WASHINGTON-
Interior
Secretary Gale Norton today commended Rep. Barbara Cubin for her vital support
of the Department of the Interior Appropriations Bill, which
President Bush signed into law today.
"Thanks to the support of Congresswoman
Cubin and other representatives, the bill provides funding for major initiatives
to improve national parks, build and restore Indian schools, improve forest
and rangeland health, and suppress catastrophic
wildland fires,"Secretary Norton said.
"It also contains provisions to enhance traditional and renewable energy
and to improve management of our wildlife refuges and other public lands."
The 2004 Interior budget provides
$9.9 billion for the Department's programs and operations, which exceeds
the 2003 level by $111.5 million, and funds
important programs in Wyoming including energy-related activities, resource
protection and recreational opportunities, and construction projects.
It
also provides funds for wildfire preparedness and suppression, and calls
for conserving Wyoming's wildlife through hatchery and wildlife refuge
maintenance and operations.
Including a recent budget amendment
of $99 million for fire, the President's budget request for discretionary
appropriations for Department of the Interior programs in the Interior
bill totaled $9.86 billion. The conference agreement is $58 million or
0.6 percent below the President's budget request.
Budget highlights include the
following:
For the second
year, Congress has provided increases for Secretary Norton's Cooperative
Conservation Initiative. The total 2004 appropriation for CCI is $110.3
million. This is $18.9 million
over 2003 and cumulatively $35.4 million over 2002. This includes an increase
over 2003 of $4.8 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners
for Fish and Wildlife program.
·
The 2004 budget
provides $497,000 for Take Pride in America - to rally citizens to become engaged through volunteerism
to leverage federal investments in conservation partnerships effectively
and efficiently.
·
Congress provides
$788 million for the Department's fire program, including $99 million
to repay funds borrowed in 2003. Suppression
activities are funded at the ten-year average, and the budget continues
robust funding of $185 million for fuels treatment.
For the Hazardous
Fuels Reduction program, DOI will emphasize collaborative efforts to protect
wildland urban interface communities. Fifty
percent of on-the-ground fuels reduction monies will fund contracts to
protect communities and aid local economies, and many of the fuels reduction
contracts will be awarded to small, local companies.
·
The Congress
funded the Department's request of $10 million in grants funding to help
equip and train rural fire departments for wildfire preparedness and initial
attack capability.
·
Funding for the
NPS maintenance backlog is $704 million, comparable with the request. Combined with DOT funding for roads, the 2004
program will provide over $1 billion to parks maintenance.
·
Congress provides
$297 million, slightly more than the requested level for BIA education
construction. This investment supports
the President's "No Child Left Behind" initiative and will allow us to
replace school facilities at seven or more locations and address critical
health and safety concerns at a number of other schools.
·
The 2004 appropriations
provide $72 million for the Natural Resource Challenge - our program to
improve the management of natural resources in parks. This brings cumulative increases in the program
since 2001 to $100.5 million.
·
The Congress
funds federal land acquisition at $109 million, $34 million below the
request. The State grants component
of LWCF is funded at $94 million, $66 million below the request.
·
Congress funds
our unified Indian trust budget at $456 million. Congress limited funding
for historical accounting to $45 million, $85 million below our request. Bill language limits the scope of accounting
in 2004 pending actions by Congress to amend the 1994 Trust Management
Reform Act.
·
The budget for
the Bureau of Land Management included increases for resource protection
and restoration while also facilitating access for energy development,
funding to reinvigorate forest health treatments, improve recreational
opportunities, and services on public lands, and funding to strengthen
law enforcement capabilities.
·
The budget for
the Fish and Wildlife Service included increases for endangered species
activities, refuge operations and maintenance, migratory birds, law enforcement
programs and hatchery operations and maintenance.
·
For the National
Park Service, Congress funded the majority of the $16.4 million increase
for park base operations and the $14.3 million increase requested for
cyclic maintenance.
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