United States Secretary of the Interior

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United States Secretary of the Interior
Seal of the United States Department of the Interior.svg
Seal of the Department of the Interior
Flag of the United States Secretary of the Interior.svg
Flag of the secretary
Walter Cruickshank official photo.jpg
since January 20, 2025
United States Department of the Interior
Style Mr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member of Cabinet
Reports to President of the United States
Seat Washington, D.C.
Appointer President of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument 43 U.S.C.   § 1451
FormationMarch 3, 1849;175 years ago (1849-03-03)
First holder Thomas Ewing
Succession Eighth [1]
Deputy United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Salary Executive Schedule, Level I
Website doi.gov

The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural resources, leading such agencies as the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Geological Survey, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service. The secretary also serves on and appoints the private citizens on the National Park Foundation Board. The secretary is a member of the United States Cabinet and reports to the president of the United States. The function of the U.S. Department of the Interior is different from that of the interior minister designated in many other countries.

Contents

As the policies and activities of the Department of the Interior and many of its agencies have a substantial impact in the Western United States, [2] the secretary of the interior has typically come from a western state; only one secretary since 1949, Rogers Morton, was not a resident or native of a state lying west of the Mississippi River.

Secretary of the Interior is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, [3] thus earning a salary of US$246,400, as of January 2024. [4]

Walter Cruickshank currently serves as Acting Secretary.

Line of succession

The line of succession for the secretary of interior is as follows: [5]

  1. Deputy Secretary of the Interior
  2. Solicitor of the Interior
  3. Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget
  4. Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
  5. Assistant Secretary for Water and Science
  6. Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks
  7. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
  8. Director, Security, Safety, and Law Enforcement, Bureau of Reclamation
  9. Central Region Director, US Geological Survey
  10. Intermountain Regional Director, National Park Service
  11. Region 6 (Mountain-Prairie Region) Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service
  12. Colorado State Director, Bureau of Land Management
  13. Regional Solicitor, Rocky Mountain Region

List of secretaries of the interior

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References

  1. "3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act". Legal Information Institute .
  2. Lowery, Courtney (December 17, 2008). "Salazar, Vilsack: The West's New Land Lords". New West. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
  3. 5 U.S.C.   § 5312
  4. "Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule" (PDF). Office of Personnel Management. January 1, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  5. "Chapter 3: Secretarial Succession". Electronic Library of the Interior Policies. September 3, 2004. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  6. "About Secretary Jewell". U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Attorney General Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of the Interior
Succeeded byas Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 8th in line Succeeded by