[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


 
     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                  APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

                              ----------                              

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                    Washington, DC.

                       NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

    [Clerk's note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold 
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and 
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
      Prepared Statement of the Alaska Native Health Board (ANHB)
    This testimony is submitted on behalf of the Alaska Native Health 
Board (ANHB). Thank you Chairperson Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, 
and Members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our 
funding priorities for the FY 2022 federal budget, particularly our 
request for $12.759 billion for the Indian Health Service (IHS). ANHB 
is the statewide voice on Alaska Native health issues and is the 
advocacy organization for the Alaska Tribal Health System, which is 
comprised of Tribal health programs that serve all of the 229 Tribes 
and over 177,000 Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) people 
throughout the state. As the statewide Tribal health advocacy 
organization, ANHB helps Alaska's Tribes and Tribal programs (T/THOs) 
achieve effective consultation and communication with state and federal 
agencies on matters of concern.
    The historic funding provided to the IHS in the last year has saved 
countless lives. We are thankful to have been able to work with 
Congress and the IHS, recognizing the important trust and treaty 
obligations to our Tribes and their citizens, to implement the response 
to this deadly pandemic. Those dollars have been critical to ensuring 
that our providers and communities have had the means to serve our 
People and fight this pandemic. It is critical that we use this crisis 
as an opportunity to make real, sustained investments in the Indian 
health system. As we have seen with the remarkable distribution of the 
COVID-19 vaccine in Indian Country, when given adequate resources and 
when Tribal sovereignty is honored, Tribal communities can rise to the 
challenge. It is now time to take the lessons learned from the COVID-19 
pandemic--both positive and negative--to renew the Indian health 
system. The annual appropriations process is essential to consolidating 
and sustaining the gains and progress mad over the last year. We must 
continue to ensure the federal government's trust and treaty 
obligations by funding critical programs and services receive 
adequately to fulfill their intended purpose, therefore ANHB provides 
recommendations below for your consideration for FY 2022 appropriations 
for the IHS.
    Provide Full Funding for the Indian Health Service. As we consider 
how to ensure the Indian health system can meet the need of health care 
in Indian Country going forward, the IHS and its Tribal partners under 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) 
must have full funding to deliver critical and adequate care. The 
COVID-19 pandemic bore open the decades of underfunding our system has 
received, and Congress recognized this through its increased funding to 
IHS and Tribes during the pandemic. The FY 2022 Federal Budget must 
continue to recognize this need by working toward full funding of the 
IHS and Tribal programs.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $48 billion for full funding. While this represents a dramatic 
increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address the true 
needs of the Indian health system. In FY 2022, the Workgroup requests 
$12.759 billion for IHS. ANHB supports their full request and 
reiterates the top 5 priorities for program expansion as follows:

    1) Hospitals and Clinics: $4.2 billion
    2) Purchased/Referred Care: $2 billion
    3) Mental Health: $715 million
    4) Alcohol and substance Abuse: $778.5 million
    5) Dental Services: $649.7 million

    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS. For many years, Tribes 
have requested that IHS receive advance appropriations, similar to the 
Veterans Health Administration. In recent years, it has unfortunately 
become the norm that IHS does not receive its full annual appropriation 
until several months (sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal 
year, and this has been exacerbated by government shutdowns, when no 
funding was provided for weeks on end. AN/AI patients should not have 
to delay their health care due to unrelated political disagreements in 
Washington, D.C. Funding delays make it impossible for IHS and Tribal 
health programs to plan and manage their annual budgets. As you know, 
health systems cannot practically operate on a day to day or week to 
week basis without knowing the future financial situation of programs. 
Full advance appropriations for the IHS would promote greater stability 
in services, medical personnel recruitment and retention, and 
facilities management. We thank the leadership of this Subcommittee for 
supporting this important change in previous Congresses. We were also 
grateful to see President Biden support IHS advance appropriations in 
his FY 2022 budget request to Congress which was released on May 28, 
2021. ANHB urges the Committee to take the necessary steps in the FY 
2022 appropriations bill to move IHS to an advance appropriation for FY 
2023 and beyond.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) Lease 
Payments. We appreciate the Subcommittee's commitment to ensuring that 
Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by 
including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in FY 2021 for both 
of these accounts. However, these line items continue to take up a 
larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary budget, thereby 
leaving little room to expand other services given tight discretionary 
appropriations caps. We strongly agree with the Subcommittee conclusion 
in the explanatory statement for the Further Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2020 regarding 105(l) costs which stated, in part: 
``that payments for 105(1) leases [ . . . ] appear to create an 
entitlement to compensation for 105(1) leases that is typically not 
funded through discretionary appropriations . . . ''
    Therefore, we support the President's proposal and ask you to enact 
mandatory appropriations for CSC and 105(l) lease costs. Doing so, will 
ensure that other areas of the IHS budget are held harmless by these 
costs and true increases in critical services line items can move 
forward. This will enhance care for AN/AI patients and reduce health 
disparities.
    Sanitation Facilities Construction.--During the pandemic, we were 
told to socially distance and wash our hands to keep COVID-19 from 
spreading, but for thousands of homes in Alaska Native villages, 
without access to clean running water or sewer, this was impossible. 
Roughly 20 percent of rural Alaska Native homes still lack in-home 
piped water, across 32 communities. This creates significant health 
risks for our communities. With a backlog of almost $3 billion 
(approximately $1.7 billion of that in Alaska), the IHS Sanitation 
Deficiency list cannot keep pace with need. We urge Congress to 
prioritize Sanitation Facilities Construction funding in FY 2022 and 
any infrastructure packaging moving through Congress. Furthermore, cost 
caps and ineligible cost contributions imposed by the IHS decrease 
project priority and limit the amount of funding going to those 
projects or eliminate them from funding all together. IHS should 
eliminate cost caps that would prevent piped water and sewer for these 
communities. We recommend the Subcommittee review our recent testimony 
to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Water Infrastructure Needs 
for Native Communities.
    Fully Fund the Village Built Clinic Lease Program.--Village health 
clinics supported by the IHS Village Built Clinic (VBC) Lease Program 
have a long and unique history in Alaska, and provide the only local 
source of health care in many rural areas. VBC leases, which are vital 
to the provision of services by Community Health Aides/Practitioners, 
who provide primary health care services and coordinate patient care 
through referral relationships with midlevel providers, physicians, and 
regional hospitals, remain severely underfunded. We ask that Congress 
fully fund all VBC leases in FY 2022 and thereafter.
    Support Expansion of the IHS Joint Venture Program.--The IHS Joint 
Venture (JV) program provides Tribes with a critical opportunity to 
build new facilities and enhance health services. The program is a 
joint venture where T/THOs build or acquire a facility with their own 
or other non-IHS funds, and IHS commits to fund the additional staffing 
and operations costs associated with the new or expanded facility. It 
has been a cost-effective mechanism to address facilities shortages, 
because the IHS Facilities Construction Priority List continues to have 
limited funds. However, in the recent round of JV applications which 
typically funds finalist applicants, half of top 10 scoring applicants 
went unfunded. Three of these unfunded projects were in Alaska. We 
request that the Committee direct IHS to fund all the remaining high-
scoring applicants for JV construction projects.
    There also remains a significant flaw in the program that leaves 
Tribal facilities without necessary maintenance and replacement funds. 
The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) requires the Tribe lease 
the facility to IHS for 20 years at no cost. The JV facility is only 
eligible to receive a share of IHS's perennially insufficient 
Maintenance and Improvement (M&I) funding, but is not eligible for a 
lease under section 105(l) of ISDEAA.\1\ This leads to the anomaly that 
non-JV facilities can be fully funded under 105(l), receiving either 
fair market rental or the cost elements set out in the regulations, 
while JV facilities are stuck with only insufficient M&I funds. We 
request that Congress amend the IHCIA to correct this issue.
    Tribal IT Modernization.--Just as IHS has begun its health 
information technology (HIT) modernization, T/THOs are well underway 
implementing their own HIT modernization. While this Committee has 
supported the IHS efforts by appropriating funds for its modernization, 
T/THOs have had to absorb these costs with their own resources. The 
process that IHS has begun is simply not working for those T/THOs that 
have initiated their own HIT modernization. The current state of IHS 
HIT modernization is where T/THOs were three to five years ago, when 
these programs implemented their own commercial electronic health 
record (EHR) solutions. The state of the IHS HIT modernization has been 
inefficient and slow. Tribes cannot afford to wait for the IHS HIT 
modernization process to catch up to where Tribal programs are 
currently. This issue has been exacerbated in the wake of the COVID-19 
pandemic when EHRs and telehealth services have become critical to 
continued health care delivery. Just as IHS is working on its HIT 
modernization, T/THOs are working to improve their systems as well to 
meet the changing and growing demands of HIT.
    This Congressional investment in IHS modernization could 
potentially result in recurring Tribal shares and become contractible 
through ISDEAA agreements. This is inherently unfair to T/THOs that 
have already invested their own funding to modernize HIT. This is 
compounded by the fact that IHS has retained all of the funding 
provided by Congress for its HIT modernization at IHS-HQ to cover the 
costs of their process to replace RPMS.
    We recommend that the Committee direct IHS to consult with Tribes 
on how funding provided by Congress can support T/THO modernization 
efforts and how Tribal shares related to HIT will be defined and funded 
under IHS' modernization efforts. Further, we recommend the committee 
include language which would allow IHS to reimburse T/THOs for costs 
previously incurred to implement their own HIT modernizations.
    Extend Self-Governance Options to Other Health and Human Services 
Agencies and Programs.--We have long advocated for extension of Tribal 
self-determination and self-governance for programs outside of the IHS. 
T/THOs have demonstrated how successful programs can be run when they 
are responsive and culturally attentive under the administration of 
Tribes. We urge the Subcommittee to work with other relevant committees 
to support and fund pilot programs to allow Tribes to self-determine 
other Health and Human Services programs which serve their communities.
    The success of these self-governance initiatives is never truer 
than when the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) is 
considered. Consistent with this aim, Congress should authorize SDPI 
participants the option of receiving their federal funds through either 
a grant (as currently used) or self-governance funding mechanisms under 
ISDEAA. SDPI has also not had a funding increase since FY 2004 and 
recent short-term reauthorizations have shown how destabilizing funding 
uncertainty can be. Therefore, we recommend permanent reauthorization 
for SDPI at a minimum base of $250 million per year with annual 
inflationary increases. We urge you to work with your Congressional 
colleagues to ensure that SDPI receives a funding increase of at least 
$250 million per year.
    Increase Funds to Behavioral Health and Reduce Dependence on 
Competitive Grants. Over the last year, in response to the incredible 
behavioral health needs seen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has 
made historic investments in behavioral and mental health funding for 
Indian Country. The increases we have seen must continue not only to 
address the increased need from the pandemic era, but to address the 
existing need which was underfunded in previous appropriations. As part 
of this, we encourage the Committee to fund the above Mental Health 
budget request of $715 million and the Alcohol and Substance Abuse 
request for $778.15 million. We also urge the Committee to direct the 
IHS to move any behavioral or mental health funding being deliver via 
grants to Tribal compacts and contracts, such as the Substance Abuse 
and Suicide Prevention program (SASP), Domestic Violence Prevention 
Program (DVPP), and Zero Suicide Initiative.
    In addition to the critical funding needs for behavioral health 
outlined above, we also support moving away from competitive grants for 
federal funding mechanisms more generally. The federal trust 
responsibility does not require that we jump through hoops and onerous 
applications to see that services are provided to our People. Grants 
unfairly pit Tribes against Tribes, when all are deserving of critical 
resources. Therefore, we agree with other Tribal leaders and continue 
to support broad based funding for our health systems across all 
federal agencies.
    Plan for the Future with Dedicated Funding for Preventative Health 
Services.--COVID-19 has highlighted the tremendous need and tremendous 
gap in public health funding that currently exists. Like other 
governments, Tribes have the responsibility to provide public health 
services for their people. Yet the federal government provides few 
resources to Tribal communities for this purpose. AN/AIs experience 
health disparities for a variety of health conditions such as such as 
obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other largely preventable 
chronic conditions. Treating these chronic health conditions imposes 
unnecessary challenges on Tribal health systems and IHS. We support 
long-term, sustained, full investment in Tribal public health 
infrastructure so that Tribal communities have the resources available 
to respond quickly when the next crisis hits.
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    \1\ 25 U.S.C. Sec. 5324(l); 25 C.F.R. Part 900, Subpart H.
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                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of The Alliance for the Great Lakes
    The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working 
across the Great Lakes region to protect and restore the Great Lakes. 
Founded in 1970, we have worked for 50 years on programs to ensure 
public access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water; protect 
water quality; stop the establishment and spread of harmful invasive 
aquatic species, including invasive carp; reduce plastic pollution; and 
advocate for increased drinking and wastewater infrastructure funding 
and programs to ensure that water remains affordable for all Americans. 
Our membership and supporters are located throughout the eight states 
in the Great Lakes region and each year we mobilize more than 15,000 
volunteers to take action to ensure that our shorelines and beaches are 
healthy, safe and clean.
    The Great Lakes are not only a national treasure but are a globally 
significant resource containing 20 percent of the world's available 
freshwater supply. The Lakes provide some 30 million Americans with 
drinking water and are vital to communities in Illinois, Indiana, 
Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The 
Great Lakes not only provide water, but they also support jobs, 
commerce, agriculture, transportation, and tourism for millions of 
Americans. Protecting the health of the Great Lakes is integral to the 
environmental and economic health of the region.
    But the Great Lakes face continued threats from the harmful legacy 
of decades of pollution that threaten our communities with cancer---
causing contaminants, drinking water restrictions, and fish consumption 
advisories. Action is needed at all levels of government to address 
these threats, as well as emerging issues associated with climate 
change.
    The FY 2022 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies 
Appropriations bill under this Subcommittee's jurisdiction funds an 
array of programs and projects in the Environmental Protection Agency 
and the Department of the Interior that are critical to the restoration 
and protection of the Great Lakes. As a member of the Healing Our 
Waters Coalition we have previously provided the Subcommittee with 
funding recommendations for several programs and we reiterate the need 
for robust funding for these programs. Our written testimony, however, 
will highlight just two of the programs under your consideration that 
are funded within the Environmental Protection Agency: the Great Lakes 
Restoration Initiative and water infrastructure funding.
                   great lakes restoration initiative
    The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is an Environmental 
Protection Agency funded grant program that supports state, federal, 
tribal and local efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes. GLRI 
funding is allocated by a 16-member federal interagency task force and 
regional working group to address water quality issues associated with 
pollution and legacy contaminants; habitat loss/degradation and 
invasive species consistent with a five-year action plan containing 
measurable goals and objectives.
    Since its inception in 2010, $2.7 billion has been provided to fund 
more than 5,400 projects. These projects are benefiting Great Lakes 
communities throughout the region, and we are seeing impressive 
results:

  --Four Areas of Concern--essentially areas with toxic legacy 
        pollution--have been cleaned up and delisted since the GLRI 
        began and the management actions necessary to delist 10 
        additional Area of Concerns have also been completed. This is 
        striking as in the previous two decades before the GLRI funding 
        began, only one Area of Concern had been cleaned up. Areas of 
        Concern threaten coastal communities around the Lakes and a 
        recent estimate is that there remains nearly $1 billion in work 
        associated with cleaning up this toxic legacy pollution in the 
        remaining sites where it is located. Additional GLRI funding is 
        needed to continue tackling this legacy pollution issue.
  --91 beneficial use impairments (BUIs) were addressed in Illinois, 
        Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 
        Wisconsin, more than nine times the total number of BUIs 
        removed in the preceding 22 years.
  --Farmers have implemented nutrient management actions on nearly 2 
        million acres of rural lands through 2017 to reduce erosion and 
        farm runoff that contributes to detrimental water quality 
        impacts, including harmful algal blooms.

    For every $1 the GLRI invested through 2016 to clean up toxic hot 
spots in Areas of Concern, control invasive species, restore wildlife 
habitat, protect wetlands, and reduce harmful algae it is estimated 
that the investment will produce more than $3 in additional economic 
activity regionwide through 2036. Accordingly, the GLRI is revitalizing 
our waterfronts and leading a resurgence in water--based outdoor 
recreation and increasing tourism across the region. Still, as noted 
above, much more work needs to be done. Toxic pollutants, invasive 
species, deteriorating habitats, and unsafe waters threaten the region, 
endangering human and wildlife health, lowering property values, and 
hurting the region's economy.
    The FY 2022 President's Budget proposes to fund GLRI at $340 
million, an increase of $10 million over last year's enacted level. We 
are pleased to see this proposed increase as it supports the protection 
and restoration of the Great Lakes and recognizes the strong track 
record of program success. However, the proposed funding level in the 
President's Budget falls short of the authorized level for this program 
and we request that the Subcommittee appropriate $375 million, an 
increase of $35 million over the budget request, for this effort. This 
funding level is consistent with the congressional project 
reauthorization in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act (P.L. 
116-294, Jan. 5, 2021) which authorizes $375 million in funding for FY 
2022. In addition to supporting states, tribes and local communities, 
GLRI funding also supports US Treaty obligations under the Boundary 
Waters Treaty of 1909 between the US and Canada and its Great Lakes 
Water Quality Agreement. The additional funding in FY 2022 will allow 
the GLRI program to accelerate the ability to clean up the most 
polluted sites and delist more Areas of Concern, reduce phosphorus 
loads entering the lakes, and control and prevent the spread of 
invasive species such as invasive carp.
                   investing in water infrastructure
    Another important area under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction is 
funding for water infrastructure. We are pleased that the President's 
Budget includes a $589 million increase for several water 
infrastructure programs funded within the Environmental Protection 
Agency, including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the Drinking 
Water State Revolving Fund and several other programs that support 
water infrastructure repair and replacement and build climate 
resilience.
    The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nationwide 
approximately $743 billion is needed over the next twenty years to 
repair, replace and upgrade water infrastructure. In the Great Lakes 
alone it is estimated that the eight states need $188 billion to 
upgrade aging water infrastructure. Furthermore, the Congressional 
Budget Office estimates that federal funding for water and wastewater 
utilities has decreased fourfold since 1980, leaving state and local 
governments to pick up the tab. These costs are becoming increasingly 
difficult for communities to afford and the passing on of 
infrastructure repair costs to consumers has created an affordability 
crisis for many across the country, with wastewater prices more than 
doubling over the last twenty years.
    Based upon the need for water infrastructure repairs, replacements 
and upgrades nationally and in the Great Lakes region, the Alliance 
believes that we need at least $10 billion annually for each of the 
Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Although this 
need far outstrips available annual funding, we are encouraged and 
pleased to see the FY 2022 President's Budget propose increases for 
these programs which are a necessary first step toward addressing the 
myriad of issues plaguing water infrastructure utilities and local 
communities. Accordingly, we encourage you to appropriate funds for 
these programs at least at the President's Budget request if not more 
for FY 2022. We also encourage the Congress to set aside funds for 
grants to low-income communities and communities of color which 
continue to experience disproportionate impacts of degraded water 
infrastructure.
    We appreciate the Subcommittee's consideration of our views and its 
work and funding support over many years for programs that protect and 
restore the Great Lakes. As the source of drinking water for 30 million 
Americans and as a significant driver in the regional economy of eight 
states, investments in programs that protect and restore the Great 
Lakes are critical to ensure the economic and environmental health of 
this important resource.

