In April 2022, as required by Executive Order 13985, DOI released its first Equity Action Plan. The plan emphasized key strategies including: improving the collection and quality of data, making DOI procurements more accessible to underserved communities, improving access to grants for Tribes, and increasing opportunities for underserved communities to access public lands and recreation services. The summary of Interior’s 2022 Equity Action Plan can also be found here.
On Jan. 2, 2024, DOI issued its updated Equity Action Plan, which provided its strategy to improve equity in its “operations and engagements.” Agencies are required to issue annual Equity Action Plans under Executive Order 14091, which seeks to remove barriers for underserved communities to access federal resources. DOI’s Equity Action Plan included five priorities: equitable access to public programs for people with disabilities or limited English proficiency, increasing trust in DOI Law Enforcement, advancing equity in contracting, increasing access to public lands, and institutionalizing environmental justice.