[Budget Supplement]
[Creating Opportunity and Encouraging Responsibility]
[9. Protecting the Environment]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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  [P]rotecting our environment is a fundamental community value for all Americans, and it can't be sacrificed to
balance the budget. Because we cherish our children, we want to be sure the water they drink and the food they  
eat won't make them sick. Because we honor our parents, we want the air they breathe to be clean so they can    
live long and healthy lives and not be housebound by smog. Because we believe that what God created, we must not
destroy, each of us has a sacred obligation to pass on a clean planet to future generations.                    
                                                                                                                
                                      President Clinton                                                         
                                      November 1995                                                             
                                                                                                                

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  The modern era of environmental protection began over 25 years ago 
with passage of landmark legislation and creation of the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA). Thanks to a generation of bipartisan effort, 
the environment is a great American success story. The air is cleaner, 
the water safer, and the land less polluted with toxic chemicals.
  Despite these gains, we have much more to do. A third of Americans 
still live in areas that do not meet air quality standards, and too many 
communities have drinking water whose safety is threatened. While the 
solutions of 25 years ago are not necessarily the best suited for 
tomorrow's challenges, we should not discard the gains, or forget the 
lessons learned, by rolling back environmental safeguards that Americans 
find so important.
  Americans want a Government that helps protect the environment and our 
natural resources without burdening business, choking innovation, or 
wasting taxpayer dollars. To meet these objectives, the Administration 
has been reinventing the regulatory process to cut excessive regulation, 
and targeting investments in programs that will have the biggest impact 
on improving the environment, protecting public health, providing more 
opportunities for outdoor recreation, and enhancing natural resources.
  In his 1996 State of the Union address, the President's fifth 
challenge for the Nation was to leave our environment safe and clean for 
the next generation. This budget and ongoing Administration policies 
reflect the President's strong commitment to meet that challenge.

                          MEETING THE CHALLENGE

  The Administration has pioneered various ways to protect the 
environment and conserve natural resources that are cleaner, cheaper, 
and smarter.

  Regulatory Reinvention: The President has challenged businesses to 
take more initiative to protect the environment, and pledged to make it 
easier for them to do so. In this regard, the Administration's 
regulatory reinvention efforts have been broad and far-reaching. In 
March 1995, the President announced a comprehensive set of 25 high-
priority actions to substantially improve the regulatory system and move 
significantly toward a new and better environmental management system 
for the 21st Century.
  One of the most fundamental reforms is Project XL (for excellence and 
leadership), a pilot program for 50 companies or communities. Under it, 
companies will get the opportunity to set aside EPA rules if they can 
design an alternative system that will be both cheaper for the company 
and cleaner for the environment.
  The Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act has been among 
the most successful, cost-effective laws ever enacted--under it, toxic 
releases of reported chemicals
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have fallen over 40 percent. The law 
succeeds because it recognizes that knowledge is power and that, often, 
the most effective way to achieve environmental protection is to give 
the power back to the community.
  To build on this success, the President strongly supports expanding 
the requirements for industry to disclose releases, because the public 
has a right to know that its air and water are safe. But, because the 
law is most effective when communities and citizen groups actively use 
the information, the President has challenged communities to take the 
initiative and work with business to cut pollution.
  The President is committed to cutting the paperwork tied to meeting 
environmental standards by 25 percent, which will save businesses and 
communities 20 million hours of work. For small businesses, the 
President has pledged to create centers to help them comply with 
environmental standards, and to give them a six-month grace period for 
correcting infractions before penalizing them when they act in good 
faith. In addition, EPA is eliminating over 1,400 pages of regulations.

