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Department of the Interior: Difference between revisions
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As of mid-2004, the department managed 507 million acres (2,050,000 km<sup>2</sup>) of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States. It manages 476 dams and 348 reservoirs through the [[Bureau of Reclamation]], 431 national parks, monuments, historical sites, etc. through the [[National Park Service]], and 544 national wildlife refuges through the [[Fish and Wildlife Service]]. The largest land management agency is the [[Bureau of Land Management]], managing about one-eighth of the land in the United States. | As of mid-2004, the department managed 507 million acres (2,050,000 km<sup>2</sup>) of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States. It manages 476 dams and 348 reservoirs through the [[Bureau of Reclamation]], 431 national parks, monuments, historical sites, etc. through the [[National Park Service]], and 544 national wildlife refuges through the [[Fish and Wildlife Service]]. The largest land management agency is the [[Bureau of Land Management]], managing about one-eighth of the land in the United States. | ||
Despite its name, the Department of the Interior has a different role from that of the interior ministries of other nations, which are usually responsible for police matters and internal security. In the United States, national security and immigration functions are performed by the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] primarily and the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] secondarily. The Department of the Interior has often been humorously called "the Department of Everything Else" because of its broad range of responsibilities.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/index.htm "History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814041614/http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/index.htm |date=August 14, 2015 }}, National Park Service web page. Retrieved May 20, 2010.</ref> | Despite its name, the Department of the Interior has a different role from that of the interior ministries of other nations, which are usually responsible for police matters and internal security. In the United States, national security and immigration functions are performed by the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] primarily and the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] secondarily. The Department of the Interior has often been humorously called "the Department of Everything Else" because of its broad range of responsibilities.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/index.htm "History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814041614/http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/index.htm |date=August 14, 2015 }}, National Park Service web page. Retrieved May 20, 2010.</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Formation of the department=== | ===Formation of the department=== | ||
A department for domestic concern was first considered by the [[1st United States Congress]] in 1789, but those duties were placed in the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. The idea of a separate domestic department continued to percolate for a half-century and was supported by presidents from [[James Madison]] to [[James Polk]]. The 1846–48 [[Mexican–American War]] gave the proposal new steam as the responsibilities of the federal government grew. Polk's [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|secretary of the treasury]], [[Robert J. Walker]], became a vocal champion of creating the new department.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of the Interior: The Department of Everything Else |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617020050/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior1.htm |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert J Walker Secretary of the Treasury 1845-1849 |url=https://home.treasury.gov/about/history/prior-secretaries/robert-j-walker-1845-1849 |url-status=live |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=Treasury Department |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003161303/https://home.treasury.gov/about/history/prior-secretaries/robert-j-walker-1845-1849 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-01 |title=History of the Department of the Interior |url=https://www.doi.gov/whoweare/history |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.doi.gov |language=en |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317013543/https://www.doi.gov/whoweare/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | A department for domestic concern was first considered by the [[1st United States Congress]] in 1789, but those duties were placed in the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. The idea of a separate domestic department continued to percolate for a half-century and was supported by presidents from [[James Madison]] to [[James Polk]]. The 1846–48 [[Mexican–American War]] gave the proposal new steam as the responsibilities of the federal government grew. Polk's [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|secretary of the treasury]], [[Robert J. Walker]], became a vocal champion of creating the new department.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of the Interior: The Department of Everything Else |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617020050/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior1.htm |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert J Walker Secretary of the Treasury 1845-1849 |url=https://home.treasury.gov/about/history/prior-secretaries/robert-j-walker-1845-1849 |url-status=live |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=Treasury Department |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003161303/https://home.treasury.gov/about/history/prior-secretaries/robert-j-walker-1845-1849 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-01 |title=History of the Department of the Interior |url=https://www.doi.gov/whoweare/history |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.doi.gov |language=en |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317013543/https://www.doi.gov/whoweare/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
