[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78061-78062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24937]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[23XD4523WU DS61100000 DWUE30000.000000 DX61140]


Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Draft Vision, Goals and 
Objectives

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Executive Order (E.O.) 14096, Revitalizing our 
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, the Department of 
the Interior (Department) is updating its Environmental Justice 
Strategic Plan and soliciting feedback on its draft environmental 
justice vision, goals, and objectives (included in Supplemental 
Information). The Department is also soliciting feedback on priority 
actions and performance metrics the Department should evaluate to 
advance the draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to provide oral feedback on the 
Department's draft environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives 
and priority actions or performance metrics the Department should 
evaluate to advance the draft environmental justice vision, goals, and 
objectives during one of three public virtual listening sessions:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Date                            Time                   Location            Registration link
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 30, 2023....................  3:00-4:30 p.m. ET......  Virtual................  https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession1 generalpublicsession1.
November 30, 2023....................  6:30-8:00 p.m. ET......  Virtual................  https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession2 generalpublicsession2.
December 1, 2023.....................  3:00-4:30 p.m. ET......  Virtual................  https://bit.ly/generalpublicsession3 generalpublicsession3.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested persons are also invited to provide written feedback. 
Consideration will be given to all comments received during the public 
listening sessions or postmarked by December 15, 2023. Please clearly 
indicate whether feedback is intended for the Department's draft 
vision, draft goals, and/or draft objectives, priority actions and 
performance metrics.

ADDRESSES: 
    Submitting Comments: Interested persons may submit written comments 
by one of the following methods:
    1. By email to: [email protected].
    2. By hard copy to: Environmental Justice, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (MS-2629), 1849 
C Street NW, Washington DC 20240.
    Written submissions must include your name and reference the 
Department's Environmental Justice Strategic Plan. All feedback, 
including any personal information you provide, may be made public. 
Therefore, the Department cautions participants against providing 
information they do not want made available to the public or submitting 
materials that contain personal information (either about themselves or 
others).
    Accessing Documents and Additional Information: You may access 
information on the Department's Environmental Justice program, 
information on the Environmental Justice Strategic Plan update, and the 
Department's current Environmental Justice Strategic Plan at the 
Department's environmental justice website at https://www.doi.gov/oepc/resources/environmental-justice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Kelly, Office of Environmental 
Policy and Compliance, at 202 208-7565 or by email at 
[email protected]. Individuals in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Executive Order 14096 directs Federal agencies to 
develop an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan that will ``set forth 
the agency's vision, goals, priority actions, and metrics to address 
and advance environmental justice and to fulfill the directives of [the 
E.O.], including through the identification of new staffing, policies, 
regulations, or guidance documents'', as well as ``identify and address 
opportunities through regulations, policies, permits, or other means to 
improve accountability and compliance with any statute the agency 
administers that affects the health and environment of communities with 
environmental justice concerns.''
    To advance environmental justice, the Department established an 
Environmental Justice Steering Committee, made up of representatives of 
the Department's bureaus and offices. The Environmental Justice 
Steering Committee's Policy Subcommittee developed the draft 
environmental justice vision, goals, and objectives on which feedback 
is being sought by evaluating the Department's existing 2016 
Environmental Justice Strategic Plan, the Department's 2022-2026 
Strategic Plan, recent Executive Orders, and input received from 
Departmental employees in feedback sessions. The Policy Subcommittee 
will evaluate all

[[Page 78062]]

oral and written feedback received on the draft environmental justice 
vision, goals, and objectives, as well as potential actions and 
performance measures to develop the draft Environmental Justice 
Strategic Plan.
    Listening Session Format: Listening sessions will be 90 minutes. 
The sessions will start with an overview and then interested persons 
will have the opportunity to provide feedback using a variety of 
engagement tools. If you require a reasonable accommodation to attend a 
listening session, please email: [email protected].
    Draft Environmental Justice Vision, Goals, and Objectives: The 
Department would appreciate comments on the following questions:
    1. Do the draft environmental justice vision, strategic goals, and 
objectives provided in the table address your interests and concerns 
about the advancement of environmental justice by the Department? Why 
or why not?
    2. What actions should the Department undertake to advance 
environmental justice?
    3. What performance measures or metrics should the Department 
establish to monitor progress towards advancing environmental justice?

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Draft Environmental Justice Vision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To provide outstanding management of the natural and cultural resources
 entrusted to us in a manner that is sustainable, equitable, accessible,
 and inclusive of all populations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Draft Strategic Goal 1 and Objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institutionalize environmental justice within the Department and
 establish accountability for decisionmakers and practitioners as they
 apply environmental justice principles in policies, budgeting,
 decisions, activities, and processes.
    1.1 Increase our employees' awareness and understanding of
     environmental justice.
    1.2 Solicit resources, support, and commitment from leadership to
     cultivate an enabling environment for their employees to advance
     environmental justice.
    1.3 Expand our employees' capacity and skillsets to build their
     ability to advance environmental justice through their work.
    1.4 Develop a structure to ensure that employees at all levels are
     held accountable for advancing environmental justice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Draft Strategic Goal 2 and Objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Engage early and often with communities and Tribal Nations to support
 meaningful involvement, equitable decisions, better inform the
 Department's activities, and proactively address/involve environmental
 justice concerns.
    2.1 Expand the Department's capacity to maintain and deepen
     relationships with communities and Tribal Nations.
    2.2 Build skills and capacity among our employees to deliver
     intentional, anticipatory, respectful engagement.
    2.3 Remove barriers and provide resources and opportunities for
     communities and Tribal Nations to engage with the Department.
    2.4 Maintain and model an open and ongoing dialogue with communities
     and Tribal Nations about how their input is incorporated into our
     decisions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Draft Strategic Goal 3 and Objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Identify, prevent, and mitigate environmental injustices, including
 adverse human health or environmental effects, in collaboration and
 coordination with communities and other partners.
    3.1 Adjust actions, policies, programs, and program implementation
     to better account for environmental justice considerations to
     prevent injustices.
    3.2 Actively address the impacts of historical environmental and
     health injustices.
    3.3 Employ a whole-of-government approach to maximize benefits to
     and reduce burdens on communities and Tribal Nations.
    3.4 Build new and deepen existing partnerships to both broaden and
     localize our engagement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Draft Strategic Goal 4 and Objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leverage funding, training, educational and professional opportunities
 to empower efforts to build and sustain healthy, environmentally, and
 economically sound communities.
    4.1 Identify and remove barriers that prevent communities and Tribal
     Nations from accessing and executing opportunities.
    4.2 Expand and improve technical assistance to communities and
     Tribal Nations.
    4.3 Create new and amend existing opportunities for outreach,
     communication, and accessibility for communities and Tribal
     Nations, and aim to increase available funding when possible.
    4.4 Work with communities and Tribal Nations to identify and deliver
     desired opportunities.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Draft Strategic Goal 5 and Objectives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apply environmental justice principles in the Department's production,
 collection, and use of data, science, and research to benefit
 communities and better inform our decision making.
    5.1 Identify data gaps and address those gaps.
    5.2 Employ diverse sources, methodologies, and perspectives,
     including Indigenous Knowledges, across our activities, and apply
     related findings in the Department's decision-making.
    5.3 Make the Department's research/data available and accessible to
     communities and Tribal Nations, as appropriate.
    5.4 Abide by respectful, ethical research and data practices,
     including confidentiality and data sovereignty.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Eric Werwa,
Deputy Assistant Secretary--Policy and Environmental Management, 
Department's Environmental Justice Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-24937 Filed 11-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P