  Performance Partnerships: In last year's budget, EPA proposed to offer 
States and Tribes one or more Performance Partnership grants, to combine 
several categorical grants (e.g., grants that go specifically to address 
air, water, or hazardous waste). The partnership grants would 
consolidate funding streams, cut micromanagement, and focus programs on 
results. While the proposal awaits legislative action, State officials 
and others have praised it and the Administration is proposing it again 
this year.
  In May 1995, the Environmental Council of the States, consisting of 
the State environmental commissioners, adopted a resolution of support 
for the partnership grants, and agreed with EPA on a broader proposal to 
create a new partnership based on performance. This partnership system 
includes environmental performance agreements and less intensive EPA 
oversight of States with strong performance.
  In September 1995, the third report of Vice President Gore's National 
Performance Review1 proposed to give States more flexibility to 
move funds between the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving 
Funds. This initiative, which the budget proposes, would give States 
more flexibility to address high-priority water infrastructure issues.
  \1\Common Sense Government.
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  Ecosystem Management: The Administration has pioneered the use of 
ecosystem management--an approach to restore and maintain the health, 
sustainability, and biological diversity of marine and terrestrial 
ecosystems while supporting vital economies and communities.
  Everglades/South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: The 
          South Florida Ecosystem is a unique national treasure that 
          includes the Everglades, Florida Bay, and other 
          internationally-renowned natural resources. Its long-term 
          viability and sustainability is critical for the tourism and 
          fishing industries, as well as the water supply, economy, and 
          quality of life for South Florida's entire population of over 
          six million people.
          In the budget, the Administration is proposing legislation to 
          establish an ``Everglades Restoration Fund'' to provide a 
          steady source of funding, mainly for land acquisition, to 
          maintain a sustainable ecosystem. The budget proposes $100 
          million a year for four years to establish the Fund. In 
          addition, the budget proposes a one-cent-per-pound marketing 
          assessment on Florida sugar production to add about $35 
          million a year to the Fund. This approach divides the costs of 
          restoration between the public and the principal industry that 
          has benefited from water projects altering the South Florida 
          ecosystem.
          In addition, the budget would continue to strongly support the 
          active programs of various Federal agencies involved in the 
          Everglades and South Florida ecosystem restoration. The budget 
          would increase funding for the initiative to $136 million, 
          compared to $104 million in 1996.
  Northwest Forest Plan (Oregon, Washington, and Northern 
          California): The President's Forest Plan is protecting natural 
          resources and providing new economic
[[Page 85]]
          opportunities for the 
          people of the Pacific Northwest. It is a balanced, science-
          based blueprint to strengthen the economic and environmental 
          health of the three-State area. It is also the first region-
          wide application of ecosystem management by Federal, State, 
          and local agencies; Tribes; non-governmental organizations; 
          and individuals.
          The Administration has begun refilling the timber pipeline 
          with hundreds of millions of board feet of timber for the 
          first time in years; restored thousands of acres of key 
          habitat and watersheds while providing short-term employment 
          opportunities to displaced timber workers; spurred small 
          businesses through grants and job training; and strengthened 
          local economies.
          In 1995, the region received over $350 million in grants, 
          loans, and other resources through the coordinated efforts of 
          12 Federal agencies. The Federal Government plans to spend 
          just $318 million in 1996 (due to congressional cuts), but the 
          budget proposes $391 million for 1997.
  The President also is seeking major changes in the timber provisions 
of the 1995 rescission law. He wants Congress to: repeal provisions that 
force the Government to award environmentally unsound contracts to cut 
``old-growth'' timber; let the Government replace old-growth timber with 
other timber, or buy it back from contractors--before its harvesting 
causes environmental problems; and work with him to allow the private 
sector to harvest salvage timber in compliance with environmental laws.
  Salmon Recovery Plan: Salmon runs throughout the Pacific 
          Northwest are a major part of the region's ecosystem and 
          economy. For various reasons, salmon runs originating in the 
          Columbia/Snake River Basin have declined so much that the 
          National Marine Fisheries Service lists three runs as 
          endangered or threatened.
          The Administration supports a regional, bipartisan effort to 
          pay for recovery--including the preparation of a stable, 
          multi-year salmon budget. The Administration, in October 1995, 
          reached agreement with congressional and regional interests to 
          establish a Federal contingency fund to try to hold salmon 
          recovery costs to no more than $435 million for customers of 
          the Bonneville Power Administration.

             ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE INVESTMENTS

  The budget proposes to boost funding for high-priority environmental 
and natural resource programs by eight percent over the levels in place 
when the President took office (see Table 9-1).

