The United States Department Of The Interior (DOI)

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“The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources” (Wikipedia). The DOI focuses on conservation and use of federal lands and is responsible for preserving nature’s wonders of America. They are also liable for management of programs relating to Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Native Americans. The Department of the Interior handles territorial affairs and insular areas, which are territories of the U.S. that are not a part of any of the fifty states or the federal district of Washington D.C. The United States Secretary of the Interior, who is a member of the Cabinet of the …show more content…

Walker argued that certain bureaus should be brought together in the Department of the Interior. On February 15, 1849, a bill approving the creation of the DOI passed the House of Representatives and spent two weeks in the Senate. The Department of the Interior was founded on March 3, 1849. Many of the concerns the DOI originally dealt with were gradually transferred to other departments. However, wildlife conservation, territorial affairs, Native Hawaiians, Alaska natives, and Native American affairs remain the responsibilities of the Department of the Interior. “As of mid-2004, the Department managed 507 million acres 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, 408 national parks, monuments, seashore sites, etc. through the National Park Service, and 544 national wildlife refuges through the Fish and Wildlife Service. Energy projects on federally managed lands and offshore areas supply about 28% of the nation's energy production,” …show more content…

The nine bureaus that are part of the DOI are: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. Each one of these bureaus helps to uphold lists of important guidance documents. In addition to the nine bureaus, there are many offices that associate with the Office of Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, management and Budget, Solicitor’s Office, and Office of the Inspector General (doi.gov).
The Interior Department has spent $28.6 billion on contractors this decade, according to USAspending.gov. In addition to contracts, the Department of the Interior gives out millions of dollars in grants to help endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is one of the main bureaus of the DOI that distributes the grants to state and local governments. In May 2008, they donated more than sixty million dollars to help endangered

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