Department of Interior

About the agency
The Department of Interior is the federal executive department government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native American, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States.

Records available
Per the Annual 2015 DOI FOIA Report, when DOI withholds records requested under the FOIA, it most frequently does so under Exemption 5 (which safeguards inter-agency or intra-agency records which would normally be privileged in the civil discovery context), Exemption 6 (which safeguards personal privacy interests), and Exemption 7(C) (which safeguards personal information in law enforcement records). However, DOI’s diverse mission and records ensures a wide variety of FOIA exemptions may sometimes be appropriately used.

Agency FOIA manuals and handbooks

 * FOIA manual
 * FOIA handbook
 * Required language for FOIA responses
 * Requests for personal and personnel information
 * Requests for personal information of commenters
 * Searching for email records
 * Searching for text message records
 * Use of FOIAOnline
 * Withholding information in pre-approved categories
 * Preparing foreseeable harm statements for FOIA appeals
 * Foreseeable harm standard
 * FOIA program overview
 * Improving the FOIA program

Requester suggestions, tips and guidance

 * FOIA requests can be submitted via email or standard mail. Addresses for specific contacts, depending on the content of the request, are located here. The Department of the Interior also accepts FOIA requests from its online portal.

Appeals suggestions, tips and guidance
Learned something about this agency's process through an appeal? Let everyone know.

Subagencies

 * Bureau of Indian Affairs
 * Bureau of Land Management
 * Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
 * Bureau of Reclamation
 * Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
 * National Park Service
 * Office of Surface Mining
 * Office of the Inspector General
 * Office of the Secretary
 * Office of the Solicitor
 * Office of the Special Trustee
 * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
 * U.S. Geological Survey