  EPA Operating Program: The budget proposes a nine percent increase 
over 1996, to $3.4 billion, for EPA's operating program, which includes 
most of EPA's research, regulatory, partnership grants (for States and 
Tribes), and enforcement programs. The program represents the backbone 
of the Nation's efforts to protect public health through standard 
setting, enforcement, and other means to ensure that our water is pure, 
our air clean, and our food safe.
  Chart 9-1 illustrates the Nation's progress in improving air quality 
but also pinpoints where we still need to go. Similarly, Chart 9-2 
illustrates the progress needed in improving wastewater treatment to 
help reach water quality goals.
  The budget stresses environmental enforcement to ensure that polluters 
find a cop on the environmental beat. It would fully fund the EPA's part 
of the Climate Change Action Plan to promote voluntary, innovative 
energy conservation programs to meet our international commitments to 
reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, the budget would fund the 
Environmental Technology Initiative to spur the development of new 
technologies to protect public health, cut costs, create new jobs, and 
increase exports. Finally, the budget continues to support a ``watershed 
approach'' for key water systems, such as the Great Lakes and Chesapeake 
Bay, in which the Government considers the system as a whole--rather 
than, separately, each individual threat to the environment and public 
health.
[[Page 86]]

                                 Table 9-1.  ENVIRONMENTAL/NATURAL RESOURCE INVESTMENTS AND OTHER HIGH-PRIORITY PROGRAMS                                
                                   (Discretionary budget authority unless otherwise noted; dollar amounts in millions)                                  
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                                                                                                                                         Dollar  Percent
                                                                                                1993     1995       1996        1997    Change:  Change:
                                                                                               Actual   Actual   Estimate\1\  Proposed  1996 to  1996 to
                                                                                                                                          1997     1997 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):                                                                                                                  
  Operating Program.........................................................................    2,767    2,853       3,113       3,403     +290      +9%
                                                                                                                                                        
  State Revolving Funds (SRFs):                                                                                                                         
    Clean Water.............................................................................    1,928    1,236       1,365       1,350      -15      -1%
    Drinking Water..........................................................................  .......     -374         500         550      +50     +10%
  Superfund.................................................................................    1,589    1,354       1,313       1,394      +81      +6%
  Other.....................................................................................      639      900         386         330      -56     -15%
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, EPA...........................................................................    6,923    5,969       6,677       7,027     +350      +5%
                                                                                                                                                        
 Department of the Interior (DOI):                                                                                                                      
  National Park Service Operating Program...................................................      984    1,078       1,158       1,173      +15      +1%
  Bureau of Land Management Operating Program...............................................      638      695         658         685      +27      +4%
  Fish & Wildlife Service Operating Program.................................................      531      511         498         540      +42      +8%
  Investment Non-Operating Program (Natural Resources Research and other)...................       11      192         182         290     +108     +59%
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOI (Select programs).........................................................    2,164    2,476       2,496       2,688     +192      +8%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Agriculture (USDA):                                                                                                                       
  Forest Service Operating Program..........................................................    1,319    1,338       1,256       1,292      +36      +3%
  Investment Non-Operating Program (NW Forest Plan, Infrastructure, and other)..............      276      234         172         199      +27     +16%
  Rural Water & Wastewater..................................................................      508      627         488         659     +171     +35%
  Wetlands..................................................................................      115      212         139         216      +77     +55%
  Wetlands Reserve Program (Mandatory)......................................................  .......       93          77         188     +111    +144%
  Conservation Reserve Program (Mandatory)..................................................    1,579    1,743       1,782       1,925     +143      +8%
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, USDA (Select programs)........................................................    3,797    4,247       3,914       4,479     +565     +14%
                                                                                                                                                        
Land Acquisition: LWCF (DOI/USDA) and Everglades Restoration Fund (DOI).....................      285      217         140         262     +122     +87%
Other Everglades Restoration (DOI, Corps, USDA, NOAA, EPA)..................................       82      103         104         136      +32     +31%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Energy (DOE):                                                                                                                             
  Energy Conservation and Efficiency........................................................      592      715         613         715     +102     +17%
  Solar and Renewable Energy R&D............................................................      257      363         275         363      +88     +32%
  Federal Facilities Cleanup (Environmental Management Program).............................    6,396    5,804       6,084       6,059      -25       -*
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOE (Select programs).........................................................    7,245    6,882       6,972       7,137     +165      +2%
                                                                                                                                                        
