Federal Reports

We audited costs claimed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife (Division), under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. We conducted this audit to determine whether the Division used grant funds and State hunting and fishing license revenue for allowable fish and wildlife activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. The audit period included claims totaling $42.9 million on 34 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2017, and June 30, 2018.We determined that the State did not ensure that grant funds and State hunting and fishing license revenue were used for allowable fish and wildlife activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. We found deficiencies in internal controls resulting in our five findings of (1) insufficient controls over grant-specific data, (2) improper drawdown support, (3) inadequate real property management, (4) inadequate equipment inventory management, and (5) inaccurate license certifications.The FWS concurred with our 11 recommendations and will work with the Division to implement corrective actions.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) enacted on March 27, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) received $909.7 million to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The Office of the Secretary (OS) received $158.4 million of the DOI’s CARES Act funding and transferred funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and Office of Wildland Fire (OWF). As of November 30, 2020, 5.3 percent of the funding for departmental offices had been obligated.The OS requested that the bureaus and offices formulate spend plans for allocating CARES Acts funding, including any requested transfer of funds from the OS. The Office of the Solicitor also reviewed the plans for the purpose of ensuring that the proposed spending aligned with the purposes specified in the CARES Act.All bureaus and offices are eligible for the funding appropriated to the OS; therefore, additional fund transfers can be expected through September 30, 2021. On March 27, 2020, the DOI’s Office of Budget issued a memorandum to bureaus and offices that provided initial guidance for apportionments, spend plans, and reporting requirements. The memorandum directed bureaus and offices receiving apportionments under the CARES Act to prepare draft spend plans by March 31, 2020, so the DOI could meet its April 6, 2020 deadline to provide the OMB with its apportionments. The memorandum also directed bureaus and offices to provide spend plans reflecting anticipated costs directly related to the COVID-19 response and recovery that could not be addressed through annual appropriations. The spend plans were to include allocations for the entire appropriation and estimated timeframes for completion through June 30, 2020. DOI officials stated that leadership reviewed and approved all spend plans.As requirements change, bureaus and offices are required to submit updated spend plans. All bureaus that received transferred CARES Act funds informed us that they are complying with weekly reporting requirements. The OS plans to use existing reporting mechanisms to minimize the administrative burden on the bureaus and offices.

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During our audit of the Integrity of Postal Service’s Social Media Presence, we found a smishing campaign that may have a significant negative impact on the Postal Service’s brand, reputation, and customer loyalty. The purpose of this alert is to bring this issue to your attention with a recommendation for corrective action. Smishing is a mobile phishing attack that targets victims using text messages rather than emails. These messages appear to be sent by legitimate, trusted organizations like the Postal Service. Smishing attacks attempt to trick mobile users into clicking on links that are connected to fraudulent sites that could steal credentials or propagate malware.