[Economic Outlook, Highlights from FY 1994 to FY 2001, FY 2002 Baseline Projections]
[III. Major Functions of the Federal Government]
[6.  Natural Resources and Environment]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 81]]

 
                  6.  NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Table 6-1.  Federal Resources in Support of Natural Resources and Environment
                                          (Dollar amounts in millions)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        Percent
                                Function 300                                     1993        2001       Change:
                                                                                Actual     Estimate    1993-2001
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spending:
  Discretionary budget authority............................................     21,405      28,778         34%
  Mandatory outlays.........................................................        168         157         -7%
Credit Activity:
   Direct loan disbursements................................................         39          43         10%
Tax expenditures............................................................      1,595       1,550         -3%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Table 6-2.  High-Priority Environmental and Natural Resource Programs
             (Budget authority, dollar amounts in millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Percent
                                            1993       2001     Change:
                                           Actual    Enacted   1993-2001
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Lands Legacy Initiative (DOI, USDA,           380      1,689       344%
 NOAA) \1\.............................
 Farm Conservation Initiative (USDA)         1,584      2,122        34%
 (mandatory) \2\.......................
 Clean Energy Initiative (DOE, USDA,           251        321        28%
 AID, DOC, TDA, EX-IM).................
 Greening the Globe Initiative (AID,            82        121        48%
 Treasury, USDA).......................
 Climate Change Technology Initiative    .........      1,239         NA
 (DOE, EPA, USDA, HUD).................
 Clean Water Action Plan (EPA, USDA,     .........      2,303         NA
 DOI, NOAA, Corps).....................
 Salmon Habitat Restoration (NOAA,       .........        231         NA
 Corps)................................
 Endangered Species Act (DOI, NOAA)....         75        178       137%

 Department of Transportation (DOT):
   Mass Transit........................      3,774      6,274        66%
   Congestion Mitigation and Air               601      1,661       176%
   Quality.............................
   Environmental Enhancements;                 114        797       599%
   Preservation Pilots.................
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, DOT (Select programs)...      4,489      8,732        95%

 Department of the Interior (DOI):
   National Park Service Operating             984      1,472        50%
   Program.............................
   Bureau of Land Management Operating         638        817        28%
   Program.............................
   Fish & Wildlife Service Operating           531        777        46%
   Program.............................
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, DOI (Select programs)...      2,153      3,066        42%

 Department of Agriculture (USDA):
   Forest Service Operating Program....      1,319      1,968        49%
   Natural Resources Conservation              577        714        24%
   Service Operating Program...........
   Water/Wastewater Grants and Loans...        508        644        27%
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, USDA (Select programs)..      2,404      3,326        38%

 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
   Operating Program...................      2,767      3,866        40%
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, All EPA.................      6,923      7,829        13%

 Department of Energy (DOE):
   Energy Conservation and Efficiency          592        817        38%
   (gross).............................
   Solar and Renewable Energy R&D (net)        249        376        51%
   Federal Facilities Cleanup                6,396      6,317        -1%
   (Environmental Management Program)..
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, DOE (Select programs)...      7,237      7,510         4%

 Department of Defense (DOD):
   Cleanup.............................      1,604      2,068        29%
   Environmental Compliance/Pollution        2,227      2,215        -1%
   Prevention/Conservation.............
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, DOD (Select programs)...      3,831      4,283        12%

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric
 Administration (NOAA):
   Fisheries and Protected Species.....        232        569       145%
   Ocean and Coastal Management........        121        429       255%
   Ocean and Atmospheric Research......        202        345        71%
                                        --------------------------------
     Subtotal, NOAA (Select programs)..        555      1,343       142%

 Partnership for a New Generation of     .........        236         NA
 Vehicles (DOE, DOC, NSF, EPA, DOT)....
 U.S. Global Change Research (NASA,          1,323      1,700        28%
 DOE, NSF, DOC, USDA, others)..........
 GLOBE--Global Environmental Education   .........         11         NA
 (NOAA, NASA, EPA, NSF)................
 Montreal Protocol (State, EPA)........         25         38        52%
 Global Environment Facility (Treasury)  .........        108         NA
 Multilateral and Bilateral Assistance         329        334         2%
 (International Programs/AID)..........
                                        ================================
    Total \3\..........................     31,226     42,322        36%
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NA = Not applicable.

\1\ Includes funding (i.e., coastal management assistance) that is not
  in the new conservation spending category.

\2\ Includes funding for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

\3\ Total includes mandatory spending. Total adjusted to eliminate
  double counts.

Note: Agency abbreviations not explained above: AID (Agency for
  International Development), Corps (Army Corps of Engineers), DOC
  (Department of Commerce), DOE (Department of Energy), EX-IM (Export-
  Import Bank), HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), NASA
  (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), NSF (National Science
  Foundation), State (Department of State), and TDA (Trade and
  Development Agency, International Assistance Programs).

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  The Nation faced a number of serious environmental problems in 1993. 
Neighborhoods were blighted by toxic waste dumps because only 12 percent 
of the Nation's worst sites had been cleaned up despite 12 years of 
Federal effort. Sixty-two million people lived in areas with drinking 
water that failed to meet Federal standards, and 150 million people 
lived in areas that failed to meet air quality standards. Further, many 
of the Nation's most well-known natural treasures, such as Yellowstone 
National Park, were endangered by the adverse effects of encroaching 
development.
  President Clinton came into office committed to providing the American 
people with a cleaner environment, stronger communities, and a brighter 
future for families across the country. Since 1993, the President has 
invested in a common sense and cost-effective approach of using new 
technologies, pursuing tougher enforcement of environmental laws, 
strengthening public health standards, and protecting our irreplaceable 
national treasures.
  As a result, the Nation has the cleanest environment and strongest 
economy in a generation. Almost four times as many Superfund sites were 
cleaned up during the Clinton-Gore Administration as in the previous 12 
years. Compliance with drinking water standards increased from 83 
percent of the population served by community water systems to 89 
percent of the population, and the number of areas out of attainment 
with the ozone air quality standard dropped from 98 to 37. In addition, 
the Administration has protected from environmental harm tens of 
millions of acres of national parks and forests, national monuments and 
wilderness areas, from the red rock canyons of Utah to the Florida 
Everglades.
  As a part of his effort to protect our environment and natural 
resources, the President promoted targeted investments in key 
environmental initiatives, and fought back numerous anti-environmental 
riders that would have traded hard-won environmental safeguards for 
short-term special interest gains. Table 6-2 compares 1993 and 2001 
funding for high-priority environmental and natural resources programs 
in this and other Government function areas. In 2001, for the natural 
resources and environment function only (Table 6-1), the Congress 
enacted $28.8 billion in discretionary budget authority to protect 
public health, the environment, manage Federal lands, conserve 
resources, provide recreational opportunities, and construct and operate 
water resources projects. This is an

[[Page 83]]

increase of $7.4 billion, or 34 percent, over the $21.4 billion spent in 
1993.