Department of Defense (DOD):                                                                                                                            
  Cleanup...................................................................................    1,604    2,086       2,093       2,108      +15      +1%
  Environmental Compliance/Pollution Prevention/Conservation................................    2,227    2,504       2,654       2,406     -248      -9%
  Environmental Technology..................................................................      393      281         223         204      -19      -9%
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, DOD (Select programs).........................................................    4,224    4,871       4,970       4,718     -252      -5%
                                                                                                                                                        
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):                                                                                                 
  Fisheries and Protected Species...........................................................      232      269         282         306      +24      +9%
  Ocean and Coastal Management..............................................................      121      130         119         132      +13     +11%
  Ocean and Atmospheric Research............................................................      138      160         156         160       +4      +3%
                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, NOAA (Select programs)........................................................      491      559         557         598      +41      +7%
                                                                                                                                                        
Pacific Northwest Forest Plan (USDA, DOI, EPA, DOC, DOL)....................................  .......      359         318         391      +73     +23%
Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program (wetlands).......................................       86      102         101         112      +11     +11%
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (DOE, DOC, NSF, EPA, DOT)......................  .......      223         241         288      +47     +20%
U.S. Global Change Research (NASA, DOE, NSF, DOC, others)...................................    1,319    1,785       1,712       1,852     +140      +8%
Climate Change Action Plan (EPA, DOE, USDA, Corps)..........................................  .......      218         224         305      +81     +36%
GLOBE--Global Environmental Education (NOAA, NASA, EPA, NSF)................................  .......       15          14          15       +1      +7%
Montreal Protocol (State/EPA)...............................................................       25       38          34          47      +13     +38%
Global Environment Facility (Treasury)......................................................  .......       90          35         100      +65    +186%
Multilateral & Bilateral Assistance (Funds Appropriated to the President/AID)...............      272      355         310         343      +33     +11%
Border Environmental Activities (State/Treasury)............................................       30       81          81          87       +6      +7%
                                                                                             ===========================================================
      Total\2\..............................................................................   25,190   25,803      26,204      27,309   +1,105      +4%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Less than $500 thousand or 0.5 percent.                                                                                                                
\1\Includes Administration's proposed adjustments to 1996 continuing resolution levels.                                                                 
\2\Total adjusted to eliminate double counts and mandatory spending.                                                                                    
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  Natural Resource Protection: The budget continues the President's 
commitment to protect the national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, 
other public lands, and marine sanctuaries. While offering natural 
beauty, historical significance, and other pleasures for today's and 
future generations, these areas play an important role in maintaining 
ecosystem stability and protecting species that are threatened or 
endangered.
  The budget proposes $1.2 billion for operations in national parks, an 
increase of $15 million from 1996, to protect the Nation's important 
natural and cultural resources and provide a level of visitor services 
that the public rightly expects. The Administration will continue to 
promote entrepreneurial land management by seeking legislation to give 
the National Park Service more authority to collect user fees. The 
proposal would return 80 percent of new fee receipts of the National 
Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service for each 
of them to use on visitor services. In addition, the budget proposes 
about $111 million in up-front funding (to be spent over several years) 
to restore the Elwha River watershed and fisheries in and around the 
Olympic National Park, in the State of Washington. Chart 9-3 illustrates 
the growing demand for recreational services in parks, forests, refuges, 
and public lands.

                                     


  Endangered Species Act: The Administration is committed to the goals 
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Congress, however, has voted to 
severely limit the ability of the Interior and Commerce Departments to 
carry out the ESA by placing unwarranted moratoria on listing actions 
and eliminating funding for listing new species.
  Last year, the Administration unveiled a 10-point plan to better 
implement the ESA. The plan shows that the Government can administer the 
ESA to protect species and improve recovery rates in ways that minimize 
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impacts on land owners and give greater authority to State and local 
governments. The budget contains full funding to implement the 
Administration's plan.

