The Office of the Secretary of Environment was established in 1993 to provide greater oversight to the environmental activities of the State government.

The Act directed the Secretary of Environment ensure that state environmental agencies management activities are well coordinated and of high quality.

The Secretary of Environment is responsible for overseeing the development, management and protection of the natural resources and wildlife of the State.

As of fiscal year 2012, the Secretary of Environment oversees 981.9 full-time employees and is responsible for an annual budget of $590 million.

[2] The vast majority of the funds to support the Office comes from the Environmental Protection Agency, particularly under the authority of the Clean Water Act.