Conservation and Land Management

  Lands Legacy: In 1993, the effect of development and urban sprawl on 
parks, fragile coastal habitat, and open spaces was not as widely 
understood as it is today. In some areas, uncontrolled growth was 
undermining people's quality of life by fragmenting the parks and 
forests that provide outdoor recreation and threatening the ecosystems 
that provide habitat for wildlife and endangered species.
  Over the past eight years, the Clinton-Gore Administration forged a 
consensus in support of reliable funding for conservation programs that 
temper the adverse environmental effects of rapid development. In 1999, 
the President announced his Lands Legacy Initiative, which would double 
conservation funding and provide dedicated, protected funding for: (1) 
land acquisition in national parks, forests, refuges, and other public 
lands; (2) grants to States and local communities to restore urban parks 
and forests, protect wildlife habitat, and plan for smart growth; and, 
(3) protection of marine sanctuaries, estuaries, and coastal areas. This 
led to the enactment in October 2000 of a new Conservation spending 
category under the Budget Enforcement Act that, from 2002 through 2006, 
will set aside about $2 billion annually to be used only for specific 
conservation, preservation, and related programs. This category 
dedicates and protects funding to maintain and build upon current 
efforts preserving both the great places of this Nation and the green 
spaces of local communities.
  The conservation investments in this category include funding for 25 
distinct programs in six bureaus within the Departments of Agriculture 
(USDA), Commerce (DOC), and the Interior (DOI). The protected funding is 
allocated among six subcategories, plus an unallocated amount available 
to all subcategories. Actual funding levels for each program will be 
determined through the annual appropriations process. Table 6-3 shows 
subcategory allocations for 2002, plus the equivalent funding levels in 
prior years. The total amount of protected funding will increase each 
year, up to $2.4 billion in 2006.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                          Table 6-3.  Lands Legacy \1\
                                   (Budget authority, in millions of dollars)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Actual                     Estimate
                             Subcategory                           ------------------   2001  ------------------
                                                                      1993     2000   Enacted    2002   2006 \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)...........................      283      467      545      540
State and Other Conservation Programs.............................       26       68      270      300
Urban and Historic Preservation...................................       71      113      166      160
Federal Deferred Maintenance--new funds...........................  .......  .......      150      150
Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT)--new funds.......................  .......  .......       50       50
NOAA/DOC Coastal Assistance.......................................       45      161      283      440
Unallocated.......................................................  .......  .......  .......      120
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
    Total.........................................................      425      809    1,464    1,760     2,400
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Only includes amounts in the new Conservation spending category.

\2\ Total amounts increase each year up to $2.4 billion in 2006. Actual funding levels for each subcategory for
  2003-2006 will be determined through the annual appropriations process.

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Forest Planning Improvements: The Administration made improved 
multiple-use forest planning one of its first and highest priorities for 
the USDA's Forest Service. In April 1993, President Clinton convened a 
Forest Conference in Portland, Oregon, to bring together scientists, the 
forest products industry, environmental groups, Indian Tribes, and other 
concerned citizens to discuss issues surrounding the management of 
Federal lands in the Pacific Northwest and northern California. In 1991, 
the Forest Service had been blocked by a court injunction from issuing 
new timber sales in this area because these sales threatened the habitat 
of the northern spotted owl.

[[Page 84]]

Working with all interested parties, the Forest Service issued standards 
one year later that broke the impasse by allowing timber sales and 
protecting key watersheds and valuable old-growth timber ecosystems. 
This difficult but successful process demonstrated again that economic 
and environmental interests are not mutually exclusive, and can be 
brought together through forest plans that support the multiple uses for 
which national forests were created.
  This high standard was expanded and solidified in the new forest land 
and resource management planning regulation that was completed in 
October 2000. It replaced a 1982 regulation that emphasized timber 
production targets. In order to manage multiple uses in a forest, each 
national forest develops a comprehensive plan, incorporating substantial 
public involvement and sound science, to guide future forest management. 
National forests need to revise their forest plans to address new 
information, changed conditions, and/or new issues or trends. The forest 
plans cover the permitted uses on the national forest lands, including 
recreation uses, concession opportunities, timberland suitability, and 
off-road vehicle access. The new rule, emphasizing ecological 
sustainability, will better protect the environment, improve public 
participation in forest activities, and integrate science more 
effectively into Forest Service decisions.

  Reform of Payments to States: Because Federal lands result in a 
reduction to a county's property tax base, the Federal Government 
returns a percentage of revenues generated from those lands, some of 
which are provided from timber sales, to the States to fund county 
schools and road maintenance. The need to address environmental concerns 
on Federal lands, however, has caused a reduction in timber sales over 
the last 10 years and a corresponding reduction in the Federal payments. 
To offset the fiscal impact of this reduction in Federal payments, the 
Administration proposed legislation that would provide for permanent, 
stable payments to States, made directly from the Treasury. These 
payments would be greater than the current payments and, importantly, 
sever the link between funding needs for county education and road 
maintenance from timber sales.
  In November 2000, President Clinton signed the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act. This law will stabilize the 
payments to States and counties at historically high levels through 
2006--increasing payments over five years by almost $1 billion. The law 
also creates citizen advisory committees, and gives local communities 
the opportunity to fund environmental restoration projects on Federal 
and non-Federal lands for activities such as salmon habitat restoration 
or road maintenance projects.

