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U.S. Department of the Interior
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U.S. Department of the Interior

United States government
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Also known as: DOI
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Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Date:
1849 - present
Areas Of Involvement:
reservation
natural resource
Related People:
Deb Haaland
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News •

Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far • Nov. 20, 2024, 8:28 PM ET (AP)
Trump names Interior-designee Doug Burgum to head new White House council on energy • Nov. 15, 2024, 10:45 PM ET (AP)
Correction: Trump-Burgum-Things To Know story • Nov. 15, 2024, 5:53 PM ET (AP)
Biden administration to restrict drilling, renewables in the US West to help struggling bird • Nov. 8, 2024, 5:39 PM ET (AP)
Nevada lithium mine will crush rare plant habitat US said is critical to its survival, lawsuit says • Nov. 3, 2024, 5:01 PM ET (AP)

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), executive division of the U.S. federal government responsible for most of the country’s federally owned lands and natural resources, as well as reservation communities for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Created in 1849, it encompasses the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Minerals Management Service, the Office of Surface Mining, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

In December 2020 President-elect Joe Biden announced U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland as his pick to lead the department. The Senate confirmed Haaland’s appointment as interior secretary on March 15, 2021, by a 51–40 vote, making her the first Native American to hold a cabinet secretary position and lead an executive department of the federal government.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Mindy Johnston.