| No. 39 | September 4, 1997 |
Calendar No. 122
Reported by the Committee on Appropriations on July 22, 1997, with amendments, by a vote of
28 to 0. S. Rept. 105-56.
Quick Tabs: Interior * Related Agencies * Cost
The Committee provides $6.58 billion for the Department of the Interior in FY 1998, an amount which is $14.2 million above the budget estimate and $62.9 million above the House amount.
Bureau of Land Management: The bill provides $1.135 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, an increase of $6.6 million over the House bill and more than $40 million over funding provided in FY 1997 (discounting FY 1997 emergency supplementals). The bill includes increases over FY97 of $12.5 million for wildland fire preparedness (providing $156.7 million for FY98); $18.2 million for fire operations (providing $126 million); $6.5 million for Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) ($120 million); $4 million for recreation management ($49.9 million), $1 million for wildlife and fisheries ($28.3 million), $2.3 million for range management ($54.3 million), $3.4 million for energy and minerals ($70.9 million), and $2.2 million for resource protection and maintenance ($66.3 million).
Decreases include $4.7 million from the wild horse and burro program (providing $11.2 million for FY98) and $8.3 million from the Automated Land & Minerals Records System (providing $34 million), due to the achievement of a project milestone. The bill retains the patent mining moratorium carried in the FY 1996 and FY 1997 appropriations acts.
Fish and Wildlife Service: A total of $729.7 million is provided for the Fish and Wildlife Service, an increase of $59 million over the fiscal year 1997 level. A significant initiative to reduce operational shortfalls and maintenance backlogs at national wildlife refuges is supported, with increased funding for refuge operation and maintenance ($212 million is provided, an amount which $33.2 million above the FY 1997 level and $20 million above the budget level).
National Park Service: The Committee provided $1.6 billion, an increase of $79.9 million (discounting equipment replacement transfer from construction) over comparable FY 1997 enacted levels for the National Park Service for a total funding level for the Service of $1.6 billion. These funds will be used to provide a 1 percent across-the-board operating increase to all parks; nearly $25 million for a targeted park-operations initiative to address particular resource and management needs at a wide array of parks; fixed cost increases for pay and other uncontrollable costs; and special initiative funding in areas such as air quality monitoring, South Florida ecosystem science programs, protection and preservation of archeological and historical resources, and management improvements. Funding is provided for two major programs included in last year's Omnibus Parks legislation: $5.3 million for heritage areas and $4.6 million for grants to preserve structures at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Minerals Management Service: The Committee has recommended $141.8 million for management of the nation's offshore energy and mineral resources and royalty management on Federal and Indian lands.
Office of Surface Mining: The Committee has recommended $275.1 million for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, which is $4 million above the administration request. The bill includes $5 million for the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative, an increase of $1 million above the fiscal year 1997 level.
U.S. Geological Survey: $758.2 million is provided for the U.S. Geological Survey, an increase of $18.1 million over the current year level. This amount includes $147.2 million (an increase of $9.7 million over the current year) for the Biological Research Division.
Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Priority Allocations: The Senate and House bills both fully fund the President's request for Tribal Priority Allocations (TPA) at $757.4 million, an increase of $76.5 million over FY 1997 levels. TPA now makes up 49 percent of the Bureau's operating budget. Within TPA, approximately 30 percent is distributed by formula based on tribes meeting criteria for the following programs: the Indian Child Welfare Act; new tribes; Johnson O'Malley education assistance; housing improvement (HIP); road maintenance; contract support; and welfare assistance. The Committee has included report language directing the continued allocation of these funds based on qualification with specific criteria. The Committee has included bill language directing the BIA to develop and present to the Congress by January 1, 1998, its recommendation for the allocation of the TPA funding which is currently distributed pro rata to the tribes based on "historical" levels of funding. In developing its recommendations, the BIA is to take into consideration tribal economic wealth and need. In addition, the Committee has included bill language pursuant to which tribes which receive TPA funding waive any claim of immunity, submit to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, and grant original jurisdiction of all civil actions involving the tribe to U.S. district courts.
Indian Health Service (in Title II): The bill provides $2.13 billion for the Indian Health Service which is under the Department of Health and Human Services. The funding level is $40.4 million over the House allowance, $72.7 million over FY 1997 and $4.7 million over the President's request. The Committee's recommendation includes $35 million for uncontrollable fixed costs related largely to hospital and clinic personnel, an increase of $21 million over the budget request. This increase will allow IHS to maintain current levels of service. The bill also includes $13 million for construction of the Ft. Defiance, AZ, hospital and $13.9 million for the Polacca, AZ, outpatient facility.
Other Programs: The bill provides $15 million for the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian
Relocation; $5.5 million for the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development; $1 million for the National Indian Gaming Commission; and $35.7 million for the
Office of Special Trustee for American Indians, an increase of $3.6 million over FY 1997.
