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1910 The Bureau of Mines is created to promote
mine safety and minerals technology.
1916 President Wilson signed legislation
creating The National Park Service.
1920 The Mineral Leasing Act establishes the
government's right to rental payments and royalties
on oil, gas, and minerals production.
1925 The Patent Office is transferred to the
Department of Commerce.
1930 The Bureau of Pensions is transferred to
the Veterans Administration.
1934 The Taylor Grazing Act is enacted to
regulate economic uses of public lands. The first Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp is
issued. The Indian Reorganization Act abolishes the
allotment system established in 1887, forms tribal
governments, and affirms the Secretary's trust
responsibilities. Oversight of Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico is transferred to
Interior.
1935 The Bureau of Reclamation completes
construction of Hoover Dam.
1940 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is created from the Bureau of Fisheries
and the Bureau of Biological Survey.
1946 Interior's General Land Office and
Grazing Service are merged into the Bureau of Land Management.
1950-1951 Interior assumes jurisdiction over
Guam, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands.
1977 The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement is established to oversee state
regulation of strip coal mining and repair of
environmental damage.
1980 The Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act is enacted adding 47 million acres
to the National Park System and 54 acres to the
National Wildlife Refuge System.
1982 The Minerals Management Service is
established to facilitate mineral revenue collection
and manage the Outer Continental Shelf offshore
lands.
1993 The President convened the Northwest
Forest Plan Summit and released the "Forest Plan for
a Sustainable Economy and Sustainable Environment."
1996 Interior science and technology functions
are consolidated in the U.S. Geological Survey.
2001 Gale A. Norton is nominated the
first woman to serve as Secretary of the Interior.
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