. OHA also handles the probating of Indian trust estates, ensuring that individual Indian interests in allotted lands, their proceeds, and other trust assets are conveyed to the decedents' rightful heirs and beneficiaries.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created as part of the War Department in 1824 and transferred to the Department of the Interior when the latter was established in 1849. The mission of BIA is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of federally recognized tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. BIA provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, members of 573 federally recognized Indian tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

The Office of Indian Trust Transition (OITT) was organized in November 2001 by DOI Secretarial Order 3235 as a temporary office under the Department of the Interior by the authority of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994. OITT was created to provide support in DOI’s efforts to reorganize the fiduciary Indian trust functions within the Department into a more efficient, effective and reliable organization. In accordance with the provisions of the establishing Order, the duties and existence of the OITT were terminated and considered obsolete on December 31, 2002.

The Bureau of Land Management was established July 16, 1946, by the consolidation of the General Land Office (created in 1812) and the Grazing Service (formed in 1934). The Bureau manages more land--256 million surface acres--than any other Federal Government agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 western States, including Alaska. There are also small, scattered parcels in States east of the Mississippi River. The Bureau also administers more than 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the Nation. These public lands make up about 13 percent of the total land surface of the United States and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the Federal Government. The Bureau preserves open space in the fast-growing, fast-changing West by managing the public lands for multiple uses and by conserving resources so that current and future generations may use and enjoy them.

The Minerals Management Service was established on January 19, 1982, by Secretarial order. The Service assesses the nature, extent, recoverability, and value of leasable minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf. It ensures the orderly and timely inventory and development and the efficient recovery of mineral resources; encourages utilization of the best available and safest technology; and safeguards against fraud, waste, and abuse. MMS was renamed Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) on June 21, 2010. On October 1, 2011, BOEMRE was reorganized into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was established July 1, 1910, in the Department of the Interior by the organic Act of May 16, 1910, as amended (30 U.S.C. 1, 3, 5-7). The USBM was primarily a research and fact-finding agency. Its goal was to help ensure that the Nation had adequate supplies of nonfuel minerals for security and other needs. Research was conducted to provide the technology for the extraction, processing, use, and recycling of the Nation’s nonfuel mineral resources at a reasonable cost without harm to the environment or the workers involved. The Bureau also collected, compiled, analyzed, and published statistical and economic information on all phases of nonfuel mineral resource development, including exploration, production, shipments, demand, stocks, prices, imports and exports. The United States Bureau of Mines was terminated pursuant to act of Jan. 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 32). Certain functions were transferred to the Secretary of Energy by act of April 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 1321-167). __________ Source: U.S. Government Manual (1992/1993 Edition), p. 359 U.S. Government Manual (2009/2010 Edition), p. 616.

The National Biological Service (NBS) was established on November 11, 1993, through the transfer of certain functions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Reclamation. The mission of NBS is to work with others to provide the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources. To accomplish this mission, NBS undertakes research, inventory, monitoring information sharing, and technology transfer activities to foster an understanding of biological systems and their benefits to society. Through these activities, NBS provides essential scientific support, technical assistance, and information required for sound management and policy decisions regarding the Nation's biological resources. NBS establishes partnerships with other Federal, State, and local agencies; with museums and universities; and with private organizations in order to bring coherence to largely uncoordinated efforts and to further fulfill its mission.

The National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is an AmeriCorps program that was established under the National and Community Service Act of 1990. The AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based, local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned. Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs. Source: http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp.

As an independent federal regulatory agency of the United States, the National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission) was established pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (Act). The Commission comprises a Chairman and two Commissioners, each of whom serves on a full-time basis for a three-year term. The Chairman is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the other two Commissioners. Under the Act, at least two of the three Commissioners must be enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe, and no more than two members may be of the same political party. [http://www.nigc.gov/About_Us.aspx]

The National Park Service was established in the Department of the Interior on August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1). There are close to 400 units in the National Park System, including national parks, monuments and memorials, scenic parkways, preserves, reserves, trails, riverways, wild and scenic rivers, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas, battlefields and battlefield parks and sites, national military parks, international historic sites, and historic sites associated with important movements, events, and personalities of the American past. The National Park Service is dedicated to conserving unimpaired the Natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) ) is entrusted with a fiduciary role, managing an average of $11 billion in annual revenues from energy and mineral leases and other monies owed for the use of public natural resources on the Outer Continental Shelf and onshore Federal and American Indian lands. Revenue sources include royalties, rents, and bonuses generated throughout the life of the lease.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) was established by Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299 of May 19, 2010, which restructured the former Mineral Management Service, dividing its responsibilities into three new bureaus--The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). BOEM is responsible for managing development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

On May 19, 2010 the Minerals Management Service was renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). On Oct. 1, 2010 the Office of Natural Resource Revenues (ONRR) split from BOEMRE and on Oct. 1, 2011 BOEMRE was divided into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

The Bureau of Reclamation was established pursuant to the Reclamation Act of 1902 (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.). The Bureau is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) was established by Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299 of May 19, 2010 which restructured the former Mineral Management Service, dividing its responsibilities into three new bureaus—The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). On June 18, 2010, the Secretary issued Secretarial Order No. 3302, which announced the name change of the former MMS to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). This name, BOEMRE, will be in effect until the new organizations are in place October 1, 2011. On October 1, 2010, the functions of the former Minerals Revenue Management (MRM) officially transferred to ONRR, reporting to the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. On October 4, 2010, ONRR published a final rule in the Federal Register moving the regulations related to its royalty and revenue functions from 30 CFR chapter II to chapter XII. On October 1, 2011 the remaining components of BOEMRE were transferred into BOEM and BSEE. Under the terms of Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299, BSEE will be responsible for safety and environmental enforcement functions including, but not limited to, the authority to permit activities, inspect, investigate, summon witnesses and produce evidence: levy penalties; cancel or suspend activities; and oversee safety, response and removal preparedness.

The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) oversees Indian trust reform efforts departmentwide to ensure the establishment of policies, procedures, systems, and practices to allow the Secretary to discharge the Government's fiduciary trust responsibilities to American Indians and tribes. OST also has programmatic responsibility for the management of financial trust assets, asset appraisals, and fiduciary trust beneficiary services.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) was established in the Department of the Interior by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1211). The Office's primary goal is to assist States in operating a nationwide program that protects society and the environment from the adverse effects of coal mining, while ensuring that surface coal mining can be done without permanent damage to land and water resources. With most coal mining States responsible for regulating coal mining and reclamation activities within their borders, OSM's main objectives are to oversee State mining regulatory and abandoned-mine reclamation programs, assist States in meeting the objectives of the surface mining law, and regulate mining and reclamation activities on Federal and Indian lands, and in those States choosing not to assume primary responsibility.