[For the Department of the Interior statement of organization, see the Federal Register of Apr. 14, 1978, 43 FR 15791] As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under United States administration. The jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior includes: -the administration of over 500 million acres of Federal land, and trust responsibilities for approximately 50 million acres of land, mostly Indian reservations; -the conservation and development of mineral and water resources; -the conservation, development, and utilization of fish and wildlife resources; -the coordination of Federal and State recreation programs; -the preservation and administration of the Nation's scenic and historic areas; -the operation of Job Corps Conservation Centers and Youth Conservation Corps Camps, and coordination of other manpower and youth training programs; -the reclamation of arid lands in the West through irrigation; and -the management of hydroelectric power systems. The Department of the Interior is also concerned with the social and economic development of the territories of the United States and in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and administers programs providing services to Indians and Alaska Natives. The Department of the Interior was created by act of March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 395; 43 U.S.C. 1451), which transferred to it the General Land Office, the Office of Indian Affairs, the Pension Office, and the Patent Office. The Department also had responsibility for supervision of the Commissioner of Public Buildings, the Board of Inspectors and the Warden of the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia, the census of the United States, and the accounts of marshals and other officers of the United States courts, and of lead and other mines in the United States. Over the many years of its existence, other functions have been added and removed, so that its role has changed from that of general housekeeper for the Federal Government to that of custodian of the Nation's natural resources. The Department of the Interior is composed of the Office of the Secretary, other departmental offices, and bureaus described below. Office of the Secretary Secretary The Secretary of the Interior, as the head of an executive department, reports directly to the President and is responsible for the direction and supervision of all operations and activities of the Department. The Secretary also has certain powers or supervisory responsibilities relating to Territorial governments. Under Secretary The Under Secretary assists the Secretary in the discharge of Secretarial duties and serves as Acting Secretary in the absence of the Secretary. With the exception of certain matters reserved by the Secretary, the Under Secretary has the full authority of the Secretary. Fish and Wildlife and Parks The Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks discharges the duties of the Secretary with the authority and direct responsibility for programs associated with the development, conservation, and utilization of fish, wildlife, recreation, historical, and national park system resources of the Nation. The Assistant Secretary represents the Department in the coordination of marine environmental quality and biological resources programs with other Federal agencies. The Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks exercises Secretarial direction and supervision over the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Water and Science The Assistant Secretary-Water and Science discharges the duties of the Secretary with the authority and direct responsibility to carry out the statutory mandate to manage and direct programs supporting the development and implementation of water and mineral policies through encouraging and assisting the development of economically and environmentally sound resource activities, including: -development and conservation of the Nation's water supply and support of cost-sharing techniques for development and management of water supplies in the 17 Western States; -oversight of the Department's irrigation drainage water quality program; -water resource evaluation and analysis; -fostering and encouraging the private sector in the orderly and economic development of domestic mineral resources; -effective mineral data collection and analysis; -assessment of frontier area mineral resources for long-term availability; -improved focus and effectiveness of departmental research and development activities in geology, hydrology, topography, metallurgy, mining technology, and mine health and safety, including international work supporting departmental long-term national objectives; -geologic and mineral resource investigations; -Earth seismic research; -geographic information systems research; and -remote sensing activities. -surface mining reclamation and enforcement functions; -operations management for minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf to the outer limits of the United States economic jurisdiction; -assessment of these frontier area mineral resources for long-term national availability; -management of revenues from Federal mineral leases to ensure efficient collection of bonuses, rentals, and royalties; and -coordination of related departmental policy. The Assistant Secretary also serves as adviser to the Secretary in the Secretary's role as a member of the Cabinet Council on Domestic Policy. The Assistant Secretary exercises Secretarial direction and supervision over the Bureau of Land Management, the Minerals Management Service, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Indian Affairs The Assistant The Office of the Assistant Secretary and coordinates scientific activities in the Department; coordinates Department activities with the Board on Geographic Names; represents the Secretary on the Trade Policy Review Group to coordinate international trade policy issues, the interagency groups for Antarctic policy and ocean policy, the Emergency Mobilization Preparedness Board, and other interagency efforts as appropriate. The Assistant Secretary— Water and Science also oversees the programs of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Mines, and the Geological Survey. Land and Minerals Management The Assistant Secretary—Land and Minerals Management discharges the duties of the Secretary with the authority and direct responsibility for programs associated with: -public land management, including land use planning; -onshore and offshore minerals management; -development and management of effective fuel-related mineral data collection and analysis; Secretary for activities pertaining to -providing the Secretary with detailed -identifying and acting on issues affecting Indian policy and programs; -establishing policy on Indian affairs; -liaison and coordination between the Department of the Interior and other Federal agencies that provide services or funding to Indians; -representing the Department in transactions with Congress; -monitoring and evaluating on-going activities related to Indian affairs; -undertaking or providing leadership in special assignments and projects for the Secretary; and -for exercising Secretarial direction and supervision over the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Policy, Budget and Administration The Assistant Secretary-Policy, Budget and Administration discharges the authority of the Secretary for all phases of management and administrative activities and serves as the principal policy adviser to the Secretary. Responsibilities include: -providing detailed and objective advice on program planning, budget, and policy matters; -developing and maintaining administrative policy, standards, objectives, and procedures for use throughout the Department; -coordinating organizational aspects of proposed legislation with appropriate bureaus and offices; -undertaking special managementrelated projects for the Secretary; and -providing management and administrative support services for the Office of the Secretary. The Assistant Secretary performs and supervises the following activities: personnel management, property, safety, space, emergency preparedness, procurement, grants, energy conservation, law enforcement, financial management, aircraft services, printing, publications, management systems, and information resources management, including automated data processing, telecommunications, library and information services, and directives and regulatory management. Secretarial offices appropriately identified with the functions previously described, and as shown on the foregoing list of principal officials, are under the Assistant Secretary's supervision. Territorial and International Affairs The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs was established by Secretarial Order No. 3046 of February 14, 1980. The Assistant Secretary discharges the authority and responsibility of the Secretary for activities pertaining to U.S. territorial areas and the Freely Associated States (Republic of the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia) and for the coordination of international affairs of the Department. The Assistant Secretary is responsible for promoting the economic, social, and political development of the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau). In consultation with the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who is responsible for government-to-government relations with the Freely Associated States, the Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs is responsible for general oversight of all Federal programs provided to the Freely Associated States of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia under the Compact of Free Association. The Assistant Secretary also serves as the Department's focal point for analysis, development, and review of the Department's policy and programs pertaining to international activities and the opportunities for support of U.S. foreign policy through the use of the Department's natural resource and environmental expertise. For further information, contact the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. Phone, 202-343-4822. Solicitor The Solicitor is the principal legal adviser to the Secretary and the chief law officer of the Department. The Solicitor is responsible for and has supervision over all of the legal work of the Department, with the exception of that performed by the Office of Hearings and Appeals and the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. Inspector General The Inspector General is the Department's focal point for independent and objective reviews of the integrity of operations; the central authority concerned with the quality, coverage, and coordination of the audit and investigation services of the Department; and reports directly to the Secretary on these matters. The Inspector General provides the means for keeping the Secretary and Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of Department programs and operations and the necessity for corrective action. |