Office of Policy Analysis
Mission
The Office of Policy Analysis (PPA) provides cross-cutting analysis and coordination to support decision-making and policies across a highly decentralized agency. PPA provides expertise and leadership to evaluate Departmental programs, develop and coordinate new programs, conduct studies of policies and programs, and conduct relevant economic analyses. PPA coordinates and guides inter-agency and multi-bureau program development and policy analysis tasks, and undertakes issue analysis and decision documents on behalf of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget - the official responsible for oversight of PPA. The Office also coordinates the Department's activities related to invasive species and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource management.
Learn more about our Mission, Vision, Goals, and Core Values
Study Finds Home Values Higher near Refuges (May, 2012): A peer-reviewed national study released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), shows that in urban areas across three regions of the country proximity to a national wildlife refuge increases home value and helps support the surrounding community's tax base. The study, managed by the Office of Policy Analysis for the USFWS and conducted by economists at North Carolina State University, found that within eight miles of an urban center, homes located within half a mile of a refuge are valued three to nine percent higher than homes located farther from refuges.
Download the full report: Amenity Values of Proximity to National Wildlife Refuges.
Report to Congress on the Recreation Fee Program (May, 2012): The Office of Policy Analysis led the federal inter-agency recreation fee Working Group in preparing the Triennial Report to Congress on Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. The report highlights projects funded by recreation fees, provides budgetary and visitation statistics, describes agency policies to implement the Act, and includes considerations about the future of the recreation fee program.
Triennial Report to Congress
The inter-agency recreation fee Working Group was the winner of a 2012 Beacon Award, recognizing outstanding efforts by federal agencies and partners in harnessing technology to improve public recreation experiences and federal recreation program management.
Beacon Award Press Release
New Communications Policy Released (3/22/2012): Building on the February 2011 Scientific Integrity Policy, the Office of Policy Analysis led the drafting of the DOI Policy on Public Communications. The Policy assures the free flow of scientific, scholarly and technical information.
Departmental Manual Chapter
Interior Finalizes Scientific Integrity Policy (2/1/2011): The Office of Policy Analysis played a key role in the development of DOI's first Policy on Scientific and Scholarly Activities. The policy is based on principles found in the September 2010 Secretarial Order on Ensuring Scientific Integrity within the Department of the Interior and guidance from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Press Release | Departmental Manual Chapter
2011 Economic Report: On July 9, 2012 the Department released the 2011 Economic Contributions Report, a project led by the Office of Policy Analysis. The report concluded that in fiscal year 2011 the Department's wide range of recreational, conservation, energy, land and water management programs and activities supported more than 2 million American jobs and contributed about $385 billion to the Nation's economic activity. Press Release
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview
Chapter 2 Bureau-Level Economic Contributions
Chapter 3 Investing in Conservation
Chapter 4 Ecosystem Restoration
Chapter 5 Public Conservation Lands and Rural Economic Growth
Chapter 6 Innovation, Information, and Technology Transfer
Chapter 7 The Externalities of DOI Activities
Chapter 8 Conclusions
Appendices
Wildland Fire Literature Review: In June 2012, the Office of Policy Analysis released a report titled Wildland Fire Management Program Benefit-Cost Analysis - A Review of Relevant Literature. Wildland fire policy is an important issue at Interior. The Office of Wildland Fire develops department-wide policies, and four Interior bureaus have relevant management responsibilities: BIA, BLM, FWS, and NPS. This report provides background information on six key topics: policy, budget trends, measuring performance, the role of economic analysis, wildland fire models, and data availability. Full Report
2012 Report on Unused Oil and Gas Leases: In response to a March 2011 request from President Obama to the Department of the Interior, the Office of Policy Analysis collected data and reported on oil and gas leasing and production for Federal onshore and offshore areas. An updated version of the original report is now available. The report concludes that the Department offered substantial acreage for potential oil and gas development in 2009, 2010 and 2011 that was not subsequently leased by bidding parties. In addition, for areas that are under lease, there are ten of millions of acres sitting idle - that is, not undergoing exploration, development or production. 2012 Press Release | 2012 Report | 2011 Press Release | 2011 Report
U.S. Oil and Gas Statistics: The Department of the Interior's Office of Policy Analysis compiles statistics on U.S. oil and natural gas production and consumption. The document includes statistics from Federal onshore and offshore oil production as well as total U.S. and Federal natural gas production. The data include statistics on revenues (royalties, bonus bids, rents) generated for oil, gas and coal production. 2012 Fact Sheet on Oil & Gas Statistics
2010 Economic Report: On June 22, 2011 the Department released the 2010 Economic Report of the Department of the Interior, a major effort lead by the Office of Policy Analysis. The report concluded that The Department of the Interior's wide range of recreational, conservation, energy, land and water management programs and activities supported more than 2 million American jobs and contributed about $363 billion to the Nation's economic activity in fiscal year 2010. Press Release | Full Report