The Bureau manages more land--256 million surface acres--than any other Federal Government agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 western States, including Alaska. There are also small, scattered parcels in States east of the Mississippi River. The Bureau also administers more than 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the Nation.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency dedicated to fish and wildlife conservation. The Service's history spans nearly 140 years, dating from the establishment of its predecessor agency, the Bureau of Fisheries, in 1871. First created as an independent agency, the Bureau of Fisheries was later placed in the Department of Commerce. A second predecessor agency, the Bureau of Biological Survey, was established in 1885 in the Department of Agriculture.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency dedicated to fish and wildlife conservation. The Service's history spans nearly 140 years, dating from the establishment of its predecessor agency, the Bureau of Fisheries, in 1871. First created as an independent agency, the Bureau of Fisheries was later placed in the Department of Commerce. A second predecessor agency, the Bureau of Biological Survey, was established in 1885 in the Department of Agriculture.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created as part of the War Department in 1824 and transferred to the Department of the Interior when the latter was established in 1849. The mission of BIA is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of federally recognized tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. BIA provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, members of 573 federally recognized Indian tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.