Health of Federally Managed Land, Water, and Renewable Resources

Interior’s progress in maintaining the health of federally managed land, water, and renewable resources cannot be judged. We cannot judge progress because, as we reported last year, the goals associated with this outcome do not foster a broad or departmentwide approach to measuring progress. This action could identify other strategies to achieve Interior’s goals. Availability, Accessibility, Diversity, and Quality of National Park Facilities and Services

The Park Service reported that it achieved the outcome of safely satisfying the expectations of visitors in national parks and educating these visitors on the relevance and importance of the park units they visit. The agency’s strategies for continuing to meet and exceed its visitor satisfaction and visitor education goals appear clear and reasonable, although the plan does not provide information on the human capital aspects of the strategies. Responsibilities to Protect and Preserve Indian Trust Lands and Trust Resources

We cannot judge whether the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is making progress in protecting and preserving Indian trust lands and resources because the annual goals and performance measures it has established that relate to this outcome are output-related and therefore these measures do not assess progress toward the outcome. It also discusses the degree to which Interior’s fiscal year 2000 reports and fiscal year 2002 plans address concerns and recommendations by the Congress, GAO, the Inspector General, and others. Interior’s fiscal year 2002 performance plans provided goals and performance measures for most of its management challenges.
Why GAO Did This Study

This report reviews the Department of the Interior's fiscal year 2000 performance report and fiscal year 2002 performance report plan required by the Government Performance and Results Act.

What GAO Found

Specifically, GAO discusses Interior's progress in achieving the following four outcomes: (1) maintaining the health of federally managed land, water, and renewable resources; (2) ensuring visitors' satisfaction with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of national parks; (3) meeting the federal government's responsibility to preserve and protect Indian trust lands and resources; and (4) ensuring the safe and environmentally sound development of mineral resources. GAO could not judge the agency's progress in promoting the health of federally managed land, water, and renewable resources because the goals Interior has reported do not foster a broad or departmentwide approach to measuring progress. Although the Park Service's strategies for continuing to meet and exceed its visitor satisfaction and visitor education goals appear clear and reasonable, the agency's fiscal year 2002 performance plan lacks information on the strategic human capital management strategies to achieve this outcome. GAO cannot judge the Bureau of Indian Affairs' progress in protecting Indian trust lands and resources because the annual goals it has established are output-related and do not assess progress toward the outcome. The Minerals Management Service has had mixed results in meetings its mineral development goals. Its goals for meeting its fiscal year 2002 goals seem reasonable.