DIRECTOR'S ORDER NO. 232
Subject: Delegating the Director’s Signature of Routine U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Directives
Sec. 1 What is the purpose of this Order? The purpose of this Order is to delegate authority to the Deputy Directors and Acting Deputy Directors to sign routine U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) directives after the Director has surnamed the package in the Data Tracking System (DTS) to indicate approval.
Sec. 2 What is the legal authority for this Order? The legal authority for this order is the Department of the Interior Departmental Manual Part 381, Origination of Records and Information; Chapter 1, Directives Management (381 DM 1).
Sec. 3 What is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service directive? A Service directive is a written communication that states internal Service policies, and initiates or governs action, conduct, or procedures that Service employees must follow. Service directives are intended only to improve the internal management of the Service. Service directives are not intended to, and do not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person. The four components of the Service directives system are:
a. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.
(1) The Service Manual:
(a) Contains the Service directives with which employees must comply.
(b) Puts into place standards for complying with statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and Departmental directives.
b. Director's Orders. Director’s Orders are limited to temporary delegations of authority, emergency directives, special assignments, and initial policy or guidance for evolving activities.
c. Handbooks established by the Service Manual. The Service uses handbooks to explain how to comply with directives; they are procedural in nature. The originating office writes a handbook, when necessary, and cross-references it in an accompanying Service Manual chapter. When the Director approves the Service Manual chapter, the Director is also approving and requiring affected employees to use the handbook the chapter establishes.
d. Memorandums. The Service may promulgate directives in memorandums, but limits their use to operational, incident-specific, project-related, or one-time (non-continuing) matters. The Policy and Regulations Branch tracks the memorandums program offices provide by their issue date.
Sec. 4 What is a routine directive? All directives are considered routine unless a determination is made by the Director or the Director’s designee(s) that the directive is not routine.
Sec. 5 What authority is delegated? This order delegates authority to the Deputy Directors and Acting Deputy Directors to sign routine directives documents after the Director has surnamed the directive in DTS to indicate approval. This delegation of authority includes routine new, revised, and amended directives or their revocation.
Sec. 6 What internal Service policies support the provisions of this Order?
a. Service Manual chapters: In accordance with Service Manual chapter 011 FW 1, Description, Authority, and Responsibilities for the Service Manual, the Director is responsible for approving new and revised internal policy located in the Service Manual and delegating approval authority for such policy to the Deputy Director or Acting Director as necessary (see 011 FW 1.5A(2) and (3)).
b. Handbooks: The Director’s approval of a Service Manual chapter that establishes a handbook also approves the chapter’s accompanying handbook (see 011 FW 4.4A).
c. Director’s Orders: In accordance with Service Manual chapter 012 FW 1, Preparation and Issuance of Director’s Orders, only the Director, a Deputy Director, or an Acting Director can sign Director's Orders (see 012 FW 1.10)
d. Authority of Deputies: In accordance with Service Manual chapter 030 FW 1, Delegations – Authority, Definitions, and Responsibilities, Deputies may exercise any and all authority delegated to their principles (except authority that is restricted to the principle only) (see 030 FW 1.9D).
e. Authority of acting officials: In accordance with Service Manual chapter 030 FW 1, Delegations – Authority, Definitions, and Responsibilities, an acting official may exercise all of the authority of the official for whom such person has been duly designated to act, unless specifically restricted such as in the case of procurement authority granted under the contracting officers' warrant system (see 030 FW 1.9C).
Sec. 7 When can the Director’s signature of a routine directive be delegated to the Deputy Directors and Acting Deputy Directors? The signature of a routine directive is only delegated when the Director applies his electronic surname indicating “concur” to the final directive document record in DTS.
Sec. 8 What does the Director’s electronic surname of a routine directive in DTS mean?
a. The Director enters his surname and selects “concur” in the surname field in a DTS record to indicate that he approves the directives document.
b. The DTS surname streamlines the directives approval process by eliminating the requirement for the Director to sign every routine directive.
c. The Director’s DTS surname of the routine directive is an official electronic authorization that is saved, stored, and searchable.
Sec. 9 What language must be included at the signature line of a routine directive approved by the Director when a Deputy Director or Acting Deputy Director signs the document? If the Director delegates the authority to sign the directive, the directive document must contain the following language:
“Brian R. Nesvik, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approved this document and authorized the undersigned to sign this document on month, day, year [the Policy and Regulations Branch will add the date of the Director’s DTS surname].”
Sec. 10 What are the responsibilities of the official delegating the authority and the recipient of the authority? The Director who delegates the authority to approve or decline to approve routine directives is neither relieved of the power to exercise the authority nor of the responsibility for actions taken regarding the exercise of that authority. The recipient of delegated authority receives a public trust that is to be exercised with fidelity and prudence. Recipients must exercise the authority in conformity with any requirements with which the official making the delegation would be expected to observe. Such requirements may be found in provisions of the Department of the Interior Manual, the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, statutes, Executive Orders, or regulations issued by other Federal agencies, such as the Office of Personnel Management (see 030 FW 1.9A and B).
Sec. 11 Can this delegation of authority be reassigned? This delegation of authority cannot be reassigned nor further delegated.
Sec. 12 When is this Order effective? This order remains in effect until we incorporate it into the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual or until we amend, extend, supersede, or revoke it, whichever comes first. If we do not amend, extend, supersede, or revoke it, the provisions of this Order will terminate 18 months from the date of signature.
/sgd/ Brian R. Nesvik
DIRECTOR
Date: February 5, 2026