OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR 

Inspector General’s Statement 

Summarizing the Major Management 

and Performance Challenges Facing 

the U.S. Department of the Interior, 

FY 2020 

In recognition of Secretarial Order No. 3380, we are providing estimated costs associated 

with certain work products. Applying a formula involving prior salary and benefit 

expenses, we estimate the cost of preparing this report to be $51,000. 

Report No.: 2020-ER-043 November 2020 
OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

U.S.DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR 

Memorandum 

To: David Bernhardt 

Secretary of the Interior 

From: Mark Lee Greenblatt 

Inspector General 

Subject: Final Report – Inspector General’s Statement Summarizing the Major Management 

and Performance Challenges Facing the U.S. Department of the Interior, FY 2020 

Report No. 2020-ER-043 

In accordance with the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000, we are submitting what we have 

determined to be the most significant management and performance challenges facing the 

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), for inclusion in the DOI’s Agency Financial Report for 

fiscal year 2020. 

We have focused this report on the DOI’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 

implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act. Many of the challenges highlighted under 

these two main topics connect to issues we have identified in previous management challenges 

reports. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 202-208-5745. 

cc: Todd Willens, Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of the Interior 

Katharine MacGregor, Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior 

James Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior 

Scott Cameron, Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget 

Richard Cardinale, Director, Office of Executive Secretariat 

Preston Heard, Deputy Director, Office of Executive Secretariat 

Tonya Johnson, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director, Office of Financial 

Management 

Chadrick Minnifield, Director, Internal Control and Audit Follow-Up, Office of Financial 

Management 

Office of Inspector General | Washington, DC 
Contents 

Introduction and Approach ..............................................................................................................1 

Challenge Spotlight: COVID-19 Pandemic Response ....................................................................3 

Managing Emergency Spending ..................................................................................................3 

Ensuring Health and Safety ..........................................................................................................5 

Accomplishing DOI Functions and Operations .........................................................................11 

Emerging Challenge: Implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act ................................16 

Appendix: Publications Cited ........................................................................................................19 
$ 

• 

• • • '-'::in~ 

Introduction and Approach 

In accordance with the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000, we are reporting what we have 

determined to be the most significant management and performance challenges facing the 

U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). By statute, this report is required to be included in the 

DOI’s Agency Financial Report. 

Given the broad effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on not only the DOI but the United States as 

a whole during this fiscal year, we have modified our approach for this year’s report to feature a 

detailed analysis of the DOI’s pandemic response. We emphasize particularly the pandemic’s 

cascading effect on the DOI’s multiple mission areas and functions, as well as the fact that it has 

led directly to large and unanticipated expenditures. The pandemic may moreover exacerbate 

ongoing issues we have identified in previous management challenges reports, which are 

summarized in the chart below. 

Previously Identified Challenge Areas Noted in This Report 

These longstanding challenges are ongoing and interwoven with this report’s focused 

analysis of the pandemic response and the Great American Outdoors Act. 

Financial The DOI manages significant financial assets, including 

Management contracts and financial assistance awards, as well as 

property and other resources. 

Public Safety The DOI is responsible for the safety of more than 70,000 

and Disaster employees, as well as members of the public who visit or 

Response live near 500+ million acres of DOI-managed lands. 

Responsibility The DOI provides services to 574 federally recognized 

to American tribes with a population of about 1.9 million American 

Indians Indians and Alaska Natives. The DOI also has trust 

responsibilities for mineral resources on 56 million surface 

acres and 57 million subsurface acres of tribal land. 

Energy The DOI manages lands, subsurface rights, and offshore 

Management areas that produce approximately 18 percent of the 

Nation’s energy. 

IT Security The DOI relies on complex, interconnected IT systems to 

carry out its daily operations. 

Workplace Many factors affect workplace culture, including agency 

Culture and values, leadership behavior, and employee perceptions. 

Human Capital The management of human capital affects the DOI’s ability 

to execute its mission efficiently. 

Water As the largest wholesaler of water in the country, the DOI 

Programs must reconcile competing demands on its water resources. 

1 
We are not suggesting that the previously identified challenges have been resolved, but, under 

the circumstances, we believe that they should be viewed in light of the pandemic. 

In addition to our focus on the unique challenges presented by the pandemic, this report 

identifies an emerging issue—namely, the implementation of the Great American Outdoors 

Act—and the DOI’s progress in preparing for and addressing this challenge. 

This report is primarily based on Office of Inspector General (OIG) and U.S. Government 

Accountability Office (GAO) reviews (including the GAO’s High-Risk List1), as well as our 

general knowledge of the DOI’s programs and operations. We link to the OIG reports related to 

the challenge areas throughout the report—a full list of reports cited is included in the appendix. 

Additional reports can be viewed on our website. Our analysis generally considers the DOI’s 

challenges and progress as of September 30, 2020, unless otherwise noted. 

2 
$ 

• • • • 

~ ... 

-------- ---

Challenge Spotlight: 

COVID-19 Pandemic Response 

The DOI was directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a national 

emergency in March 2020. While many of the challenges highlighted below are longstanding, 

they are all exacerbated by the pandemic, which presents its own unique issues. Below, we 

summarize these challenges and discuss the DOI’s plans and progress as it continues to respond 

to the pandemic. 

Managing Emergency Spending 

In March 2020, the U.S. Congress enacted the Related Challenge Areas: 

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 

(CARES Act), which provided the DOI with Financial Management 

$949.9 million as of September 30, 2020. 