    [This statement was submitted by Don Jodrey, Director of Federal 
Relations.]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Alliance to Save Energy and Partners
    We the undersigned write to request an increase in the 
Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR budget to at least $80 
million annually. ENERGY STAR is a highly successful public--private 
partnership that delivers tremendous impact in addressing climate 
change and generating consumer energy savings on a shoestring budget of 
under $40 million. Despite its bipartisan reputation as a cost-
effective and high-impact program, it has nonetheless seen declining 
funding in recent years.
    Our request to effectively double ENERGY STAR's funding to $80 
million reflects the urgency to address climate change to avoid far 
bigger public costs, and to help consumers and businesses save money. 
In 2019 alone, the program saved American consumers and businesses more 
than $39 billion in avoided energy costs. Additionally, thousands of 
businesses, utilities, states, and local governments depend on ENERGY 
STAR as a national framework for energy efficiency progress, relying on 
it in their product designs, energy management programs, building 
efficiency initiatives, and manufacturing practices. Moreover, the 
production of ENERGY STAR products supports 800,000 jobs in our 
economy, aligning with President Biden's American Jobs Plan.
    Meanwhile, doubling down on ENERGY STAR will help the nation 
collectively achieve proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction 
goals of 50% by 2030. The emissions impact cannot be overstated: In 
2019, ENERGY STAR accounted for nearly 390 million metric tons of 
emissions reductions--equivalent to roughly 5% of U.S. GHG emissions. 
Since the program began in 1992, it has accounted for more than 4 
billion metric tons of GHG reductions, equivalent to removing 870 
million cars from the road.
    ENERGY STAR is a substantive tool in reducing carbon emissions, 
achieving energy savings for consumers, and in creating jobs. If we are 
to meet the current challenges before us and increase our efforts to 
mitigate climate change, increasing the ENERGY STAR budget is 
essential. We look forward to discussing this proposal further.

            Sincerely,

2G Energy Inc.
A.O. Smith
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Advanced Energy Economy
Alliance to Save Energy
Alturus
American Association of Blacks in Energy
American Institute of Architects
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
American Society of Interior Designers
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Association of Energy Engineers
Baker Hughes
Building Performance Association
California Energy Commission
Carrier Corporation
Chelan Public Utility District
Combined Heat and Power Alliance
Copper Development Association
Covestro LLC
Curtis Power Solutions
DBS Power and Energy
DT Energy Consultants
DuPont
Dynamic Energy Strategies
E4TheFuture
Efficiency Canada
Enginuity Power Systems
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
Flex Energy Solutions
Google
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital
Heat is Power Association
HFT Inc.
Illuminating Engineering Society
Institute for Market Transformation (IMT)
Intel
International Code Council
International Copper Association
Johnson Controls
Kanin Energy
Kelly Generator & Equipment Inc.
Knauf Insulation
Kraft Energy Systems
Lima Company
Lutron
Martin Energy Group
Metrus Energy
Midwest Cogeneration Association
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
National Association of College and University Business Officers
National Association of Energy Service Companies
National Association of State Energy Officials
National Council for Workforce Education
National Grid
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York Power Authority
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
Northeast-Western Energy Systems
PG&E Corporation
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
Puget Sound Energy
Schneider Electric
Seattle City Light
Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors National Association
Siemens
Signify North America Corporation
Snohomish County Public Utility District
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP)
Sterling Energy Group LLC
Trane Technologies
U.S. Green Building Council
Uplight
Willdan
Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WMDA)
      
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the American Alliance of Museums
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for allowing me to submit this testimony. My 
name is Laura L. Lott and I am the President and CEO of the American 
Alliance of Museums (AAM). We urge your support for $201 million in 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 funding for the National Endowment for the Arts 
(NEA), $201 million in funding for the National Endowment for the 
Humanities (NEH), as well as sufficient funding for the Smithsonian 
Institution. We also request your support for the Historic Preservation 
Fund, including at least $60 million for State Historic Preservation 
Offices (SHPOs), $24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices 
(THPOs), and $26 million for competitive grants to preserve the sites 
and stories of the Civil Rights Movement. We request funding of $20 
million for the Save America's Treasures program and $9 million for 
Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants. We support funding for the 
Semiquincentennial competitive grant program.
    Before detailing these funding priorities for the museum field, I 
want to express my appreciation for the increases enacted in FY 2021. 
The additional funds for the NEH, NEA, and historic preservation 
activities will enhance museums' work to enrich their communities and 
preserve our many heritages. The Subcommittee's choice to make these 
investments in FY 2021 speaks volumes about its commitment to our 
nation's cultural institutions. We also are grateful for the 
supplemental grant funding of $75 million (CARES Act) and $135 million 
(American Rescue Plan) for each endowment to help cultural 
organizations, including museums, cope with and respond to the 
devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Representing more than 35,000 museum professionals and volunteers, 
institutions--including aquariums, art museums, botanic gardens, 
children's museums, cultural museums, historic sites, history museums, 
maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, 
planetariums, presidential libraries, railway museums, science and 
technology centers, and zoos--and corporate partners serving the museum 
field, AAM stands for the broad range of the museum community.
    Museums are essential in their communities for many reasons:

  --Museums are economic engines and job creators. According to Museums 
        as Economic Engines: A National Report, U.S. museums (pre-
        pandemic) support more than 726,000 jobs and contribute $50 
        billion to the U.S. economy per year. The economic activity of 
        museums generates more than $12 billion in tax revenue, one-
        third of which goes to state and local governments. For 
        example, the total financial impact that museums have on the 
        economy in the state of Oregon is $585 million, including 
        supporting 9,740 jobs. For Alaska it is a $280 million impact 
        supporting 3,240 jobs. This impact is not limited to cities: 
        more than 25% of museums are in rural areas. The import of 
        these data is not the numbers alone--but the larger point that 
        museums give back tremendously to their communities in numerous 
        ways--including economically. The federal funding for NEA, NEH, 
        and the other programs does not stay in Washington, DC, it goes 
        back to communities across the nation. And it is leveraged many 
        times over by private philanthropy and state and local 
        investments.
  --Museums are key education providers. Museums spend more than $2 
        billion yearly on education activities; the typical museum 
        devotes 75% of its education budget to K-12 students, and 
        museums receive approximately 55 million visits each year from 
        students in school groups. Museums help teach the state and 
        local curriculum in subjects ranging from art and science to 
        history, civics, and government. Museums have long served as a 
        vital resource to homeschool learners. It is not surprising 
        that in a public opinion survey, 97% of respondents agreed that 
        museums were educational assets in their communities. The 
        results were statistically identical regardless of political 
        persuasion or community size.

    The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent 
federal agency created by Congress in 1965. Grants are awarded to 
nonprofit educational institutions, including museums, for educational 
programming, infrastructure and the care of collections. NEH supports 
museums as institutions of lifelong learning and exploration, and as 
keepers of our cultural, historical, and scientific heritages that can 
foster critical dialogues on challenging issues.
    In March 2020, NEH received $75 million in supplemental grant 
funding through the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. The agency immediately 
distributed $30 million to the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities 
councils to support local cultural nonprofits and educational 
programming. In June 2020, NEH awarded $40.3 million in CARES Act 
economic stabilization grants to more than three hundred institutions, 
including museums, spanning all 50 states. NEH received more than 2,300 
eligible applications from cultural organizations, requesting more than 
$370 million in funding. Approximately 14 percent of the applicants 
received grants.
    In FY 2020, in addition to the money distributed through NEH CARES 
Grants, the NEH awarded 650 grants totaling more than $56.1 million to 
institutions across the U.S., including museums. All of NEH's divisions 
and offices support museums:

  --The Office of Challenge Grants offers matching grants to support 
        much needed capacity building and infrastructure projects at 
        museums.
  --The Division of Public Programs offers grants that bring the ideas 
        and insights of the humanities to life in museums and other 
        spaces by supporting exhibitions, community conversations, and 
        place-based history. Additionally, Positions in the Public 
        Humanities supplements provide professional development 
        opportunities for new museum professionals.
  --The Division of Preservation and Access provides funding to museums 
        for efforts to preserve and provide access to our nation's rich 
        cultural heritage. For more than a decade, NEH has supported 
        important sustainability work on energy efficiency projects in 
        collections care.
  --The Division of Education Programs supports programs that bring 
        educators to museums for intensive summer training programs on 
        humanities topics.
  --The Office of Digital Humanities offers grants to support 
        innovations in technology at museums, universities, and other 
        institutions.
  --The Division of Research supports scholarly research that many 
        museums use to inform exhibitions and public programming.

    Humanities councils in every state and U.S. territory sponsor 
family literacy programs, speakers' bureaus, cultural heritage tourism, 
exhibitions, and live performances. Many councils also offer grants to 
local cultural organizations, including museums.
    In preparation for the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026, NEH's new 
``A More Perfect Union'' initiative provides funding opportunities 
across the agency's seven grantmaking divisions for humanities projects 
that promote a deeper understanding of American history and culture and 
that advance civic education and knowledge of our core principles of 
government.
    Here are just two examples of how NEH funding was used to support 
museums' work in your communities:

  --The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, in 2020 received a $191,920 
        Sustaining Humanities and Connecting Community grant to retain 
        staff and enable the museum's core humanities team to create 
        new virtual programming that will expand public access to the 
        Museum's significant humanities resources, expertise, and 
        collection and deepen understanding of the diverse experiences 
        and perspectives that make up the history of the High Desert 
        region with a particular focus on Indigenous cultures and 
        perspectives.
  --The Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center in Haines, Alaska, in 2020 
        received a $350,000 grant for sustainable environmental 
        controls throughout the museum critical for the museum's 
        collection preservation.

    The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) makes art accessible to 
all and provides leadership in arts education. Established in 1965, NEA 
supports great art in every congressional district. Its grants to 
museums help them exhibit, preserve, and interpret visual material 
through exhibitions, residencies, publications, commissions, public art 
works, conservation, documentation, services to the field, and public 
programs.
    Congress appropriated $75 million to the NEA through the CARES Act 
to preserve jobs and help support organizations forced to close 
operations due to the spread of COVID-19. Forty percent of this funding 
was awarded directly to state and regional arts agencies to distribute 
through their funding programs. On July 1, the NEA announced that 855 
organizations, including museums--and organizations located in every 
state--would receive a total of $44.5 million in nonmatching funds to 
support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and 
facilities costs.
    Since 2010, the NEA has collaborated with Blue Star Families and 
the U.S. Department of Defense on Blue Star Museums, which provides 
free museum admission to active duty military and their families all 
summer long. In 2019, more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states 
participated, reaching on average more than 900,000 military members 
and their families.
    The federal role of the NEA is uniquely valuable; receiving a grant 
from the NEA confers prestige on supported projects, strengthening 
museums' ability to attract matching funds from other public and 
private funders. On average, each dollar awarded by the NEA leverages 
up to nine dollars from other sources. No other funder--public or 
private--funds the arts in every state and the U.S. territories. Forty 
percent of NEA's grant funds are distributed to state arts agencies for 
re-granting.
    Here are two examples of how NEA funding was used to support 
museums' work in your communities:

  --The Four Rivers Cultural Center and Museum in Ontario, Oregon, in 
        2020 was awarded a $55,000 grant to support folklife fieldwork 
        and public programs in eastern Oregon and western Idaho. A 
        folklorist will coordinate fieldwork, presentations, and 
        podcasts exploring the cultural heritage of the Columbia River 
        Basin, which stretches from eastern Oregon to western Idaho. 
        Working in partnership with the Oregon Folklife Network, Oregon 
        Arts Commission, Idaho Commission on the Arts, and the Western 
        Folklife Center, the folklorist will produce local programs, 
        exhibits, and an annual tri-state folklife festival.
  --The Anchorage Museum in Alaska in 2021 was awarded a $100,000 grant 
        to support public art installations, architectural design fees, 
        and creation of a new Indigenous font. The project will 
        increase visual representation of Dena'ina culture in the built 
        environment of Anchorage. In partnership with the Municipality 
        of Anchorage, Indigenous-Led design firm SALT, and Alaska 
        Pacific University's Office of Research and Community 
        Engagement, local artists and designers will collaborate with 
        residents to develop temporary and permanent public art 
        installations that utilize local materials and establish a more 
        culturally inclusive and representative architectural identity 
        in downtown Anchorage.

    In addition to these direct grants, NEA's Arts and Artifacts 
Indemnity program also allows museums to apply for federal indemnity on 
major exhibitions, saving them as much as $30 million in insurance 
costs every year and making many more exhibitions available to the 
public--all at virtually no cost to the American taxpayer.
    The Smithsonian Institution comprises some of the most visited 
museums in the world. The National Museum of African American History 
and Culture has captivated audiences from around the globe, 
underscoring the power of our national museums to educate and inspire. 
We support funding increases that would allow these world-class museums 
to undertake critical collections care, make needed technology 
upgrades, conduct cutting edge research of every type, and increase 
access for all.
    The Historic Preservation Fund is the funding source of 
preservation awards to states, tribes, local governments, and 
nonprofits. State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices carry out 
the historic preservation work of the federal government on state and 
tribal lands. Historic preservation programs are not only essential to 
protecting our many heritages; they also serve as economic development 
engines and job creators. We urge you to provide $60 million for SHPOs 
and $24 million for THPOs. We applaud recent funding increases for the 
Save America's Treasures program, and urge you to provide $20 million 
in FY 2022 funding. Since 1999, there have been more than 4,000 
requests for funding totaling more than $1.54 billion. More than 
$315,700,000 has been awarded to 1,300-plus projects. These projects 
protected some of America's most iconic and endangered artifacts, 
including the American flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner. We 
also applaud the investment in competitive grants to preserve the sites 
and stories of the Civil Rights Movement and support FY 2022 funding of 
$26 million for these grants. In addition, we support funding for the 
Semiquincentennial competitive grant program.
    I hope that my testimony helped make it clear why these priorities 
are of critical importance to the nation and how they provide a 
worthwhile return on investment to the American taxpayer.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the American Bar Association (ABA)
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, Chair Cartwright, and Ranking 
Member Aderholt:

    On behalf of the American Bar Association (ABA), the largest 
voluntary association of lawyers and legal professionals in the world, 
I write to express our concerns over inadequate funding of tribal 
criminal justice that has contributed to staggering rates of violent 
crime and victimization on many Indian reservations. This is not a new 
problem.
    The underfunding of the tribal justice systems has been well-
documented in report after report for over two decades.\1\ Most 
recently, in 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) submitted a 
Report to Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs 
for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country estimating 
that $1.2 billion was needed for tribal courts to provide a minimum 
base level of service to all federally recognized tribal nations in 
2018. A recent Supreme Court decision leaves no doubt that even this 
level of funding, which was never achieved, will not be sufficient to 
meet current needs.
    In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court recognized the 
inherent tribal jurisdiction over Native American sovereign lands in 
Oklahoma. In its decision in McGirt v Oklahoma, the Court recognized 
that simply because a State encroaches onto sovereign Indian Lands, 
that does not give the State authority to exercise jurisdiction to 
prosecute state law crimes in contravention of treaty provisions.
    As a result, tribal and federal courts and law enforcement must now 
devote substantial resources to criminal cases that had been heard in 
state court prior to the decision in McGirt. On March 11, 2021, the 
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals confirmed that both the Cherokee 
Nation and Chickasaw Nation reservations are intact based on McGirt, 
and the state courts within each of the reservation counties have 
started releasing defendants to be retried before tribal and or federal 
courts. (The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has not yet ruled on 
cases involving the Seminole Nation and the Choctaw Nation.) 
Consequently, several thousand cases will now be redirected to tribal 
courts in Oklahoma, creating an even greater need for funding to ensure 
adequate numbers of judges, support staff, facilities, and equipment to 
address these long overdue proceedings. The need will, of course, be 
much greater if McGirt impacts treaties outside of Oklahoma.
    The American Bar Association has long affirmed that tribal justice 
systems are the primary and most appropriate institutions for 
maintaining order in tribal communities. We have repeatedly urged the 
United States government ``to support quality and accessible justice by 
ensuring adequate, stable, long-term funding for tribal justice 
systems''.\2\ Despite urgent pleas by tribes, tribal courts, and 
concerned organizations representing myriad disciplines for the U.S. 
government to appropriate the funds that are needed to provide the more 
than 350 tribal justice systems with the resources they need to do this 
important work, there is a critical funding shortfall that needs to be 
recognized and rectified as we enter the FY 2022 budget cycle.
    We appreciate the recent attention given to the needs of Native 
Americans in the COVID 19 relief bill. However, the funds included in 
that legislation do not begin to address the funding needed to support 
the specific responsibilities of Tribal Courts. The funding of Tribal 
Courts is an area of long-standing neglect and requires immediate 
attention.
    Therefore, we urge you to address this important funding priority 
this year and we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.

            Sincerely,

Patricia Lee Refo, President
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ U.S. Civil Rights Commission 1991 Report The Indian Civil 
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights; 
the U. S. Civil Rights Commission 2003 Report A Quiet Crisis: Federal 
Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country; the Indian Law and Order 
Commission 2013 report A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer: 
Report to the President & Congress of the United States; the U.S. 
Department of Justice, Attorney General's Advisory Committee on 
American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence 2014 Report 
Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive; and the U. S. Civil Rights 
Commission 2018 report Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding 
Shortfall for Native Americans.
    \2\ The ABA has adopted extensive policy supporting tribal court 
funding, accessible at: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/
administrative/crsj/native-american-concerns.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the American Bar Association (ABA)
Dear Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, Chair Pingree, and 
Ranking Member Joyce:

    On behalf of the American Bar Association (ABA), the largest 
voluntary association of lawyers and legal professionals in the world, 
I write to express our concerns over inadequate funding of tribal 
criminal justice that has contributed to staggering rates of violent 
crime and victimization on many Indian reservations. This is not a new 
problem.
    The underfunding of the tribal justice systems has been well-
documented in report after report for over two decades.\1\ Most 
recently, in 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) submitted a 
Report to Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs 
for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country estimating 
that $1.2 billion was needed for tribal courts to provide a minimum 
base level of service to all federally recognized tribal nations in 
2018. A recent Supreme Court decision leaves no doubt that even this 
level of funding, which was never achieved, will not be sufficient to 
meet current needs.
    In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court recognized the 
inherent tribal jurisdiction over Native American sovereign lands in 
Oklahoma. In its decision in McGirt v Oklahoma, the Court recognized 
that simply because a State encroaches onto sovereign Indian Lands, 
that does not give the State authority to exercise jurisdiction to 
prosecute state law crimes in contravention of treaty provisions.
    As a result, tribal and federal courts and law enforcement must now 
devote substantial resources to criminal cases that had been heard in 
state court prior to the decision in McGirt. On March 11, 2021, the 
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals confirmed that both the Cherokee 
Nation and Chickasaw Nation reservations are intact based on McGirt, 
and the state courts within each of the reservation counties have 
started releasing defendants to be retried before tribal and or federal 
courts. (The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has not yet ruled on 
cases involving the Seminole Nation and the Choctaw Nation.) 
Consequently, several thousand cases will now be redirected to tribal 
courts in Oklahoma, creating an even greater need for funding to ensure 
adequate numbers of judges, support staff, facilities, and equipment to 
address these long overdue proceedings. The need will, of course, be 
much greater if McGirt impacts treaties outside of Oklahoma.
    The American Bar Association has long affirmed that tribal justice 
systems are the primary and most appropriate institutions for 
maintaining order in tribal communities. We have repeatedly urged the 
United States government ``to support quality and accessible justice by 
ensuring adequate, stable, long-term funding for tribal justice 
systems''.\2\ Despite urgent pleas by tribes, tribal courts, and 
concerned organizations representing myriad disciplines for the U.S. 
government to appropriate the funds that are needed to provide the more 
than 350 tribal justice systems with the resources they need to do this 
important work, there is a critical funding shortfall that needs to be 
recognized and rectified as we enter the FY 2022 budget cycle.
    We appreciate the recent attention given to the needs of Native 
Americans in the COVID 19 relief bill. However, the funds included in 
that legislation do not begin to address the funding needed to support 
the specific responsibilities of Tribal Courts. The funding of Tribal 
Courts is an area of long-standing neglect and requires immediate 
attention.
    Therefore, we urge you to address this important funding priority 
this year and we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.

