The United States Department of the Interior…

was established on this date in 1849.

The Mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities.

DOI manages 507 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States, including:

  • 262 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management
  • 95 million acres managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service
  • 84 million acres managed by the National Park Service
  • 8.6 million acres managed by the Bureau of Reclamation
  • 55.7 million acres managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs