United States Secretary of the Interior Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of the Interior
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the Department of the Interior
Incumbent Doug Burgum since February 1, 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
Formation	March 3, 1849; 176 years ago (1849-03-03)
First holder	Thomas Ewing
Succession	Eighth
Deputy	United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I

The United States Secretary of the Interior is a very important person in the U.S. government. They lead the United States Department of the Interior, which is like a special team that takes care of most of the country's public lands and natural resources.

This includes managing places like National Parks, forests, and wildlife areas. The Secretary also works with groups like the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey. They are a member of the United States Cabinet, which means they advise the President of the United States.

Because much of the land they manage is in the western part of the U.S., many Secretaries of the Interior have come from western states. The current Secretary of the Interior is Doug Burgum, who started his role on February 1, 2025. This job is a high-level position in the government, with a salary of US$246,400 as of January 2024.

What the Secretary of the Interior Does
- Protecting Natural Resources
- Key Agencies They Oversee
Who Becomes Secretary of the Interior
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What the Secretary of the Interior Does

The Secretary of the Interior and their department are in charge of protecting and managing many important parts of the United States. They look after vast areas of federal land and the natural resources found there.

Protecting Natural Resources

Their work includes making sure that natural resources like water, minerals, and wildlife are used wisely and protected for the future. They help manage national parks, which are special places preserved for everyone to enjoy.

Key Agencies They Oversee

The Secretary oversees several important agencies. These include:

The Bureau of Land Management, which manages public lands for various uses.
The United States Geological Survey, which studies the Earth, its resources, and natural hazards.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, which works with Native American tribes.
The National Park Service, which manages all the National Parks and many national monuments.

The Secretary also helps choose private citizens to serve on the National Park Foundation Board. This board supports the National Park Service.

Who Becomes Secretary of the Interior

The person chosen for this role is usually from a state in the western U.S. This is because the Department of the Interior's work, especially with land and resources, has a big impact on those states. Since 1949, only one Secretary, Rogers Morton, was not from a state west of the Mississippi River.