This includes direct apportionments of $756 million Public Safety and 

Disaster Response to support the needs of DOI programs, bureaus, 

Indian Country, and the Insular Areas. It also Responsibility to 

includes transfers of $160.4 million from the American Indians 

U.S. Department of Education to the Bureau of 

Indian Education (BIE) and $33.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). In May, we published a report describing our 

overall approach to CARES Act oversight.2 

With past disasters, we have found that emergency supplemental funding presents a heightened 

risk of misuse and vulnerability to fraud. We anticipate that pandemic relief will present similar 

risks, as experience suggests that when recipients face a crisis and receive multiple sources of 

substantial funding, accountability mechanisms and safeguards may become ineffective because 

of time and resource constraints. To highlight these concerns, we issued a flash report presenting 

lessons learned from our prior work that the DOI should consider when spending CARES Act 

funding.3 

In April, we began issuing monthly status reports that presented the DOI’s progress in spending 

CARES Act funds through the end of the fiscal year (reports for April, May, June, July, August, 

and September).4

 Figure 1 on the next page shows the DOI components receiving the most 

CARES Act funding. 

3 
 

 

... 

Figure 1: DOI Components Receiving the Most CARES Act Funds 

$229.4 million 

$486.5 million 

BIE† 

BIA* 

DOI‡ $158.4 million 

OIA $55 million 

BOR $20.6 milion 

* Includes $33.5 million transferred from the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services. 

† Includes $160.4 million transferred from the U.S. Department of 

Education. 

‡ The operations amount includes $1 million for our office for oversight 

activities. 

Abbreviations: BOR = Bureau of Reclamation, OIA = Office of Insular Affairs 

As of September 30, 2020, grants and financial assistance awards made up approximately 

95 percent of the more than 700 awards from DOI CARES Act funds. We noted in an October 

flash report that our past work has found that grant awards can present substantial risks.5 

Moreover, awards made as part of emergency response are particularly risky because they are 

awarded quickly (often without competition) and have a higher purchase threshold than other 

acquisitions. In addition, each emergency situation presents its own distinct challenges and has 

the potential to grow rapidly in size, scope, or complexity. In an August flash report, we 

identified key actions for the DOI to consider implementing to mitigate the increased risks of 

fraud and abuse due to increased purchase card thresholds and the fluid nature of disasters and 

emergency situations.6

 As we noted, the DOI must carefully evaluate, manage, and monitor 

CARES Act funds to ensure that they are used for their intended purposes and that expenditures 

maximize the benefits to all recipients, the Federal Government, and the public. 

Emergency spending challenges span all DOI activities but particularly apply to funds flowing to 

vulnerable populations with a need for immediate assistance that also have a history of fraud, 

abuse, and mismanagement of Federal funding. Our September BIA Funding Snapshot outlined 

the BIA’s allotted CARES Act funds and formula for distribution to tribal governments, as well 

as key internal controls proven to mitigate fraudulent activity.7

 Most (75 percent) of the 

CARES Act funding available to the DOI through fiscal year (FY) 2020 is directed toward 

Indian Country, where single audits* and our own audit work regarding tribes have identified 

numerous and significant problems—such as improper payments to related parties,

8

 general 

financial mismanagement, unallowable commingling of Federal funds with tribal funds, and 

flawed reporting systems9

—that leave federally funded programs and operations susceptible to 

fraud, waste, mismanagement, and abuse. We issued a flash report in June that provided the DOI, 

the BIA, and the BIE with lessons to consider as they spend CARES Act funds in Indian 

* A single audit is required if an outside entity expends more than $750,000 in Federal funds in a fiscal year. It is intended to 

ensure the recipient is complying with the requirements for uses of the money. 

4 
••• ~ci::"" 

Country.10 In another June flash report, we found that Office of Insular Affairs provided clear 

processes and guidance to the Insular Area governments and took prompt action in its allocation 

of CARES Act funds.11 

Ensuring Health and Safety 

In an effort to protect the health and safety of its 

workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOI 

initially followed its 2007 Pandemic Influenza Plan. 

As the situation continued to evolve, the DOI wrote 

and implemented new guidance and extended 

telework and other flexibilities. The DOI also 

established an information portal for employees to 

obtain health guidance from the U.S. Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); human 

resources, operational, and employee safety policies; 

and tools employees and managers could use to help 

assess risk and determine appropriate actions to 

prevent or mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

The DOI’s complex mission and diverse functions complicate the implementation of staffing 

flexibilities—most notably, some work simply cannot be performed remotely. As a result, the 

DOI and its bureaus made decisions about site openings and employee telework on a case-byRelated Challenge Areas: 

Public Safety and 

Disaster Response 

Responsibility to 

American Indians 

Energy Management 

Workplace Culture and 

Human Capital 

case basis while considering employee health and safety. 

For example, in early May, most of the national parks 

remained partially or entirely closed, with approximately 

6,800 employees—about 40 percent of the National Park 

Service (NPS) workforce—continuing to perform missioncritical functions onsite, while remaining employees were 

encouraged to telework. As another example, DOI law 

enforcement officers such as special agents and tribal 

police have continued to perform their mission-critical 

public safety functions throughout the pandemic. 

Below we highlight the DOI’s health and safety challenges, 

plans, and progress related to public lands, wildfire 

response, Indian Country schools, BIA detention centers, 

offshore drilling inspections, and the DOI workplace. 

