Department+of+the+Interior

__**Department of the Interior Mission Statement**__

The Mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. Goals: Interior has established five Departmental goals that encompass the major responsibilities of the Department. These goals provide a framework for the strategic plans of Interior's bureaus. The Departmental goals are as follows: * Resource Protection - Protect the Nation's Natural, Cultural, and Heritage Resources * Resource Use - Manage Resources to Promote Responsible Use and Sustain a Dynamic Economy * Recreation - Provide recreation opportunities for America * Serving Communities - Safeguard lives, property and assets, advance scientific knowledge, and improve the quality of life for communities we serve * Management Excellence - Manage the Department to be highly skilled, accountable, modern, functionally integrated, citizen-centered and result-oriented


 * __Department of the Interior deputy__**: Ken Salazar

__**Department of the Interior History**__ In 1789 Congress created three Executive Departments: Foreign Affairs (later in the same year renamed State), Treasury, and War. It also provided for an Attorney General and a Postmaster General. Domestic matters were apportioned by Congress among these departments. The idea of setting up a separate department to handle domestic matters was put forward on numerous occasions. It wasn't until March 3, 1849, the last day of the 30th Congress, that a bill was passed to create the Department of the Interior to take charge of the Nation's internal affairs. The Department of Everything Else: Highlights of Interior HistoryDOI BuildingThe first Interior Building, 1852 -1917. The Patent Office building, today housing the Smithsonian Institution's Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art, served as DOI headquarters. The Interior Department had a wide range of responsibilities entrusted to it: the construction of the national capital's water system, the colonization of freed slaves in Haiti, exploration of western wilderness, oversight of the District of Columbia jail, regulation of territorial governments, management of hospitals and universities, management of public parks,and the basic responsibilities for Indians, public lands, patents, and pensions. In one way or another all of these had to do with the internal development of the Nation or the welfare of its people.


 * __Department of the Interior Bureaus__**
 * National Park Service * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service * Bureau of Indian Affairs * Bureau of Land Management * Office of Surface Mining * Minerals Management Service * U.S. Geological Survey * Bureau of Reclamation


 * __Issue: The Swine Flu

Officials Say Flu Cannot Be Contained As Cases Arise By: Brian Walsh April 28, 2009 www.time.com__**

The World Health Organization pushed the swine flu fro phase 3 to phase 4 which is just below the pandemic level. All schools in Mexico will be closed at least until May 6th. This is to not reinforce contaminating more people than the flu already needs to. The World Health Organization has also had most pharmaceutical companies must start preparing flu vaccines for the swine flu. This puts many companies in a tough situation because they must also still keep making regular flu vaccines for the flu season. The World Health Organization stated that there is no need to panic but there should be somewhat of an alarm. At this point, people outside of Mexico should not be worried about the swine flu but if anyone needs to travel to Mexico they should push it off to as late as they possibly can.

By: Mike Stobbe April 28, 2009 www.yahoonews.com__**
 * __US Swine Flu Cases Jumps To 68

The confirmed numbers of cases of the swine flu has hit 64 cases. Indiviual states have also reported four more cases making the total cases 68. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that along with theses confirmed cases there have been a number of hospitilazitions along with these confirmed cases. The cases of swine flu has been increasing and the Centers for Disease Control is not surprised. They are expecting to see more confirmed cases. Officials of the Centers for Disease Control warned that the number of cases would not be a set number for long because states are still reporting more cases of the swine flu.

By: Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Eileen Sullivan April 28, 2009 www.yahoonews.com__**
 * __In Flu Crisis, U.S. Has Planned For The Worst

If the swine flu were to become a global pandemic the whole world would change. It would be like the world would fall silent. Many states would run out of hospital beds within two weeks of a possible outbreak. People with the flu would be would be isolated and their familie would be quarantined. The possibility of an outbreak would be even worse on the ecomomy. Most all businesses would fail which would put the economy in a huge depression and we as a country must be prepared for the worst.