  Roadless Conservation Policy: Through comprehensive rulemaking 
accompanied by an environmental impact statement, the Administration 
established a policy to prohibit most road construction and 
reconstruction, as well as timber harvesting (except as needed for 
stewardship purposes) in inventoried roadless areas of the National 
Forest System. The Final Environmental Impact Statement estimated that 
almost 60 million acres would be protected. In developing the roadless 
plan, the Forest Service sought extensive public input, holding over 600 
public meetings across the Nation. Hundreds of thousands of people 
participated in this public process, generating over one million 
comments. Roadless areas provide the large, relatively unbroken blocks 
of undisturbed lands that are critical to a variety of terrestrial and 
aquatic wildlife and plants, including hundreds of threatened, 
endangered, and sensitive species. Many inventoried roadless areas 
function as biological reserves and refuges for these species, and play 
a key role in maintaining native plant and animal biological diversity. 
If the Forest Service had not acted to protect these areas, there would 
have been an increased loss of biodiversity, due to timber harvest, 
road-related fragmentation, and invasion by non-native species.
  Increased Agricultural Conservation: Fifty percent of the continental 
United States is crop, pasture, and rangeland, and this land is managed 
by two percent of the population who are the Nation's farmers and 
ranchers. USDA's conservation programs provide farmers and ranchers with 
financial and technical assistance to implement best management 
practices that protect the environment while sustaining agricultural 
productivity and boosting farm income. In response to growing natural 
resource concerns, USDA, during this

[[Page 85]]

Administration, expanded its conservation mission beyond its original 
focus of preventing soil erosion and now provides assistance for a wide 
range of activities such as wetlands restoration, wildlife habitat 
improvement, and farmland protection. The Administration strongly 
supported conservation programs as a way to help farmers and ranchers 
that were facing economic hardship while providing environmental 
benefits to all Americans.
  USDA conservation programs restore more of our Nation's wetlands than 
any other Federal program, and were an important part of the 
Administration's efforts to develop strong and consistent Federal 
wetlands policies and initiatives. USDA's largest wetlands program is 
the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), which removes agricultural wetlands 
from production through permanent or long-term easements and restores 
their natural hydrology. From 1993 to 2000, over 880,000 acres were 
enrolled in WRP, leaving only approximately 40,000 acres available under 
its 975,000 acre cumulative enrollment cap in 2001. However, in 2000, 
the Administration persuaded the Congress to increase the cap by 100,000 
acres, extending WRP for at least one more year.
  USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), authorized to enroll 36.4 
million acres, is the Nation's largest private lands environmental 
program. It provides farmers with annual rental payments in exchange for 
removing land from production for 10-15 years and restoring natural 
vegetative cover. The Administration significantly improved this popular 
program by strengthening the Environmental Benefits Index used to 
determine eligibility and changing the way payment rates were 
determined. As a result, the environmental quality of enrolled acres has 
increased since 1993, resulting in greater natural resource protection, 
and taxpayers have saved hundreds of millions of dollars through the use 
of more accurate land rental rates based on different soil types.
  USDA conservation programs also made up a key component of President 
Clinton's Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP), which provided a blueprint for 
restoring and protecting the Nation's waterways. As part of the CWAP:
  USDA jointly issued with EPA in March 1999 a Unified Strategy 
          for Animal Feeding Operations, which called for all animal 
          feeding operations (AFOs) to voluntarily implement 
          comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMPs) by 2009 to 
          reduce polluted runoff. In support of this guidance and to 
          help producers develop CNMPs, the Administration sought and 
          obtained additional AFO technical assistance funds. As a 
          result, USDA was able to steadily increase technical 
          assistance funding for AFOs from $37 million in 1999 to $75 
          million enacted for 2001.
  USDA aggressively promoted Conservation Reserve Enhancement 
          Program (CREP) agreements with States. CREP agreements combine 
          Federal CRP funds with State funds to remove environmentally 
          sensitive areas from production for at least 10 years and 
          restore natural habitat. Currently, 13 States have CREP 
          agreements with USDA. The New York agreement, which totals $11 
          million ($8 million Federal/$3 million State), targets the 
          Catskill and Delaware River watersheds that supply New York 
          City's drinking water. It is estimated the agreement will 
          reduce erosion in these watersheds by 36,000 tons of soil per 
          year, allowing New York City to avoid constructing a $6 
          billion drinking water filtration plant, while also improving 
          habitat for endangered fish and wildlife.

  Everglades Restoration: This Administration provided an unprecedented 
level of funding to restore the Everglades, which supports 68 threatened 
and endangered species, and protects the water supply and bolsters the 
economy of south Florida. Since 1993, the Administration directed over 
$1.7 billion to land acquisition, water projects, and scientific 
research for Everglades restoration. Of this total, over $500 million 
funded land acquisitions to help preserve the Everglades in perpetuity. 
Many of these funds resulted from the Vice President's 1996 Everglades 
restoration plan, which proposed $100 million annually over four years 
for land acquisition.
   In 1999, the Vice President presented to the Congress the 
Administration's long-term Everglades restoration plan. Developed by

[[Page 86]]

private, corporate, and governmental stakeholders, it would increase 
water storage for environmental and urban water supplies, enhance 
natural water flows to the Everglades, and improve water quality. This 
Administration secured authorization of the first $1.4 billion in 
projects for this plan in November 2000. The Federal Government and 
Florida will each pay half of the cost of this plan, estimated at $7.8 
billion over the next 35 years.