            Sincerely,

Patricia Lee Refo, President
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ U.S. Civil Rights Commission 1991 Report The Indian Civil 
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights; 
the U. S. Civil Rights Commission 2003 Report A Quiet Crisis: Federal 
Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country; the Indian Law and Order 
Commission 2013 report A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer: 
Report to the President & Congress of the United States; the U.S. 
Department of Justice, Attorney General's Advisory Committee on 
American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence 2014 Report 
Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive; and the U. S. Civil Rights 
Commission 2018 report Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding 
Shortfall for Native Americans.
    \2\ The ABA has adopted extensive policy supporting tribal court 
funding, accessible at: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/
administrative/crsj/native-american-concerns.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the American Geophysical Union
    The American Geophysical Union (AGU), a non-profit, non-partisan 
scientific society, appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony 
regarding the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) budget request for the United 
States Geological Survey (USGS). AGU, on behalf of its worldwide 
community of 130,000 in the Earth and space sciences, respectfully 
requests that the 117th Congress appropriate $1.75 billion for the 
USGS. We understand this is a substantial increase and firmly believe 
the agency needs to reach this funding level to be ready to respond to 
twenty first -century challenges with twenty first-century science and 
technology.
    The USGS is uniquely positioned to provide informed responses to 
many of our nation's greatest challenges. For example, the USGS plays a 
crucial role in assessing water quality and quantity, reducing risks 
from natural hazards, assessing mineral and energy resources, and 
managing our nation's ecosystems. Through its offices across the 
country, the USGS provides high-quality research and data to 
policymakers, emergency responders, natural resource managers, civil 
and environmental engineers, educators and the public. A few examples 
of the USGS's valuable work are provided below, as well as obstacles to 
its success.
                predicting and observing natural hazards
    The USGS works to reduce risks from floods, wildfires, earthquakes, 
tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and other natural hazards 
that jeopardize human lives and cost billions of dollars in damages 
each year--earthquakes alone are estimated to cost the U.S. $6.1 
billion annually.\1\ For example, the USGS conducts hazard analyses, 
using seismic networks, to formulate earthquake probabilities that are 
used by local officials to establish building codes. The USGS also 
monitors volcanoes and provides warnings about impending eruptions that 
are used by aviation officials to prevent planes from flying into 
volcanic ash clouds. Data from the USGS network of stream gages are 
used by the National Weather Service to issue flood and drought 
warnings. Moreover, the USGS and its federal partners monitor seasonal 
wildfires and provide maps of current fire locations and the potential 
spread of fires that are used by local officials and firefighters. In 
short, in domestic and global events, emergency managers and public 
officials rely on the USGS to inform them of risks and hazards posed to 
human and natural systems.
           mapping and assessing mineral and energy resources
    The USGS assessments of mineral and energy resources--including 
rare earth elements, coal, oil, unconventional natural gas, and 
geothermal sources--are essential for making decisions about the 
nation's energy and technology future. The USGS identifies the location 
and quantity of domestic mineral and energy resources and assesses the 
economic and environmental effects of resource extraction and use. The 
USGS also maps domestic supplies of rare earth elements to be used in 
new energy technologies, helping to reduce dependence on foreign 
sources of such minerals. In addition, the USGS is the sole federal 
source of information on mineral potential, production and consumption 
of around 100 selected mineral commodities for approximately 180 
countries.\2\
                maintaining and evaluating public health
    The USGS helps to maintain public health at the local, state and 
national level by monitoring changes in ecosystem and environmental 
health and evaluating human susceptibility to contaminants, pathogens 
and environmental disease. The agency assesses negative health effects 
caused by the dispersion of contaminants after natural and man-made 
disasters, such as hurricanes and oil spills. For example, after 
Hurricane Sandy, the USGS provided soil, water and sediment information 
to public health agencies to help them protect citizens from toxic 
contaminants. This unique perspective into the intersection between the 
physical environment, living environment and humans allows the USGS to 
provide valuable insights into public health concerns.
        monitoring and evaluating water availability and quality
    The USGS collects information on water availability and quality to 
inform the public and decision makers about the status and history of 
freshwater resources. Around the country, the USGS operates more than 
10,000 stream gages, which are fixed structures that measure the amount 
of water flowing through a body of water over time.\3\ These stream 
gages produce vital data for water management, energy development, 
infrastructure design, flood mapping and forecasting, water quality 
monitoring, ecosystem management and recreational safety approaches.
            developing and providing mapping for the nation
    The USGS utilizes unique technologies that enable the nationwide 
collection of accurate terrain information used by businesses, water 
managers and emergency responders, among others. Leveraging funds from 
the private sector and other federal agencies, the agency's 3D 
Elevation Program (3DEP) provides modernized, high-resolution 
topographic maps and open--access elevation data to support cutting 
edge resource management and energy projects ranging from flood--
inundation maps to precision farming and renewable energy project 
development.
                     collecting and assessing data
    Research and data collected by the USGS is vital to predicting the 
impacts of land use and climate change on water resources, wildfires 
and ecosystems. For nearly 50 years, Landsat satellites--co-managed by 
USGS and NASA--have collected the largest archive of remotely sensed 
land data in the world, allowing for access to current and historical 
images that are used to assess the impact of natural disasters on 
communities and the environment and monitor global agriculture 
production. Landsat imagery, which has been available to the public at 
no cost since 2008, provided an estimated $3.45 billion in benefits to 
its users in 2017 alone.\4\ The consistency of data sets like those 
provided by Landsat is vital for advances in science, more efficient 
natural resource management and profitable applications of data in 
commerce and industry.
               engaging the next generation of scientists
    The USGS offers various programs and tools to help educate students 
and prepare them for careers in science. For example, the Youth and 
Education in Science (YES) office coordinates internal funding and 
internship programs, such as graduate internships, tools for the 
classroom for K-12 teachers and work--transition programs for young 
adults with cognitive disabilities. USGS programs, such as the 
Cooperative Research Units (CRU), also offer a career pathway to the 
Department of Interior for underrepresented undergraduate students in 
38 states by providing them mentoring and hands-on experience. Since 
2015, over 670 students have graduated through the program.
                supporting and informing land management
    The USGS plays a critical role in informing sound management of 
natural resources on federal and state lands. The USGS conducts 
research and monitoring of fish, wildlife, and vegetation--data that 
informs management decisions by other Department of Interior bureaus 
regarding protected species and land use. Ecosystems research is also 
used to control invasive species and wildlife diseases that would 
otherwise cause billions of dollars in economic losses. The USGS 
provides information for resource managers as they develop strategies 
for restoration and long-term use of the nation's natural resources in 
the face of environmental change.
                            science support
    The past several fiscal years have proved extremely damaging to the 
underlying operations that support the work of USGS employees and 
without which the USGS cannot fully function. For example, USGS Science 
Support staff provide human resources, communications and publishing, 
and scientific oversight in support of the research conducted by USGS. 
Yet, Science Support funding has been decreased, even as funding for 
USGS mission areas has increased, albeit slightly. This disparity in 
funding has had ripple effects by aggravating backlogs in the posting 
of available jobs, the hiring of new scientists, and the dissemination 
of data and findings to stakeholders. For the USGS to effectively 
perform and function into the future, Science Support must see funding 
increases that align with those requested Survey-wide.
                          scientific integrity
    Strong scientific integrity policies are critical for the USGS to 
be able to advance national security, a strong economy, public health, 
food security and the many other functions the agency performs. Science 
that is communicated to the public improves and informs myriad aspects 
of everyday life, from earthquake hazard mapping to hurricane 
forecasting to assessments of water quality and quantity. These types 
of scientific information must be publicly available and free from 
political interference to ensure that they are best able to help 
farmers, industry, health workers and the public.
                               conclusion
    As we face unprecedented societal challenges, such as increasing 
demand for limited energy resources, vulnerability to natural hazards 
and the need for clean water, it is vital that USGS receive substantial 
funding increases so that they can continue to provide support for the 
nation's economic, environmental and national security.
    AGU respectfully requests that Congress appropriate $1.75 billion 
for the USGS in FY22. We appreciate the opportunity to submit this 
testimony to the Subcommittee and thank you for your consideration of 
our request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Jaiswal, K., Bausch, D., Rozelle, J., Holub, J., and McGowan, 
S., April 2017, Hazus Estimated Annualized Earthquake Losses for the 
United States: FEMA P-366, https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/
documents/132305.
    \2\ See Program History of USGS's Mineral Resources Program, 
https://www.usgs.gov/energy-and-minerals/mineral-resources-program/
about/program-history.
    \3\ Eberts, S.M., Woodside, M.D., Landers, M.N., and Wagner, C.R., 
2018, Monitoring the pulse of our Nation's rivers and streams--The U.S. 
Geological Survey stream gaging network: U.S. Geological Survey Fact 
Sheet 2018-3081, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20183081.
    \4\ Straub, C.L., Koontz, S.R., and Loomis, J.B., 2019, Economic 
valuation of Landsat imagery: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 
2019-1112, 13 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191112.

    [This statement was submitted by Michael Villafranca, Senior 
Specialist, Science Policy & Government Relations.]
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the American Hiking Society
                          summary of requests
Forest Service:

  --Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails at $29.35M, 
        including $11.5M for National Scenic and Historic Trails;
  --$56.8M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness;
  --$100M to fund Legacy Roads & Trails as a separate line item
Bureau of Land Management:
  --Trails Line Item, including at least $10.5M for National Scenic and 
        Historic Trails; National Conservation Lands at $65.131M;
  --$10.5M to fund National Conservation Lands-National Scenic Historic 
        Trails, sub-activity Recreation Resources Management, including 
        $3.15M to operate Historic Trail Interpretive Centers;
  --Restore BLM FTE staffing levels, including for trail management and 
        maintenance
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

  --Refuge Visitor Services at least $79.973M
National Park Service:
  --Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program at $15M;
  --Park Service Operations for the National Trails System maintained 
        at a minimum of $21M;
  --Volunteers in Parks programs at a minimum of $8M, including 
        dedicated funding to the National Trails System;
  --Visitor Services sub-activity, Youth Partnership Programs at a 
        minimum of $10.95M, including an acknowledgment of the benefits 
        for trails;
  --Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program, at a min 
        $125M
US Geological Survey:
  --$1.5M to fully fund the National Digital Trail Project (NDTP)
                              introduction
    Founded in 1976, American Hiking Society is the only national 
nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all to enjoy, share, and 
preserve the hiking experience. We envision a world where everyone 
feels welcome in the American hiking community and has permanent access 
to meaningful hiking, including urban, frontcountry, and backcountry 
opportunities. Our efforts ensure funding for hiking trails, the 
preservation of natural areas, and expansion of access to and inclusion 
in outdoor recreation.
           importance of trail funding for public land access
    At a time when trail usage is at an all-time high with both new and 
returning users turning to the outdoors during the COVID-19 
pandemic,\1\ support for trails and public lands are more important 
than ever. Trails are the gateway to fishing, hunting, wildlife 
viewing, camping, climbing, and more. A failure to maintain and manage 
our nation's trails limits access for all communities, stymies economic 
growth, and reduces opportunities for healthy outdoor recreation.
    Access to open spaces for recreation has been shown by many studies 
to improve physical and mental health and to increase quality of 
life.\2\ Additionally, outdoor access is crucial for children, 
impacting their physical and mental development, socialization skills, 
and a lifelong appreciation of nature.\3\ Trails bring those health 
benefits to all by providing individuals of diverse backgrounds access 
to our public lands for all types of outdoor recreation.
    Outdoor recreation has a massive positive impact on our nation's 
economy and trails generate much of that impact. According to the 
Outdoor Industry Association, trail--centered activities directly 
generate over $594 billion \4\ and nearly 3.5 million jobs \5\ 
annually. On federally--managed land, outdoor recreation contributes 
more than $64.6 billion to the national economy and supports more than 
623,000 jobs annually.\6\
    Citizen volunteers and nonprofit trail organizations perform a 
large share of the maintenance on our nation's trails, in partnership 
with government agencies and with the support of private donations. 
Since our founding in 1976, American Hiking Society has mobilized 
558,708 trail volunteers to construct and maintain 41,146 miles of 
trails on federal and state public lands at a value of over $108 
million in labor.\7\ This ongoing public ``sweat equity'' investment 
has led to an increased recognition of the importance of adequate 
federal funding for our public lands and trails in order to maintain 
quality visitor experiences.
    We encourage the Committee to adopt the following funding requests 
so the federal government can continue to leverage private 
contributions and benefit from volunteer labor as well as provide 
inexpensive, healthy outdoor recreation options for your constituents 
and all Americans.
Forest Service Recommendation:
    National Forest trails benefit everyone and receive increasing 
public use each year. Collectively, the National Forests provide 
157,000 miles of trails for activities ranging from hiking, biking, 
horseback riding, off-highway vehicle usage, groomed winter trails for 
cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and access points for ``river 
trails.'' Even with enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act, this 
trail system is increasingly stressed and annual maintenance cannot 
keep pace with the growing demand due to inadequate funding. Roughly 
120,000 of the 159,000 miles of trails are in need of some form of 
maintenance or repair.\8\
    Fund Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails budget at 
$29.35M, including $11.5M for National Scenic and Historic Trails.--As 
trails use continues to increase along with annual maintenance needs, 
funding at $29.35M will restore the highest funding levels since at 
least 2005.
    Within CMTL, Trails Increase Support for the National Wilderness 
Stewardship Alliance Trail Stewardship Partner Funding.--Volunteer 
groups and non-profit partners perform a large amount of agency trail 
work. The Forest Service has a successful Trail Stewardship Partner 
Funding challenge-cost-share program that uses nonprofit partnerships 
to leverage federal funding by 3 to 5:1. We encourage expanded support 
of this program within the CMTL, Trails line item. This funding can 
also significantly increase conservation corps work on trail systems.
    $56.8M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness.--The National 
Forests and Grasslands provide a great diversity of outdoor 
recreational opportunities, connecting the American public with nature 
in an unmatched variety of settings and activities. Funding at $56.8M 
will restore funding to 2013 levels (minus estimated cost-share 
amounts), the highest since at least FY2005.
    $100M to fund Legacy Roads & Trails as a separate line item.--For 
FY2022, Legacy Roads & Trails should be reinstated as a separate line 
item in the USFS budget, with $100M distinctly designated for 
urgently--needed road and trail repair, maintenance and storm--
proofing, fish passage barrier removal, and road decommissioning, 
especially in areas where Forest Service roads may be contributing to 
water quality problems in streams and water bodies that support 
threatened, endangered or sensitive species or community water sources.
Bureau of Land Management Recommendation:
    The BLM manages 13,468 miles of trails over 245 million acres -more 
land than any other federal land management agency. Most of the 
country's BLM--managed public land is located in 12 Western States, 
including Alaska, and contains a diversity of landscapes that often 
provide the public less structured but nonetheless diverse recreational 
opportunities. BLM recreational resources and visitor services support 
strong local economies. More than 120 urban centers and thousands of 
rural towns (comprising 64 million people) are located within 25 miles 
of BLM lands.
    Trails Line Item, including at least $10.5M for National Scenic and 
Historic Trails, with robust funding for BLM trails.--The BLM has no 
specific account in its budget for funding national trails or trails in 
general. Designating a trails line item in the BLM budget will address 
fragmentation of funding allocations across sub-activity accounts and 
create consistent, predictable, and better--managed funding for trails.
    Fund National Conservation Lands at $65.131M.--National 
Conservation Lands funds enhance recreational access, conserve the 
Nation's heritage, and manage these nationally--recognized resources. 
We urge the committee to consider the additional demands for which BLM 
is responsible--and the increasing popularity of these lands--and 
provide a sharp increase in base funding for the National Conservation 
Lands,restoring program funding to its FY2006 level. Such an increase 
is needed to properly administer the system's expansion by 18 million 
acres since 2000, and will permit increased inventory, monitoring and 
protection of cultural resources, enhance proper management of all 
resources and provide a quality visitor experience. This should also 
include robust funding for National Scenic and Historic Trails, as 
recommended below.
    $10.5M to fund National Conservation Lands-National Scenic Historic 
Trails, sub-activity Recreation Resources Management, including $3.15M 
to operate Historic Trail Interpretive Centers.--At a minimum, include 
language that directs the Bureau to include unit-level allocations 
within major sub-activities for each of the scenic and historic 
trails--as the Bureau has done for the national monuments, wilderness, 
and conservation areas. The Bureau's lack of a unified budget account 
for National Trails or a trails line item prevents the agency from 
efficiently planning, implementing, reporting, and taking advantage of 
cost-saving partnerships and volunteer contributions.
    Restore BLM FTE staffing levels, including for trail management and 
maintenance.--Across the board staffing shortages have significantly 
negatively impacted BLM's ability to complete its mission, including 
management and maintenance.
Fish and Wildlife Service Recommendation:
    Refuge Visitor Services provides funding for trail maintenance 
across FWS--managed land. Located in every U.S. state and territory, 
and within an hour's drive of nearly every major U.S. city, National 
Wildlife Refuges provide incredible opportunities for outdoor 
recreation, including hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, boating and 
nature photography across 2,500 miles of trails. More than 37,000 jobs 
are reliant on refugees. Funding at a level of $74.227M will provide 
for trail maintenance across the land and water trails, refuges, 
wetlands, and hatcheries, including eleven National Scenic and Historic 
Trails and forty-four National Recreation Trails.
    Funding for Refuge Visitor Services at least $79.973M.--Funding at 
$79.973M will restore funding to 2010 levels, the highest since at 
least FY2006.
National Park Service Recommendation:
    National Parks, and the world-class experiences their 18,844 miles 
of trails provide, are one of the most unifying forces in America. 
Well-maintained trails improve the quality of visitor experiences and 
enhance visitor safety.
    Funding for the Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) 
program at $15M.--The RTCA program brings the expertise of over a 
century of land management to the greater recreation community. When a 
community asks for assistance with a project, National Park Service 
staff provide free critical tools for success, on-location 
facilitation, and planning expertise, which draw from project 
experiences across the country and adapt best practices to a 
community's specific needs. Funding at $15M will ensure these trail 
planning services are made available to communities in all regions of 
the nation.
    Funding for Park Service Operations for the National Trails System 
maintained at a minimum of $21M.--The NPS has administrative 
responsibility for 23 National Scenic and Historic Trails established 
by Congress. Funding at $21M within the Park Service Operations account 
for the National Trails System is essential for keeping these popular 
trails accessible. The request will help the work of trail organization 
partners of the Park Service to build, maintain, and interpret these 
trails.
    Restore funding for Volunteers in Parks programs at a minimum of 
$8M, including dedicated funding to the National Trails System.--
Volunteers in Parks leverages private donations with public funding to 
maximize trail maintenance resources. Dedicating funding to the 
National Trails System will obviate competition with large NPS parks 
for access to critical volunteer support in the form of trail 
maintenance crews and administrative management of individual trails.
    Restore funding for Visitor Services sub-activity, Youth 
Partnership Programs at a minimum of $10.95M, including an 
acknowledgment of the benefits for trails.--The Youth Partnership 
Program in part funds the Public Land Corps program, which provides 
education and work opportunities for youth aged 16-30. The NPS utilizes 
non-profit youth--serving organizations to perform critical natural and 
cultural resource conservation projects at NPS sites, ranging from 
masonry apprenticeships on historic structures to Tribal land 
improvements; to engaging other youth through coordination of 
culturally--based workshops and outdoor recreation clubs.
    Robust funding for Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) 
Program, at a min $125M in 2022.--Robust funding for LWCF programs 
reflect the nation's outdoor recreation priorities. Maintain robust 
funding for ORLP, which expands close-to-home access for underserved 
communities at a minimum maintaining the FY21 $125M appropriation.
                          us geological survey
    $1.5M to fully fund the National Digital Trail Project (NDTP) of 
USGS.--The USGS National Digital Trails project supports the Department 
of Interior's vision to ``Increase access to outdoor recreation 
opportunities for all Americans . . . '' Full funding at $1.5M will 
allow the USGS to provide critical information and research for our 
nation's trails, including a web--based interactive decision support 
tool (TRAILS) to improve connectivity between existing trails and trail 
systems, a nationwide digital trails database in the public domain, and 
a mobile application to provide trail maintenance information to land 
management agencies.
                               conclusion
    The nearly 1,000,000 square miles that comprise U.S. public lands 
are our most treasured natural, historic, and cultural resource. 
Whether you're a hiker enjoying the 193,500 miles of trail, a member of 
the indigenous populations for whom these lands are their ancestral 
homes, or one of the 145 million outdoor recreation users, our public 
lands are of incalculable value to hundreds of millions of Americans. 
As we all strive together to protect these lands and trails and make 
them accessible and welcoming to all communities for generations to 
come, Congress must do its part to ensure adequate funding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Rails to Trails Conservancy, Using Trails and Outdoor Spaces 
Safely in the Wake of COVID-19 https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/
2020/march/24/using-trails-and-outdoor-spaces-safely-in-the-wake-of-
covid-19/ (last visited April 13, 2021). See also Outdoor Industry 
Association, 2021 Special Report: New Outdoor Participant (Covid and 
Beyond), https://outdoorindustry.org/resource/2021-special-report-new-
outdoor-participant-covid-beyond/ (last visited April 13, 2021).
    \2\ American Hiking Society, Health Benefits of Hiking, https://
americanhiking.org/resources/health-benefits-of-hiking/ (last 
visitedApr. 9, 2021). See also Harvard Medical School, Exercising to 
Relax, Updated July 13, 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-
healthy/exercising-to-relax.
    \3\ Harvard Health Publishing, 6 reasons children need to play 
outside, May 22, 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-
children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880.
    \4\ OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY 18 
(2017), available at https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/
2017/04/OIA_RecEconomy_FINAL_Single.pdf. Trail centered activities 
generated $594,311,835,880 from retail spending, salaries, and federal 
and state taxes.
    \5\ Id. Trail centered activities create 3,476,845 jobs.
    \6\ OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY 15 
(2017), available at https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/
2017/04/OIA_RecEconomy_
FINAL_Single.pdf; ``Forest Service Makes it Easier for Visitors to 
Enjoy National Forests and Grasslands.'' U.S. Forest Service, https://
www.fs.fed.us/news/releases/forest-service-makes-it-easier-visitors-
enjoy-national-forests-and-grasslands.
    \7\ American Hiking Society, https://americanhiking.org/ (last 
visited Apr. 9, 2021).
    \8\ https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/releases/usda-forest-service-
announces-challenge-increase-focus-problems-facing-nations