  Healthy Coasts: Over half of Americans live in coastal areas--areas 
that provide unique and critical habitat for a wide range of species. 
The budget proposes to increase funds for programs that are instrumental 
in sustaining healthy coasts to $132 million in 1997, a $13 million 
increase over 1996, in the budget of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Among these vital efforts, NOAA is 
working to raise participation in the Coastal Zone Management Program, 
which promotes integrated coastal stewardship, from 29 to 34 states. In 
addition, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program will complete a 
management plan for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
  Water Quality Infrastructure: EPA provides capitalization grants to 
Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs), which make low-interest loans 
to municipalities to improve compliance with the Clean Water Act. The 
budget proposes $1.35 billion for this program, which would help reduce 
beach closures and keep our waterways safe and clean. In addition, the 
budget proposes targeted wastewater funds for areas facing unique 
circumstances, such as high needs or an inability to pay--including $100 
million for Boston Harbor, $150 million for U.S.-Mexico border projects, 
and $15 million for Alaskan Native villages.
  The President also is proposing $550 million in Federal capitalization 
grants for new Drinking Water SRFs to help municipalities comply with 
the Safe Drinking Water Act. Such compliance will help ensure that our 
citizens have a safe, clean supply of drinking water--our first line of 
defense in protecting public health.

  Department of Agriculture (USDA) ``Water 2000'': USDA has launched an 
effort
[[Page 89]]
 to bring safe drinking water to the remaining rural Americans in 
very remote areas who live without running water. The budget would fund 
the initiative, ``Water 2000,'' as part of the $1.4 billion in loan and 
grant authority that it proposes for rural water and wastewater loans 
and grants, a 75 percent increase over 1996. In 1995, ``Water 2000'' 
funded 217 new water-treatment systems; the Administration expects to 
fund 150 new systems in 1996 and 225 in 1997.
  Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): Historically, developers obtained a 
fourth of U.S. cropland, or over 100 million acres, by clearing and 
draining wetlands. The WRP is a voluntary program in which willing 
sellers receive the fair market value to retire wetland acres from 
agricultural production. The WRP has been so popular with farmers that 
the Government has only had the funds to buy a fifth of the acres that 
landowners have offered. The budget proposes to purchase long-term and 
perpetual conservation easements on 226,000 acres in 1997, which--along 
with the ``Swampbuster'' provisions of Federal law that restrict 
farmers' use of wetlands--would allow continued progress toward reaching 
the President's goal of a net gain in national wetland acres (see Chart 
9-4).
  The retirement of cropland through the WRP will directly benefit the 
recovery of threatened or endangered species--though wetlands account 
for just five percent of land in the lower 48 States, almost 35 percent 
of threatened or endangered species live in, or depend on, wetlands. 
Also, because of other benefits of wetlands--floodwater retention and 
surface water storage--the budget assumes at least $5 million for the 
Emergency Wetlands Reserve Program (EWRP) in 1997 (depending on the 
nature of natural disasters that year).

                                     


  Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): The CRP pays farmers to 
temporarily retire environmentally sensitive (mostly erosion-
[[Page 90]]
prone) lands from production. Producers receive rental payments for 10 years, 
after which they can bring the lands back into production. The CRP has 
36.4 million acres enrolled, with the remaining 1.6 million acres 
proposed in the budget for sign-up in 1997, in order to reach the legal 
target of 38 million acres. In December 1994, the Administration also 
proposed that farmers have the option of extending expiring contracts. 
Contracts for around 15 million acres expire in 1996.
  The CRP's benefits include less erosion and better water quality. In 
addition, the CRP's wildlife benefits have been overwhelming: wild duck 
populations fell between 35 and 50 percent in the 1970s and 1980s, but 
these populations bounced back with a 38 percent increase from the 1980s 
to the mid-1990s largely due to the CRP (see Chart 9-5).

                                     


  Superfund: EPA's Superfund program cleaned up another 68 sites in 
1995, exceeding its 1995 target of 65 and bringing to 346 the total 
number cleaned up through 1995 (see Chart 9-6). In the past four years, 
the program has, on average, cleaned up more sites each year than in its 
entire first decade. By the end of 1995, construction was completed or 
initiated at nearly 800 National Priority List (NPL) sites, well over 
half the sites on the list. With funding at the President's requested 
level, EPA would remain on course to achieve its target of 650 
construction completions by the year 2000.

                                     


  Nevertheless, Superfund has been criticized for costing too much and 
accomplishing too little. The Administration has worked to develop and 
propose legislative reforms to fundamentally change the way Superfund 
operates. While awaiting Congressional action on Superfund 
reauthorization, EPA has redirected the program in the past two years 
with ``common sense'' administrative reforms to increase fairness, cut 
cleanup and transaction costs, and encourage economic
[[Page 91]]
redevelopment. The budget includes $1.4 billion,
an $81 million increase over 1996, to 
continue progress in Superfund.