Public Lands 

On March 22, 2020, the DOI 

implemented maximum 

telework and other leave 

and HR flexibilities. Even 

though not all DOI functions 

are conducive to telework, 

the DOI saw employee 

telework increase from 

19 percent in February to a 

peak of 74 percent in April— 

an increase of more than 

30,000 employees. 

DOI bureaus, for example the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS), and the NPS, modified operations at recreation sites, wildlife refuges, national 

parks, and other public lands in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect DOI 

employees and the public. The modifications ranged from partial to full closures and included 

reduced services (closed visitor centers and bathrooms) and suspended entrance fee collection at 

5 
DISTANCING 

some sites. In a June flash report, we found that the NPS issued guidance on reopening parks and 

operations on May 28, 2020, providing a framework for local and regional managers to make 

decisions on operations in consultation with NPS leadership, the newly created field special 

assistants, and DOI executives.12 The NPS guidance also outlined considerations for resuming 

operations, such as State guidance, CDC recommendations, and mitigation strategies (social 

distancing, off-peak visitation, and limited group sizes). Subsequently, many national parks 

began to reopen in phases. Phased operations are likely to continue, as the NPS noted in its 

guidance that pandemic scenarios are anticipated to persist into FY 2021. In addition, many 

BLM offices and FWS refuges have restricted in-person access to visitor centers and other public 

areas but allowed visitors access to trails and open spaces. 

NPS Operational Adjustments To Promote Health and Safety 

Source: NPS. 

The NPS made significant changes to its normal 

operations to promote the safety of its visitors, 

employees, volunteers, and partners. 

These operational changes included closing most 

park buildings, facilities, and restrooms, and, in 

some cases, entire parks. Some outdoor recreational 

spaces remained open where local public health 

guidance allowed. 

Internal NPS guidance directed parks to follow the 

most stringent public health guidance provided by 

Federal, State, and local officials when making 

decisions related to park operations. 

The BLM, the FWS, and the NPS must balance public access with the risk to employees and the 

public. Even with the pandemic, tourist activity continued at national parks and recreation sites, 

as visitors turned to outdoor activities in lieu of other types of travel. Yellowstone National 

Park—typically one of the NPS’ most visited sites—saw a 21 percent increase in visits from 

September 2019 to September 2020. Yellowstone was closed to visitors from March to May 

2020; four employees tested positive for COVID-19 from May to August, and an additional 16 

employees tested positive in September. 

Wildfire Response 

Multiple DOI bureaus—the BIA, the BLM, the NPS, and the FWS—deploy firefighters every 

year to support wildfire response. This requires significant collaboration across a wide range of 

Federal agencies, States, tribes, local land managers, and other stakeholders. Fire camps can 

include a large number of personnel living together and working collectively to respond to a 

wildfire, often in remote areas. As of September 18, 2020, nearly 1,800 DOI employees were 

deployed in response to major fires across the western United States. 

6 
Wildland Fire Efforts To Ensure Firefighter Health and Safety 

The Office of Wildland Fire and DOI 

This year has marked the worst fire season in the West in at least 70 years. The National 

Interagency Fire Center reported 78 active large fires and nearly 4 million acres burned across 

the West, including more than 1.5 million acres of DOI and tribal lands nationally (see Figure 2 

on the next page). In September 2020, 44 large fires burned in California, Oregon, Washington, 

and Colorado. 

bureaus work with interagency partners— 

including the U.S. Forest Service, the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

the U.S. Fire Administration, the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, the 

U.S. Department of Defense, and the 

National Weather Service—in an effort to 

fulfill their firefighting missions by: 

 Monitoring developments and refining 

plans for hiring and training firefighters 

 Protecting firefighters to mitigate 

against the spread of COVID-19 

 Preparing for outbreaks during 

incidents 

Source: BLM. 

 Adapting wildfire response plans 

 Continuing work to reduce wildfire risk 

7 
MEXICO ___________ ;;lU-;:tn ;:. - - ··--- • - . I 

Figure 2: Map of Active Wildfires as of September 22, 2020 

Key: Red symbols indicate active fires, and purple and yellow 

symbols are DOI fire stations that have been closed or curtailed. 

Source: DOI ArcGIS Online. 

In a July flash report, we outlined the CARES Act funds the DOI allocated to its bureaus through 

its Wildland Fire Management Program.13 More recently, as of September 30, the DOI has 

approved $11.6 million in CARES Act funding intended to support firefighter health and safety, 

including facilities needed to maintain social distancing and quarantine protocol; personal 

protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, gloves, sanitizers, and thermometers; additional 

human resources for operations and program management; and cleaning and sanitation of 

facilities and vehicles. Medical and public health experts from the DOI, the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service, the CDC, and State public health offices formed a special 

interagency team to review and synthesize COVID-19 guidelines developed by the Fire 

Management Board for wildfire operations. The team directed firefighters to follow CDC 

recommendations that identify extra precautions—such as using screening programs, 

disinfectants, quarantine periods, and PPE when appropriate—to protect firefighters and other 

personnel at fire camps from COVID-19. According to the CDC, research suggests exposure to 

smoke could increase the risk and severity of respiratory infections like COVID-19. With that 

increased risk and above-average fire activity, even the additional protection measures may not 

meet the health and safety needs of wildland fire employees. 