    [This statement was submitted by Kathryn Van Waes, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium 
                                (AIHEC)
                            request summary
    On behalf of the nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), 
which are the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), we 
are pleased to present our Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 2022) appropriations 
recommendations for the 29 colleges funded under Titles I and II of the 
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act (TCU Act); 
the two Tribally chartered career and technical postsecondary 
institutions funded under Title V of the TCU Act; the two Bureau of 
Indian Education (BIE) postsecondary institutions; and the Institute of 
American Indian Arts (IAIA). The BIE administers these programs, with 
the exception of IAIA, which is funded in its own account. We 
respectfully recommend the following funding levels:
                       department of the interior
  --$93,257,409 to fund institutional operations under Title I 
        ($75,447,409) and Title II ($17,000,000), along with TCU 
        Endowments ($109,000) and technical assistance ($701,000), of 
        the TCU Act. This funding would provide the Congressionally 
        authorized amount of $9,937*/Indian student for first time 
        since the enactment of the TCU Act more than 40 years ago 
        (*$8,000 per Indian student adjusted for inflation). This 
        request also provides an additional $100,000 for needed 
        technical assistance, which has been level-funded for 15 years 
        despite growing numbers of developing TCUs and increased 
        demands for accountability and student success.
  --$15,000,000 for Title V of the TCU Act, which provides partial 
        institutional operations funding for two Tribally chartered 
        postsecondary career and technical institutions.
  --$11,000,000 for the Institute of American Indian Arts.
  --$28,000,000 for Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern 
        Indian Polytechnic Institute, the BIE's two postsecondary 
        institutions.
  --$35,000,000 for TCU Construction & Facilities Improvement.
              opportunity and innovation in indian country
    The nation's 37 TCUs operate more than 75 campuses and sites in 16 
states. TCU geographic boundaries encompass 80 percent of American 
Indian reservations and federal Indian trust lands. American Indian and 
Alaska Native (AI/AN) TCU students represent more than 230 federally 
recognized Tribes and hail from more than 30 states. Nearly 80 percent 
of these students receive federal financial aid and nearly half are 
first generation students. In total, TCUs serve more than 160,000 AI/
ANs and other rural residents each year through a wide variety of 
academic and community--based programs. TCUs are public institutions, 
chartered by federally recognized Indian Tribes or the federal 
government. No TCU is chartered by any other entity, and although 
several financially challenged institutions may desire to be Tribal 
colleges, the criteria and standards are unambiguous, with Tribal 
control being the central pillar. Further, all TCUs receiving federal 
funding have full and sustained accreditation by independent regional 
accreditation agencies and, like all U.S. institutions of higher 
education, must regularly undergo stringent performance reviews to 
retain their accreditation status. Each TCU is directly accountable to 
its Tribal community/communities, and each one is committed to 
improving the lives of its students through higher education and to 
moving AI/ANs to 3. Our collective vision is strong sovereign Tribal 
nations through excellence in Tribal higher education. To achieve this 
vision, TCUs have become workforce and job creation engines, public 
libraries, Tribal archives, small business incubators, and community 
computer labs. They operate Native language learning centers and 
immersion programs, community gardens, economic development centers, 
childcare centers, and applied research hubs for everything from 
natural resources to food sovereignty and community behavioral health.
    Despite the hope and opportunity that higher education brings to 
Tribal communities, as well as the trust responsibility and binding 
treaty obligations, the federal government has never fully funded TCU 
institutional operations authorized under the TCU Act (*$9,937 per 
Indian student = $8,000 per Indian student adjusted for inflation). But 
TCUs are resilient and resourceful, and we are proud to lead the nation 
in many areas, including preparing an AI/AN workforce of nurses, land 
managers, and teachers for Tribal--serving schools. For example, half 
of all AI/AN special education teachers in Montana are graduates of 
Salish Kootenai College. TCUs prepare professionals in high--demand 
fields, including agriculture and natural resources management, 
information technology, and building trades. By teaching the job skills 
most in demand on our reservations, TCUs are laying a foundation for 
Tribal economic growth, which is the only way to move Tribes and Tribal 
members to self-sufficiency. Yet, we know that workforce development is 
not enough. We must do more to accelerate the move to self-
sufficiency--we must move beyond simple workforce training. We must 
create new industries and new businesses and build a new culture of 
innovation. Our job creation initiative is focusing initially on 
advanced manufacturing through a partnership with the U.S. Department 
of Energy, National Laboratories, TCUs, and industry. Already, we are 
seeing results with new TCU-Tribal-industry partnerships, new 
contracting opportunities, and new jobs for our students and graduates.
    Tribal Colleges continually seek to instill a sense of hope and 
identity within AI/AN youth, who will one day lead our Tribal nations. 
Unacceptably, the high school dropout rate for AI/AN students remains 
around 50 percent. TCUs work with local schools to create a bridge for 
AI/AN students as early as elementary school, encouraging them to stay 
focused on achievable goals, finish high school, and go on to the local 
TCU. TCUs offer dual credit courses for high school students, provide 
math teachers for local high schools to improve course delivery, and 
host weekend academies, after school programs, and summer camps for 
middle and high school students. TCUs also offer GED/HiSET training and 
testing and have 2+2 partnerships to bridge programs with regional 
universities. All are solid steps to bolster future prospects for AI/AN 
youth and break the cycle of generational poverty.
                    covid-19 pandemic impact on tcus
    Despite facing serious financial, Internet connectivity and 
equipment, and faculty professional development challenges that are far 
worse than other schools and colleges in the U.S. and having student 
(and faculty) populations at greater health risk than other groups in 
the U.S., the nation's 37 TCUs have worked diligently to respond to the 
covid-19 pandemic in a comprehensive manner, addressing both the needs 
of students and community. As place--based, community--anchoring 
institutions, TCUs had no choice but to continue to serve Tribal 
nations to the best of their abilities. Most TCUs have not closed at 
any point during the pandemic, and those that ceased operations did so 
only for a few weeks. As TCUs work to mitigate the devastating impacts 
of the pandemic in Tribal communities, TCUs are also facing drastic 
changes in enrollment with a future impact on federal funding formulas.
    Academic Year (AY) 2021-22 Challenges.--As the uncertainty and 
economic decline resulting from the covid-19 pandemic extend into the 
foreseeable future, the losses facing TCUs are growing. Most TCUs start 
their fiscal year on July 1. As TCUs plan for FY 2022 (AY 2021-22), 
they face:

  --Reduction in support from chartering Tribal governments due to 
        Tribal enterprise revenue losses and the need for Tribes to 
        divert scarce resources to address critical covid-19 response 
        issues (e.g. Tribal health budget increases, growing Tribal 
        member safety net expenses). Past Tribal TCU payments in 2018-
        19: $33,331,078; payments in 2017-18: $31,049,542.
  --Declines in enrollment as students drop out or fail to return; 
        because they lack Internet connectivity and cannot participate 
        in online classes, or because they need to increase work hours 
        (if jobs are available) to help support families in economic 
        crisis. TCU fall 2019 enrollment: 15,114; TCU fall 2020 
        enrollment: 14,844.
  --Inability of most TCUs to conduct summer classes in 2020, due to 
        the need for intensive faculty development in online learning, 
        advising, and assessment to maintain regional accreditation and 
        need to complete extensive course and management redesign for 
        the fall semester due to increased online teaching. Four TCUs 
        were unable to offer classes during summer 2020, while other 
        TCUs reduced course offering, resulting in a size able loss of 
        revenue from tuition and fees. Typical summer tuition and fees: 
        2018-19: $1,692,995.
  --Students facing growing financial challenges are unable to fully 
        pay tuition and fees. This results in TCUs providing tuition 
        waivers and writing off more tuition payments than in previous 
        years. TCUs--as place-based, open door institutions--write off 
        a significant amount of tuition each year because they want 
        students to benefit from the opportunity of higher education. 
        Annual TCU tuition write-off: 2019-20: $4,405,422; 2018-19: 
        $4,000,595; 2017-18: $2,906,650.
   tcu infrastructure needs: broadband, facilities, and operations & 
                   maintenance neglected for 40 years
    For TCUs to realize our goals of strengthening our Tribes as 
sovereign nations and building a 21st century Native workforce, TCUs 
must have the facilities and infrastructure capable of educating and 
training students in a safe environment. It simply cannot be done on 
the scale needed in classrooms with leaking roofs and exposed and 
substandard electrical wiring; outdated computer labs; students 
sleeping in cars and trucks because there are no dorms; and the 
slowest--yet most expensive--Internet access of any institution of 
higher education in the country. Yet, that is what TCUs are asked to 
do.
    We thank the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committees 
for working together in FY 2021 to provide $15 million for TCU 
facilities--related funding. We are working with the BIE on the design 
and administration of these funds to strategically address the most 
urgent needs of the TCUs. In order to build on the committee's initial 
investment, we recommend further investments in the following areas:
    TCU Facilities Study.--We recommend the Subcommittee provide 
funding for a comprehensive and unbiased TCU Facilities Study, to 
include all 37 TCUs, to survey the condition of existing facilities, 
examine facilities--related health and safety concerns, and identify 
current and long-term infrastructure needs (25 U.S.C. 1812). Originally 
authorized over 40 years ago in the TCU Act, an in-depth study will 
provide a thorough inventory of facilities--related needs.
    TCU Construction and Facilities Improvement.--The results of the 
proposed TCU facilities study will likely expand on the needs 
identified in a 2018 AIHEC survey of 22 TCUs, which revealed a list of 
chronic facility--related needs, including student and faculty housing, 
classrooms, libraries, and laboratories. The 22 TCUs self-reported 
estimated needs of $332.5 million in deferred maintenance and 
rehabilitation costs and $558 million to complete existing master 
plans. Extrapolating this to all 37 TCUs, the total reported need is 
$500 million for deferred maintenance and rehabilitation, and $837 
million for complete master plans. Again, we thank the subcommittee for 
providing provided $15 million for TCU construction and respectfully 
request $35 million ($1 million per TCU) be allocated in FY 2022 to 
continue addressing urgent construction and facilities related needs.
    TCU Operations and Maintenance Account.--In order to properly 
manage, fully use, and extend the lifespan TCU facilities, AIHEC 
recommends the Subcommittee provide funding for a TCU Facilities 
Operations and Maintenance Account. Currently, BIE K-12 schools receive 
operations and maintenance funding to address safety and health 
concerns, perform routine maintenance to optimize the lifecycle of 
facility--related systems, and protect land and property value. As 
outlined throughout this document, TCUs are creatively addressing a 
myriad list of needs with limited, thinly stretched budgets. The 
creation of a dedicated TCU Operations and Maintenance Account would 
allow TCUs to fully use current BIE TCU operational funding for 
``academic, educational, and administrative purposes'' as outlined in 
the TCU Act, while building more parity within the BIE K-20 system.
    Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) 
Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 
(CRRSAA), TCUs received critical funding to address immediate needs 
related to the transition to distance learning and student support. 
TCUs were able to provide emergency grants, equipment, and tuition 
assistance to students to help them stay enrolled in classes. However, 
TCUs are unable to use relief funding to address many longstanding 
infrastructure related needs--such as construction. (Note: American 
Rescue Plan Act funds have not been administered). It is imperative 
that annual discretionary funding continue to invest in TCUs to address 
these longstanding needs.
    challenges: indian student count and growth isc formula and non-
                             beneficiaries
    As noted earlier, TCU operations funding remains insufficient, and 
our budgets are further disadvantaged; because, unlike other 
institutions of higher education, most TCUs receive operations funding 
based on the number of Indian students served, with ``Indian student'' 
defined as a member of a federally recognized Tribe or a biological 
child of an enrolled Tribal member. Yet, approximately 15 percent of 
TCU enrollments are non-Indian students. Many TCUs seek operating funds 
from their respective state legislatures for non-Indian state-resident 
students (``non-beneficiary students''), but success has been 
inconsistent. Given their locations, often hundreds of miles from 
another postsecondary institution, TCUs are open to all students, 
Indian and non-Indian, because we know that postsecondary education is 
the catalyst to a better economic future in rural America.
                             growth of tcus
    Since the enactment of the TCU Act more than 40 years ago, TCUs 
have never received the modest Congressionally authorized funding level 
($9,937 per Indian student, $8,000 adjusted for inflation). Yet, we are 
so close: an increase of $17 million over the FY 2021 level is all that 
we need to fully fund TCUs for the first time ever. In the context of 
other federal programs, our request is quite modest. For example, the 
only other minority serving institution that receives operating funding 
from the federal government, Howard University, received $205,788,000 
for undergraduate programs in FY 2019, or about $23,000 student, along 
with $3 million for its endowment. We ask only for $9,937 per student 
for the Title I TCUs.
    Over the past 10 years, this Subcommittee has worked diligently to 
provide the extra resources needed to enable all TCUs to be funded on 
an academic year schedule. We are extremely grateful for this. The 
benefit to TCUs of being able to plan an annual budget and start the 
academic year with operating funding has been tremendous. Yet, during 
the time it took to provide this funding, four new TCUs became eligible 
to receive funding under Title I of the TCU Act: College of the 
Muscogee Nation (Okmulgee, OK), Red Lake Nation College (Red Lake, MN), 
Tohono O'odham Community College (Sells, AZ), and White Earth Tribal 
and Community College (Mahnomen, MN). Unfortunately, Title I funding 
has not kept pace with inflation, much less received increases 
sufficient to support new TCUs. For example, between FY 2014-2018, 
funding for the 28 Title I TCUs was flat despite the growing need for 
higher education across Indian Country. As we move forward, we are 
worried about TCU operating funding: at least three new TCUs could join 
the pool soon (Alaska Pacific University, California Tribal College, 
and San Carlos Apache College). The addition of these TCUs is important 
for Indian Country, but only if support is available to ensure that 
they can operate effectively.
                               conclusion
    TCUs provide quality higher education to thousands of AI/ANs and 
other rural residents and provide essential community programs and 
services to those who might otherwise not have access to such 
opportunities. The modest federal investment in TCUs has paid great 
dividends in terms of employment, education, and economic development 
and has significantly reduced social, health care, and law enforcement 
costs. The global pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges and 
created new challenges for TCUs as they plan for an uncertain future. 
More than even, TCUs need your ongoing support. We appreciate the 
Subcommittee's past support of the nation's TCUs and your thoughtful 
consideration of our FY 2022 appropriations requests.

    [This statement was submitted by Carrie L. Billy, President & CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the American Institute of Biological Sciences
    The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) appreciates 
the opportunity to provide testimony in support of appropriations for 
the Smithsonian Institution, United States Geological Survey (USGS), 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year (FY) 2022. We encourage 
Congress to provide additional funding to the Smithsonian Institution 
in FY 2022, including at least $60 million to the National Museum of 
Natural History to support scientific and curatorial work. We urge 
Congress to provide the USGS with $1.75 billion in FY 2022, with at 
least $310 million for its Ecosystems Mission Area. We further request 
that Science Support in USFWS be provided at least $35 million in FY 
2022. Lastly, we request that Congress provide EPA Science and 
Technology with at least $900 million in FY 2022.
    The unprecedented loss of biological diversity and the associated 
negative impacts on human health and well-being are of significant 
concern. As human population grows and people increasingly come into 
contact with new environments and species migrating into new habitats, 
the risk of new diseases, such as zoonotic pandemics, is of growing 
concern. Biological diversity, however, offers a buffer against the 
spread of pathogens and contributes to environmental sustainability and 
increases our resilience to natural disasters. Robust federal 
investments in scientific research and monitoring that improves our 
understanding of biological diversity and ecosystem function must be a 
priority as we emerge from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The agencies 
funded by this appropriations bill are centrally involved in 
conducting, supporting, and using this scientific research for public 
benefit.
    AIBS is a scientific association advancing the biological sciences 
to promote an increased understanding of all life. Our mission is to 
promote the use of scientific information to inform decision making and 
advance biology for the benefit of science and society.
                        smithsonian institution
    Scientific collections and the professionals and scientists who 
collect, care for, and study these resources are a vital component of 
our nation's research infrastructure and bioeconomy. Collections are a 
critical resource for advancing the knowledge needed to address current 
global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and 
pandemics.
    The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History 
(NMNH) is a valuable federal partner in the curation of and research on 
scientific specimens. Scientists at the NMNH care for 146 million 
scientific specimens and ensure the strategic growth of this 
internationally recognized scientific research institution. To increase 
the availability of these scientific resources to researchers, 
educators, other federal agencies, and the public, NMNH is working on a 
multi-year effort to digitize its collections and make the data 
available online. That effort will substantially increase the use of 
these collections by researchers, educators and students, and 
policymakers. NMNH is also working to strengthen curatorial and 
research staffing and to backfill positions left open by retirements 
and budget constraints. The current staffing level is insufficient to 
provide optimal care for the collections. Future curatorial and 
collections management staffing levels may be further jeopardized given 
prior funding cuts at science agencies, such as the USGS that, until 
recently, supported staff positions at NMNH.
    The budget for NMNH has not seen adequate increases in recent 
years. We urge Congress to provide NMNH with at least $60 million in FY 
2022 to allow the museum to undertake critical collections care, make 
needed technology upgrades, and conduct cutting edge research.
                         u.s. geological survey
    The USGS provides unbiased, independent research, data, and 
assessments that are needed by public and private sector decision--
makers. Data generated by the USGS save taxpayers money by enabling 
more effective management of water and biological resources and 
providing essential geospatial information that is needed for 
commercial activity and natural resource management. The data collected 
by the USGS are simply not available from other sources.
    The Ecosystems Mission Area is the biological research arm of USGS 
and is integral to the agency's other science mission areas. It 
provides the science needed to achieve sustainable management and 
conservation of natural resources and inform land and water 
stewardship. The USGS conducts research on and monitors fish, wildlife, 
and vegetation--data that informs management decisions by other 
Interior bureaus. Biological science programs collect and analyze long-
term data not available from other agencies, universities, or the 
private sector. The knowledge generated by the USGS are used by federal 
and state natural resource managers to maintain healthy and diverse 
ecosystems while balancing the needs of public use.
    Examples of successful USGS Ecosystem initiatives include:

  --Development of comprehensive geospatial data products that 
        characterize the risk of wildfires on all lands in the United 
        States. These products are used to allocate firefighting 
        resources and to plan wildfire fuel reduction projects.
  --Development and evaluation of control measures and other management 
        interventions for invasive species, such as Asian carp and sea 
        lamprey, that cause billions of dollars in economic losses to 
        fisheries, hydropower, recreation, and many other industries.
  --Development of the scientific understanding needed to combat the 
        spread of avian flu, white-nose syndrome, and other diseases 
        spread by wildlife in North America, including diseases that 
        can jump from wild populations to livestock, agricultural 
        systems, and humans.

    The USGS also supports critical science needed to respond to a 
number of national and global challenges. Examples of the important 
work conducted by the USGS include:Q02
  --The National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers.--This 
        program is responsible for developing the science and tools to 
        address the effects of climate change on land, water, wildlife, 
        fish, ecosystems, and communities. These centers play a vital 
        role in addressing the impacts of unique weather patterns on 
        ecosystem health across the country.
  --The National Wildlife Health Center.--This USGS-wide program 
        investigates national and international wildlife health issues, 
        including the spread of zoonotic pathogens, such as the SARS-
        CoV-2 virus. Zoonoses-diseases that spread from wildlife to 
        humans--can pose serious threats to human health and cause 
        significant disruptions to the economy.
  --Cooperative Research Units (CRUs).--CRUs are located on 40 
        university campuses in 38 states. These research centers are a 
        cost-effective way for USGS to leverage research and technical 
        expertise affiliated with these universities to conduct 
        actionable research, provide technical assistance, and develop 
        scientific workforces through graduate education and mentoring 
        programs.
  --Environmental Health Research.--The Toxic Substances Hydrology and 
        Contaminant Biology programs work collaboratively with other 
        USGS Mission Areas, and with many external collaborators to 
        study environmental contaminants and pathogens in the 
        environment and provide the critical science needed to help 
        Federal, State, and local government agencies, the private 
        sector, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholder 
        groups protect our health.
  --Research on ecosystems of concern.--This research is a critical 
        component of efforts to restore important national resources, 
        such as the Everglades and the Chesapeake Bay. The Arctic 
        ecosystem research and monitoring program addresses the needs 
        of Native communities, and also promotes public health 
        throughout the U.S. by monitoring avian influenza, which can 
        spread to humans.
    In summary, the USGS is uniquely positioned to provide a scientific 
context for many of the nation's biological and environmental 
challenges, including pandemics, water quality and use, energy 
independence, and conservation of biodiversity. This array of research 
expertise not only serves the core missions of the Department of the 
Interior, but also contributes to management decisions made by other 
agencies and private sector organizations. USGS science also enables 
cost-effective decisions, as the agency's activities help to identify 
the most efficient management actions. Increased investments in these 
important research activities will yield dividends.
    We urge Congress to provide significant increases in funding to the 
Ecosystems Mission Area. In recent years, the budget for USGS has 
stagnated. Failure to make critical investments in the research 
conducted by the agency will hamper long-term data collection 
initiatives, lead to critical data loss, and undermine the nation's 
ability to address national challenges.
    We request Congress fund USGS at $1.75 billion in FY 2022, with at 
least $310 million for the Ecosystems mission area.
                     u.s. fish and wildlife service
    Funding for the Science Support program within USFWS has remained 
essentially flat at $17.3 million since FY 2018. This program provides 
scientific information needed by USFWS, such as research on 
conservation of priority species prior to Endangered Species Act 
listing, the impacts of energy production on wildlife, and best 
management practices for combating invasive species, and needs to be 
robustly funded. We request that Science Support be provided at least 
$35 million in FY 2022.
                    environmental protection agency
    Funding for EPA Science and Technology supports valuable research 
that identifies and mitigates environmental problems. EPA research 
informs decisions made by public health and safety managers, natural 
resource managers, businesses, and other stakeholders concerned about 
air and water pollution, human health, and land management and 
restoration. This program provides the scientific basis upon which EPA 
monitoring and enforcement programs are built.
    Despite the important role of EPA Science and Technology in the 
federal government's ability to ensure that people have clean air and 
water, funding for its programs in recent years has remained 
significantly lower than the level enacted in FY 2010. The President 
has proposed increasing EPA's overall budget by 21 percent in FY 2022. 
This much needed increase will allow the agency to provide resources 
for efforts to protect and restore our nation's natural resources.
    Please provide at least $900 million in FY 2022 to support 
scientific research at the EPA.
                               conclusion
    We urge Congress to sustain its bipartisan support for science by 
investing in our nation's scientific capacity. Thank you for your 
thoughtful consideration of this request.

    [This statement was submitted by Jyotsna Pandey, Public Policy 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the American Lung Association
Summary of FY 2022 Appropriations Recommendations:

        Clean Air Program overall--$573.2 million
        Climate Protection Program--$115.9 million
        Federal Support for Air Quality Management $171 million
        Federal Vehicle Fuels Standards and Certifications Programs--
        $110.2 million
        Categorical Grants: State and Local Air Quality Management--
        $321.5 million
        Categorical Grants: Tribal Air Quality Management--$31 million
        Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program--$150 million
        Categorical Grant: Radon--$8.9 million
        EPA Radon Program--$3.3 million
        Compliance Monitoring--$132.4 million
        Enforcement--$566.5 million
        New Wildfire Smoke Protection Program--$15 million

    Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony to 
highlight the funding priorities of the American Lung Association 
within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year 2022. 
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to 
save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through 
education, advocacy and research. Between the toll of lung cancer, the 
prevalence of asthma, the harms of unhealthy air and the COVID-19 
pandemic, investments in the nation's lung health are critical. We 
appreciate the robust increases for EPA provided in the President's 
FY22 Budget and have updated a number of our requests to reflect the 
President's request.
    EPA programs save lives and improve lung health. The Agency is 
responsible for setting and enforcing national air pollution standards; 
supporting state, local and Tribal air quality monitoring and pollution 
reduction efforts; educating the public on air toxics and air 
pollution; issuing grants to retrofit dirty diesel buses and more. Air 
pollution poses a threat to the health of all Americans, but there is 
someone in every family at heightened risk of health harms from 
breathing polluted air. There are nearly 37 million Americans living 
with a chronic lung disease like asthma or chronic obstructive 
pulmonary disease (COPD). Children, seniors, pregnant people and those 
who work and play outside are also more likely to suffer health harms. 
Additionally, people of color and those with low incomes face a greater 
risk of exposure to air pollution due to communities being overlooked 
for investment and enforcement in addition to longstanding racist 
practices like redlining.
    The President's recently announced budget included a more than 20% 
increase for EPA. We strongly support this overall increase in 
investment and ask the Committee to ensure increased funding for 
programs that help promote clean air and enforce pollution cleanup. 
Funds under EPA's Clean Air Program are used in part to assist states, 
Tribes and local air pollution control agencies with implementing 
comprehensive air quality management programs to meet the national air 
quality standards. This program also includes testing and oversight to 
ensure vehicles are emitting lawful amounts of pollution into the air 
as well as efforts to reduce carbon pollution, methane, and other 
climate pollutants to protect public health from the impacts of climate 
change. Please provide $434.1 million for Environmental Programs and 
Management and $139.1 million for Science and Technology. Within this 
program area, the Lung Association specifically requests $115.9 million 
for the Climate Protection Program; $171 million for Federal Support 
for Air Quality Management; and $110.2 million for Federal Vehicle 
Fuels Standards and Certifications Programs.
    Accurately monitoring the air we breathe is the first step to 
addressing air pollution. Unfortunately, state, local and Tribal air 
agencies--who run most of the nation's air quality monitoring system--
have been perennially underfunded, and many areas are operating with 
out-of-date monitors. According to a recent report from the Government 
Accountability Office, there has actually been a 20% decrease in funds, 
adjusted for inflation, since 2004.\1\ Grant dollars provided under 
Section 103 and 105 of the Clean Air Act help fund air quality 
monitoring work, which informs the public of risks to their health and 
identifies areas in need of cleanup. We were pleased to see funds 
included in the recently passed American Rescue Plan, but we know that 
more is needed so that state, local and Tribal air agencies can add, 
upgrade and maintain air monitors and improve engagement with the 
public to protect health, as part of a multi-year, sustained investment 
in these critical programs. Please provide $321.5 million for State and 
Local Air Quality Management Categorical Grants and $31 million for 
Tribal Air Quality Management Categorical Grants.
    Additionally, EPA must be able to ensure compliance with national 
air standards, which mean little if they are not enforced. Continued 
investment in EPA's enforcement work is critical to ensure 
accountability when it comes to protecting the public from dangerous 
air pollution. EPA must have the ability and funding needed to reduce 
non-compliance as well as enforce penalties for violations. EPA must 
also be prepared to respond to civil enforcement actions authorized by 
the Clean Air Act. Please provide $132.4 million for EPA's Compliance 
Monitoring and $566.5 million for Enforcement. Enforcement funding 
should include dedicated funding for environmental justice enforcement. 
Included in enforcement funding should be dedicated funding for 
environmental justice enforcement.
    One of the programs within EPA that continues to receive bipartisan 
support is the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program. Millions 
of old, dirty diesel engines are in use today that pollute communities, 
threaten workers and cause lung cancer. According to a 2019 EPA report, 
the Committee's continued investments in this program have yielded up 
to $30 in health benefits for every $1 spent.\2\ Immense opportunities 
remain to reduce diesel emissions through the DERA program, and we urge 
the Committee to appropriate $150 million in FY22. Additionally, we 
urge the Committee to support the rapid transition to electric school 
buses. When schools safely reopen, millions of children will ride a bus 
to school every day, exposing them to pollution from these dirty diesel 
engines. Investing in the transition to electric school buses will 
provide a safer, healthier environment for children, who are among 
those most at risk of health harm from breathing in pollution.
    Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that seeps through the ground 
as it shifts and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the 
United States. EPA's radon program and its State Indoor Radon Grants 
are the only nationwide tools that help prevent exposure to radon. 
States and Tribes depend on these programs to educate the public and 
fight this deadly carcinogen. We recommend $3.3 million for EPA's Radon 
Program (within that, $3.1 million be appropriated for Environmental 
Program and Management and $158,000 for Science and Technology) and 
$8.9 million for the State Indoor Radon Grants.
    For the second year, we are requesting a new program to be housed 
with EPA. Wildfires are no longer a rare occurrence, making wildfire 
smoke an urgent and increasing threat to health. Currently there are 
knowledge gaps, particularly on how wildfires affect the health of 
those living in downwind states, and there is a lack of a focused 
federal response to health impacts. EPA would be well equipped to 
provide that federal response with additional resources. The Lung 
Association requests a total of $15 million in funding to address these 
impacts, including $5 million to establish Wildfire Smoke Health 
Centers in Collaboration with US Forest Service Missoula Fire Sciences 
Laboratory; $7 million for targeted research on wildfire smoke exposure 
and policy; and $3 million for EPA to coordinate interagency science, 
management and communication strategies for addressing wildfires.
    Lastly, the American Lung Association also asks for your leadership 
in opposing all policy riders that would weaken key lung health 
protections, including those in the Clean Air Act. Policy riders have 
no place in appropriations bills, and the Lung Association strongly 
opposes attempts to include them, especially riders that would make it 
harder to protect Americans from air pollution.
    Investments in EPA programs are critical to protecting public 
health. On behalf of the Lung Association, I thank you for your 
consideration of these requests.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Government Accountability Office. (2020). Air Pollution: 
Opportunities to Better Sustain and Modernize the National Air Quality 
Monitoring System (GAO-21-38)
    \2\ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-07/documents/
420r19005.pdf

    [This statement was submitted by Harold P. Wimmer, National 
President and CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the American Society for the Prevention of 
                           Cruelty to Animals
    On behalf of our over 2 million supporters, the American Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) appreciates this 
opportunity to submit testimony to the Senate Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. Founded in 
1866, the ASPCA is the first humane organization established in the 
Americas and serves as the nation's leading voice for animal welfare. 
We respectfully request that the Subcommittee consider the following 
concerns when making FY2022 appropriations.
                    wild horse and burro management
    In the nearly 50 years since Congress charged the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) with protecting our country's wild horses and burros, 
Americans have witnessed the agency's Wild Horse and Burro Program 
deteriorate into a continuous cycle of costly roundups and removals 
with little regard for the prioritization of on-range management of the 
herds. Our wild horses and burros should be revered as historical 
icons, treated humanely, and managed responsibly on our public lands. 
Fortunately, we are starting to see the agency slowly embrace a more 
positive management framework, thanks to additional funding and strong 
congressional directives to steer the program on track over the past 
few years.
    Implement humane, effective on-range and off-range management 
programs.
    Recognizing that the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program is in dire 
need of an overhaul, the ASPCA has partnered with a diverse group of 
stakeholders to propose a non-lethal, humane, and long-term approach to 
on-range management that would implement a sweeping fertility control 
program on the range and eventually release the BLM from a continuous 
cycle of round-ups, removals, and off-range holding. The proposal 
contains four interdependent strategies that must be implemented 
simultaneously to have a meaningful effect: 1) immediate and robust 
application of proven safe and humane fertility control to manage the 
on-range population; 2) shifting horses currently in off-range BLM 
corrals to humane, cost-effective pasture facilities; 3) increasing 
wild horse and burro adoptions; and 4) removals of horses from densely 
populated herd management areas to reduce the population that must be 
managed on-range, the need for which will decrease over time as the 
program rebalances towards on-range management, with strict adherence 
to the BLM's Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.\1\ The FY2020 
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L. 116-94, allocated an 
additional $21 million for the program and included clear language 
directing BLM to implement a comprehensive, on-range management program 
that embraces the four principles of our proposal. The FY2021 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L 116-260, allocated an additional 
$14 million for the program with similar directives. We appreciate the 
Committee's support for a non-lethal, science-based wild horse and 
burro management program which, if funded at appropriate levels, can 
effectively rebalance the BLM's program and ensure that wild horses and 
burros can be managed humanely in perpetuity.
    It is evident that momentum is building in support of this 
comprehensive, non-lethal solution--not only on Capitol Hill, but also 
within the Department of Interior and the agency. We have been 
encouraged by recent BLM statements that fertility control is a 
critical component of any successful program and that such a program is 
possible with additional funding, and incorporation of these important 
technologies into Environmental Assessments used to guide management 
decisions. The report that the BLM submitted to Congress in May 
2020\2\--which Congress instructed the agency to produce in both the 
FY19 and FY20 Interior Appropriations bill--details how a non-lethal 
management program can be achieved, including through the use of 
fertility control. We are also encouraged to see the agency pursue 
research to find longer lasting vaccines, such as the oocyte growth 
factor vaccine study in Nevada.\3\ These actions mark an important 
departure from the agency's previous requests to use lethal management 
tools--an unthinkable outcome for our treasured wild horses and burros.
The ASPCA requests that the Subcommittee continue its progress towards 
        a humane, non-lethal and effective wild horse and burro 
        management program and include the following report language in 
        its FY2022 Appropriations Bill:

    Wild Horse and Burro Management.--The bill provides $152,596,000 
for the Wild Horse and Burro program. These funds are in response to 
the Department of Interior's Fiscal Year 2022 budget request and the 
Bureau's May 15, 2020 proposal to institute a vigorous, non-lethal 
population control strategy to address the current unsustainable 
trajectory of on-range wild horse and burro population growth. The 
Committees expect this strategy to continue and to include a robust 
expansion of fertility control utilizing methods that are proven, safe, 
effective, and humane. Such treatments and on-range gathers are to be 
maximized, even if appropriate management levels are not immediately 
achievable. As the Bureau works to substantially increase on-range 
gathers for removal, the Committees encourage the Bureau to continue to 
secure cheaper and longer-term off-range holding facilities and 
pastures. The Committees further expect the Bureau to demonstrate its 
ability to increase its capacity for gathers; procure additional short 
and long term holding facilities; and to ensure that adequate staffing 
requirements are met, both in the field and in a location that will 
facilitate communication with policy makers. The Bureau shall continue 
to abide by the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program and the statutory 
restrictions on sale without restriction, and the directives contained 
in Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 House and Senate Reports and Explanatory 
Statements. The committee is deeply concerned with recent evidence 
linking the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Adoption 
Incentive Program to wild horses going to slaughter for human 
consumption and urges immediate suspension of the program pending a 
thorough investigation. Finally, the Committees believe that the full 
and successful implementation of the Bureau's strategy will be greatly 
enhanced with a traditional congressional communications policy that 
includes regular and timely briefings on the progress being made and 
the challenges ahead.
    Prohibit BLM and Forest Service funding for euthanasia or sale 
without limitations of wild horses and burros as management methods.
    Congress has repeatedly confirmed its opposition to the killing and 
slaughter of our nation's wild horses and burros by prohibiting BLM 
from spending funds to kill healthy wild horses and burros or from 
selling them without limitations on sales. In the FY2020 Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress continued the prohibition on 
lethal management methods for BLM wild horses and burros and, for the 
very first time, extended the prohibition to cover wild horses and 
burros managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This language was included 
again in the FY2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
The ASPCA requests that the Subcommittee continue to include the 
        following language from Section 419 of P.L. 116-260:

