Federal Agencies

Numerous Federal Agencies regulate Natural Resources throughout the country, state and in Leelanau County.

Information and links to several of the agencies are listed below.

In addition, in the Laws and References area of this Government & Community Center there are more links to other Federal agencies, such as the Fish & Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Forest Service (USDA).

There are also links to State Agencies as well as many organizations that deal with Natural Resources.

U.S. Environmmental Protection Agency :

As stated on the EPA website:
"EPA provides leadership in the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. EPA works closely with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and Indian tribes to develop and enforce regulations under existing environmental laws. EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs and delegates to states and tribes responsibility for issuing permits, and monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national standards are not met, EPA can issue sanctions and take other steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality. The Agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts."

The EPA consists of "18,000 people in Headquarters program offices, 10 regional offices, and 17 labs across the country, EPA employs a highly educated, technically trained staff, more than half of whom are engineers, scientists, and environmental protection specialists. A large number of employees are legal, public affairs, financial, and computer specialists. EPA is led by the Administrator who is appointed by the President of the United States."

This is a link to the home page of EPA site.

U.S. EPA - REGION 5:
Serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Tribes

The EPA Region 5 office is in the Metcalfe Federal Building at 77 West Jackson Blvd. in Chicago, Illinois.

DirectionsThe Metcalfe Federal Building is located in downtown Chicago at the intersection of Clark and Jackson, on the southeast corner.

From 80-94, exit east on Jackson and continue to Clark Street.
From 290, continue on Congress into downtown Chicago and turn north on Dearborn, west on Adams, south on Clark.
From Lake Shore Drive, exit west on Jackson, turn north on Michigan, west on Adams, south on Clark.
Access

The Metcalfe Federal Building is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There is limited access to the building after hours and on weekends. Main entrances to the building are located on the north (Jackson Street side) and the west (Clark Street side). Entrance for the disabled is through the leaf door next to the revolving door at the Clark Street entrance.

Everyone entering the building will be screened by metal detector. All bags and other items go through an x-ray scan. Building security is monitored by the uniformed guards of the Federal Protective Service.

Visitors
All EPA visitors will be issued a visitor badge by the floor receptionist. Visitors must be accompanied by an EPA employee. Once their business is completed, visitors must return badges to the receptionist.

Regional Hearing Clerk:

Metcalfe Federal Building, 19th floor, weekdays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, phone 312-886-3617.

The Regional Hearing Clerk (RHC)is the official repository of official records of administrative cases under the various federal environmental statutes. The clerk provides services to enforcement programs, respondents, and the public in general. The RHC also tracks payments of fines under the administrative penalty programs, provides administrative support to the Region's Presiding Officer, and responds to Freedom of Information Act requests for documents in RHC files.

This is a link to more information about EPA REGION 5

U.S. Park Service:

"...to promote and regulate the use of the...national parks...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

National Park Service Organic Act, 16 U.S.C.1.

OVERVIEW
The National Park Service administers three hundred plus areas in the System. There are three principal categories used in classification; namely, natural areas, historical areas, and recreational areas. The use of the National Parks by over 250 million visitors annually makes a significant contribution to the economy of the Nation. From this enormous visitation, most benefits go to business in the form food, lodging, and travel expenditures.

State and local parks have been created through federal assistance--projects conceived and carried out by local areas to serve their own needs. These needs range from Little League baseball diamonds to large state parks to riverways purchased with federal grants and matching dollars from state and local levels.

For more information about the NPS follow this link.