  Brownfields: The current Superfund law, which extends liability to 
both past and prospective owners of contaminated sites, can depress the 
market value of older industrial sites and diminish the attractiveness 
of investing in these ``brownfield'' areas. The President proposes to 
offer new purchasers and other businesses a targeted tax incentive to 
recover the cost of a brownfield cleanup in distressed communities over 
a shorter time period. This initiative would spur the private sector to 
create jobs, return land to productive use, and clean up the environment 
in our communities.
  In addition, the budget proposes $25 million to expand and complement 
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative. Of that, EPA would 
use $5 million to award another 25 brownfield pilot projects to 
stimulate environmental cleanup through economic redevelopment, bringing 
the total number of pilots to 75. In addition, the budget includes $20 
million for grants to brownfields pilot communities to help finance such 
cleanups and to work with States to develop their capability to address 
brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

  Federal Facilities Cleanup and Compliance: The Federal Government 
faces an enormous challenge in cleaning up Federal facilities 
contaminated with radioactive or hazardous waste. The Energy Department 
(DOE) faces the most complex and costly problems, the result of over 
four decades of research, production, and testing of nuclear weapons. 
The Defense Department's (DOD) environmental problems include hazardous 
wastes similar to those at industrial sites and unexploded ordnance at 
test ranges.
  In 1997, DOE will continue to stress risk reduction, management and 
stabilization of nuclear materials, aggressive site cleanup, 
[[Page 92]]
and investment in new cleanup technologies. 
The budget proposes $5.9 billion 
for DOE's Office of Environmental Management program--a figure that 
reflects sizable savings from administrative and contracting reforms and 
that would support the completion of cleanup of 260 release sites and 
facilities. The budget also proposes $182 million to fund projects to 
privatize the treatment of certain types of nuclear waste.
  DOD continues to make significant progress in cleanup, compliance/
pollution prevention, conservation, and environmental technology. The 
budget provides $4.7 billion for these activities. To date, 760 military 
installations and over 2,200 formerly-used defense properties have 
nearly 15,000 sites where a study or cleanup is underway, while DOD has 
determined that 9,900 sites require no further cleanup.

  Energy Conservation and Efficiency: The budget proposes $715 million 
for DOE energy conservation and efficiency programs, 17 percent above 
1996. It provides for continued implementation of the Climate Change 
Action Plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and continues the 
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles to triple fuel economy by 
early next century. The Administration is committed to improving the 
energy efficiency of federally-owned or operated buildings. DOD, DOE, 
the Veterans Affairs Department, and the General Services Administration 
have made significant progress in cutting energy consumption and saving 
taxpayer money, and the budget proposes $289 million to continue the 
progress.
  Solar and Renewable Energy: The budget funds DOE solar and renewable 
energy activities at $363 million, 32 percent above 1996. This funding 
continues the Administration's strong support for research and 
development to reduce manufacturing costs in photovoltaics and solar 
thermal technologies, promote wind power, and spur a wider use of 
biofuels.
[[Page 93]]
  Multilateral and Bilateral Environmental Assistance: The budget 
proposes a $33 million increase over 1996, to $343 million, for 
bilateral and multilateral environmental assistance. Bilateral 
assistance includes U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) 
activities to address climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable 
agriculture in developing countries. Multilateral assistance funds U.S. 
voluntary contributions to the U.N. environmental system and other 
international organizations to address various international 
environmental activities.
  Global Environment Facility: U.S. participation in the Global 
Environment Facility (GEF) is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign and 
environmental policy. The GEF has become the world's leading institution 
for protecting the global environment and avoiding economic disruption 
from climate change, massive extinction of valuable species, and 
dramatic collapse of the ocean's fish population. The $100 million 
budget request meets the Nation's annual pledge to the four-year (1995-
1998) funding program for the GEF--the United States pledged 20 percent 
($400 million) of the GEF's resources, a lower proportion than in most 
multilateral fora. Meeting this commitment is vital to maintaining U.S. 
leadership of the program.