Humane Transfer and Treatment of Animals
    SEC. 419. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management, or the Secretary of Agriculture, with 
respect to land administered by the Forest Service (referred to in this 
section as the ``Secretary concerned''), may transfer excess wild 
horses and burros that have been removed from land administered by the 
Secretary concerned to other Federal, State, and local government 
agencies for use as work animals.
    (b) The Secretary concerned may make a transfer under subsection 
(a) immediately on the request of a Federal, State, or local government 
agency.
    (c) An excess wild horse or burro transferred under subsection (a) 
shall lose status as a wild free-roaming horse or burro (as defined in 
section 2 of Public Law 92-195 (commonly known as the ``Wild Free-
Roaming Horses and Burros Act'') (16 U.S.C. 1332)).
    (d) A Federal, State, or local government agency receiving an 
excess wild horse or burro pursuant to subsection (a) shall not-(1) 
destroy the horse or burro in a manner that results in the destruction 
of the horse or burro into a commercial product; (2) sell or otherwise 
transfer the horse or burro in a manner that results in the destruction 
of the horse or burro for processing into a commercial product; or (3) 
euthanize the horse or burro, except on the recommendation of a 
licensed veterinarian in a case of severe injury, illness, or advanced 
age.
    (e) Amounts appropriated by this Act shall not be available for-(1) 
the destruction of any healthy, unadopted, and wild horse or burro 
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned (including a 
contractor); or (2) the sale of a wild horse or burro that results in 
the destruction of the wild horse or burro for processing into a 
commercial product.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Bureau of Land Management, Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program 
for Wild Horse and Burro Gathers, IM 2015-151: https://www.blm.gov/
policy/im-2015-151
    \2\ Bureau of Land Management, Report to Congress: An Analysis of 
Achieving a Sustainable Wild Horse and Burro Program, May 2020: https:/
/www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/WHB-Report-2020-NewCover-051920-
508.pdf
    \3\ Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Oocyte Growth 
Factor Vaccine Study, 2020: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/
eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=
renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=1502949

    [This statement was submitted by Nancy Perry, Senior Vice 
President, Government Relations.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the American Urological Association
    The American Urological Association (AUA) thanks the Subcommittee 
on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related 
Agencies for the opportunity to submit the following outside witness 
testimony for the FY 2022 appropriations process. We respectfully 
request that you consider our report language focused on research at 
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) prioritizing ``Prostate Cancer 
Disparities'' at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and ``Chronic 
Urologic Diseases'' at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 
and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
    The AUA is a globally engaged organization with more than 22,000 
members practicing in more than 100 countries. Our members represent 
the world's largest collection of expertise and insight into the 
treatment of urologic disease. Of the total AUA membership, more than 
15,000 are based in the United States and provide invaluable support to 
the urologic community by fostering the highest standards of urologic 
care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.
          prioritizing research on prostate cancer disparities
    Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men 
and more than 10 percent of men receive a prostate cancer diagnosis 
during their lifetime. Moreover, prostate cancer disproportionately 
impacts men of color. In fact, incidence of prostate cancer is almost 
80 percent higher in Black men, and prostate cancer mortality among 
Black men is more than double that of men in every other racial or 
ethnic group. Given this disparate impact, the research and treatment 
of prostate cancer is both an urgent health policy and health equity 
priority. The NCI should increase funding to address these disparities 
in the delivery of care and outcomes in Black men with clinically 
localized prostate cancer through robust funding of new research 
studies, as well as continued funding of ongoing research studies.
    The NCI is currently supporting research to study the biological 
and non-biological factors associated with aggressive prostate cancer 
in African American men. The RESPOND (Research on Prostate Cancer in 
African American Men: Defining the Roles of Genetics, Tumor Markers, 
and Social Stress) Study aims to identify and address the underlying 
causes of disparities in prostate cancer incidence and mortality. To 
ensure this research effort will continue to expand our understanding 
of disparities in prostate cancer and improve health equity for Black 
men and their families, the NCI should provide an update on this study 
in the NIH FY 2023 budget justification, including whether additional 
funds and/or resources are needed to support this work.

FY 2022 Report Language Request
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute

    Prostate Cancer Disparities.--Nearly 250,000 men will be diagnosed 
with and 34,000 men will die from prostate cancer in 2021. Incidence of 
prostate cancer is almost 80% higher in non-Hispanic Black and prostate 
cancer mortality among Black men is more than double that of men in 
every other racial or ethnic group--representing a stark example of 
health inequity in cancer outcomes. The Committee supports the National 
Cancer Institute and National Institute on Minority Health and Health 
Disparities' Research on Prostate Cancer in Men of African American 
Ancestry: Defining the Roles of Genetics Tumor Markers, and Social 
Stress (RESPOND) Study, intended to identify the underlying causes of 
disparities in prostate cancer incidence and mortality. The Committee 
requests an update on the study in the National Institute of Health's 
2023 budget justification, including whether additional funds are 
needed to speed or expand the impact of this important work.
         increase funding for chronic urologic disease research
    There continues to be a concerning prevalence of chronic urologic 
disease, like prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 
cystitis, urinary tract infection, erectile dysfunction, urinary 
incontinence, and overactive bladder among Americans. These conditions 
continue to affect millions of individuals including children, adults, 
men, women, all races, and all socioeconomic strata in the U.S., 
resulting in significant health care costs, and substantial disability 
and impaired quality of life for these individuals. The Urologic 
Diseases in America project funded by the NIDDK found that the 3 of the 
top 5 most costly urologic conditions to treat in the U.S. are non-
cancerous functional urologic diseases including urinary tract 
infections ($3.5 billion), kidney stones ($2.1 billion), BPH ($1.1 
billion). Because many of the chronic urologic conditions are strongly 
impacted by social determinants of health, resultant inequities in 
access, treatment and outcomes are common for these conditions. We 
appreciate the NIH's previous efforts to increase research funding and 
resources in this area. However, we are concerned about insufficient 
has been done to address these non-cancerous functional urologic health 
conditions leading to poorer health outcomes for patients, increased 
costs to the healthcare system and worsening inequities.
    The NIDDK is equipped to support research to advance our ability to 
combat chronic urologic conditions and improve urologic health; 
however, more funding is necessary to move the needle. The NIDDK 
received a disproportionate increase in funding compared to other 
institutes at the NIH in fiscal year (FY) 2021. Congress stated in the 
FY 2021 Labor-HHS report the committee intended to provide a 1.5 
percent increase for all NIH institutes and centers in the FY 2021 
Labor-HHS appropriations bill, however, the NIDDK received an increase 
of less of one percent. The AUA is concerned about what this means for 
NIDDK's ability to continue its existing research and undergo new 
research initiatives, particularly as the institute supports COVID-19 
related research relevant to its mission despite not receiving 
emergency funds. To ensure that NIDDK has the capacity to support 
urologic research consistent with their mission, the AUA recommends 
increased funding for NIDDK. This will allow the institute to 
coordinate research efforts to better understand these conditions and 
improve patient outcomes.

FY 2022 Report Language Request
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

    Chronic Urologic Diseases.--There continues to be a concerning 
prevalence of chronic urologic diseases among Americans and the 
Committee applauds NIH efforts to increase research funding and 
resources. Despite its prevalence and health impact, we are concerned 
there is not enough research on these chronic conditions, such as 
prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), cystitis, urinary 
tract infection, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and 
overactive bladder. To make progress in prevention and treatment of all 
chronic urologic disease, the Committee recommends increased funding 
for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 
Diseases and encourages the Institute to strengthen and coordinate 
research efforts to better understand these conditions, improve patient 
outcomes and reduce healthcare inequalities.
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of the Americans for the Arts
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this written 
testimony to you today in support of federal funding for the National 
Endowment for the Arts (NEA). We request that you match President 
Biden's FY 2022 budget request of $201 million for the NEA.
    Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for 
advancing the arts and arts education in America. We have more than 60 
years of service and are dedicated to representing and serving the more 
than 4,500 local arts agencies in every state. Together we work to 
ensure that every American has access to the transformative power of 
the arts. I appreciate the opportunity to provide public comment on the 
budget request for the NEA.
    We were pleased to see the Administration's substantial and 
necessary increase for the NEA. This is a welcome change from the 
previous Administration's budgets--in four consecutive years--that 
called for the elimination of the NEA. This new approach is consistent 
with the recent bipartisan work from this committee, and Congress, in 
consistently increasing funding for the NEA, and I know that I speak 
for the arts and culture community in expressing our deep appreciation 
to Congress in appropriating an additional $5.25 million in funds for 
the NEA in FY 2021 over FY 2020 enacted levels.
    Receiving consecutive years of gradual funding increases, the NEA's 
investment in every congressional district in the country now 
contributes to a $919.7 billion arts and culture industry in America 
according to our U.S. Department of Commerce, representing 4.3 percent 
of the annual GDP. The nation's arts and culture industry supports 5.2 
million jobs and yields a $33 billion trade surplus for our country.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, https://www.bea.gov/news/
2021/arts-and-cultural-production-satellite-account-us-and-states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Further, every NEA grant dollar leverages at least $9 in private 
and other public funds, generating more than $500 million in matching 
support. This leveraging power far surpasses the required non-federal 
match of at least 1:1 and illustrates why federal support for the arts 
is uniquely valuable. The federal investment in the arts helps power 
the creative economy across the country.
    Proportionally, the NEA's budget is just 0.0035 percent of the 
federal budget. That amounts to 51 cents per capita. In fact, the NEA 
budget has been losing its share of federal discretionary spending and 
failing to keep pace with inflation since 1992 when the appropriation 
was for $176 million, the last highwater mark for the agency. When 
adjusted for inflation, the NEA's 1992 budget would today be a little 
less than twice the current budget at $326 million.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ Americans for the Arts, https://www.americansforthearts.org/
sites/default/files/NEA%202021%20FINAL_0.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Regarding our request for FY 2022, we hope that the NEA will 
receive funding at $201 million, the highest funding--level ever 
appropriated by Congress for the agency.
    We estimate that a $33.5 million increase, based on current NEA 
programming would provide:

  --An increase in the total amount for direct endowment grants by 
        about $18 million.
  --An increase of $12 million to the NEA's state partnership 
        agreement.
  --With the NEA estimation of a 9:1 return for each direct grant 
        dollar, this funding level increase would be expected to 
        leverage an additional $500 million in non-federal matching 
        support.
  --$15 million in funding to advance racial equity, access, and 
        climate justice.

    NEA grants are remarkably far-reaching, and they touch many 
communities which have fewer opportunities to experience the arts. 
According to the NEA, the majority of direct grants go to small-and 
medium-sized organizations, which often support projects for audiences 
that otherwise might not have access to arts programming. In FY 2020:

  --42% of NEA--supported activities take place in high-poverty 
        neighborhoods; and
  --35% of NEA grants went to organizations that reach underserved 
        populations such as people with disabilities, people in 
        institutions, and veterans--such as those who receive care 
        through Creative Forces, which places creative arts therapies 
        at the core of patient-centered care at 11 military medical 
        facilities and a telehealth program for patients in rural and 
        remote areas.\3\
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    \3\ National Endowment for the Arts, https://www.arts.gov/sites/
default/files/Quick_Facts_February2020.pdf.
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    NEA's funding to Local Arts Agencies (LAAs) is extremely vital to 
their ability to serve their communities. LAAs collectively are 
responsible for approximately $912 million in public and private 
grantmaking annually. They are also the largest grantmaker to 
individual artists. LAAs work directly for or with mayors, city 
managers, county supervisors, and township managers as well corporate 
CEOs, real estate developers, and social service providers in every 
size community across the country. Additionally, LAAs have taken the 
lead in equity--centered grantmaking in their cities, counties, and 
rural and suburban areas. They have been entrusted with federal, state, 
and local funds, including CDBG grants and CARES Act and American 
Rescue Plan Act state and local block grant funds to support emergency 
relief grants to arts and culture small businesses, nonprofit 
institutions, individual gig artists, and entrepreneurs.
    One recent issue LAAs have been focused on is addressing cultural 
equity. I'd like to highlight some of those examples and would 
encourage the NEA to continue supporting this important work by 
directing additional resources to ensuring there is cultural equity in 
the arts.

  --The Belonging in Oakland Initiatives: Neighborhood Voices and the 
        Just City Cultural Fund; Oakland, CA-Neighborhood Voices is a 
        grant program that lifts up seldom--heard voices of Oakland's 
        neighborhoods by supporting the expression, recognition, and 
        understanding of the array of diverse communities that make 
        Oakland unique, vibrant, and resilient. This program is a by-
        product of Belonging in Oakland--the City of Oakland's cultural 
        development plan that aims to promote cultural equity, 
        belonging, and well-being for all the communities of 
        Oakland.\4\
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    \4\ https://city-of-oakland-california.forms.fm/neighborhood-
voices-belonging-in-oakland/forms/5263.
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  --Unrestricted Support for Artists and Arts Organizations; Memphis, 
        TN-ArtsMemphis has served Memphis and Shelby County, TN, since 
        1963, investing more than $85M in organizations and artists. 
        Since 2016, ArtsMemphis has been advancing the redesign of 
        their cornerstone operating support grant program. Through 
        continual review and refinement, ArtsMemphis has shifted this 
        program to be more accessible, more inclusive, and more 
        representative of the community. Today, ArtsMemphis' operating 
        support grant funds 48 organizations with budgets ranging from 
        $30K to $15M. 41% of these organizations have a BIPOC leader 
        and 77% have audiences who are majority people of color. Out of 
        the 2.5 million arts experiences their grantees provided pre-
        pandemic, 1.3 million engaged participants who were people of 
        color. In 2020, ArtsMemphis utilized a racial equity lens for 
        grant awards, providing an across-the-board increase to Black-
        led organizations serving majority black audiences.\5\
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    \5\ https://www.artsmemphis.org/grants.

    We must continue to strongly support federal funding of the arts as 
it fosters investment, spurs job--related growth, expands educational 
opportunities, is essential to LAAs, and provides for the preservation 
of our heritage.
    Thank you for your consideration and support of $201 million for 
the NEA in the FY 2022 budget, and, as always, we stand ready to assist 
and remain focused on pursuing an increase for the NEA for the coming 
fiscal year.

    [This statement was submitted by General Nolen Bivens (U.S. Army 
Ret.), President and CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the Animal Welfare Institute
    The Animal Welfare Institute, a national animal welfare advocacy 
nonprofit organization, asks the Subcommittee to provide adequate 
funding levels for crucial wildlife programs and to include measures to 
protect at--risk species.
 bureau of land management (blm) and u.s. forest service--wild horses 
                               and burros
    The BLM, which oversees the vast majority of America's wild horses 
and burros, continues to mismanage herds, relying on an endless cycle 
of costly removals from public lands instead of implementing viable 
solutions, such as immunocontraception to control fertility rates and 
manage these federally protected animals on the range. In its May 2020 
report to Congress, the BLM called for accelerated removals at a cost 
of roughly $900 million in the first five years alone. The BLM cannot 
continue on its current unsustainable trajectory. While the agency 
spends upwards of $60 million annually on removals and holding, it 
spends less than 1 percent of its WHB program budget on fertility 
control. We ask the Committee to urge the agency to implement the use 
of the proven and safe immunocontraceptive vaccines--specifically the 
widely supported porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine, as per the 
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommendation. Moreover, we 
strongly support the continued inclusion of provisions to ensure that 
both BLM and U.S. Forest Service--managed wild equines cannot be 
destroyed for commercial purposes in order to protect these animals 
from slaughter, as well as language preventing the destruction of 
healthy, unadopted wild horses and burros.
    In recent years, the BLM has aggressively pursued attempts to 
manage wild horses via a risky and invasive surgical procedure known as 
``ovariectomy via colpotomy,'' which involves blindly locating the 
ovaries and severing them using a rod--like tool while the animal 
remains conscious. In its report on wild horse management, the NAS 
explicitly warned the BLM against using this procedure due to the risks 
of serious complications. Numerous lawmakers in the House and Senate 
have criticized the BLM's plans to ovariectomize horses and national 
polling shows overwhelming opposition to this procedure. We ask the 
Committee to include language barring the use of federal funds to 
conduct ovariectomies on wild horses and burros so that taxpayer 
dollars can be directed towards cost-effective, safe, and humane 
fertility control methods such as PZP. Finally, in light of the recent 
New York Times expose detailing how wild horses adopted through the 
BLM's Adoption Incentive Program are ending up in the slaughter 
pipeline, we ask the Committee to include language calling for an 
Office of Inspector General investigation into the program.
              endangered species act implementation (fws)
    We ask the committee to appropriate $592.1 million (across five 
programs) to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the purpose of 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation:

  --$63.7 million for Listing
  --$240.3 million for Recovery
  --$149 million for Planning and Consultation
  --$13.5 million for Conservation and Restoration
  --$125.6 million for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation 
        Fund (CESCF)

    Implementation of the Endangered Species Act, our nation's most 
effective law for species conservation, has been severely underfunded 
for years. The Fish and Wildlife Service requires a budget of $592.1 
million across five programs to begin to make up for lost ground and 
put species on the path to recovery. Critically, this includes ensuring 
every listed species receives a minimum of $50,000 per year for 
recovery. This funding package will allow the ESA to be implemented in 
the way Congress intended when it dedicated our country to protecting 
the species and the habitats most in need.
    The funding levels requested above would allow FWS to process its 
entire listing backlog in less than four years; put adequate funds 
toward recovery planning and actions for every listed species; maximize 
the efficacy and efficiency of working with other federal agencies and 
with states, counties, and private landowners; and implement early 
conservation actions that keep species from ever reaching the brink of 
extinction. Additionally, the CESCF serves as an essential source of 
funding for states and private landowners, making it a crucial tool for 
cooperative conservation.
                          trophy hunting (fws)
    We urge you to include language prohibiting the use of funds by the 
Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service for the issuance of any 
permit authorizing import from any country of a sport--hunted trophy 
from a threatened or endangered species until the Secretary has made a 
finding, after public notice and comment pursuant to Section 553 of 
Title 5 of the U.S. Code, of whether the country where the animal was 
killed adequately provides for the conservation and monitoring for that 
species, including a fully funded and implemented management plan for 
that species. That management plan should be based on the best 
available science that addresses existing threats to the species; 
provide a justification for how sport hunting significantly benefits 
the conservation of the species; formally coordinate with adjacent 
countries to protect transboundary populations; and ensure that any 
take is sustainable and does not contribute to the species' decline in 
either the short-term or long-term according to current population 
estimates.
    African elephants and lions continue to face severe threats to 
their survival, and Americans should not be allowed to import sport--
hunted trophies of threatened and endangered species in the absence of 
scientific data about the impact of hunting on relevant populations. 
Under the Trump administration, FWS tried to reverse the Obama-era bans 
on importing African elephant and lion trophies. In March 2018, the 
agency issued a memo announcing that decisions about whether to approve 
importation of sport--hunted elephant and lion trophies would be made 
on a ``case-by-case basis,'' replacing the former policy of having 
rules that applied to each species within each country of origin. The 
Subcommittee has previously expressed concern about this policy change. 
FY21 House report language stated, ``The inability of the Service to 
comply with the directive to brief the Committee within 60 days of 
enactment indicates the Service does not have the necessary information 
at hand to make these determinations,'' and the ongoing lack of 
transparency from FWS indicates that this statement continues to be 
true. We urge the Subcommittee to ensure that FWS upholds its mandate 
to conserve wildlife by prohibiting the issuance of further trophy 
import permits for threatened and endangered species until necessary 
transparency and scientific rigor can be implemented.
                        trapping (fws, blm, nps)
    We urge the committee to allocate $300,000 to the Department of the 
Interior (specifically FWS, BLM, and NPS) to institute a three-year 
pilot program that replaces the use of body--gripping traps (Conibears, 
legholds, and snares) by agency personnel (including contractors) with 
non-lethal methods and equipment, with the following exceptions:

  --When the body--gripping trap is used to (i) control documented, 
        invasive species to achieve resource management objectives 
        where alternative methods have failed; or (ii) protect a 
        species that is listed as endangered or threatened under the 
        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
  --Exception only applies when (i) such use of a body--gripping trap 
        is in accordance with applicable state and federal law; (ii) 
        prior to use of a body--gripping trap, all available and viable 
        nonlethal methods for such control or protection, respectively, 
        are attempted; and (iii) such attempts are documented in 
        writing, and such documentation is maintained at the 
        headquarters of the department that employs the individual 
        engaging in such attempt.