8 
Indian Country Schools 

The BIE provides education services to about 46,000 

st

Since 2017, the GAO’s HighRisk List has included safety 

and health problems at BIE 

school facilities and weak 

oversight of school 

spending, problems that 

may be exacerbated during 

a pandemic. 

assess Pine Hill’s progress in addressing longstanding issues identified in our previous reports. 

The BIE faces increased infrastructure and technology challenges and economic impacts due to 

the pandemic. As we noted in a July flash report, the CARES Act funds the BIE received are 

intended to provide assistance for Indian Country schools and, in particular, enable them to 

modify facilities and improve technology to meet health and safety requirements.15 As of 

September 30, 2020, the BIE had obligated more than $180 million to support K – 12 schools 

and tribal colleges and universities. The BIE faces challenges in ensuring that proper internal 

controls are in place to monitor and track these CARES Act funds. The BIE has stated that it 

intends to address these challenges by assigning financial analysts to monitor each bureauoperated or tribally controlled school it oversees, evaluating school spending plans, and centrally 

tracking spending. 

BIA Detention Centers 

The BIA operates or funds detention centers in Indian 

Country. The problems we have previously reported, such 

as inmate overcrowding, understaffing, and issues with 

facility safety and maintenance, have been further 

exacerbated by the pandemic.16 The BIA now faces 

additional challenges such as monitoring the health of staff 

and inmates, managing any COVID-19 outbreaks, 

implementing tribal court decisions on early release or 

The CARES Act provided the 

BIA with $2.2 million for 

personal protective 

equipment and $7.9 million 

for COVID-19 related costs 

for its detention and 

corrections program. 

home confinement for nonviolent offenders, and implementing the CDC guidelines for social 

distancing and cleaning at detention facilities. During fieldwork for a forthcoming report, the 

BIA told us it developed COVID-19 screening tools for facilities to use before booking inmates 

or allowing entry by visitors, contractors, medical staff, and legal representatives. In addition, the 

BIA developed a decision tree for facilities to use to determine an inmate’s risk for COVID-19. 

The BIA also told us that it distributed guidance and PPE to Indian Country detention facilities. 

We plan to further outline these findings in an upcoming flash report. 

Offshore Drilling Inspections 

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE’s) Safety Inspection Program 

performs safety and environmental inspections of offshore oil and gas production operations. 

Annually, BSEE conducts more than 20,000 inspections at more than 2,300 facilities. 

Considering the COVID-19 exposure risks for personnel conducting offshore inspections and the 

udents in 183 Indian Country schools and dormitories. 

We have previously identified challenges the BIE faces in 

providing high-quality education to its students due, in part, 

to poor facilities and limited access to broadband internet. 

For example, in a 2018 investigation, we found that the 

tribally controlled Pine Hill School had been operating 

without fully functioning fire alarm and fire suppression 

systems since 2005.14 In an upcoming report, we plan to 

9 
is closed 

Sorry for the 

inconvenience. 

potential impact on safety, BSEE has faced significant challenges in completing its routine 

inspections; however, as of June 2020, BSEE reported that no inspections had been delayed 

beyond the annual statutory requirement. In a recent flash report, we found that BSEE had 

implemented mitigating measures—such as completing screening procedures, providing PPE, 

and conducting remote monitoring—to protect its inspectors from the transmission of 

COVID-19.17 BSEE informed us that it developed, communicated, and updated COVID-19 

guidance for all personnel involved with offshore inspections and worked closely with operators 

to stay informed about any virus outbreaks that occurred offshore. 

DOI Workplace 

The DOI’s 70,000 employees, as well as numerous contractors, will be affected by the DOI’s 

decisions and eventual return to Federal work sites. DOI bureaus may face particular logistical 

challenges balancing efforts to return to work sites with efforts to combat the spread of 

coronavirus. 

Example Signage for 

Return to Workplace 

In its recent Return to Workplace Strategy Book, the General 

Services Administration set forth several workplace 

modifications and procedures Federal agencies, including 

the DOI, may need to implement.18 These modifications may 

include: 

 Planning and implementing physical alterations to 

workplaces (adding signs, closing areas, installing 

barriers, changing traffic patterns) to maintain physical 

distance 

 Providing PPE and cleaning supplies 

 Monitoring employee health and communicating the 

appropriate response if staff show symptoms 

 Completing additional cleaning and deep cleaning when 

needed 

As the DOI considers plans for returning personnel to work, it will continue to face challenges in 

ensuring a safe environment and healthy workforce. As part of the process to plan for a safe and 

effective return to onsite operations, the DOI told us it may evaluate whether to expand or make 

permanent some remote work, and if so, whether to reduce office space and renegotiate leases to 

reflect a smaller footprint. Additionally, the DOI may need to alter contingency plans for 

continuity of operations, establish new protocols for operations (e.g., for travel and meetings 

with constituents or other agencies and for communicating updates), and develop a plan to 

manage workloads if employees cannot return to work. 

Source: General Services 

Administration. 

10 
Accomplishing DOI Functions and Operations 

The DOI has faced challenges in continuing to fulfill Related Challenge Areas: its mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 

July report, we identified the following three IT Security pandemic-related challenges the DOI may face: 

(1) providing expedient assistance to vulnerable Workplace Culture and 

populations while ensuring the money reaches Human Capital 

intended recipients for intended purposes, Public Safety and (2) balancing public and employee safety with access Disaster Response to public lands, and (3) guarding against increasing 

cybersecurity threats.19 Bureaus and programs must Energy Management 

continue their critical work, despite disruptions in 

operations, potential work-life balance challenges, Water Programs barriers to effective collaboration, strained resources, 

and staff or skill shortages. The DOI has used 

collaborative meetings among leadership, field special assistants, and regional field committees 

in an effort to coordinate and share information across bureaus. 

