The U.S. Department of the Interior is a federal executive branch department responsible for the management and conservation of most U.S. federal lands and natural resources, as well as programs related to Native American tribes and U.S. insular areas. It oversees agencies including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Bureau of Reclamation, and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE).
For energy and materials industries, the department plays a central regulatory role in leasing, permitting, and oversight of onshore and offshore energy and mineral development, including offshore wind and oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf. Its bureaus conduct environmental reviews, enforce safety and environmental standards, manage habitat and water resources, and provide geological and hydrological data. These actions influence access to critical minerals, upstream feedstocks, infrastructure siting, and project timelines that affect chemical, petrochemical, and related industrial supply chains.