    Furthermore, we encourage the inclusion of language directing the 
Secretary to begin this pilot program within six months and to provide 
a report to the Committee before the end of the fiscal year with 
details of its implementation.
    Body-gripping traps, such as snares, Conibear traps, and steel--jaw 
leghold traps, are inhumane and inherently nonselective. The nontarget 
animals caught in these traps include threatened and endangered 
species, as well as family pets. These traps do not belong on public 
lands where families enjoy spending time outdoors, and where anyone who 
trips a trap can become a victim. Nonlethal methods are often highly 
effective and DOI personnel would be serving both wildlife and outdoor 
recreation interests by prioritizing their use.
    Based on funding levels for other predator control programs, 
$300,000 over three years would be a reasonable amount to fund a pilot 
program replacing department use of body--gripping traps with nonlethal 
methods. The FWS Endangered Species Conservation-Wolf Livestock Loss 
Compensation and Prevention fund tends to give $50,000-$100,000 to each 
recipient. The FWS Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance fund 
was appropriated $150,000 in FY16 (the most recent year with data) to 
award grants to conservation and/or environmental projects. Wildlife 
Services (Agriculture) gave Colorado State University a $50,028 grant 
to study nonlethal management of coyote predation. This paints a 
picture of $50,000-$150,000 per year for a small predator management 
program, and a three-year program is advisable to obtain meaningful 
results.

    [This statement was submitted by Nancy Blaney, Director, Government 
Affairs.]
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Honorable Senators:

    On behalf of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC or 
``Conservancy''), I submit this request to increase the annual 
Operation of the National Park Service (ONPS) appropriation for the 
Appalachian National Scenic Trail (ANST, A.T., or Trail), a unit of the 
National Park Service (NPS) within the Interior, EPA, and Related 
Agencies appropriations bill. The current level of ONPS appropriations 
for the Trail, $1.6 million, is insufficient to fulfil the NPS 
obligations under the National Trails System Act (NTSA), relevant NPS-
related statutes, and the cooperative agreement with ATC. We believe a 
budget of $3.5 million is necessary to meet the needs of the Trail. 
Particularly as our nation responds to the mounting impacts of 
anthropogenic climate change, Congress must invest heavily in habitat 
restoration, combating invasive species/the loss of biodiversity, and 
maintaining the functionality and ecological services of our public 
lands. In the A.T., continued underinvestment could be catastrophic. We 
have been advocating within the NPS for a further increase request, but 
recognize the central role the Congress serves in determining funding 
for the federal government.
    The Conservancy is the Sec. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 
responsible for developing the Appalachian Trail and leading the 
Trail's Cooperative Management System, which joins the federal 
government, the governments of 14 states, 31 Maintaining Clubs (Clubs), 
and local and non-profit partners in caring for our iconic long trail. 
Our position with the Trail, which began 100 years ago this year, 
outlining the vision of a continent--spanning footpath, remains 
formalized under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service 
(NPS). Recognizing the needs of the Trail, President Trump requested an 
increase in its ONPS allocation of $107,000, which Congress granted in 
the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Recognizing the 
unit is struggling to meet obligations, the Committees on 
Appropriations included in the explanatory statement for the Omnibus an 
``encouragement'' for the NPS to submit an increased allocation. We 
have yet to see the line-item specifics for President Biden's Fiscal 
Year 2022 budget request.
    The ANST runs 2,193 miles with approximately 4,500 miles of 
boundaries encasing an approximately 300,000-acre conserved 
``Corridor.'' The A.T. Corridor includes lands within the National Park 
and National Forest Systems, as well as state and local units, with the 
NPS directly responsible for approximately half of the acreage. The 
Trail is the centerline of the largest contiguous stretch of public 
land in the eastern United States. It is the longest park unit in the 
National Park System. In terms of size, the ANST has more NPS--
administered acreage than Biscayne, Voyageurs, or Zion National Parks. 
In terms of boundary mileage, it is second in the National Park System 
only to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Its normal, estimated 
visitation is 3 million, placing it 36th in vistiation within the 
System--that is higher than Joshua Tree or Bryce Canyon National Parks, 
or, more locally to the Capitol, Rock Creek Park. Although the NPS does 
not attempt to consistently track vistation of our national trails, we 
believe that visitation increased Trail-wide by 50% in 2020 to 4.5 
million.
    The ANST's length (spanning 12 of latitude in the temperate zone), 
north-south alignment, changes of over 6,500 feet in elevation and the 
numerous peaks and ridges it crosses along the Appalachian Mountain 
chain creates its topographically diverse landscape, protecting very 
high habitat diversity and connectivity while providing for a unique 
recreation experience. It is an important landscape in the eastern U.S. 
that offers large-scale continuity and important climate refugia, 
increasingly vital attributes in the highly developed and increasingly 
taxed eastern public land network. The ANST is one of (if not the most) 
biodiverse units of the National Park System. While the ANST does not 
have the physical infrastructure such as paved roads and water systems 
that rank costly in terms of facility maintenance, the natural resource 
management needs of the Trail are legion. Unlike facility assets, 
opportunities within the NPS to fund natural resource programmatic work 
are rare to materialize.
    Currently, the NPS office that administers the Trail has 9.3 
fulltime--equivalent employees (FTEs), approximately 40 Conservation--
related staffers at ATC, and 6,000 volunteers contributing annually a 
total of 245,000 labor hours (equivalent to 118 employees). The $1.6 
million ONPS allocation is, for the most part, consumed by staff salary 
and benefits. The allocation is insufficient to allow for much project 
work or to enable NPS staff to visit locations along the Trail. Under 
the current park operations funding model, there are certain things 
that are very difficult to fund except through a unit's ONPS 
allocation, specifically: providing law enforcement (maintaining and 
asserting the federal government's property rights as well as providing 
public safety); processing environmental compliance documents (such as 
required by NEPA) and; overseeing (if not funding) natural resource 
protection work.
    Between 2005 and 2020, the ANST Park Office ONPS base allocation 
has grown at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent. When adjusted for 
the effects of inflation, ONPS funding has grown at an annualized rate 
of 1.4 percent. Among the 42 NPS units with annual visitation in the 
one to three million range, the average ONPS allocation is $3.93 per 
visitor, while the ANST is currently at 54 cents per visitor. Few units 
are funded by their ONPS allocation alone; most, if not all, rely on 
allocations distributed subsequent to Service--wide ``calls'' to 
disburse non-unit specific funds Congress appropriates. By and large, 
successive administrations have requested, and Congress has granted, 
flat increases to the funding streams within the NPS that allow for 
facility asset maintenance (i.e. Cyclic Maintenance, Repair--Rehab). 
The same cannot be said for the Natural Resource Projects call (which, 
it must be noted, funds projects, but not programs, meaning it cannot 
fund FTE) and there is no call for law enforcement or for compliance, 
which, like natural resource programmatic staff, must be funded through 
an ONPS allocation.
    The current, and reasonable needs of the unit are more than the 
current cooperative management partners can support given the legal 
division of responsibilities. Comparatively, NPS units with far smaller 
acreage to manage and far less complex obligations and programs receive 
relatively much larger base budgets, including the 16-acre Springfield 
Armory with a base budget of $1.5 million; the 968-acre Appomattox 
Court House with a base budget of $1.9 million; and the 16-acre Fort 
Stanwix with base budget of $1.6 million.
    Law Enforcement.--The law enforcement needs of the Trail are 
significant considering the ANST spans 14 states and 88 counties. These 
responsibilities can be broken down roughly into two categories: 
individuals threatening safety (criminal) and encroachments (civil). 
Both are commonly referred to as ``incidents'' and ``incident 
response'' is the general term used to mean ``responding to potential 
harm to the legal rights of the Trail and its users.'' Criminal 
incidents on the Trail posing a significant threat to public safety 
are, thankfully, rare. Much more common are civil incidents/
encroachments. ANST owns 2,083 fee tracts, containing 108,000 acres of 
lands with over 1,200 miles of exterior boundary line which is 
maintained and monitored by ATC staff and staff-coordinated volunteers. 
Roughly 50 new encroachment violations are discovered each year, with 
10% of those being severe in nature. Approximately 430 known (ATC-
Identified) ANST boundary violations have occurred over the past 
decade, many of which still remain unresolved. Examples of severe and 
ongoing encroachment issues include large--scale timber and resource 
theft, widespread ATV use, construction of building, homes, pools and 
patios, and waste dumping. It is the legal responsibility of the NPS to 
address these encroachments, something unpracticable with its current 
ANST law enforcement (LE) staffing of two FTEs.
    ATC staff and volunteers routinely assist in responding to Trail 
incidents. The current-and preferred-management of the Trail places the 
Chief Ranger duty stationed at the Trail's administrative headquarters 
in Harper's Ferry, WV and the one FTE split between the ANST and BLRI 
(Blue Ridge Parkway NPS unit) in southern Virginia, serving that 
region, and one FTE split between the ANST and GETT (Gettysburg 
National Military Park) serving that immediate region. For the NPS-
managed Trail miles north of Harrisburg, the ANST relies on less formal 
staff sharing. ATC advocates for replicating the staff--sharing model 
across the mid-Atlantic and northern stretches of the Trail, stationing 
six individuals, working 50% time on the ANST in Maine, New Hampshire/
Vermont/Massachusetts, Connecticut/New York, New Jersey/Pennsylvania, 
Pennsylvania/Maryland, and West Virginia/Virginia. Increasing LE 
staffing on the Trail will increase the NPS' ability to connect to 
rural communities and to safeguard not only the increasingly manifest 
desire of the public to recreate on our public lands, but the narrow 
ribbon of conserved land providing critical species habitat and 
providing for migration and climate adaptations in the densely 
populated eastern U.S. More funding is also needed to train ATC staff 
and volunteers as they support incident management as needed.
    Resources Management.--The majority of the management of any 
National Park System unit is the proper administration of natural and 
cultural resources and minimizing impacts from visitors. The ANST 
currently splits coordination for both these buckets between one FTE 
when at least two, and preferably three FTE, are warranted. There is no 
biologist on the NPS staff for the ANST. Regarding natural resources, 
ATC staff and volunteers are responsible for all Trail-related 
maintenance as well as the stewardship and restoration of the Trail 
corridor lands as quality habitat for flora and fauna. Except for the 
aforementioned FTE at the ANST, the majority of the funding for natural 
resources management is provided by individual and charitable 
foundation giving. Some of the natural resource work is funded through 
competitive grants awarded by DOI Region One, but funding is extremely 
limited and project-focused. Funding for natural resource work 
supported by ONPS funding has diminished steadily in recent years.
    Natural resources management for the ANST is multi-faceted. 
Management of ``endangered plants and animals, invasive species, 
climate change mitigation, and scientific research projects'' are all 
Cooperative Agreement--identified responsibilities for the NPS to 
``provide overall leadership'' for. ATC staff and volunteers are 
required to ``coordinate [the] on-the-ground management activities 
needed to protect occurrences of rare, threatened, and endangered 
species, exemplary natural communities, historic properties, and other 
natural, cultural, and aesthetic resources.'' In recent years, ATC has 
led several natural resource management projects within the ANST 
corridor, including Ash treatments to halt the spread of the invasive 
Emerald Ash Borer in Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina and 
Tennessee, red spruce restoration in North Carolina, Tennessee and 
Virginia, habitat creation for the globally imperiled Northern 
Metalmark Butterfly in Connecticut, and restoration of Atlantic Salmon 
habitat in Maine. ATC staff hold professional licenses and degrees in 
areas such as ecological restoration, pesticide application and hazard 
tree arboriculture, serving as the primary experts for these services 
on the ANST.
    Compliance.--ANST staff depend on ATC staff to collect information 
required for the completion of National Environmental Policy Act 
compliance for all treadway and corridor related work. ATC staff are 
generally responsible for the completion of impact assessments, field 
monitoring and coordination with state Natural Heritage and wildlife 
offices. Yet NEPA compliance is a process that can not be delegated in 
full and ANST capacity is required to facilitate and oversee this 
process as well as research permit evaluations and approvals.
    The A.T. is uniquely situated to serve as a barometer for the air, 
water, climate and biological diversity of the Appalachian Mountains 
and much of the eastern United States, which is what makes it an 
attractive place to explore scientific questions. The ANST has clearly 
identified the need for sound scientific baselines and trend 
information on environmental and resource conditions to inform adaptive 
management and stewardship activities, however current capacity does 
not allow the ANST to even entertain proposals from educational 
institutions and research entities seeking permission to use the ANST 
as a study area. Each year, requests for scientific analysis, 
evaluation and monitoring within the A.T. corridor, submitted through 
the NPS Research Permit and Reporting System, go unanswered and un-
permitted. Each of these unfilled research requests is a missed 
opportunity for stronger science and informed A.T. management.
    For compliance under section 106 of the NHPA, ANST NPS staff cannot 
delegate its obligations to ATC. Additionally, closer coordination with 
state and tribal offices of historic preservation will further the 
ability of the ANST to address extant compliance demands as well as 
build the capacity to perform government-to-government consultations 
with the 34 identified Native nations with ancestral and/or reservation 
lands along the Trail. NPS staff cannot delegate to ATC government-to-
government consultation responsibilities.
    Thank you for considering our request.

    [This statement was submitted by Brendan Mysliwiec, Director of 
Federal Policy and Legislation.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply 
                                 System
         fort peck reservation rural water system ($3,358,000)
    The Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System (ASRWSS) 
submits this testimony in support of $3,358,000 in funding for 
continued Operations, Maintenance, and Replacement (OMR) of part of the 
Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System as authorized by PL 106-382.
    ASRWSS is the tribally chartered entity charged with the planning, 
design, construction, operation, maintenance and replacement (OMR) of 
the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System, which is the part 
of the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System on the Fort Peck Indian 
Reservation. We are strong partners with Dry Prairie Rural Water System 
(DPRWS), which operates the part of the Project that is off the 
Reservation.
    The most basic of governmental function is the delivery of clean, 
safe, and reliable drinking water. We are honored to provide water and 
service in northeastern Montana to an area of 7,750 square miles 
connected by 3,200 miles of pipeline when completed in 2023. Completion 
of all construction funding is expected in FY 2022. The project 
provides safe, adequate, and reliable drinking water to an area larger 
than New Jersey and just smaller than Massachusetts.
    ASRWSS wants to thank the Subcommittee for the full funding of OMR 
costs of the Water Project at $3.281 million in FY 2021.
    As the Project works toward completion of construction, OMR needs 
continue to increase. Thus, for FY 2022 we will need an additional 
$77,000 for total level of funding at $3.358 million in appropriations 
for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Construction account.
    The funding increase of $77,000 is necessary to:

    i) safely operate, maintain, repair and replace system features,
    ii) employ the necessary level of qualified and certified staff
    iii) purchase chemicals for treatment
    iv) purchase power for pumping and treatment facilities.

    The Congress (Energy and Water Subcommittee) will have appropriated 
over $320 million to complete the project through FY 2022. The project 
is 94% complete and full funding will be available to complete the 
project in FY 2022. It is imperative, through Interior appropriations 
(and a DPRWS non-federal cost share), that ASRWSS maintain the 
investment of Congress in our infrastructure valued at $220 million and 
held in trust by the United States.
    The DPRWS cost share covers the OMR cost of their use common 
facilities as agreed upon between ASRWSS, DPRWS and the Secretary in a 
Water Service Agreement. DPRWS makes monthly payments on a timely 
basis.
    ASRWSS provided drinking water to more than 21,500 residents in 
Northeast Montana in 2020. In 2002 over 24,000 residents will be 
served. Ultimately, 31,000 residents will be served as the population 
of the region continues to grow over the next several decades. The 
population served at the end of 2016 was less than 10,000, and OMR 
funding needs have been increasing accordingly. The project also serves 
social and governmental agencies, including the BIA Agency Office, 
schools, clinics, hospitals, Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic site, U.S.-Canadian border 
stations, as well as the towns of Poplar, Wolf Point, Frazier, 
Culbertson, Medicine Lake, Scobey, Nashua, Fort Kipp and Brockton.
    The Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System was authorized by the 
Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-382. 
The enactment ensured a safe, adequate, and reliable municipal, rural 
and industrial water supply for the residents of the Fort Peck Indian 
Reservation and the residents of Roosevelt, Sheridan, Daniels, and 
Valley Counties outside the Reservation. As noted in the President's 
previous budget requests: ``Groundwater from shallow alluvial aquifers  
. . .  for the municipal systems  . . .  is generally poor with 
concentrations of iron, manganese, sodium, sulfates, bicarbonates and 
total dissolved solids above recommended standards.'' This project 
provides a perpetual remedy to historic water quality issues that 
impaired health and stunted economic growth.
    The Project called for the construction of a single treatment plant 
on the Missouri River near Wolf Point, Montana, that will distribute 
water through 3,200 miles of pipeline to both the Reservation Tribal 
system and through three completed interconnections to the Dry Prairie 
system. A single water source on the Missouri River replaced nearly two 
dozen individual community water sources and ensures a clean, plentiful 
and safe water supply.
    The Federal legislation authorizing the Fort Peck Reservation Rural 
Water System requires that the OMR costs of ASRWSS, held in trust by 
the United States, are fully funded. Interior appropriations to BIA are 
the federal source of OMR funding. This is consistent with the federal 
trust responsibility to the Tribes who were promised a permanent home 
when the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes agreed to move to the 
Reservation. A permanent home requires safe drinking water. The funding 
request enables ASRWSS to deliver superior drinking water, meeting all 
federal and state standards, to all the people, towns, and federal, 
tribal, state, public and private agencies, and businesses.
    Thus, the $3.358 million requested in FY 2022 for the OMR of this 
vital infrastructure project is critical. The increased funding of 
$77,000 over the FY 2021 level for the OM&R of the Project is needed as 
the Project buildout increases the service population and requires 
additional personnel, power, chemicals, repairs, replacements and 
improvements to operate the water treatment plant and other facilities.
    Again, we thank the Subcommittee for the continued support of OMR 
funding for ASRWSS as authorized by PL 106-382.