In 1849, Walker stated in his annual report that several federal offices were placed in departments with which they had little to do. He noted that the [[United States General Land Office]] had little to do with the Treasury and also highlighted the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs|Indian Affairs office]], part of the [[United States Department of War|Department of War]], and the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|Patent Office]], part of the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. Walker argued that these and other bureaus should be brought together in a new Department of the Interior.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} A bill authorizing its creation of the department passed the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] on February 15, 1849, and spent just over two weeks in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. The department was established on March 3, 1849 ({{USStat|9|395}}), the eve of President [[Zachary Taylor]]'s inauguration, when the Senate voted 31 to 25 to create the department. Its passage was delayed by | In 1849, Walker stated in his annual report that several federal offices were placed in departments with which they had little to do. He noted that the [[United States General Land Office]] had little to do with the Treasury and also highlighted the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs|Indian Affairs office]], part of the [[United States Department of War|Department of War]], and the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|Patent Office]], part of the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. Walker argued that these and other bureaus should be brought together in a new Department of the Interior.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} A bill authorizing its creation of the department passed the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] on February 15, 1849, and spent just over two weeks in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. The department was established on March 3, 1849 ({{USStat|9|395}}), the eve of President [[Zachary Taylor]]'s inauguration, when the Senate voted 31 to 25 to create the department. Its passage was delayed by Democrats in [[United States Congress|Congress]] who were reluctant to create more [[patronage]] posts for the incoming [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] administration to fill. The first [[United States Secretary of the Interior|secretary of the interior]] was [[Thomas Ewing]]. | ||
Several of the domestic concerns the department originally dealt with were gradually transferred to other departments. For example, the Department of Interior was responsible for water pollution control prior to the creation of the [[Environmental Protection Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elkins |first=Chuck |date=October 2013 |title=Transcript of "Behind the Scenes at the Creation of the EPA" Video |url=https://www.epaalumni.org/userdata/pdf/600A1DB1B9EF1E85.pdf#page=3 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |website=EPA Alumni Association |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412070138/https://www.epaalumni.org/userdata/pdf/600A1DB1B9EF1E85.pdf#page=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other agencies became separate departments, such as the [[Bureau of Agriculture]], which later became the [[United States Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]]. However, land and natural resource management, American Indian affairs, wildlife conservation, and territorial affairs remain the responsibilities of the Department of the Interior. | Several of the domestic concerns the department originally dealt with were gradually transferred to other departments. For example, the Department of Interior was responsible for water pollution control prior to the creation of the [[Environmental Protection Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elkins |first=Chuck |date=October 2013 |title=Transcript of "Behind the Scenes at the Creation of the EPA" Video |url=https://www.epaalumni.org/userdata/pdf/600A1DB1B9EF1E85.pdf#page=3 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |website=EPA Alumni Association |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412070138/https://www.epaalumni.org/userdata/pdf/600A1DB1B9EF1E85.pdf#page=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other agencies became separate departments, such as the [[Bureau of Agriculture]], which later became the [[United States Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]]. However, land and natural resource management, American Indian affairs, wildlife conservation, and territorial affairs remain the responsibilities of the Department of the Interior. | ||
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Secretary of the Interior [[James G. Watt]] faced criticism for his alleged hostility to environmentalism, for his support of the development and use of federal lands by foresting, ranching, and other commercial interests, and for banning [[the Beach Boys]] from playing a 1983 Independence Day concert on the [[National Mall]] out of concerns of attracting "an undesirable element". His 1983 resignation was prompted by a speech in which he said about his staff: "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."<ref name="bart">[https://web.archive.org/web/20000920054559/http://www.bartleby.com/63/56/556.html 556. James G Watt, US Secretary of the Interior.], "Simpson's Contemporary Quotations" (1988) via ''bartleby.com'' and [[Wayback Machine]].</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah07667.xml |title=RMOA – Document<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=October 29, 2008 |archive-date=January 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108103112/http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah07667.xml |url-status=dead }}</ref> | Secretary of the Interior [[James G. Watt]] faced criticism for his alleged hostility to environmentalism, for his support of the development and use of federal lands by foresting, ranching, and other commercial interests, and for banning [[the Beach Boys]] from playing a 1983 Independence Day concert on the [[National Mall]] out of concerns of attracting "an undesirable element". His 1983 resignation was prompted by a speech in which he said about his staff: "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent."<ref name="bart">[https://web.archive.org/web/20000920054559/http://www.bartleby.com/63/56/556.html 556. James G Watt, US Secretary of the Interior.], "Simpson's Contemporary Quotations" (1988) via ''bartleby.com'' and [[Wayback Machine]].</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah07667.xml |title=RMOA – Document<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=October 29, 2008 |archive-date=January 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108103112/http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=wyu-ah07667.xml |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
