The 2002 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill was passed by the Senate on July 12, 2001. The Senate bill totals $18.7 billion, as compared to the $18.9 billion House-passed bill. The Senate bill includes $235.0 million that is designated as emergency funding. This includes $70.0 million in BLM’s Wildland Fire Account for wildfire suppression ($50.0 million) and burned area rehabilitation ($20.0 million), and $165.0 million in Forest Service’s Wildland Fire Management Account.

The Senate bill provides $9.37 billion for Department of the Interior programs. This is $37.9 million below the House mark, $206.6 million above the President’s budget, and $113.1 million below the 2001 enacted level. In Senate floor action, a total of $501,000 was added to the bill for Interior, including:

• $401,000 for NPS’ Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor ($300,000) and the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity ($101,000); and
• $100,000 for FWS to provide to the University of Idaho for developing research mechanisms in support of salmon and trout recovery in the Columbia and Snake River basins and their tributaries.

For the priorities requested in the President’s budget, the Senate provides the following:

• $164.0 million for LWCF State Grants, $10.0 million more than the House, and $286.0 million below the President’s budget request.
• $60.0 million for Landowner Incentive and Stewardship Grants, as requested in the President’s budget and consistent with the House.
• $435.5 million for the NPS backlog, a reduction of $390,000 from the House mark and $4.2 million below the President’s budget request.
• $20.0 million in additional funding for the NPS Natural Resource Challenge, consistent with the President’s budget and the House.
• $295.5 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs education construction, $3.0 million more than the House and the budget request. This includes $122.8 million for six replacement schools (the same as the House and the President’s budget). The $3.0 million increase is for the school construction demonstration program.
• $545.1 million for BIA education programs, an increase of $2.0 million above the House mark and the President’s budget request. The $2.0 million increase is for tribal community colleges.
• $60.9 million for Indian land and water settlements, the same as the House and the same as requested in the President’s budget.
• $24.5 million for energy programs including an increase of $14.7 million for BLM and $9.8 million for MMS’ Outer Continental Shelf program. The House provides $24.4 million including $17.0 million for BLM and $7.4 million for the OCS program.

A comparison of House and Senate funding levels for bureaus is provided as Attachment 1. Attachment 2 provides a comparison of key numbers.

The Senate does not adopt language proposed in the President’s budget for Endangered Species Listing nor does the Senate accept the House proposal for a subcap. The Senate increases funding for the Listing program by $524,000 over the House level and the President’s budget level, raising the amount for Listing to $9.0 million.

The Senate bill includes $1.32 billion for the Conservation Spending Category, the same as the House, and $64.0 million above the amount requested in the President’s budget. A summary of the House and Senate allowances for CSC is provided in Attachment 3.

The Senate funds Payments in Lieu of Taxes at $220.0 million compared to the House mark of $200.0 million and the President’s budget request of $150.0 million.

The Senate restores the $9.0 million cut made on the House Floor to Departmental Management (DM) and adds $3.4 million for DM fixed costs. The Senate also includes language in the Office of Special Trustee indicating that funding is provided for an historical accounting.

More details on funding levels and legislative provisions included in the House and Senate bills, click here. (PDF Format)