APES-Federal Agencies

United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States Government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid.

Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior that administers more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States which constitutes one-eighth of the landmass of the co

United States Bureau of Reclamation

The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), and formerly the United States Reclamation Service (not to be confused with the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement), is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which ove

United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), also known as the Agriculture Department, is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal government policy on farming, agriculture, forestry, and food. It aims

United States Department of Energy

-The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States Government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material. Its responsibilities include the nation's nucl

United States Department of Health and Human Services

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also known as the Health Department, is a cabinet-level department of the U.S. federal government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human servic

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government. Although its beginnings were in the House and Home Financing Agency, it was founded as a Cabinet d

department of the interior

The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs rela

department of transportation

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the U.S. government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967. It is g

environmental protection agency

The United States Environmental Protection Agency[2] (EPA or sometimes USEPA) is an agency of the U.S. federal government which was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws p

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates. FERC also reviews and

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO; French: Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture, Italian: Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura) is an agency of the United Nati

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres (780,000 km2). Major divisions of the agency includ

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

International Whaling Commission

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW),[1] which was signed in Washington, D.C., United States, on 2 December 1946 to "provide for the pr

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) was the first act of the United States Congress to call specifically for an ecosystem approach to natural resource management and conservation. It was signed into law on October 21, 1972 (and took effect 60

Mine Safety and Health Administration

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor which administers the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health sta

National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private non-profit organization in the United States. The National Academy of Sciences is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which also includes the National Academy of Engine

National Center for Atmospheric Research

The US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR, pronounced EN-car[1]) is a US federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National Scienc

The National Lead Information Center

The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead, lead hazards, and their prevention. The NLIC operates under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with funding

National Marine Fisheries Service

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a United States federal agency, informally known as NOAA Fisheries.[1] A division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which is in the cabinet-level Department of Commerce, NMFS is r

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, pronounced /?no?.?/, like "Noah") is an American scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere.

National Park Service

The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government that manages all U.S. national parks, many American national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations.[1] It was create

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a government-own

United States Geological Survey

The United States Geological Survey (USGS, formerly simply Geological Survey) is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that

National Solar Heating and Cooling Information Center

Solar air heating is a solar thermal technology in which the energy from the sun, insolation, is captured by an absorbing medium and used to heat air.[1] Solar air heating is a renewable energy heating technology used to heat or condition air for building

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government, established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, and began operations on January 19, 1975. As one of two successor agencies to the United States Atomic

Occupational safety and health administration

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which President Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 29,

Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management

The National Ocean Service (NOS), an office within the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is responsible for preserving and enhancing the nation's coastal resources and ecosystems along 95,000 miles (153,000 km) o

Office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM or OSMRE) is a branch of the United States Department of the Interior. It is the federal agency entrusted with the implementation and enforcement of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation A

Soil conservation service

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and man

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (French: Organisation de coop�ration et de d�veloppement �conomiques, OCDE) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and wor

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation. A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another suc

United Nations environment programme

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an agency that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded by Maurice Strong, its first director,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or (FWS) is an agency of federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior which is dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working

U.S. Geological Survey

The United States Geological Survey (USGS, formerly simply Geological Survey) is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that

Mining:
1. Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act:

required reclamation standards, performance bonds, and mandatory restoration programs on coal lands, also created fees to be paid on all active mining operations

Mining:
2. Madrid Protocol:

Requires development of plans outlining responses to environmental emergencies & prohibits mining in the Antarctic
- Prohibits introduction of non-native species (except humans)
- Addition to Antarctic Treaty
- Increased environmental protection by requir

Water:
3. Safe Drinking Water Act:

Allows EPA to set maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water that may have adverse effects on human health

Water:
4. Clean Water Act:

Goal: to make surface waters swimmable & fishable

Water;
5. Ocean Dumping Ban Act:

Bans ocean dumping of sewage sludge and industrial waste

Air:
6. Clean Air Act:

Limits release of air pollutants

Air:
7. Kyoto Protocol:

(1997) International agreement with binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Air:
8. Montreal Protocol:

International agreement to reduce production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances
Goal: Phase out ozone-depleting substances

Waste:
9. Resource Conservation & Recovery Act:

Goals: Protect public from harm caused by waste disposal, encourage reduce, reuse, recycle, and clean up spilled/improperly stored wastes

Waste:
10. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act:

The "Superfund Act," designed to ID and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dumpsites
- Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Provides broad federal authority to clean up releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public h

Waste:
11. Nuclear Waste Policy Act:

US government must develop a high level nuclear waste site by 2015

Life:
12. Endangered Species Act:

Forbids any government agency, corporation, or citizen from taking (i.e., harming, harassing, or killing) endangered animals without a permit
- Forbids Federal Agencies from authorizing, funding or carrying out actions which may "jeopardize the continued

Life:
13. Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES):

List species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products
-Goal: to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival

Life:
14. Magnuson- Stevens Act:

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), commonly referred to as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in United States federal waters.

Life:
15. Food Quality Protection Act:

Set pesticide limits in food & all active/inactive ingredients must be screened for estrogenic/endocrine effects
-Some of the major requirements include stricter safety standards, especially for infants and children, and a complete reassessment of all exi

General:
16. National Environmental Policy Act:

Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), which are assessments of the likelihood of impacts from alternative courses of action, must be done before any project affecting federal lands can be started

General:
17. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants:

an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).