  Wetlands Protection: The Administration achieved major successes in 
protecting the Nation's wetlands. Since 1993, Federal policies and 
programs protected wetlands by expanding technical and financial 
assistance to private landowners to enhance their land and water 
management practices; permitting and regulating developments affecting 
wetlands and our Nation's waters; restoring and creating wetlands; 
acquiring valuable wetlands from willing sellers; and educating the 
public about the benefits of wetlands. According to the Interior 
Department, these efforts contributed to an 80-percent decrease in the 
annual wetland loss rate--only 58,500 acres were lost on average from 
1986-1997, down significantly from the average annual loss of 290,000 
acres in the previous 10 years. This is the largest decrease in the 
annual wetland loss rate since the Federal Government began compiling 
the data in the 1950s. Federal activities included in this effort to 
protect wetlands are the Interior Department's Coastal and Partnership 
programs and its North American Waterfowl Management Plan; the 
Agriculture Department's Swampbuster and Wetlands and Conservation 
Reserve programs; the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental 
Protection Agency's Clean Water Act wetlands programs; the 
Administration's Clean Water Action Plan; and, various additions to 
national forests, parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, and other public 
lands.
  California Bay-Delta Management: In August 2000, after more than five 
years of work, Federal and State policy officials signed a Record of 
Decision finalizing the long-term $8.7 billion CALFED plan for the 
California Bay-Delta. This CALFED plan marks the Administration's 
successful creation, in cooperation with the State of California and 
other stakeholders, of a blueprint for effective management of the Bay-
Delta and its water resources, designed to end sixty years of chronic 
conflict in the region. The 740,000-acre Bay-Delta ecosystem not only 
serves as habitat to more than 750 plant and animal species, but also 
supplies drinking water for two-thirds of all Californians and 
irrigation water for over seven million acres of the most highly 
productive agricultural land in the world. The CALFED plan will provide 
better water quality for all beneficial uses; enhance and increase 
habitat and ecological functions in the Bay-Delta to support plant and 
animal species; improve water supply reliability for agricultural, urban 
and environmental interests; and reduce the risk to economic activities, 
water supply, infrastructure, and the ecosystem from catastrophic 
breaching of Delta levees. To support the Bay-Delta during development 
of the long-term plan, the Administration also provided from 1998 to 
2000 a total of $190 million in funding to support initial Bay-Delta 
ecosystem restoration activities, and $30 million for related CALFED 
efforts.
  Preservation of Our Natural and Cultural Treasures: For the past eight 
years, this Administration took significant measures to conserve the 
Nation's natural and cultural heritage. Just as we now are grateful for 
the far-sighted efforts in the 19th and early 20th centuries to protect 
Yellowstone and Yosemite, so will Americans in the 21st Century 
appreciate the measures taken by the Administration to conserve our 
natural and cultural treasures. President Clinton protected more land in 
the lower 48 States under the 1906 Antiquities Act--over five million 
acres--than any other President, designating new national monuments and 
expanding others. Areas protected include: Grand Staircase-Escalante 
National Monument in Utah, consisting of almost 1.9 million acres of 
spectacular red rock canyon lands and artifacts from three cultures; 
Giant Sequoia National Monument in California, a 328,000 acre monument 
characterized by magnificent groves of towering giant sequoias (many as 
old as 3,200 years) interspersed among bold granitic domes, spires, and 
plunging gorges; Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in Arizona, a 
one million acre protection area situated on the Colorado Plateau along 
the North Rim of the Grand Canyon; and California Coastal National

[[Page 87]]

Monument, made up of thousands of islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and 
pinnacles along the entire coast of California.
  The Administration also worked to protect other natural treasures, 
such as the majestic California Desert, and has consistently supported 
legislation to protect other natural areas. Most recently, in 2000, the 
President signed legislation establishing the Colorado Canyons National 
Conservation Area in Colorado, the Santa Rosa/San Jacinto Mountains 
National Monument in California, and a new cooperative management and 
protection area for Steens Mountain in Oregon.

  Baca Ranch: In July 2000, President Clinton signed the Valles Caldera 
Preservation Act authorizing the purchase of the Baca Ranch in New 
Mexico, a 95,000-acre swath of forested mountains and grassy valleys 
that includes the Valles Caldera, a one million-year-old collapsed 
volcano 14 miles in diameter. The purchase of this property was 
completed later that year, and title has now transferred to the Forest 
Service. Located in the Jemez Mountains region west of Santa Fe, the 
Ranch also includes one of the Nation's largest wild elk herds, and its 
acquisition will protect important resources, and will offer 
unparalleled recreation opportunities for the region and all Americans.
  Headwaters Forest: During 1998, the Administration sought, and the 
Congress provided, $250 million to acquire the Headwaters Forest in 
northern California, the largest privately owned stand of ancient 
redwoods. As part of the acquisition, the Administration ensured that 
Headwaters and its threatened and endangered inhabitant species were 
protected. To promote collaborative species protection, the 
Administration developed a scientifically sound habitat conservation 
plan. The Federal Government and the State of California jointly 
acquired Headwaters in 1999.
  Yellowstone Park: To protect Yellowstone National Park, the 
Administration agreed in August 1996 to acquire Crown Butte, Inc.'s 
interest in the New World Mine in Montana, the potential development of 
which posed a severe environmental threat to Yellowstone's unique 
landscape and wildlife resources. In 1998, the Administration sought, 
and Congress provided, $65 million to proceed with this agreement, which 
will preserve one of the crown jewels of the National Park System. Crown 
Butte also dedicated $22 million to clean up contamination at the site 
from earlier mining activities. The Administration worked with Crown 
Butte and other parties to complete the acquisition in 1999.
  Millennium Initiative to Save America's Treasures: The First Lady led 
an Administration initiative to commemorate the Millennium by awarding 
grants through the National Park Service to support the preservation of 
the many historic sites and cultural artifacts that are also America's 
treasures. The Save America's Treasures program received $95 million 
over three years to provide dollar-for-dollar matching grants for 
Federal, State, local, and private entities to restore and preserve 
cultural artifacts, documents, collections, and historic structures 
across the Nation. Since 1999, over 180 projects have been identified, 
with others yet to be selected. Projects include restoring the Star 
Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., preserving 
archeological sites at Mesa Verde in Colorado, and stabilizing buildings 
at Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco.
  Management of the Impacts of Wildfires on Communities and the 
Environment: The devastating wildfires of 2000 highlighted the need to 
reassess Federal efforts in addressing the impacts of wildfires on 
communities and the environment. Though wildfires are part of a natural 
process essential to the maintenance of many ecosystems, intensive 
efforts to suppress all wildfires over the last century have resulted in 
the buildup of fire fuels in many areas, and in unnaturally intense 
fires that spread rapidly, burn more completely, and are often extremely 
difficult to suppress. Such fires are more hazardous to communities and 
the environment. Through a 55-percent funding increase (to a total $2.9 
billion for 2001) the Administration took immediate steps to address the 
consequences of fires and problems that were highlighted during the 2000 
fire season. Enacted funding increases totaling $1.6 billion included: 
$393 million for preparedness activities to ensure that the Federal 
wildland firefighting agencies have the necessary staff and equipment 
for future fire seasons; $281 million for fire fuels reduction 
activities primarily to alleviate immediate threats to