As the DOI continues to address the consequences of the pandemic, new decisions or challenges 

may emerge from the changes made in operations, technology, and staffing levels. The DOI may 

also need to address how to carry out its mission in a changed world. For example, as 

summarized previously, the DOI has acknowledged that it may have to make decisions on 

whether and how to expand or make permanent some remote work and whether or how to fill 

positions that may no longer need to be tied to a physical location. 

Below we highlight the DOI’s programmatic and operational challenges, plans, and progress 

related to information technology (IT), hiring employees, law enforcement, workplace culture, 

revenues from oil and gas production, and water and power management. 

Information Technology 

The DOI relies on complex, interconnected IT systems to 

carry out its daily operations. When offices began 

implementing the U.S. Office of Management and 

Budget’s March 2020 guidance on maximum telework 

flexibilities, there were increased demands on IT staff and 

systems to ensure DOI networks could support the number 

The DOI spends 

approximately $1.2 billion 

annually on IT systems to 

support bureau operations 

and programs. 

of employees working remotely and provide reliable, stable ways to communicate and access 

critical applications and data. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) stated that the 

DOI’s recent migration to Microsoft Office 365 and corresponding increased capabilities, such 

as the Teams application, helped maintain connectivity for DOI staff while maximizing telework. 

In addition, the OCIO coordinated with contracting officers and the vendor to increase virtual 

private network licenses to ensure that teleworking employees could access DOI networks. 

11 
An increase in remote access to IT systems increases the risk of security breaches of remotely 

stored and transmitted data. In previous management challenges reports, we have identified 

deficiencies in IT security, incident response, continuous monitoring, and acquisitions. In a 

recent evaluation, we reported that the DOI did not have secure wireless networks, did not 

require regular testing of network security, and published contradictory, outdated, and 

incomplete guidance for wireless networks.20 Potential security breaches of the wireless network 

infrastructure could have a severe adverse effect on DOI operations, assets, or individuals. All of 

these IT challenges are exacerbated by the increased demands on IT resources and staff during 

the pandemic. We made 14 recommendations to help the DOI address these issues. The DOI 

stated that resources were recently approved for sustaining OCIO risk management activities 

associated with improving WiFi security. 

The BIE Faces Technology Challenges in Indian Country Schools 

While the BIE reopened some of its schools 

for in-person classes on September 16, 

2020, other tribal communities have 

decided that students will not attend school 

in person in the 2020 – 2021 school year. 

Consequently, the BIE faces particular 

challenges in providing virtual learning and 

ensuring that each student has the needed 

IT equipment and internet access. 

In addition, some tribal communities have 

limited cellular service, which hinders the 

effectiveness of wireless hot spots for 

at-home learners. Due to restrictions on 

in-person classes and technology 

challenges, Native American students may be at risk of falling behind in their school 

curriculum. 

In 2019, the BIE launched a project intended to help keep students connected to 

learning: its WiFi Bus project uses internet-enabled buses in an effort to help 

students stay connected while traveling (in some cases, over 200 miles roundtrip 

per day). This program is also intended to benefit students once schools resume 

in-person instruction. 

Hiring New Employees 

Hiring employees during a pandemic poses many challenges because of traditional reliance on 

in-person interactions, particularly for interviewing, vetting, onboarding, and training new hires. 

The DOI implemented temporary procedures and used technology in an effort to promote 

continuity of hiring while protecting DOI employees and candidates from potential exposure to 

COVID-19. For example, the new procedures limited recruitment and hiring to mission-critical 

positions until routine processes can be reestablished. In addition, the DOI’s procedures allowed 

delay or deferral of required onboarding processes—fingerprinting, obtaining DOI access cards, 

Source: Shutterstock. 

12 
 

and completing some medical examinations—to meet urgent and mission-critical needs. Hiring 

officials also used technology to complete new-hire paperwork, orient new employees (including 

administering their oaths of office), and ensure that all delayed and deferred onboarding steps are 

ultimately completed and recruited employees have been properly vetted. Although the DOI was 

challenged to adapt its hiring procedures, hiring officials told us that the DOI did not experience 

a significant decline in hiring in FY 2020 and was able to continue onboarding new employees 

during the pandemic (shown in Figure 3). 

Figure 3: DOI Hiring by Fiscal Year 

2018 

2019 

2020 

15,070 

14,965 

13,700 

Law Enforcement 

The DOI’s law enforcement responsibilities include resource protection, visitor safety, special 

event management, and crowd control across jurisdictions. For example, each year the U.S. Park 

Police works to ensure public safety and protect national cultural assets during hundreds of First 

Amendment demonstrations on Federal lands, including the National Mall. The DOI’s law 

enforcement responsibilities continue to grow. In May 2018, the DOI and the U.S. Border Patrol 

established long-term operations and staffing plans to increase the presence of DOI law 

enforcement officers on DOI-managed lands along the United States border with Mexico. In 

addition, a June 2020 executive order potentially expanded the DOI’s law enforcement mission. 

As a result of these various missions, the DOI is developing policy to clarify law enforcement 

priorities. 

