§1457. Duties of Secretary
The Secretary of the Interior is charged with the supervision of public business relating to the following subjects and agencies:
1. Alaska Railroad.
2. Alaska Road Commission.
3. Bounty-lands.
4. Bureau of Land Management.
5. United States Bureau of Mines.
6. Bureau of Reclamation.
7. Division of Territories and Island Possessions.
8. Fish and Wildlife Service.
9. United States Geological Survey.
10. Indians.
11. National Park Service.
12. Petroleum conservation.
13. Public lands, including mines.
(R.S. §441; Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182,
Editorial Notes
Codification
R.S. §441 derived from acts Mar. 3, 1849, ch. 108, §§3, 5 to 9,
Section was formerly classified to section 485 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by
Amendments
1957-
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
"United States Bureau of Mines" substituted for "Bureau of Mines" in par. (5) pursuant to section 10(b) of
"United States Geological Survey" substituted for "Geological Survey" in par. 9 pursuant to provision of title I of
Effective Date of 1957 Amendment
Amendment by
Report to Congress on Availability of Federal Programs to Territories of United States; Authorization of Appropriations
Study of Health and Safety Conditions in Metal and Nonmetallic Mines
Surveys, Investigations and Research; Appropriations
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"
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[For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.]
Conveyance to Indian Tribes of Federally Owned Buildings, Improvements, or Facilities
Act Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 979,
"For the purpose of this Act, the term 'Indian' shall include Eskimos and Aleuts."
[Act Aug. 6, 1956, set out above, was formerly classified to section 443a of Title 25, Indians, prior to editorial reclassification as this note.]
Indian Goods and Supplies
Act Apr. 30, 1908, ch. 153,
[Act Apr. 30, 1908, set out above, was formerly classified to section 443b of Title 25, Indians, prior to editorial reclassification as this note.]
Section as Unaffected by Submerged Lands Act
Provisions of this section as not amended, modified, or repealed by Submerged Lands Act, see section 1303 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174,
Functions of General Land Office and of Grazing Service consolidated into a new agency known as Bureau of Land Management by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, §403(a), eff. July 16, 1946. See note set out under section 1 of this title.
The following subjects of which Secretary of the Interior was charged with supervision by R.S. §441, were transferred in the manner indicated:
Census-Transferred to Department of Commerce and Labor by act Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, §4,
Pensions-Transferred to Veterans' Administration by Ex. Ord. No. 5398 of July 21, 1930, pursuant to act July 3, 1930, ch. 863, §1,
Patents-Transferred to Department of Commerce by Ex. Ord. No. 4175 of Mar. 17, 1925, pursuant to act Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552 §12,
Publications, custody and distribution-Transferred to Public Printer and superintendent of documents by act Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23,
Education-Transferred to Federal Security Agency by Reorg. Plan No. I of 1939, §201, 4 F.R. 2728
Government Hospital for the Insane-Designated St. Elizabeths Hospital by act July 1, 1916, ch. 209, §1,
Columbia Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb-Designated "Columbia Institution for the Deaf" by act Mar. 4, 1911, ch. 285, §1,
The following subjects and agencies were placed under supervision of Secretary of the Interior by acts and executive orders cited thereto:
Alaska Railroad-Ex. Ord. No. 3861 of June 8, 1923, pursuant to act Mar. 12, 1914, ch. 37,
Alaska Road Commission-Act June 30, 1932, ch. 320, §1,
Bureau of Mines-Transferred to Department of Commerce by Ex. Ord. No. 4239 of June 4, 1925; retransferred to Department of the Interior by Ex. Ord. No. 6611 of Feb. 22, 1934.
Functions of Secretary of the Interior, Department of the Interior, and officers and components of Department of the Interior exercised by Bureau of Mines relating to fuel supply and demand analysis and data gathering, research and development relating to increased efficiency of production technology of solid fuel minerals other than research relating to mine health and safety and research relating to environmental and leasing consequences of solid fuel mining, and coal preparation and analysis transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 7152(d) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Subsequently, those functions transferred to, and vested in, Secretary of the Interior, by section 100 of
For provisions relating to closure and transfer of functions of the United States Bureau of Mines, see note set out under section 1 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.
Bureau of Reclamation-Act June 17, 1902, ch. 1093,
Power marketing functions of Bureau of Reclamation, including construction, operation, and maintenance of transmission lines and attendant facilities, transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 7152(a)(1)(D), (3) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and to be exercised by Secretary through a separate Administration within Department of Energy.
Division of Territories and Island Possessions-Ex. Ord. No. 6726 of May 29, 1934. Functions of Division transferred to Office of Territories established July 28, 1950, pursuant to Secretarial Order No. 2577. Office of Territories ceased to exist on June 30, 1971, and its functions assigned to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs in Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Land Management by Secretarial Order No. 2942, eff. July 1, 1971. Subsequently, functions and responsibilities of Deputy Assistant Secretary were assumed by Office of Territorial Affairs, headed by a Director, established by Secretarial Order No. 2951 of Feb. 6, 1973. Functions and responsibilities of Office of Territorial Affairs transferred to Office of Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs established by Secretarial Order No. 3046 of Feb. 14, 1980, as amended May 14, 1980.
Fish and Wildlife Service-1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, §4(e), (f), 4 F.R. 2731,
Geological Survey-Act Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182,
Grazing-Act June 28, 1934, ch. 865,
National Park Service-Act Aug. 25, 1916, ch. 408,
Office of Consumers' Counsel of National Bituminous Coal Commission-Abolished and functions transferred to office of Solicitor of Department of the Interior, by Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, §4(c), eff. July 1, 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Its functions, records, property, and personnel were subsequently transferred from Solicitor to Bituminous Coal Consumers' Counsel.
