House Subcommittee markup on June 25:

The House Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee reported the 2003 Interior Appropriations bill yesterday morning. The bill will be taken up by the full House Appropriations Committee after the 4th of July recess.

The Subcommittee mark for the Department is $9.72 billion. This is $223 million above 2002 and $268 million above the 2003 President's budget.

Only limited information on the details of the Subcommittee mark is available. The Committee report will not be available until after full Committee action. However, here is what we are able to report now:

Land Management Operations. The operating accounts of the land management agencies are funded at levels consistent with, but slightly above the President¹s budget. BLM is proposed to receive $51 million above 2002; $14 million above the budget. FWS is marked at $918 million, including a $60 million increase for refuges. The FWS mark is $15 million above the budget. NPS operations receive $119 million above 2002; $21 million above the budget.

Fire: The Wildland Fire program is proposed at $655 million, $1.5 million more than the request.

Everglades: The mark provides $96 million for Everglades restoration, essentially the same level as requested.

Science: USGS is funded at $928 million. This is $14 million above 2002 and $61 million above the budget.

Operation of Indian Programs: The BIA operating account is funded at $1.8 billion. This is $59 million above 2002 and $22 million above the budget.

Education: Within the OIP account, education receives a $21 million increase. This is about $4 million above the budget.

Trust Programs: The mark for OST includes an increase of $42 million.

Backlog Maintenance: The Subcommittee provides the requested funding levels for NPS and Indian school backlog reduction. The NPS mark appears to be $676 million, just over the request of $663 million. For BIA the mark is $293 million, the same as the request. The BIA number includes requested funding for 6 replacement schools.

Federal Land Acquisition: Federal land acquisition (including USFS) is funded at $377 million. This is $43 million above the request, and $52 million below 2002.

Stateside LWCF Grants: The proposed funding level is $154 million, $10 million above enacted, but $46 million below the request.

PILT: The PILT program is proposed to receive $220 million, $10 million above 2002 and $55 million above the budget.

Conservation Spending Category: Of the total funding in the Subcommittee reported bill $1.44 billion is derived from the Conservation Spending Category, the full amount authorized under Title VIII of the 2001 Interior Appropriations Act. We estimate that this is $123 million above the budget. Increases for the Department of the Interior accounting for this difference include the increases for LWCF land acquisition and PILT, as well as increases for state planning partnerships is USGS and funding of $30 million for UPAR.

Senate Committee markup on June 25:

The Senate Appropriations Committee reported the 2003 Interior Appropriations bill on Thursday by a vote of 29 to 0. The bill was filed today (Friday) and may be taken up on the Senate floor as early as the week of July 8.

The Senate Committee mark for the Department is $9.63 billion. This compares to a House Subcommittee mark of $9.72 billion. The Senate mark is approximately $130 million above 2002 and $175 million above the 2003 President's budget.

The following is a summary of the Senate Committee's action. More information will be available when the Senate report becomes available next week.

Land Management Operations: The operating accounts of the land management agencies are funded at levels consistent with, but slightly above the President's budget. BLM is proposed to receive $40 million above 2002; $3 million above the budget. FWS is marked at $925 million. This is $74 million above 2002 and $21 million above the budget. NPS operations receive $97 million above 2002 and essentially the same as the budget.

Fire: The Wildland Fire program is proposed at $654 million, the same as the request.

Science: USGS is funded at $927 million. This is $13 million above 2002 and $59 million above the budget.

MMS and OSM: MMS is funded at $2.1 million above the request. OSM is funded at $18 million above the request, but $10 million below enacted. The reduction below enacted reflects one-time elimination of funding for the Federal AML program, as proposed in the budget.

Operations of Indian Programs: The BIA operating account is funded at $1.86 billion. This is $59 million above 2002 and $22 million above the budget.

Trust Programs: The mark for OST includes an increase of $52 million, the amount requested in the budget.

Backlog Maintenance: The Senate supports the requested funding level for Indian school backlog reduction; the mark is $296 million, $3 million above the request. This includes requested funding for 6 replacement schools. The Senate mark appears to provide at least the requested level for NPS maintenance and increases the NPS construction account by $40 million.

Federal Land Acquisition: Federal land acquisition for DOI agencies is funded at $222 million. This is $18 million above the request and $12 million below the House Subcommittee. It is approximately $57 million below 2002.

Stateside LWCF Grants: The proposed funding level is $144 million, the same as enacted, but $56 million below the request.

PILT: The PILT program is proposed to receive $220 million, $10 million above 2002 and $55 million above the budget.

Conservation Spending Category: Of the total funding in the Committee reported bill, $1.44 billion is derived from the Conservation Spending Category, the full amount authorized under Title VIII of the 2001 Interior Appropriations Act. We estimate that this is $123 million above the budget. Increases for the Department of the Interior accounting for this difference include the increases for maintenance and PILT, as well as increases for Federal land acquisition, state planning partnerships in USGS and funding of $10 million for UPAR. These increases above the budget are partially offset by elimination of all but administrative funding for the Landowner Incentive program and the Private Stewardship program. The Cooperative Conservation Initiative is not funded.