Forest Service: The Committee provided $2.49 billion for the Forest Service, $126.4 million
above the budget estimate and $139.6 million less than the House level. This amount is $133
million above the FY 1997 enacted amount (excluding emergency supplemental funds). Funds
for Forest Service programs include $188.6 million for research, an increase of $8.9 million
above the administration request; $162.7 million for State and Private Forestry, an increase of
$6.3 million above the administration request; $582.7 million for Wildland Fire Management, an
increase of $68.4 million above the administration request; and $160.3 million for
Construction/Reconstruction, an increase of $14.2 million above the administration request. The
funding provided for the Forest Service includes a $33.4 million increase to the administration
request for forest health related programs, including:
Timber Production: Funds have been provided to produce a 3.8 billion board feet of timber,
consisting of 2.525 billion board feet from "green" sales, and 1.275 billion board feet from
salvage.
National Forest System: The Committee appropriated $1.35 billion for the National Forest
System, $20.5 million above the budget estimate but $18.3 million below the House
appropriation.
Increased Accountability for Planning: Through language in the bill and report, the
Committee has included direction to increase Forest Service accountability for land management
planning, implementation of the Columbia Basin Ecosystem assessments and other ecoregion
assessments, and the elimination of needless processes relative to duplicate planning procedures.
Fossil Energy R&D: Fossil energy research and development is funded at $364 million, which
is nearly as much as the FY 1997 enacted level. Increases above the budget request are provided
to sustain technology development programs intended to produce environmental benefits while
improving energy efficiency. Although the Committee rescinded $101 million in clean coal
funding, it provided $100.4 million for coal research, a slight increase over the Administration
request.
Energy Conservation: $627.4 million is provided for Energy Conservation programs, an
increase of $58 million over the fiscal year 1997 level. Increases over current year levels include
$17 million for transportation programs, $20 million for building R&D, and $16 million for
industry programs. The bill provides $129 million for the weatherization program, an increase of
$8 million over current year levels. The bill also provides $31.1 million for the state grant
program, $2.1 million above the current year level.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve: The bill includes a sale of $207.5 million worth of oil from the
Strategic Petroleum Reserve to finance operation of the reserves. (Note: Senator Gorton has
indicated he is willing to consider options for removing the sale from the bill, but adds that doing
so will likely result in commensurate cuts in other programs.) No funds were provided for oil
purchases for the SPR.
National Endowments: The bill includes $100.1 million to continue the National Endowment
for the Arts. This is essentially the FY 1997 level, adjusted for inflationary increases. Similar
treatment is provided for the National Endowment for the Humanities ($110.7 million) and the
other cultural programs supported in the bill, however, the National Endowment for the Arts may
make grants to individuals only for literature fellowships, national heritage fellowships, or
American jazz masters fellowships.
Smithsonian: Total funding for the Institution is $402.6 million, an increase of $31.2 million
from the FY97 level. Funding is included in the Smithsonian account to begin construction on
the Mall of the National Museum of the American Indian ($29 million). In addition, $4 million
is provided to complete design for the National Air and Space Museum Extension at Dulles
Airport (the budget request and House bill provide no funding for this item).
The Committee has included 42 general provisions that are described beginning on page 108 of
the Committee Report. In addition to the traditional provisions such as Buy America, the
Committee addressed specific management and spending controls. One item of interest is
section 334, which gives the Secretary of Agriculture new authority to enter into cooperative
agreements with willing private landowners and State and local governments to protect, restore,
or enhance fish and wildlife habitat.
The Committee deleted the House provision creating a "deficit reduction lock box," noting that
the provision would amend the Congressional Budget Act, and therefore falls within the
jurisdiction of the Budget Committee.
In addition to funds approved in the regular land acquisition accounts, the bill provides $700
million in a special land acquisition account that was included in the budget agreement. Of this
amount, $315 million is for the Headwaters Forest, CA ($250 million) and New World Mine,
MT ($65 million) acquisitions, subject to enactment of specific authorizing legislation. This
account also includes $100 million for the "stateside" grant program, to be allocated over four
years. The remaining $285 million is for Federal land acquisition projects to be determined
jointly by the Congress and the Administration.
The GPRA was enacted to improve the management of Federal agencies by requiring an
emphasis on planning and results. As the strategic plans are developed, agencies are required to
consult with Congress and other stakeholders on their draft strategic plans and incorporate
suggestions or concerns in the plan submitted to OMB. The Committee reiterated to the agencies
that "the vast field network of offices, land management units, research locations, and other
satellite locations" must be involved in the early states of GPRA and "buy-in to the process."
Otherwise, the Committee notes, "objectives and goals that are not easily measured or evaluated
at the field unit level" may not be "useful at the policy and budget decisionmaking level."
"The Committee looks forward to continued dialog during fiscal year 1998 as the fiscal
year 1999 annual performance plans are developed, and in the future when outcomes are
measured and strategic plans are revisited."Title II: Related Agencies
Department of Agriculture (Forest Service)
Department of Energy
Cultural Programs
Title III: General Provisions
Title IV: Deficit Reduction Lock Box
Title V: Priority Land Acquisition and Exchanges
Government Performance and Results Act