The DOI has stated that the pandemic has increased the demands on its law enforcement officers, 

who perform essential duties related to law enforcement, investigation, security, and emergency 

response. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center halted in-person training from March 

to June 2020, which delayed required training for new officers and renewal of certifications for 

current law enforcement officers. In addition, given their direct interface with the public, officers 

face challenges in fulfilling their duties while following proper precautions to prevent the spread 

of COVID-19, including carrying and using PPE as necessary. 

Workplace Culture 

Since 2017, we have stated that promoting and maintaining a culture of ethics has been a 

challenge for the DOI. Our work has found instances of unethical21 and unwelcome22 behavior, 

misconduct,

23 and other actions that negatively affect the DOI workplace. In April 2020, the DOI 

sent a memo to employees acknowledging the changed work environment. This memo noted the 

range of hardships that employees might face due to the pandemic and specifically highlighted 

rules for the following topics: official time and DOI resources, partisan political activities, gifts, 

outside employment, and conflicts of interest and impartiality. 

13 
In response to our reports on unethical behavior and other In April 2020, the DOI

misconduct over several years, the DOI has taken some launched a mobile

steps to promote a safe and ethical work environment. The application—the DOI Ethics

DOI refreshed the Departmental Ethics Office website in App—to provide employees

April 2020 to provide employees with immediate access to easy access to Federal ethics

Federal ethics laws and rules, forms, guidance, and contact laws and rules, guidance,

information for ethics officials. A recent U.S. Office of and contact information for

Government Ethics review found that the number of full- ethics officials.

time ethics officials at the DOI increased from 21 in

April 2018 to 65 as of July 2020.24 The same report closed all remaining recommendations from 

a 2016 review and did not make any new recommendations for improvement.25

Managing Revenues From Oil and Gas Production 

Royalty revenues from oil and gas production on Federal lands and waters are disbursed to 

States, certain Federal programs, and the U.S. Treasury. For example, offshore oil and gas 

revenues provide most or all of the funding for several Federal land conservation and restoration 

programs, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, and 

the newly established National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund. 

The economic impact of the pandemic has significantly affected energy and mineral prices, 

production, and consumption. As a result, the DOI has received an unprecedented number of 

applications for temporary royalty relief, which is a reduction or halt of the royalties companies 

pay for oil and gas production on Federal lands and waters. The BLM processes applications for 

royalty relief for onshore oil and gas leases, while BSEE processes applications for royalty relief 

for offshore production. 

Unprecedented Number of Applications for Temporary Royalty Relief 

As of September 2020, the BLM reported that it had 

processed 1,698 applications for royalty relief, 581 

of which were approved for a period of 60 days. 

In late July 2020, the BLM stated that, because 

States were beginning to reopen, it would no 

longer consider COVID-19 as a factor when 

deciding to approve or deny royalty relief 

applications, and all the approved applications 

have since expired. Source: Shutterstock. 

As of September 2020, BSEE reported that it had received 213 applications for 

special-case royalty relief (an option for situations, such as national emergencies, 

that do not qualify for BSEE’s other established relief programs). Of these, 69 were 

approved with terms developed on a case-by-case basis. In recent years BSEE 

received few applications for special-case royalty relief; for example, between 

FY 2004 and FY 2019, BSEE received a total of 13 special-case applications, 9 of 

which were approved. 

14 

Source: Shutterstock.
In granting royalty relief, the BLM and BSEE must balance the potential effects of increased 

production when the oil market is saturated and prices are declining against the consequences 

that may occur if companies abandon their production sites located on Federal lands because 

they can no longer afford to continue operating. For example, although lessees and operators are 

responsible for decommissioning offshore assets, BSEE is often left to find alternative funding to 

conduct the expensive decommissioning for those operators that declare bankruptcy or otherwise 

abandon their interests. We have previously noted BSEE’s need to implement a bureauwide 

decommissioning policy.26

In a recent report, the GAO found that BLM State offices interpreted guidance on relief decisions 

differently and made inconsistent decisions about approving applications for relief.27

Specifically, some State offices approved applications 

when companies could not prove that royalty relief would 

enable them to operate profitably, while others did not 

approve such applications. 

In FY 2019, leasable minerals and geothermal resources 

on Federal lands resulted in total disbursements of 

$4.71 billion. These royalties are based on rates that vary 

depending on the type of production, but, before the 

pandemic, these rates were typically 12.5 percent to 

18.75 percent. In FY 2020, some rates were lowered as part 

of the royalty relief implemented, with some companies 

paying as little as 0.5 percent. Royalty revenues through 

August 2020 have decreased 25 percent from FY 2019. 

Offshore oil and gas

royalties collected from April 

to August 2020 were well 

below those collected in that 

ti

2016 $1.05 billion

2017 $1.27 billion

2018 $1.97 billion

2019 $2.11 billion

2020 $915 million 

meframe in previous years: 

Given the decrease in these revenues stemming from the pandemic, stakeholders have expressed 

concern about whether FY 2020 revenues will be sufficient to fund the Federal and State 

programs that rely on them. 

Water and Power Management 

The Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR’s) mission to provide water and generate power is essential 

to the American people. During the pandemic, the BOR faces challenges in fulfilling its mission 

without interrupted or diminished service. The BOR told us it established alternative work 

schedules, hygiene controls, physical distancing practices, and hazard analysis processes in an 

effort to provide safe, consistent personnel coverage at field facilities while minimizing the risk 

of spreading COVID-19. The BOR reported that there have been no reductions in the delivery of 

water or production of power across its 17-State service area during the pandemic. In addition, 

the BOR participated in the COVID-19 Tiger Team of the Edison Electric Institute’s Electricity 

Subsector Coordinating Council, a coordination forum for Federal and private utilities, which 

shared strategies, status information, and lessons learned. 