Under the Administration of President | Under the Administration of President George W. Bush, the Interior Department's maintenance backlog climbed from $5 billion to $8.7 billion, despite Bush's campaign pledges to eliminate it completely. Of the agency under Bush's leadership, Interior Department Inspector General [[Earl Devaney]] has cited a "[[culture of fear]]" and of "ethical failure." Devaney has also said, "Simply stated, short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of Interior."<ref name="lat012409">[[Julie Cart|Cart, Julie]]. [http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-parks25-2009jan25,0,3051208.story?page=2&track=rss "Bush legacy leaves uphill climb for U.S. parks"], ''Los Angeles Times'', January 25, 2009.</ref> | ||
Launched in June of 2021, the [https://www.doi.gov/priorities/strengthening-indian-country/federal-indian-boarding-school-initiative Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative] intended to investigate federal Indian boarding school policies and multi-generational impacts of trauma on American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children. Released in two volumes, the three year investigation produced the first report<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newland |first=Bryan |date=May 2022 |title=Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report |url=https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/bsi_investigative_report_may_2022_508.pdf}}</ref> in May 2022 and the second and final<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newland |first=Bryan |date=July 2024 |title=Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report Vol. II |url=https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/doi_federal_indian_boarding_school_initiative_investigative_report_vii_final_508_compliant.pdf}}</ref> volume in June 2024. The final report details the severe trauma and cultural disruption inflicted on Native American communities through these schools, which operated from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It highlights the systemic abuse and neglect endured by students, finding 973 children died at the schools and calls for accountability and measures to address the ongoing impact on Native American families and communities to include working closely with tribal nations on the identification and repatriation of the remains.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kavi |first=Aishvarya |date=July 30, 2024 |title=Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died at Boarding Schools, Interior Dept. Finds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/us/politics/native-american-boarding-schools.html |website=New York Times}}</ref> | Launched in June of 2021, the [https://www.doi.gov/priorities/strengthening-indian-country/federal-indian-boarding-school-initiative Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative] intended to investigate federal Indian boarding school policies and multi-generational impacts of trauma on American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children. Released in two volumes, the three year investigation produced the first report<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newland |first=Bryan |date=May 2022 |title=Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report |url=https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/bsi_investigative_report_may_2022_508.pdf}}</ref> in May 2022 and the second and final<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newland |first=Bryan |date=July 2024 |title=Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report Vol. II |url=https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/doi_federal_indian_boarding_school_initiative_investigative_report_vii_final_508_compliant.pdf}}</ref> volume in June 2024. The final report details the severe trauma and cultural disruption inflicted on Native American communities through these schools, which operated from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It highlights the systemic abuse and neglect endured by students, finding 973 children died at the schools and calls for accountability and measures to address the ongoing impact on Native American families and communities to include working closely with tribal nations on the identification and repatriation of the remains.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kavi |first=Aishvarya |date=July 30, 2024 |title=Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died at Boarding Schools, Interior Dept. Finds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/us/politics/native-american-boarding-schools.html |website=New York Times}}</ref> | ||
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*Office of Acquisition and Property Management | *Office of Acquisition and Property Management | ||
*Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization | *Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization | ||
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital and Diversity | [[Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital and Diversity]] | ||
*Office of Human Resources | *Office of Human Resources | ||
*Office of Occupational Safety and Health | *[[Office of Occupational Safety and Health]] | ||
*Office of Strategic Employee and Organizational Development | *[[Office of Strategic Employee and Organizational Development]] | ||
*Office of Civil Rights | *Office of Civil Rights ( | ||
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology, Information and Business Services | Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology, Information and Business Services | ||
*Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution | *Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution | ||