Agencies use the goals in agency strategic plans and annual performance plans to inform annual budget decisions, longer-term investment planning, and human resource planning. The agency’s strategic goals and objectives are listed below.
Click here for more information on stakeholder engagement during goal development.
Strategic Goal: Provide Natural and Cultural Resource Protection and Experiences
Objective: Protect America’s Cultural and Heritage Resources
Description:
We will ensure that our Nation’s rich cultural heritage and abundant historic and prehistoric resources are preserved for the enjoyment and enlightenment of current and future generations.
Objective: Provide Recreation and Visitor Experience
Description:
We will endeavor to encourage the appreciation and use of our lands by facilitating visitor use and recreational experiences. We will strive to provide visitors with beneficial physical, mental, and social opportunities including those that result from outdoor recreational experiences.
Objective: Manage the Impacts of Wildland Fire
Description:
We will swiftly act to minimize the risk of unwanted wildland fire whenever possible. When unwanted wildfires occur, we will work to control their spread and effects on safety, public and private property, and the environment.
Objective: Protect America’s Landscapes
Description:
We will ensure that America’s natural endowment – America’s Great Outdoors – is protected for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations. We will maintain the condition of lands and waters that are healthy and we will restore the integrity of natural areas that have been damaged. We will strive to retain abundant and sustainable habitat for our diverse fish and wildlife resources, and we will reduce or eliminate threats to at-risk plant and animal species.
Priority Goal: Identify vulnerable resources and implement coordinated adaptation strategies to mitigate risks of changing climate.
Goal Statement: Identify vulnerable resources and implement coordinated adaptation strategies to mitigate risks of changing climate.
By September 30, 2013, for 50 percent of the Nation, the Department of the Interior will identify resources that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and implement coordinated adaptation response actions.
Description:
As the primary land, water, and wildlife manager for the Nation, DOI is addressing the impacts that climate change is having on America’s natural resources. DOI’s strategy cannot be limited to just one bureau or office and instead requires building capacities across the Department, forging shared goals with partners around the Nation, and working together to first understand the scope of potential impacts associated with a changing climate and then identifying strategies to ensure that our Nation’s resources remain resilient in the face of those changes. Understanding, communicating, and responding to the diversity of impacts associated with climate change across the various landscapes of the United States is an ambitious undertaking. Identifying similar terminology and means of measurement, engaging in collaborative communications with partners both within and outside DOI, obtaining adequate scientific understanding, and integrating various datasets and information sources are just some aspects of this undertaking that are underway. As a first step in achieving the Climate Change Priority Performance Goal, the Department will assess the vulnerability of resources that may be impacted by climate change and assess the threats to resources that may be exacerbated by climate change. Those resources include (i) fresh water supplies; (ii) landscapes, including wildlife habitat; (iii) native and cultural resources; and (iv) ocean health; and specific threats to those resources, including (i) invasive species; (ii) wildfire risk; (iii) sea-level rise; and (iv) melting ice/permafrost. These assessments, along with other information available to resource managers, will be used to identify and implement short-term management actions that can be implemented by the Department. Additionally, the Department will use the assessments and other related information to inform longer-term planning processes, in coordination with our partners and other stakeholders who jointly manage these resources with us. Throughout this effort, we will prioritize the collection and integration of key data that provide indicators of how climate change is affecting resources.
Strategic Goal: Sustainably Manage Energy, Water, and Natural Resources
Objective: Secure America’s Energy Resources
Description:
We will promote responsible development of renewable energy and ensure safe and environmentally responsible access to natural resources.
Priority Goal: Increase the approved capacity for production of energy from domestic renewable resources to support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
Goal Statement: Increase the approved capacity for production of energy from domestic renewable resources to support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
By September 30, 2013, increase approved capacity authorized for renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) energy resources affecting Department of the Interior managed lands, while ensuring full environmental review, by at least 11,000 Megawatts.
Description:
The Obama Administration’s coordinated strategy to develop all appropriate sources of renewable and conventional energy on U.S. public lands and waters calls for development of onshore and offshore renewable energy under a ‘Smart from the Start’ approach that prioritizes and processes existing applications in a coordinated, focused manner with full environmental analysis and public review. As manager of one-fifth of the nation’s landmass and 1.7 billion acres of the outer continental shelf, the U.S. Department of the Interior has the resources to help America produce more energy at home, thereby supporting a growing economy and job creation and reducing dependence on foreign oil and increasing sustainable practices with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Under the leadership of Secretary Ken Salazar, Interior is creating a new energy frontier – one that responsibly develops conventional and renewable resources on our nation’s public lands and waters.
Onshore, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified 20.6 million acres of public land with wind energy potential in 11 western states, 30 million acres with solar energy potential in six southwestern states, and 111 million acres of public land in western states and Alaska with geothermal resource potential. Offshore, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages the Outer Continental Shelf, 1.7 billion acres of federal-offshore lands with enormous wind-energy potential, and approved in 2011 the construction plan for Cape Wind Energy off the coast of Massachusetts.
Advancing the ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to develop domestic energy resources, on May 14 Interior announced a finding of no competitive interest for the proposed Mid-Atlantic offshore wind energy transmission line. The decision clears the way for the project to move forward with the environmental review necessary to grant the company a right-of-way for the proposal to build a “backbone” transmission line that would enable up to 7,000 megawatts of wind turbine capacity to be delivered to the grid. The proposed project is a high-voltage, direct-current subsea transmission system that would collect power generated by wind turbine facilities off the Atlantic coasts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The first such offshore infrastructure proposed in the United States, the system’s parallel, redundant circuits would total about 790 miles in length.
In addition to the multiple renewable energy efforts on public lands, the Department of Interior is reducing energy consumption within its own buildings while also self-generating renewable energy at over 1,000 Interior sites nationwide, including locations such as visitor centers, wildlife refuges, recreation centers, and tribal facilities. Developing such renewable energy resources responsibly could help support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
This goal assesses on a quarterly basis the authorization of approved capacity for renewable energy development while ensuring full environmental review. Specifically, DOI is measuring the maximum megawatts of electricity authorized by DOI under the development plan for a particular renewable energy project wholly or in part on Department of the Interior (DOI) managed lands, or transmission facilities that must traverse DOI lands.
Priority Goal: Improved production accountability, safety, and environmental protection of oil and gas operations through increased inspection of high-risk oil and gas production cases.
Goal Statement: Improved production accountability, safety, and environmental protection of oil and gas operations through increased inspection of high-risk oil and gas production cases.
By September 30, 2013 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will increase the completion of inspections of federal and Indian high risk oil and gas cases by 9 percent over FY 2011 levels, which is equivalent to covering as much as 95 percent of the potential high risk cases.
Description:
The inspection of high risk producing oil and gas cases is paramount to help ensure that hydrocarbon production on federally managed lands are properly accounted for and results in accurate royalty payments to the public and Indian owners of such minerals. Oil and gas production on federally supervised lands represent a significant part of the nation’s hydrocarbon production. Operating regulations in 43 CFR 3161.3 (a) require the BLM to inspect all leases which produce high volumes of oil or natural gas and those leases that have a history of non-compliance at least once a year. The high risk cases are determined by seven risk factors, four generated by the BLM and three derived from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue risk model. The four BLM factors are: production rating; number of missing Oil and Gas Operations Reports (OGOR); non-compliance rating; and last production inspection date rating. The three ONRR factors are: OGOR reporting error rating; production variance rating; and audit findings rating.
This effort is a component of addressing the deficiencies identified in the GAO High Risk report which needed improvement including:
i) ensuring data on production verification and royalties are consistent and reliable,
ii) meeting goals for oil and gas verification inspections, and
iii) ensuring that informal employee training is supported by formalized training courses offered on a consistent basis.
Objective: Manage Water for the 21st Century
Description:
We will deliver water in the 17 western states; managing water resources through the safe and effective performance of our facilities. For almost a decade, the Nation has experienced drought in major river basins while population and resulting demands for water have increased. The Department has a role in developing innovative approaches to meet water needs and anticipate future challenges.
Priority Goal: Enable capability to increase the available water supply in the western states through conservation related programs to ensure adequate and safe water supplies.
Goal Statement: Enable capability to increase the available water supply in the western states through conservation related programs to ensure adequate and safe water supplies.
By September 30, 2013, the Department of the Interior will further enable the capability to increase the available water supply for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and environmental uses in the western United States through Reclamation water conservation programs to 730,000 acre-feet, cumulatively since 2009.
Description:
The Nation faces an increasing set of water resource challenges: aging infrastructure, rapid population growth, depletion of groundwater resources, and climate variability and change. Shortages and water use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the US, even in “normal” years. Water issues and challenges are increasing in the West, in particular, due to prolonged drought and population shift. Traditional water management approaches, by themselves, no longer meet today’s need. Reclamation has been and is working closely with non-federal, state and local governments, water districts, other entities, and individuals to identify practices and select projects that will gain water conservation capacity in western states. These efforts are paying-off through increased implementation of and coordination on irrigation system evaluations, system retrofits and upgrades, installation of water measurement devices, canal lining, leak detection, and canal delivery system automation. Additional information can be found on the following web site:
http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/docs/FedRegister_WaterSMART_Implementation_plan_FINAL.PDF
http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/docs/WaterSMART-thee-year-progress-report.pdf
Objective: Sustainably Manage Timber, Forage, and Non-Energy Minerals
Description:
Interior lands designated for mulitple use offer harvestable timber, grasslands for grazing, and deposits of non-energy minerals. Interior will manage these lands sustainably to enhance public benefit, promote responsible use, and generate economic value.
Priority Goal: Increase the approved capacity for production of energy from domestic renewable resources to support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
Goal Statement:Increase the approved capacity for production of energy from domestic renewable resources to support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
By September 30, 2013, increase approved capacity authorized for renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) energy resources affecting Department of the Interior managed lands, while ensuring full environmental review, by at least 11,000 Megawatts.
Description:
The Obama Administration’s coordinated strategy to develop all appropriate sources of renewable and conventional energy on U.S. public lands and waters calls for development of onshore and offshore renewable energy under a ‘Smart from the Start approach that prioritizes and processes existing applications in a coordinated, focused manner with full environmental analysis and public review.
As manager of one-fifth of the nation’s landmass and 1.7 billion acres of the outer continental shelf, the U.S. Department of the Interior has the resources to help America produce more energy at home, thereby supporting a growing economy and job creation and reducing dependence on foreign oil and increasing sustainable practices with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Under the leadership of Secretary Ken Salazar, Interior is creating a new energy frontier – one that responsibly develops conventional and renewable resources on our nation’s public lands and waters.
Onshore, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified 20.6 million acres of public land with wind energy potential in 11 western states, 30 million acres with solar energy potential in six southwestern states, and 111 million acres of public land in western states and Alaska with geothermal resource potential. Offshore, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages the Outer Continental Shelf, 1.7 billion acres of federal-offshore lands with enormous wind-energy potential, and approved in 2011 the construction plan for Cape Wind Energy off the coast of Massachusetts.
Advancing the ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to develop domestic energy resources, on May 14 Interior announced a finding of no competitive interest for the proposed Mid-Atlantic offshore wind energy transmission line. The decision clears the way for the project to move forward with the environmental review necessary to grant the company a right-of-way for the proposal to build a “backbone” transmission line that would enable up to 7,000 megawatts of wind turbine capacity to be delivered to the grid. The proposed project is a high-voltage, direct-current subsea transmission system that would collect power generated by wind turbine facilities off the Atlantic coasts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The first such offshore infrastructure proposed in the United States, the system’s parallel, redundant circuits would total about 790 miles in length.
In addition to the multiple renewable energy efforts on public lands, the Department of Interior is reducing energy consumption within its own buildings while also self-generating renewable energy at over 1,000 Interior sites nationwide, including locations such as visitor centers, wildlife refuges, recreation centers, and tribal facilities. Developing such renewable energy resources responsibly could help support a growing economy and protect our national interests while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
This goal assesses on a quarterly basis the authorization of approved capacity for renewable energy development while ensuring full environmental review. Specifically, DOI is measuring the maximum megawatts of electricity authorized by DOI under the development plan for a particular renewable energy project wholly or in part on Department of the Interior (DOI) managed lands, or transmission facilities that must traverse DOI lands.
Priority Goal: Enable capability to increase the available water supply in the western states through conservation related programs to ensure adequate and safe water supplies.
Goal Statement:Enable capability to increase the available water supply in the western states through conservation related programs to ensure adequate and safe water supplies.
By September 30, 2013, the Department of the Interior will further enable the capability to increase the available water supply for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and environmental uses in the western United States through Reclamation water conservation programs to 730,000 acre-feet, cumulatively since 2009.
Description:
The Nation faces an increasing set of water resource challenges: aging infrastructure, rapid population growth, depletion of groundwater resources, and climate variability and change. Shortages and water use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the US, even in “normal” years. Water issues and challenges are increasing in the West, in particular, due to prolonged drought and population shift. Traditional water management approaches, by themselves, no longer meet today’s need. Reclamation has been and is working closely with non-federal, state and local governments, water districts, other entities, and individuals to identify practices and select projects that will gain water conservation capacity in western states. These efforts are paying-off through increased implementation of and coordination on irrigation system evaluations, system retrofits and upgrades, installation of water measurement devices, canal lining, leak detection, and canal delivery system automation. Additional information can be found on the following web site:
http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/docs/FedRegister_WaterSMART_Implementation_plan_FINAL.PDF
http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/docs/WaterSMART-thee-year-progress-report.pdf
Priority Goal: Improved production accountability, safety, and environmental protection of oil and gas operations through increased inspection of high-risk oil and gas production cases.
Goal Statement:Improved production accountability, safety, and environmental protection of oil and gas operations through increased inspection of high-risk oil and gas production cases.
By September 30, 2013 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will increase the completion of inspections of federal and Indian high risk oil and gas cases by 9 percent over FY 2011 levels, which is equivalent to covering as much as 95 percent of the potential high risk cases.
Description:
The inspection of high risk producing oil and gas cases is paramount to help ensure that hydrocarbon production on federally managed lands are properly accounted for and results in accurate royalty payments to the public and Indian owners of such minerals. Oil and gas production on federally supervised lands represent a significant part of the nation’s hydrocarbon production. Operating regulations in 43 CFR 3161.3 (a) require the BLM to inspect all leases which produce high volumes of oil or natural gas and those leases that have a history of non-compliance at least once a year. The high risk cases are determined by seven risk factors, four generated by the BLM and three derived from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue risk model. The four BLM factors are: production rating; number of missing Oil and Gas Operations Reports (OGOR); non-compliance rating; and last production inspection date rating. The three ONRR factors are: OGOR reporting error rating; production variance rating; and audit findings rating.
This effort is a component of addressing the deficiencies identified in the GAO High Risk report which needed improvement including:
(i) ensuring data on production verification and royalties are consistent and reliable,
(ii) meeting goals for oil and gas verification inspections, and
(iii) ensuring that informal employee training is supported by formalized training courses offered on a consistent basis.
Strategic Goal: Advance Government-to-Government Relationships with Indian Nations and Honor Commitments to Insular Areas.
Objective:Meet Our Trust, Treaty, and Other Responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives
Description:
We will restore the integrity of nation-to-nation relationships with tribes and work diligently to fulfill the United States trust responsibilities. We will work in partnership with tribes to build stronger economies and safer Indian communities.
Priority Goal: Reduce violent crime in Indian communities.
Goal Statement:Reduce violent crime in Indian communities.
By September 30, 2013, in addition to continued efforts at four targeted tribal reservations that have achieved reductions of at least 5% in violent criminal offenses, achieve significant reduction in violent criminal offenses of at least 5% within 24 months on two additional targeted tribal reservations by implementing a comprehensive strategy involving community policing, tactical deployment, and critical interagency and intergovernmental partnerships.
Description:
The rate of violent crime estimated from reported incidents for American Indians is well above that of other U.S. racial or ethnic groups and is more than twice the national average. This disparity in the rates of exposure to violence affecting American Indians occurs across age groups, housing locations, and gender. Violent crime is identified by crimes such as, homicide, aggravated assault, forcible rape and robbery.
In addition, many tribal leaders have identified substance abuse, including the use of methamphetamine, as a public safety threat to their communities. This is supported by the fact that a large percentage of the violent crimes in Indian country prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices continue to involve individuals under the influence of methamphetamine or other illegal substances. The combination of small populations spread over large geographic areas, under-developed economies, and the resulting high levels of unemployment have created an environment highly conducive to the current meth crisis, especially when these characteristics are combined with the widely dispersed law enforcement presence generally found on Indian reservations.
Interior has secured significant experience with implementation of a Safe Communities initiative beginning in 2009 and tracked through a FY 2010/2011 Priority Goal. The Department continues to adapt its approach to these efforts in order to achieve the greatest benefits. In 2012, Interior will continue its customized community policing programs to reduce violent crime incidents on reservations, maintaining efforts at 4 reservations that have been a focus since 2010 and focusing on an additional two communities with excessive violent crime problems.
Objective: Empower Insular Communities.
Description:
The Department empowers insular communities by improving the quality of life, creating economic opportunity, and promoting efficient and effective governance. The U.S.-affiliated insular areas include: the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Interior also administers and oversees Federal assistance provided to the three Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Assistant Secretary and the Office of Insular Affairs carry out these responsibilities on behalf of the Secretary.
Strategic Goal: Provide a Scientific Foundation for Decision Making.
Objective:Ensure the Quality and Relevance of Science Products to Partners and Customers.
Description:
We will continue to provide impartial research results and conclusions on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources on which we rely, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information. The USGS is a widely-used scientific provider for accessing information and improving its understanding to help resolve complex natural resource problems across the Nation and around the world.
Objective:Provide Science for Sustainable Resource Use, Protection, and Adaptive Management.
Description:
We will support scientific research to assess, understand, model, and forecast the impacts of climate change and other environmental drivers on our ecosystems, natural resources, and communities. Our bureaus will develop and construct stratgeies for adapting to climate change based on scientific analysis. The Department will assist Federal, state, local, and tribal entities by monitoring water quality and quantity; analyzing energy and mineral resources potential and environmental effects of their extraction and use; and analyzing and monitoring changes to the land and ocean environments.
Objective:Provide Scientific Data to Protect and Inform Communities.
Description:
We will support scientific research to improve the resilience of communities to natural hazards and wildlife diseases in order to preserve the quality of life and reduce the likelihood of fatalities and economic losses. The USGS will lead the scientific research on the environment and natural hazards and provide information to partners and stakeholders for use in making decisions that will protect lives.
Objective:Develop a Comprehensive Science Framework for Understanding the Earth.
Description:
The Department, through the USGS, will lead the effort to create a scientific framework that will provide knowledge of the ever-changing Earth. We will invest in cyber-infrastructure, nurture and cultivate programs in Earth systems science informatics, and participate in efforts to build and connect a global integrated science and computing platform. The USGS will gather, integrate, and present data in mulit-dimensional ways to advance and refine our understanding of the Earth and its geologic and ecologic systems. Three-dimensional models of ground water aquifers and energy and mineral deposits in the subsurface will be generated to help identify prospective areas for exploration and utilization. We will produce vegetation maps to pinpoint areas with high risks of wildland fire occurrence. We will deliver high resolution geospatial databases and topographic map images to support public purposes and enhance resource management.
Strategic Goal: Building a 21st Century Department of the Interior.
Priority Goal: Build the next generation of conservation and community leaders by supporting youth employment at the Department of the Interior.
Goal Statement:Build the next generation of conservation and community leaders by supporting youth employment at the Department of the Interior. By September 30, 2013, the Department of Interior will maintain the increased level of employment of individuals between the ages of 15 to 25 that was achieved in FY2010 (35% increase in total youth employment over FY2009) to support the Department’s mission of natural and cultural resource management.
Description:
The Department benefits from a workforce that is passionate about the mission, dedicated to public service, and highly skilled and knowledgeable. In fact, such a workforce is the Department’s greatest asset. Interior is strengthening its workforce management capabilities, including recruitment, development, and retention, to address challenges such as an aging workforce and the demands of technology and knowledge management. A key component of the Department’s workforce strategy includes focusing on youth. According to the Department of Labor, the proportion of young people employed in July 2010 was 48.9 percent, the lowest July rate on record (recordkeeping began in 1948). To focus on this issue, the Department set a priority goal in FY 2010 to increase employment of young people and has set a goal to maintain that increased level of employment through FY 2013, which translates to a 35% increase in total youth employment over FY 2009 of 16,149.
Young people’s involvement in Interior’s stewardship agenda provides benefits that are far reaching, including:
- Providing hands-on green job experience and pathways;
- Infusing energy and new thinking into the Federal Government;
- Educating a generation about nature and the values surrounding conservation;
- Creating opportunities to improve the health of younger generations; and
- Supplying important economic benefits in both rural and urban communities