15 
 

   

$ 

••• 

,... 

Emerging Challenge: Implementation of 

the Great American Outdoors Act 

The DOI oversees approximately 20 percent of the Related Challenge Areas: land in the United States, which serves nearly 

500 million visitors per year. The Great American Financial Management Outdoors Act became law in August 2020. It is 

intended to help address the backlog of deferred Responsibility to 

maintenance (i.e., maintenance that has been American Indians 

postponed rather than performed as needed) at 

national parks, other public lands, and Indian Country Energy Management 

schools. It is also intended to permanently fund the 

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to Water Programs 

support conservation of lands and waters and provide 

recreation opportunities. 

The Act designates funds for maintenance and conservation projects, specifically: 

 $9.5 billion over the next 5 years for deferred maintenance needs via the new National

Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (85 percent distributed to the NPS, the

FWS, the BLM, and the BIE and 15 percent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

U.S. Forest Service)

 $900 million in mandatory spending per year to preserve and create public lands via the

LWCF

National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund 

The Act distributes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund appropriations 

for priority deferred maintenance projects among DOI bureaus: 70 percent will go to the NPS, 

and the FWS, the BLM, and the BIE will each receive 5 percent. Figure 5 illustrates the bureaus’ 

deferred maintenance backlog amounts as of FY 2018. 

Figure 5: DOI Deferred Maintenance Backlog Amounts as of FY 2018 

NPS $11.9 billion 

FWS $1.3 billion 

BLM $1 billion 

BIE $725 million 

16 
The NPS’ deferred maintenance backlog is 

the largest among Federal land management 

agencies. The NPS has stated that nearly 

42,000 of its 76,000 assets require repairs. 

As shown in Figure 5, for FY 2018 (the most 

recent year available) the NPS’ maintenance 

backlog was estimated at nearly $12 billion. 

More than half of that amount is for 

transportation-related maintenance, such as 

for roads, tunnels, and parking areas. The 

rest of the backlog is associated with other 

facilities, such as housing, buildings, 

campgrounds, and trails. 

Source: NPS. 

Over the decade between FY 2009 and FY 2018, the NPS backlog was reduced by 

only $0.368 billion after adjusting for inflation. 

Land and Water Conservation Fund 

Before enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act, nearly all annual appropriations for the 

LWCF were considered discretionary and were typically in amounts under $900 million. The 

LWCF was authorized to accrue $900 million annually, primarily from oil and gas leasing fees, 

but the money could not be spent unless appropriated by Congress. Over the last 10 years, 

appropriations for the fund were half that amount or less, resulting in an unappropriated balance 

best practices to maximize implementation of the Act. The task force has also been directed to 

coordinate processes with other Federal agencies and tribes. The DOI reported that the task force 

has begun to identify and establish metrics to allow for monitoring of the program. 

Annual fund amounts may vary because the Act provides that 50 percent of all Federal energy 

revenues—up to $1.9 billion—will be deposited into the fund each year. Because the revenues 

are provided primarily through offshore oil and gas production, the reduction in revenues due to 

the pandemic (discussed above) may affect the funding available in FY 2021. 

The NPS Deferred Maintenance Backlog 

The DOI will face challenges in effectively and promptly 

deploying the funding provided by the Great American 

Outdoors Act to address the deferred maintenance backlog. 

The Act requires agencies to use the funding for priority 

deferred maintenance projects and annually submit to 

Congress a list of projects to be funded, including a 

detailed description and the estimated costs for each 

project. To carry out the Act and prioritize the DOI’s 

deferred maintenance backlog, the DOI established a task 

force on August 11, 2020, which was directed to develop a 

strategy, compile a list of priority projects, and identify 

Many aging facilities and 

other structures require 

repair and restoration to 

mitigate risks to public 

health and safety. Over the 

years, maintenance funding 

has not kept up with need, 

and Congress has 

questioned whether funds 

have been used efficiently.28

17 
of approximately $22 billion through FY 2019, which is to remain credited to the fund until

appropriated or otherwise reduced by new laws. 

The fund generally supports three main purposes: (1) land acquisitions, (2) grant programs for 

the States, and (3) other Federal programs with natural resource-related purposes. Previous 

reports from both our office and the GAO have found that the DOI does not have an adequate 

process to track information on lands acquired using grant funds and the LWCF. For example, a 

2019 GAO report found that the BLM could not identify all lands acquired using the LWCF 

because the BLM did not properly code some of the information entered in its data system.29 In 

addition, in a 2017 evaluation, we reported that the DOI is unable to identify how much grant 

money has been used to purchase land, how much land has been purchased, and whether that 

land is being used for its intended purpose because it does not centrally track this information.30

In the report, we recommended that the DOI standardize the tracking of grants awarded for land 

purchases to ensure consistency across bureaus and develop guidance to inform awarding 

agencies and grantees of their responsibilities under 2 C.F.R. § 200.329. In January 2020, the 

DOI informed us that it had implemented these recommendations by adding requirements to 

2 C.F.R. part 1402 and drafting a new policy outlining requirements for land purchased through 

financial assistance awards.