[[Page 88]]

communities in the wildland-urban interface; and $227 million for the 
restoration of areas burned by the 2000 fires.
  Promotion of Responsible Mining on the Public Lands: In 2000, the 
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completed a 
multi-year process of revising the agency's ``3809'' surface mining 
regulations that govern hardrock mining on public lands. The scope and 
technology of hardrock mining operations on Federal lands have changed 
dramatically since 1980, when the ``3809'' regulations were originally 
published. The final regulations enable the agency to fulfill its duty 
under Federal law to prevent ``unnecessary or undue degradation'' of BLM 
lands from hardrock mining, thereby protecting public health, public 
land resources, and the environment. The rules will allow BLM to reject 
plans of operation for mines that would cause ``substantial irreparable 
harm'' to significant scientific, cultural, or environmental resources 
if the damage cannot be effectively mitigated. The regulations also 
strengthen bonding requirements for mining operators to ensure that 
these operators, rather than the Nation's taxpayers, bear the costs of 
reclaiming mined lands. In addition, the new regulations specifically 
address both cyanide leaching practices and acid mine drainage.
  The Endangered Species Act (ESA)--Making It Work: Administration 
reforms have increased ESA flexibility, furthering the Act's ability to 
protect at-risk species and to reconcile species conservation with the 
needs of landowners. These reforms include voluntary conservation 
agreements (Candidate Conservation Agreement--CCAs) between Interior's 
Fish and Wildlife Service and private or public parties to implement 
conservation measures and monitor activities, preventing the need to add 
species to the Endangered Species list. In 2000, the Fish and Wildlife 
Service entered into 20 CCAs with private landowners or State and local 
governments that, together with other efforts, prevented six species 
from being listed. Since 1994, the Service has entered into more than 90 
CCAs. In addition, early intervention processes implemented by the 
Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service to identify 
species before they become endangered effectively eliminated the need to 
list five threatened aquatic species.
  The Administration also significantly expanded the use of Habitat 
Conservation Plans (HCPs) to address potential conflicts between 
development and protection of listed species. HCPs give the private 
sector and State, local, and Tribal governments the flexibility to 
propose solutions that permit the protection of endangered species and 
conservation of habitat, while allowing for development. By the end of 
2001, HCPs will protect over 40 million acres and an estimated 435 
species.
  The Administration was successful in defeating legislative riders that 
sought to weaken the Endangered Species Act. For example, the 
Administration worked with the Congress to allow the preservation of sea 
lions off the coast of Alaska, and the re-introduction of grizzly bears 
into the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and Idaho. The Administration 
also worked with affected stakeholders to ensure that necessary changes 
to the operation of the Missouri River to protect listed species, 
including the pallid sturgeon, the lest tern and the piping plover, were 
allowed to go forward.

  National Estuarine Research Reserves--Protecting and Restoring our 
Nation's Estuaries: Since 1993, Commerce's National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its State partners increased the 
number of National Estuarine Research Reserves from 22 reserves in 19 
States, to 25 reserves in 20 States, with two pending to be established 
in 2001. This expansion more than doubled the protected fragile 
estuarine habitat to over one million acres. Estuaries are essential to 
our environment, serving as filters where fresh water meets the ocean to 
help maintain the health of our coasts.
  Protection of National Marine Sanctuaries: In 1993, 11 National Marine 
Sanctuaries protected 14,733 square nautical miles of valuable cultural 
and natural resources along our Nation's coasts. Today, as a result of 
this Administration's investments to preserve these unique and important 
sites, there are now 13 Marine Sanctuaries covering 18,000 square 
nautical miles of sensitive underwater habitat and submerged cultural 
resources, including the newest sanctuary in the

[[Page 89]]

Great Lakes. Other sanctuaries protect whales off the coast of Hawaii, 
and splendid coral reefs around the Florida Keys and American Samoa. In 
December 2000, the President designated the first ever Northwestern 
Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve protecting almost 100,000 square 
nautical miles.
  Increased Participation in Coastal Zone Management: The number of 
States participating in the Coastal Zone Management program expanded 
from 29 in 1993 to 33 of 35 possible participants today. These States, 
working in partnership with NOAA, developed voluntary, comprehensive 
coastal management programs to keep U.S. coastlines healthy and 
productive. While no States had approved Coastal Zone Management Non-
point Pollution Control programs in 1993, all of the 33 States now have 
fully or conditionally approved Non-point Pollution Control Programs and 
the rest have conditionally approved programs to reduce pollution from 
runoff, one of the greatest remaining threats to our Nation's water 
quality.
  Restoration of Ocean Resources: The National Oceans Conference, held 
in June 1998, drew together for the first time a full array of ocean 
interests, including government, industry, science, and conservation. 
The Conference resulted in new initiatives, including steps to restore 
coastal reefs, rebuild marine fisheries, preserve freedom of the seas, 
provide public access to military data and technology, enhance the 
competitiveness of America's ports, and protect our National marine 
sanctuaries from oil drilling. A follow-up report to the President and 
Vice President on the National Oceans Conference was issued in September 
1999, which highlighted the importance of preserving the oceans' complex 
and delicate balances. In keeping with the recommendations of the 
report, the Executive Office of the President convened the Ocean Report 
Task Force to accomplish key, specific oceans recommendations. The work 
of this task force will be concluded shortly, and has been very 
successful. Accomplishments include: gear restrictions protecting 
northern right whales; expanded enforcement capabilities for 
environmental ocean crime detection; greater protection for sea turtles; 
and increased funding for marine activities.
  Scientific Support for Natural Resources: The management of land and 
water, and natural resource protection must be based on sound and 
objective natural resource science.
  U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): The Department of the Interior's USGS 
provides research and scientific information to land managers and the 
public to better understand ecosystems and species, land and water 
resources, and natural hazards. Over the past eight years, USGS became 
more responsive to the Nation's pressing and complex natural resource 
issues by delivering scientific analysis, products, and services in a 
useful, usable format to land managers, other decision-makers, and the 
public. USGS adopted a customer-driven focus to enhance the relevance 
and usefulness of its scientific information, and led the Government in 
the standardization of scientific information and digital data through 
major infrastructure efforts such as the National Biological Information 
Infrastructure. For 2001, USGS also received increased funding to expand 
State partnerships to acquire and deliver scientific information for 
decision-making. Examples of significant USGS accomplishments since 1993 
include:
  Real-time Data Availability--USGS operates national networks 
          of stream gauges and seismometers to monitor flooding and 
          earthquake activity. USGS accelerated the development of real-
          time hazards information delivery through significant 
          investments to modernize and improve these networks and other 
          hazard networks and provide information in real-time to the 
          public.
  Assessment of the Nation's Biological Resources at Century 
          End-- In June 1999, USGS released the first large-scale 
          assessment of the Nation's natural resources in a two-volume 
          report, Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological 
          Resources. This report synthesizes current information within 
          a historical perspective to document how the Nation's 
          biological resources are changing.
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): The 
Administration's support for the modernization of NOAA's National 
Weather Service (NWS) and for the data

