Department of Interior

The Christian Science Monitor reports that Dirk Kempthorne, President Bush’s nominee for lead the Interior Department is likely to win the position. Kempthorne has experience and is known for his collaboration. He works well with those who don’t agree with him, and is not likely to ignore endangered species for corporate ranching and new highways. Kempthorne previously stood up to the administration on issues of nuclear-waste cleanup at a federal facility in Idaho and also got more resources for the states national parks. National environmental groups claim that Kempthorne is only interested in resource-extraction and the profit that could be gained from public lands. Kempthorne and the administration would face many challenges which range from salvage logging of burnt timber to the proposed sale of some federal land to lessen the federal budget deficit. The government is in the process of opening some parks, like Yellowstone to more commercial activities. Some argue this takes focus away from the preservation of natural resources and protection.


After the creation of the Executive Departments, Foreign Affair Departments , Treasury and War the idea was put forth several times to create a separate department to handle domestic matters. At the time, domestic matters were divided between the four existing departments by Congress. On the last day of the 30th congress, a bill was passed that created the Department of the Interior. Thomas Ewing was then appointed the first Secretary of the Interior. The Department of the Interior would have a range of responsibilities. It would be responsible for the construction of the national water system, the management of hospitals and universities,management of public parks and lands, patents, and pensions. The Department of Interior was also responsible for the surveying of the west and territorial oversight.