With permanent funding, the DOI may find long-term project planning easier, as it will have 

greater certainty surrounding the annual spending process. However, the DOI will continue to 

face challenges in properly collecting information on and overseeing the use of the funds. 

18 
Appendix: Publications Cited 

The following endnotes identify the Office of Inspector General (OIG) work and other agency 

reports cited in this report, in order of appearance. 

1. U.S. Government Accountability Office, Report No. GAO-19-157SP, High-Risk Series: 

Substantial Efforts Needed to Achieve Greater Progress on High-Risk Areas, issued March 6, 

2019 

2. DOI OIG CARES Act Oversight Plan, issued May 2020 

3. Report No. 2020-FIN-037, Lessons Learned for CARES Act Awards, issued May 2020 

4. Report No. 2020-FIN-036, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of 

April 28, 2020, issued May 2020 

Report No. 2020-FIN-046, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of May 31, 

2020, issued June 2020 

Report No. 2020-FIN-052, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of 

June 30, 2020, issued July 2020 

Report No. 2020-FIN-059, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of July 31, 

2020, issued August 2020 

Report No. 2020-FIN-068, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of 

August 31, 2020, issued September 2020 

Report No. 2020-FIN-072, Where’s the Money? DOI Use of CARES Act Funds as of 

September 30, 2020, issued October 2020 

5. Report No. 2020-ER-057, Lessons Learned From Oversight of the Coastal Impact Assistance 

Program Grants, issued October 2020 

6. Report No. 2020-FIN-055, Lessons Learned for Purchase Card Use, issued August 2020 

7. Report No. 2020-FIN-051, Bureau of Indian Affairs Funding Snapshot, issued September 

2020 

8. Report No. 2015-ER-069-A, Audit of Contract Nos. A13AV00621 and 

A12AV00769/A15AV00265 Between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Lower Brule Sioux 

Tribe, issued December 2016 

9. Report No. 2017-FIN-042, The Wind River Tribes Misapplied Federal Funds for the Tribal 

Transportation Program, issued July 2018 

10. Report No. 2020-FIN-045, Lessons Learned for Indian Country, issued June 2020 

19 
11. Report No. 2020-WR-041, The Office of Insular Affairs Took Appropriate Action With 

CARES Act Funds, issued June 2020 

12. Report No. 2020-CR-039, The National Park Service’s Coronavirus Response Operating 

Plans, issued June 2020 

13. Report No. 2020-ER-042, CARES Act Funds for DOI’s Wildland Fire Management Program 

as of June 19, 2020, issued July 2020 

14. Report No. OI-CO-15-0246-I, Failure to Maintain Fire Alarms at Pine Hill Schools, issued 

June 2018 

15. Report No. 2020-FIN-050, Bureau of Indian Education Snapshot, issued July 2020 

16. Report No. 2015-WR-012, Bureau of Indian Affairs Funded and/or Operated Detention 

Programs, issued February 2016 

17. Report No. 2020-CR-047, The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s Safety 

Inspection Program COVID-19 Response, issued September 2020 

18. General Services Administration, Return to Workplace Strategy Book (version 2.0), issued 

September 9, 2020 

19. U.S. Department of the Interior Top Management Challenges – Pandemic Response, issued 

July 2020 

20. Report No. 2018-ITA-020, Evil Twins, Eavesdropping, and Password Cracking: How the 

OIG Successfully Attacked the DOI’s Wireless Networks, issued September 2020 

21. Report No. 14-0579, Building Management Employee Misused Charge Card and 

Participated in Bid Rigging, issued September 2020 

22. Report No. 19-0884, Alleged Misconduct by Senior Official, issued September 2020 

23. Report No. 19-0228, Sexual Misconduct by an NPS Employee, issued September 2020 

24. U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Report No. 20-41, Ethics Program Review: U.S 

Department of the Interior, issued August 27, 2020 

25. U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Report No. 16-43, Ethics Program Review: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, issued June 2016 

20 
26. Assignment No. 2016-EAU-063, The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s 

Decommissioning Program, issued March 2019 

27. U.S. Government Accountability Office, Report No. GAO-21-169T, Federal Oil and Gas 

Revenue: Actions Needed to Improve BLM's Royalty Relief Policy, issued October 6, 2020 

28. Congressional Research Service, Report No. R43997, Deferred Maintenance of Federal 

Land Management Agencies FY2009-FY2018: Estimates and Issues, updated April 30, 2019 

29. U.S. Government Accountability Office, Report No. GAO-19-346, Land and Water 

Conservation Fund: Variety of Programs Supported, but Improvements in Data Collection 

Needed at BLM, issued May 31, 2019 

30. Report No. 2016-ER-016, Evaluation of DOI’s Tracking of Data for Land Purchases Made 

With Grant Funds, issued September 2017 

21 
Report Fraud, Waste,

and Mismanagement

Fraud, waste, and mismanagement in

Government concern everyone: Office 

of Inspector General staff, departmental 

employees, and the general public. We 

actively solicit allegations of any 

inefficient and wasteful practices, fraud, 

and mismanagement related to 

departmental or Insular Area programs 

and operations. You can report 

allegations to us in several ways.

 By Internet: www.doioig.gov

 By Phone: 24-Hour Toll Free: 800-424-5081

Washington Metro Area: 202-208-5300

 By Fax: 703-487-5402

 By Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior 

Office of Inspector General

Mail Stop 4428 MIB 

1849 C Street, NW. 

Washington, DC 20240