[[Page 90]]

collected by NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data 
Information Service greatly improved weather forecasts and flood and 
tornado warnings. Support to its Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Research provided advances that now enable NOAA to predict El Nino 
events with a level of skill and enough lead time that the national and 
international economies can save billions of dollars a year in avoidable 
costs.
  The benefits of the NWS modernization and associated restructuring are 
dramatic and have set the standard for weather agencies worldwide. NWS's 
modernization increased warning lead time for flash floods from 22 
minutes in 1993 to an estimated 55 minutes in 2000, and the accuracy of 
flash flood warning from 71 percent in 1993 to an estimated 86 percent 
in 2000; modernization also increased the lead time for tornado warnings 
by 100 percent and the accuracy of tornado warnings by 62 percent. The 
extra time and accuracy save lives. In addition, three-to-four day 
weather forecasts are as accurate as the two-day forecasts of 15 years 
ago.
  In 1993, NOAA identified 43,000 square nautical miles of waters that 
were in critical need of new hydrographic surveys around major ports and 
harbors, as well as previously unsurveyed areas of Alaska. With 98 
percent of cargo by weight coming into U.S. ports, over half of it 
hazardous material, and ever larger vessels pushing the limits of 
dredged channels, the mariners' need for accurate, updated nautical 
charts was growing every day. While NOAA estimated it would take over 40 
years to eliminate this critical survey backlog, today, that estimate is 
cut in half, thanks to increased resources, advances in technology, and 
successful partnerships with the private sector.

 Recreational Resources

  Enhanced Stewardship: This Administration took key steps to improve 
our investments in national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, 
and other public lands, so that future generations will have the same 
opportunity to enjoy these national treasures that we have today. 
Discretionary funding to maintain and restore facilities on these lands 
has grown by 50 percent, from $1.0 billion in 1993 to over $1.5 billion 
in 2001. Federal land management agencies also now have temporary 
authority to collect expanded recreation and user fees, and reinvest the 
$200 million in annual fee revenue in visitor facilities and services. 
Although this authority is not yet permanent, the experience over the 
past few years has shown that the public is willing to pay fees when 
they understand the funds will be used to support the parks, forests, 
and refuges they are visiting.
  In addition to increased funding, the Administration initiated 
important management reforms to improve how these funds are spent. The 
Department of the Interior's National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and BLM have each begun extensive facility condition 
assessments to determine more accurately where maintenance has been 
deferred. Facility maintenance information systems are being implemented 
to identify and track specific maintenance and construction projects. 
Each bureau ranks its projects to prepare a five-year list of 
maintenance and construction priorities, so that available funds may be 
targeted at the most pressing needs. Other reforms include: the 
development of capital asset plans that identify up-front a project's 
cost, schedule, and performance goals; a restructuring of the National 
Park Service construction planning process at its Denver (Colorado) 
Service Center; and an increased reliance on standardized designs and 
private architectural firms. The Administration also led the successful 
effort to improve management of the National Wildlife Refuge System by 
establishing wildlife conservation as the dominant refuge goal and 
compatible wildlife-dependent recreation (including hunting, fishing, 
wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation) as priority public uses.

Pollution Control and Abatement

  The Federal Government helps achieve the Nation's pollution control 
goals by: (1) taking direct action; (2) funding actions by State, local, 
and Tribal governments; and, (3) implementing an environmental 
regulatory system. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) $7.8 
billion in discretionary funds, a $0.9 billion or 13-percent increase 
over 1993,

[[Page 91]]

finances most activities in this area. EPA's discretionary funds have 
three major components--the agency's operating program, Superfund, and 
water infrastructure financing.
  EPA's $3.9 billion operating program provides the Federal funding to 
implement most Federal pollution control laws, including the Clean Air, 
Clean Water, Resource Conservation and Recovery, Safe Drinking Water, 
Toxic Substances Control, and the Food Quality Protection Acts. Spending 
for the operating program, which grew 40 percent during this 
Administration, represents the backbone of the Nation's efforts to 
protect public health and the environment.

  Reduction of Air Pollution: Under the Clean Air Act, EPA works to make 
the air clean and healthy to breathe by setting standards for ambient 
air quality, toxic air pollutant emissions, new pollution sources, and 
mobile sources. During the last eight years, the Administration took 
major steps to improve the quality of the air we breathe, and helped 
reduce the number of metropolitan areas not in compliance with the 
current Federal ozone standard from 98 metropolitan areas in 1993 to 37 
such areas today (see Chart 6-1). EPA also promulgated new more health-
protective air quality standards for ozone and fine particulate matter 
that have yet to take effect.

                                     


  Late in 1999, EPA established new rules for the sulfur content of 
gasoline and for tailpipe emissions from new cars and light duty trucks 
that will result in vehicles that are 77 to 95 percent cleaner than 
those of today. These measures, to be phased in from 2004 to 2009, may 
prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of cases of 
respiratory illness, and hundreds of thousands of lost work days. Late 
in 2000, EPA finalized similar rules for sulfur content in diesel fuel 
and for heavy duty truck engine emissions that will also have a major 
impact in protecting public health. In past years, EPA has also issued 
rules

[[Page 92]]

to reduce toxic air pollution from chemical plants by 90 percent, and 
put in place a program to clear the haze and restore pristine skies to 
our national parks.

  Water Quality Improvement: Under the Clean Water Act, EPA works to 
conserve and enhance the ecological health of the Nation's waters, 
through regulation of point source discharges and through multi-agency 
initiatives such as the President's Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP). The 
CWAP focuses on three remaining challenges for restoring and protecting 
the 40 percent of the Nation's waterways not attaining water quality 
standards--preventing polluted runoff, protecting public health, and 
ensuring community-based watershed management. EPA funding for its 
programs included in the CWAP is $712 million in 2001, an increase of 67 
percent since 1993. A key component of this total is the $238 million 
for EPA's non-point source grant program to States and Tribes, which has 
grown more than 375 percent since 1993. Non-point source pollution is 
the most significant remaining contribution to water pollution.
  Provision of Safe Drinking Water: Today, America's drinking water is 
significantly safer than eight years ago. Administration efforts to 
strengthen drinking water safety, including amending the Safe Drinking 
Water Act in partnership with the Congress, mean that 89 percent of 
Americans (as of 1999) get tap water from drinking water systems that 
meet the tough Federal standards in effect as of 1994, an increase of 
six percentage points since 1994. The Administration also issued 
regulations requiring water systems to improve filtration and monitoring 
to protect against contamination by harmful microbes, and issued annual 
reports to their customers on the safety of their drinking water; and it 
proposed tough new standards for high risk contaminants, such as arsenic 
and radon.
  Reform of Food Quality Protection: In 1996, following through on his 
1993 proposal, President Clinton signed legislation to revolutionize the 
way our food supply is protected from harmful pesticides. The law 
overhauls the system that kept harmful pesticides on the market too long 
and safer alternatives off the market, and includes provisions to better 
protect children from pesticide risks. So far, EPA has reassessed 3,551 
of the 9,721 existing pesticide tolerances (i.e. allowable residue on 
food) to ensure that they meet the statutory standard of ``reasonable 
certainty of no harm'', and has worked with pesticide manufacturers to 
phase out uses of some of the most high risk pesticides, including 
methyl parathion, azinphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon.
  Citizen Empowerment: Requiring industries to share information about 
chemicals released into the air and water helps empower citizens to 
understand the environment around their homes, schools, and work places 
and address problems as necessary, creating a powerful incentive for 
industry to pollute less. In the decade since the public's right to know 
about chemical releases became law, industry's toxic pollution has 
fallen nearly 50 percent. The Administration expanded the public's right 
to know by doubling the number of chemicals subject to reporting 
requirements and by increasing by 30 percent the number of facilities 
that must report. In addition, President Clinton required the Federal 
Government to begin reporting its chemical releases in 1994, and such 
releases have been reduced by 60 percent.
  The Administration, in 1998, also established the Chemical Right to 
Know Initiative, which includes a highly successful, innovative, 
voluntary partnership with industry to develop and provide the public 
with basic health data on chemicals released into the environment in 
high volume. In addition, EPA greatly expanded the amount of 
environmental data available to the public through an initiative to 
provide the Nation's 86 largest metropolitan areas with real-time 
environmental information.

  Proper Management of Wastes: Under the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act, EPA and authorized States prevent dangerous releases to 
the environment of hazardous, industrial nonhazardous, and municipal 
solid wastes by requiring proper facility management and cleanup of 
environmental contamination at those sites. As of the end of 2000, 62 
percent of the Nation's 2,900 hazardous waste management facilities have 
approved controls in place to prevent dangerous releases to air, soil, 
and groundwater.

[[Page 93]]

  EPA's underground storage tank (UST) program seeks to prevent, detect, 
and correct leaks from USTs containing petroleum and hazardous 
substances. Regulations issued in 1988 required that substandard USTs 
(lacking spill, overfill, and/or corrosion protection) be upgraded, 
replaced or closed by December 22, 1998. By the end of 2000, 86 percent 
(an estimated 614,000) of active USTs will be in compliance with these 
requirements, which improves upon the 65 percent (approximately 554,000) 
of then-active USTs in compliance as of the December 22, 1998, deadline. 
Over the past decade, more than 1.4 million substandard USTs have been 
permanently closed.

  Climate Change: In October 1997, President Clinton announced immediate 
actions to begin addressing the problem of global climate change, and 
included the Climate Change Technology Initiative (CCTI) in the 1999 
Budget. In 2001, EPA will devote $123 million to CCTI, $115 million more 
than related programs in 1993, focused on the deployment of under-
utilized but existing technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
By the end of 2000, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to have been 
reduced from projected levels by approximately 58 million metric tons of 
carbon equivalent per year through EPA partnerships with businesses, 
schools, State and local governments, and other organizations.
  Accelerated Clean-up of Toxic Waste Sites: During this Administration, 
EPA's Superfund program to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites 
became faster, fairer, and less expensive. At the end of 2000, a total 
of 757 Superfund sites had been cleaned up--602 of these cleanups 
completed since 1993, while only 155 of the sites were cleaned up during 
the previous 12 years (see Chart 6-2). EPA projects that two-thirds, or 
900, of the Nation's worst toxic waste dumps will be cleaned up by the 
end of 2002. EPA's Superfund administrative reforms have been 
responsible for saving more than $1.4 billion in future costs by 
updating cleanup remedy decisions (to determine whether the same level 
of protection could be provided at lower cost) at more than 300 sites. 
The Agency also streamlined the liability allocation process to reach 
settlement with more than 21,000 small volume waste parties at Superfund 
sites. 

                                     


  Spearheaded by this Administration since 1993, EPA's brownfields 
program to clean up and redevelop lightly contaminated commercial and 
industrial sites has funded over 2,000 site assessments; generated 7,300 
jobs, and leveraged $2.8 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. The 
brownfields tax incentive, enacted as part of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief 
Act and extended by the 1999 Tax Relief Extension Act, has leveraged 
additional private investment by allowing businesses to deduct certain 
cleanup costs on environmentally contaminated lands.

  Support for Needed Infrastructure: In 1996, President Clinton signed 
into law his proposal for establishing a new Drinking Water State 
Revolving Fund (DWSRF), which would complement the existing Clean Water 
State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). EPA appropriations provide capitalization 
grants to State revolving funds, which make low-interest loans to 
municipalities to help pay for wastewater and drinking water treatment 
systems required by Federal law. DWSRF funding of $825 million and CWSRF 
funding of $1,350 million in 2001 kept the programs on track to achieve 
the Administration's goal of capitalizing these funds to the point where 
they provide a total of $2.5 billion in average annual assistance for 
the long term, even after Federal assistance ends. Funding provided 
during this Administration resulted in the CWSRF being capitalized at 
more than twice the authorized level for the program. Currently, 99 
percent of the population served by community sewerage systems are 
served by facilities upgraded to meet secondary treatment or better, as 
required by the Clean Water Act.
   Financial Assistance to Rural Communities: USDA provides financial 
assistance for safe drinking water and adequate wastewater treatment 
facilities to rural communities (under 10,000 people). USDA offers this 
grant and loan assistance at subsidized interest rates based on the 
community's income. Part of those funds go toward USDA's Water 2000 
initiative to bring indoor plumbing and safe drinking water to under-
served rural communities. Since 1994, USDA has invested almost $2.5 
billion in loans and grants on high-priority Water 2000 projects 
nationwide.

[[Page 94]]

  Over the last eight years, the Administration successfully targeted 
USDA water and waste water treatment facility funds to underserved rural 
communities, leveraged resources from other public and private sources, 
and maintained the strong loan repayment record of the Water and Waste 
Disposal program. During this Administration, USDA financed 2,600 water 
and wastewater treatment facilities serving over 15 million rural 
residents. Of these, over 1,950 were Water 2000 projects.

Other Water Resources

  The Federal Government builds and manages water projects for 
navigation, flood damage reduction, environmental purposes, irrigation 
and hydropower generation. The Army Corps of Engineers (DOD) operates 
nationwide, while the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation 
operates in the 17 Western States.

  Army Corps of Engineers: This Administration's major accomplishments 
for the Army Corps of Engineers include:
  Increased funding of the Corps' environmental activities by 
          over $400 million (100 percent) from 1993 to 2001, including 
          significant funding increases for restoring endangered salmon 
          on the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in Washington, Oregon, and 
          Idaho) and to restore the Florida Everglades. The 
          Administration also successfully fought off legislative riders 
          proposed by the Congress that would have diminished the Corps' 
          ability to comply with environmental laws, and secured 
          authorization of its ``Challenge 21'' program for projects 
          that combine flood damage reduction with environmental 
          restoration of the river corridor.
  Secured funding to increase the competitiveness of the 
          Nation's ports, including major efforts to deepen the ports of 
          New

[[Page 95]]

          York/New Jersey; Los Angeles, California, and Baltimore, 
          Maryland. The Administration's proposal to create a new Harbor 
          Services Fund, which the Congress did not adopt, would have 
          helped ensure a safe and economically competitive port system.
  Initiated construction of priority new projects needed for 
          public health and safety, such as projects to provide 
          increased flood protection to Grand Forks, North Dakota, 
          following devastating floods in 1997, and to Sacramento, 
          California.
  Improved the wetlands permit program significantly, including 
          important changes to ``nationwide'' permits that will help 
          minimize adverse effects of development on the aquatic 
          environment, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.

  Reinvention of the Bureau of Reclamation: Between 1993 and 2001, the 
Administration dramatically changed the primary focus of the Bureau of 
Reclamation from water resource ``development'' to water resource 
``management''. Instead of focusing on engineering projects to harness 
the West's rivers and reclaim its arid lands, Reclamation now 
concentrates on managing existing water efficiently and on resolving 
water resource conflicts through cooperation among stakeholders. A major 
restructuring reduced Reclamation's workforce by about 2,000 employees 
(25 percent below 1993), and eliminated nearly 6,500 pages of regulatory 
provisions. At the same time, Reclamation continued to supply water and 
power efficiently throughout the West, generating more than 40 billion 
kilowatt hours of energy each year, delivering 10 trillion gallons of 
municipal, rural and industrial water to over 31 million people, and 
providing water to one out of every five Western farmers.
  Resolution of Western U.S. Water Conflicts: This Administration worked 
to foster regional cooperation to resolve conflicts in several Western 
river basins. In the Lower Colorado River Basin, it took critical steps 
to allow Arizona, California, and Nevada to better utilize the limited 
amount of water available from the Colorado River. The Interior 
Department, working through the Bureau of Reclamation, completed the 
major water supply features of the Central Arizona Project and reached a 
conditional settlement of related repayment issues. Interior created a 
Federal/State program to help conserve over 100 threatened and 
endangered species from Lake Mead to the Mexican border. It also reached 
agreement with California on a framework plan to ensure that California 
moves towards living within its allocation of Colorado River water. In 
the Missouri River Basin, the Department of the Interior worked with the 
governors of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming to develop the Platte River 
Cooperative Agreement, protecting species in the Middle Platte River 
while providing regulatory certainty to water and power interests. 
Additionally, Interior moved to resolve longstanding conflicts on water 
rights between Native American Tribes and U.S. entities. It advanced or 
finalized major Tribal water rights settlements for the Gila River 
Indian Community, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the Tohono O'odham 
Nation in Arizona; the Shivwits Paiute Band in Utah; the Ute Tribes in 
Colorado; and, the Chippewa Cree Tribe in Montana.
