[House Document 104-256]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




104th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 104-256


 
                    MAKING AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 HIS REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS TOTALING $51,200,000 IN 
 BUDGET AUTHORITY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, AND TO DESIGNATE 
  THE AMOUNTS MADE AVAILABLE AS AN EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT PURSUANT TO 
 SECTION 251(b)(2)(D)(i) OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY DEFICIT 
      CONTROL ACT OF 1985, AS AMENDED, PURSUANT TO 31 U.S.C. 1107




  September 4, 1996.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed



                                           The White House,
                                   Washington, DC, August 29, 1996.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of P.L. 102-381, the 
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, FY 1993, I hereby make available appropriations totaling 
$51,200,000 in budget authority to the Department of the 
Interior. These funds will be used to address urgent needs 
arising from the consequences of recent wildland fires.
    The previously appropriated funds that are hereby made 
available are for the Department of the Interior's emergency 
wildland firefighting program. The funds appropriated to the 
Department of the Interior in FY 1996 for fire suppression, as 
well as existing balances, will soon be exhausted.
    I designate the amount made available in accordance with 
P.L. 102-381 as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
251(b)(2)(D)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed 
letter from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. I concur with his comments and observations.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.
    Enclosure.
                [Estimate No. 22, 104th Cong., 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                   Washington, DC, August 29, 1996.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request of make 
available emergency wildland firefighting appropriations 
totaling $51.2 million for the Department of the Interior. Your 
approval of this request would make available contingent 
emergency funds appropriated in the Department of the Interior 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY 1993 (P.L. 102-
381). These funds would be used to pay for the costs of 
wildland fire suppression efforts of the Department of the 
Interior incurred in FY 1996.
    FY 1996 has been an active fire year thus far, with major 
early season wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma, and significant 
additional fire activity in New Mexico, Arizona, California, 
and Oregon. Within recent weeks, there have been large 
wildfires in nearly every western State of the country.
    The funds appropriated in FY 1996 to the Department of the 
Interior for fire suppression in FY 1996 will soon be 
exhausted. Consequently, the proposed $51.2 million emergency 
release is needed to cover estimated fire costs for the 
remainder of the fire season.
    I recommend that you designate the $51.2 million requested 
to be made available in accordance with provisions of P.L. 102-
381 as an emergency funding requirement in accordance with 
section 251(b)(2)(D)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985.
    I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied 
that it is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of the Interior in recommending that you approve this 
request by signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives.
            Sincerely,
                                        Jacob Lew, Acting Director.
    Enclosure.

Emergency Appropriations: Amount Previously Appropriated Made Available 
                            by the President

        Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management:
    Wildland Fire Management............................     $51,200,000

    Public Law 102-381, the Department of the Interior and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY 1993, provided $51.2 
million in contingent emergency funding for the Department's 
Emergency Firefighting Fund, now the Wildland Fire Management 
account. The availability of these funds was made contingent 
upon Presidential notification to the Congress of his 
designation of this funding as an emergency requirement. None 
of the funds have yet been designated as an emergency 
requirement and made available.
    The $51.2 million will enable the Department of the 
Interior to cover the costs of wildland fire suppression 
efforts in the 1996 fire season. Due to higher-than-average 
firefighting costs, funds appropriated in FY 1996 for this 
essential program and existing balances are not estimated be to 
sufficient to cover the expenses incurred.

                                
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