Petroleum conservation-Section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 10752, eff. Feb. 12, 1958, 23 F.R. 973, superseded Ex. Ord. No. 6979, eff. Feb. 28, 1935, Ex. Ord. No. 7756, eff. Dec. 1, 1937, 2 F.R. 2664, and Ex. Ord. No. 9732, eff. June 3, 1946, 11 F.R. 5985, formerly classified as notes to this section.
Emergency Preparedness Functions
For assignment of certain emergency preparedness functions to Secretary of the Interior, see Parts 1, 2, and 10 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, Nov. 18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set out as a note under section 5195 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Executive Documents
Executive Order No. 9633
Ex. Ord. No. 9633, eff. Sept. 28, 1945, 10 F.R. 12305, which reserved and placed certain resources of the Continental Shelf under the control and jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 10426, eff. Jan. 16, 1953, 18 F.R. 405.
Ex. Ord. No. 12906. Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure
Ex. Ord. No. 12906, Apr. 11, 1994, 59 F.R. 17671, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13286, §25, Feb. 28, 2003, 68 F.R. 10624, provided:
Geographic information is critical to promote economic development, improve our stewardship of natural resources, and protect the environment. Modern technology now permits improved acquisition, distribution, and utilization of geographic (or geospatial) data and mapping. The National Performance Review has recommended that the executive branch develop, in cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments, and the private sector, a coordinated National Spatial Data Infrastructure to support public and private sector applications of geospatial data in such areas as transportation, community development, agriculture, emergency response, environmental management, and information technology.
NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America; and to implement the recommendations of the National Performance Review; to advance the goals of the National Information Infrastructure; and to avoid wasteful duplication of effort and promote effective and economical management of resources by Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, it is ordered as follows:
(b) "Geospatial data" means information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features and boundaries on the earth. This information may be derived from, among other things, remote sensing, mapping, and surveying technologies. Statistical data may be included in this definition at the discretion of the collecting agency.
(c) The "National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse" means a distributed network of geospatial data producers, managers, and users linked electronically.
(b) Each member agency shall ensure that its representative on the FGDC holds a policy-level position.
(c) Executive branch departments and agencies ("agencies") that have an interest in the development of the NSDI are encouraged to join the FGDC.
(d) This Executive order is intended to strengthen and enhance the general policies described in OMB Circular No. A–16. Each agency shall meet its respective responsibilities under OMB Circular No. A–16.
(e) The FGDC shall seek to involve State, local, and tribal governments in the development and implementation of the initiatives contained in this order. The FGDC shall utilize the expertise of academia, the private sector, professional societies, and others as necessary to aid in the development and implementation of the objectives of this order.
(b) Standardized Documentation of Data. Beginning 9 months from the date of this order, each agency shall document all new geospatial data it collects or produces, either directly or indirectly, using the standard under development by the FGDC, and make that standardized documentation electronically accessible to the Clearinghouse network. Within 1 year of the date of this order, agencies shall adopt a schedule, developed in consultation with the FGDC, for documenting, to the extent practicable, geospatial data previously collected or produced, either directly or indirectly, and making that data documentation electronically accessible to the Clearinghouse network.
(c) Public Access to Geospatial Data. Within 1 year of the date of this order, each agency shall adopt a plan, in consultation with the FGDC, establishing procedures to make geospatial data available to the public, to the extent permitted by law, current policies, and relevant OMB circulars, including OMB Circular No. A–130 ("Management of Federal Information Resources") and any implementing bulletins.
(d) Agency Utilization of the Clearinghouse. Within 1 year of the date of this order, each agency shall adopt internal procedures to ensure that the agency accesses the Clearinghouse before it expends Federal funds to collect or produce new geospatial data, to determine whether the information has already been collected by others, or whether cooperative efforts to obtain the data are possible.
(e) Funding. The Department of the Interior shall provide funding for the Clearinghouse to cover the initial prototype testing, standards development, and monitoring of the performance of the Clearinghouse. Agencies shall continue to fund their respective programs that collect and produce geospatial data; such data is then to be made part of the Clearinghouse for wider accessibility.
(b) Standards for Which Agencies Have Specific Responsibilities. Agencies assigned responsibilities for data categories by OMB Circular No. A–16 shall develop, through the FGDC, standards for those data categories, so as to ensure that the data produced by all agencies are compatible.
(c) Other Standards. The FGDC may from time to time identify and develop, through its member agencies, and to the extent permitted by law, other standards necessary to achieve the objectives of this order. The FGDC will promote the use of such standards and, as appropriate, such standards shall be submitted to the Department of Commerce for consideration as Federal Information Processing Standards. Those standards shall apply to geospatial data as defined in section 1 of this order.
(d) Agency Adherence to Standards. Federal agencies collecting or producing geospatial data, either directly or indirectly (e.g. through grants, partnerships, or contracts with other entities), shall ensure, prior to obligating funds for such activities, that data will be collected in a manner that meets all relevant standards adopted through the FGDC process.
(b) The following activities are exempt from compliance with this order:
(i) national security-related activities of the Department of Defense as determined by the Secretary of Defense;
(ii) national defense-related activities of the Department of Energy as determined by the Secretary of Energy;
(iii) intelligence activities as determined by the Director of Central Intelligence; and
(iv) the national security-related activities of the Department of Homeland Security as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(c) The NSDI may involve the mapping, charting, and geodesy activities of the Department of Defense relating to foreign areas, as determined by the Secretary of Defense.
(d) This order does not impose any requirements on tribal governments.
(e) Nothing in the order shall be construed to contravene the development of Federal Information Processing Standards and Guidelines adopted and promulgated under the provisions of section 111(d) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 [former 40 U.S.C. 759(d)], as amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987 (