440.6� Flags�
11/27/2000
OPR:� Office of Management Services
1. Policy. This chapter incorporates Departmental policies, responsibilities, and procedures governing the display and the flying of the United States flag and authorized flags representing the Department of the Interior, its components, and officials.� The Departmental policy is contained in 310 DM 5 and the Appendix thereto.
2. Responsibilities.� Bureaus and offices are responsible for displaying and flying the United States, Department of the Interior, Secretarial, and authorized Bureau flags in accordance with the guidelines set forth in 310 DM 5.
3. Procurement.� Procedures for ordering the United States and the Department of the Interior flags are outlined in 310 DM 5.1G and 310 DM 5.2C, respectively.� The USGS flag, which is available in several sizes, may be obtained from the Office of Administrative Policy and Services, Office of Management Services, Materials Management Branch, Reston Supply Service Center, or by ordering online at https://rssc.usgs.gov/RSSC/RSSC.NSF?Open.
4. Half-Staffing of U.S. Flag. Occasions to fly the United States flag at half-staff are contained in 310 DM 5, Appendix 1, Part IV.� Requests to half-staff the flag at specific sites for which the USGS has responsibility or at such sites within certain geographic areas upon the death of local Federal, state, or local officials should be submitted to the Director or appropriate Regional Director for approval.� Under extraordinary circumstances involving the death of a USGS employee, the Director or appropriate Regional Director can approve the half-staffing of the flag as delineated below for a period of time determined suitable by the Director or appropriate Regional Director.
The Director or appropriate Regional Director can authorize the flag to be flown at half-staff when the USGS is the sole occupant of a building to include GSA-controlled buildings.� If the USGS is not the sole occupant of a building, then the GSA Regional Administrator should be contacted for GSA-controlled buildings and the principal manager of the facility for non-GSA controlled buildings for approval.� Whenever the Director or appropriate Regional Director authorizes the flag to be flown at half-staff, the Department of the Interior, National Business Center, Division of Facilities Management Service, must be notified prior to the half-staffing.� If a Regional Director authorizes the flag to be flown at half-staff, the Director should also be notified.