    [This statement was submitted by Bill Whitehead, Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck 
                              Reservation
    I am Floyd Azure, Chairman of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of 
the Fort Peck Reservation. I would like to thank the Senate Interior 
Appropriations Subcommittee for the opportunity to present testimony 
concerning FY 2022 appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS), 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA).
    The Fort Peck Reservation is in northeast Montana, forty miles west 
of the North Dakota border, and fifty miles south of the Canadian 
border, with the Missouri River defining its southern border. The 
Reservation encompasses over two million acres of land. We have 
approximately 13,000 enrolled tribal members, with approximately 7,000 
tribal members living on the Reservation. We have a total Reservation 
population of approximately 12,000 people.
    Congress has long recognized that the foundation for economic 
development and prosperity in Indian country lay in community 
stability, which begins with quality health care and infrastructure, 
such as safe drinking water, roads, and public safety, and a clean 
environment.
                    a. indian health service funding
    We strongly support the Administration's $2.2 billion requested 
increase for the Indian Health Service. The COVID-19 pandemic showed 
the nation the chronic health care deficiencies in Indian country. 
Native people acquired and died of this disease at some of the highest 
rates in the nation. This is because we suffer from the comorbidities 
at higher rates, we lack access to adequate health care, and we lack 
basic community infrastructure.
    As we are coming out of the pandemic, Indian country is preparing 
for the next health crisis, a mental health crisis. Our people were 
engaging in self-harming behaviors at drastic rates before the 
pandemic. We fear that because our people have suffered tremendous 
losses and have not been able to properly grieve, that this grief will 
manifest itself in unhealthy behaviors. Congress must focus on mental/
behavioral health programs to ensure that we do not have another 
epidemic to respond to.
                      b. bureau of indian affairs
    We strongly support the Administration's requested $600 million 
increase for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1. Social Services and ICWA Funding
    In particular, increased funding for our Tribal Social Services 
program is critically needed. There has not been any increase in this 
program for several years. Over 36% of the children in the foster care 
system in Montana are Indian children--Indian people represent only 10% 
of the State population. More than 100 Fort Peck children are in the 
foster care system. We need a social worker in the Fort Peck Agency.
    Montana is one of six states in the country to have instituted an 
ICWA court. This court handles State ICWA cases in Yellowstone County 
from the Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow Tribes. The team 
approach of the ICWA Court in Montana fosters collaboration between 
State and Tribal stakeholders, promotes meaningful State compliance 
with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and improves outcomes for Indian 
children and their families involved in the foster care system.
    In this era where ICWA is under constant attack, in spite of it 
providing needed protections for Indian children, families and Tribes, 
the Committee should encourage the BIA to work collaboratively and 
strategically with Tribes to expand ICWA courts across the country. 
This kind of support and dedicated staff can only be done through 
additional funding for the BIA Tribal Social Service and ICWA programs.
2. Tribal Court Funding
    Relatedly, while we appreciate the increased funding for Tribal 
courts that Congress has provided, it has not been enough. Tribal 
Courts are the backbone of tribal sovereignty. Without sound tribal 
courts, we could not be a community where people feel safe, where 
business want to open and where our children and our most vulnerable 
receive protection. The Fort Peck Tribal Court is one of the oldest in 
the country and we are very proud of the work our judges, prosecutors, 
defense attorneys and clerks do.
    Currently, the Bureau of Indian Affairs only provides a fraction of 
the funding to operate our Tribal Court. Our court is one of the few 
Tribal Courts in the Country exercising expanded VAWA jurisdiction. 
This work is important to making our Reservation a safe place for 
women. However, this takes additional resources to retain properly 
trained defense counsel, prosecutors and judges.
3. Law Enforcement
    There is critical need for increased law enforcement funding 
throughout Indian country. Our Police Chief estimates that 70%-80% of 
criminal conduct has a drug component to it, with assaults and 
burglaries arising out of drug use and addiction. We are dealing with 
violent crimes, in particular violent crimes against women and 
children. We need to emphasize community policing but to do this we 
need more law enforcement personnel to live and work in our community. 
The crime in our community is impacting the most vulnerable in our 
community the most and it is time that we stop accepting this as 
normal. It is not normal, it is tragic.
4. Housing
    One of the reasons the Pandemic impacted our community so 
significantly is that too many people on our Reservation are living in 
overcrowded conditions. In many homes, there are three or families 
living in 4-bedroom homes. Across Indian country it is estimated that 
approximately 20% of all homes are overcrowded, it is much higher on 
the Fort Peck Reservation. This overcrowding situation is contributing 
to the social disfunction that our children experience. In many 
instances, it is the grandparents who take in their adult children and 
grandchildren. Sadly, these adult children are in the grips of 
addiction, and other unhealthy behaviors, which their children can't 
escape from as they are living with it every day. Moreover, when a 
grandparent allows an active user to live in their home, they are 
putting their own housing security at risk, because our Housing 
Authority does not allow active users to live in a HUD home, and thus, 
these elders can face eviction. In short, in order to have a healthy 
community, we must have more housing. This includes not only more 
housing for families, but also recovery housing so that people with 
addictions are not forced to go homeless.
    In addition to overcrowded housing on the Reservation, the housing 
shortage also impacts our ability to recruit professionals, including 
education, law enforcement, and especially health care workers. Thus, 
we need housing that is not only directed to low-income families, but 
also working families so that we can attract the professionals we need 
to work in our schools, clinics, and police stations.
    Importantly, housing funding must include the resources for 
infrastructure to ensure any new housing has water, sewer, electricity, 
and broadband access.
5. Bison Program Funding
    Presently, the Indian Buffalo Management Act has been introduced 
and is pending before Congress. This legislation will create a 
permanent buffalo restoration and management program within the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs, and authorize an appropriation of funds. While this 
legislation is pending, we want to thank the Subcommittee for funding 
that you provided for the Tribal Bison program for FY 2021. This 
funding is critical to bringing traditional food and traditional 
practices back to our communities.
    The Fort Peck Tribes have implemented a robust bison restoration 
program and now have partnered with the National Park Service to 
conduct post quarantine assurance testing of NPS bison from Yellowstone 
National Park. These efforts resulted in the restoration of over 600 
bison to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. We have translocated some of 
these bison to other Tribes for their herd development.
                   c. environmetnal protection agency
    There is an important need to increase funding for tribal 
environmental programs with the Environmental Protection Agency. This 
in includes the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program, the 
Solid Waste-Indian Lands Program, and the Tribal Clean Air Program. 
None of these programs have received and increase in funding in several 
years. It is important to support these programs with increased 
funding.
    Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by Floyd Azure, Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Association of Art Museum Directors
    The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) is grateful to 
Congress for increasing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts 
(NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in FY 2021 as 
well as for pandemic relief funding through various vehicles last year. 
Given the continuing pandemic and the extreme stresses it has inflicted 
on art museums, we ask for substantial increases for both agencies: we 
support the Administration's request for $201 million for the NEA and 
ask that the NEH receive an equal amount. The two agencies have 
received identical funding levels since FY 2008.
    We ask further that both Endowments be allowed to provide funding 
for general operating support as well as for specific projects, and 
that the requirement for matching funds be suspended. Finally, we 
request that the Subcommittee recommend funding for the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (FWS) necessary to staff and train personnel in order 
to avoid placing any impediments on American art museums that are 
importing works of art containing ivory for the purposes of accession 
into their collections.
    In March 2020, nearly all American art museums closed due to the 
pandemic, and most stayed closed for extended periods of time. While 
most have reopened, ``open'' is not the same as it was a year ago. Many 
are open for fewer days and hours, operating under reduced capacity 
constraints, and requiring advance reservations and/or timed ticketing. 
Most have ceased offering in-person public programs such as tours, 
lectures and performances, and school field trips are for now a thing 
of the past. (Pre-pandemic, AAMD's 200-plus members typically served at 
least 40,000 schools annually.) Earned revenue from admissions, shops 
and restaurants has plummeted, while pandemic-related costs have 
soared. Moreover, according to Giving USA, an annual report on 
philanthropy, charitable giving to the arts declined by 7.5 percent in 
2020. And while the Paycheck Protection Program helped many museums 
retain staff, some were unable or ineligible to access it, and many 
have since had to lay off or furlough valued workers.
    Three bright spots stand out. First, art museums successfully 
pivoted to on-line programming. Second, they have reached new 
audiences; in fact, an extensive survey last year found that about half 
of people who were consuming museum programming had not visited an art 
museum in the previous year. Third, they are among the safest indoor 
spaces. Their sophisticated HVAC systems may have been designed to keep 
art safe, but they turn out to keep people safe as well. For more 
information, see this report on a study conducted by the Berlin 
Institute of Technology.
    AAMD salutes both NEA and NEH for their prompt and efficient 
disbursement of their CARES Act funding. Altogether, 55 AAMD member 
museums received nearly $7 million in funding to help them retain staff 
and adapt to pandemic conditions. For example, during its pandemic 
closure, the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design 
received NEH support to inventory, assess, photograph, and rehouse 
roughly 900 objects in its internationally renowned collection of Asian 
costume and textiles. This project was fundamental to the museum's work 
toward providing access to the collection for all: viewing objects in 
study rooms and galleries was impossible, and this popular collection 
lacked adequate documentation for remote learning. The NEH grant 
allowed the museum to fully staff and carry out the work.
    Going forward, we expect that NEA and NEH will support art museums 
in figuring out and dealing with ``the new normal.'' As many of our 
members have said, the museum that re-opens is not the one that closed, 
nor are its audience or community.
    We note that NEA has restarted the Blue Star Museums initiative, a 
collaboration with Blue Star Families and the U.S. Department of 
Defense to provide free summer admission to active duty military and 
their families to museums across the nation. The Blue Star Museums 
program sends our military families a clear message -that our nation's 
museums recognize and honor their contributions and are opening their 
doors to them. The initiative launched on May 15, Armed Forces Day, and 
we have encouraged all AAMD members to participate, as the great 
majority has done in past years.
    We also ask that the Subcommittee provide FWS with the funding 
necessary to staff and train personnel in order to avoid placing 
impediments on American art museums as they carry out their mission to 
be able to legally acquire works of antique ivory from abroad. FWS 
staff have worked well with the art museum community on several 
important issues related to its mission and, as they continue to craft 
regulations that recognize the importance of maintaining historic 
works, we urge that they be given all necessary support and resources.
                               about aamd
    The purpose of the Association of Art Museum Directors is to 
support its members in increasing the contribution of art museums to 
society. The AAMD accomplishes this mission by establishing and 
maintaining the highest standards of professional practice, serving as 
forum for the exchange of information and ideas, and being a leader in 
shaping public discourse about the arts community and the role of art 
in society.

    [This statement was submitted by Christine Anagnos, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Association of Clean Water Administrators
To Chairwoman Pingree and Ranking Member Joyce:

    The Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) appreciates 
the opportunity to submit written testimony to the U.S. House of 
Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies. As the national voice of state, 
interstate, and territorial officials responsible for the 
implementation of programs that protect surface waters across the 
United States, ACWA supports the President's FY22 Discretionary Budget 
Request's suggested increase to the Environmental Protection Agency's 
(EPA) budget. This request funds EPA at $11.2 billion, which represents 
a $2 billion or 21.3% increase from the FY21 enacted level, including 
increased funding for items that critical are critical to the mission 
of ACWA's members.
    A recent Gallup poll found that, ``of six environmental problems 
facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect 
water quality. Majorities express a `great deal' of worry about the 
pollution of both drinking water (56%) and rivers, lakes and reservoirs 
(53%).'' \1\
    The President's discretionary request outlines many key areas 
throughout which this additional funding will be used, including: 
fighting climate change; promoting environmental justice; gathering 
data on polluters and holding them accountable; and investing in water 
infrastructure projects and contaminated site clean-ups. These 
functions are all are essential to carrying out the EPA's mission of 
protecting human health and the environment.
    This proposed increase comes with many benefits, especially as 
states begin to recover from the economic hardship and disruption of 
the pandemic. Our nation's water and wastewater systems are critical to 
supporting economic growth and protecting public health. Investing in 
infrastructure and building a skilled labor force enable water and 
wastewater utilities across the United States to rebound, recover, and 
prepare for the future. Therefore, it is vital that we support these 
efforts by providing consistently robust financing for water 
infrastructure and workforce development, as well as state programs 
charged with administering the Federal Clean Water Act. The President's 
proposed budget increases in these areas would not only help states 
resume pre-pandemic actions, but ensure states are equipped to tackle 
emerging challenges and issues.
    ACWA appreciates Congress's support of Clean Water Act programs in 
the FY21 Omnibus Bill, particularly restoration in Section 106 
Categorical Grants for the administration of the Act within the states. 
The CWA Section 106 Water Pollution Control Grant Program gives states 
the flexibility to conduct essential pollution prevention, inspection, 
monitoring, permitting, and compliance activities as EPA's co-
regulator. Sustainable funding for Section 106 State and Tribal 
Assistance Grants (STAG) is necessary to ensure states have the 
programmatic capacity to meet demands for cleaner water. Strongly 
funding Section 106 ensures water infrastructure projects are 
constructed with the appropriate public health safeguards and 
environmental permits, without delays or bottlenecks, and operated such 
that they fulfill their intended purpose.
    State surface water programs play an integral role in building 
water infrastructure, from planning to design permitting to 
construction and maintenance, to permitting and compliance. State 
agencies are responsible for a myriad of infrastructure--related tasks 
including: providing technical assistance to small, rural, 
disadvantaged, and underserved communities; marketing investments in 
green infrastructure; processing loan and grant applications; 
prioritizing projects to meet the greatest need; conducting 
environmental reviews; performing engineering analyses; permitting 
projects; monitoring compliance; and providing fiscal accountability.
    In the 2021 Omnibus, Congress maintained 2020 funding levels for 
the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and increased support for 
the Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (WIFIA). Those 
financing vehicles are the national flagship of wastewater and 
stormwater infrastructure investment. Annual report cards from the 
American Society of Civil Engineers consistently point out the 
marginal-to-poor condition of our infrastructure, thwarting economic 
growth, diminishing the American quality of life and inadequately 
protecting public health and safety. It is essential that Congress 
build on the momentum to increase financial support in water and 
wastewater infrastructure to improve our Nation's grades.
    The Clean Water Act Section 319 Non-Point Source Pollution Control 
Program enjoyed a modest increase in funding in 2021 and buttresses the 
quality of our national waterbodies in the face of ever--increasing and 
evolving non-point source contributions to pollutant loadings. Regional 
programs assisting the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, Long 
Island Sound, Gulf of Mexico, New Hampshire's Great Bay, and Lake 
Champlain protect some of our nation's most important waters to promote 
human health, support economic activities, and preserve habitats for 
wildlife. Each of these programs need ongoing funding at 2021 levels or 
more in 2022 and beyond.
    Many of the funding increases seen in 2021 reversed years of 
declining support for state water programs. For example, STAG programs 
are now funded at the level they were 19 years ago. Shortfalls in 
funding undercut the proven success of states administering these 
programs to fulfill the goals of the Clean Water Act. Not only do 
increases in federal investment help reverse declines in water quality, 
but they also create a multitude of construction jobs, boost the 
national economy, and benefit private--sector development. With this in 
mind, ACWA asks for your support in delivering to states the resources 
they need to carry out these critical programs as you consider the 
President's budget request.
    In conclusion, we ask that the Subcommittee use the President's 
discretionary budget request as a starting point and stoutly fund the 
above noted CWA programs. The proposed FY22 budget empowers states to 
invest in critical water solutions through infrastructure investment, 
technical assistance, data acquisition and analyses, and regulatory 
compliance. These investments will have significant benefits for 
states, interstates, territories, and all Americans across the country 
by fostering progress toward our nation's water quality goals and 
simultaneously, stimulating economic growth, supporting tourism, 
providing recreation, and improving nationwide health with a clean 
environment. True to the spirit of cooperative federalism, the states 
cannot do this task alone--so we ask for a vigorous federal-state 
partnership through the FY22 appropriations process. The essential key 
to achieving the goals of the Clean Water Act is Federal government 
support for the work of the state members of ACWA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://news.gallup.com/poll/347735/water-pollution-remains-
top-environmental-concern.aspx

    [This statement was submitted by Thomas C. Stiles, Director, Bureau 
of Water, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, ACWA President.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit recommendations for Fiscal 
Year 2022 (FY22) Congressional appropriations. The Association of Fish 
and Wildlife Agencies' (AFWA) mission, since our founding in 1902, is 
to protect and enable state fish and wildlife agencies (states) to 
exercise their statutory authority to conserve and manage the fish and 
wildlife within their borders. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands are members.
    We express our deep appreciation for the increased FY21 funding 
levels for many of the programs that benefit fish, wildlife, their 
habitats, and the people who enjoy them. We look forward to working 
with you to provide resources for our federal agency partners as we 
enter another challenging budget cycle to enact funding levels 
consistent with FY21, and in some cases higher. Investments in 
conservation programs present some of the highest returns on Federal 
dollars and offer solutions for critical issues. States have authority 
for and are on the front lines of wildlife health and zoonotic diseases 
and must be engaged early to cooperatively develop a robust health and 
science framework to combat wildlife diseases. Further, we endorse 
recommendations submitted by regional associations of fish and wildlife 
agencies.
             united states fish and wildlife service (fws)
    Aquatic Habitat, Assessments, Restoration, and Species 
Conservation.--We support no less than funding at FY21 levels for Fish 
and Aquatic Conservation, including full funding for the National Fish 
Habitat Action Plan and Partnerships at the authorized $7.2 million for 
restoration projects, in addition to $1.8 million for administration by 
the USFWS and $2 million for technical assistance provided by the USFS, 
USFWS, EPA, USGS, and NOAA. Fish Passage needs far outweigh the 
resources for species management and replacement of unsafe 
transportation infrastructure which also serve as an aquatic 
connectivity barrier. We support funding the National Fish Passage 
Program at no less than FY21 levels and strongly support incorporating 
additional fish passage funding into federal infrastructure plans. 
Further, we support funding at no less than FY21 levels for 
conservation and restoration activities in the Delaware River Basin, 
Klamath Basin, Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, and Great Lakes.
    National Fish Hatchery Systems (NFHS) Operations is a high 
priority, and we recommend no less than FY21 funding levels. We 
recommend redirecting all previous deferred maintenance appropriations 
from Refuges to the more than $260 million deferred maintenance backlog 
for NFHS facilities to prevent systems failures and fish losses. We 
strongly support robust funding for the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval 
Partnership at $1.2 million as well as the Fish Health Centers, Fish 
Technology Centers, Wild Fish Health Survey, and Mass Marking program, 
all of which meet needs of States, tribes, and the federal government. 
We request no less than FY21 funds for the mass marking initiative in 
the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region.
    Aquatic Invasive Species and Law Enforcement (LE).--We request 
Congress continue to fund the implementation of state Aquatic Nuisance 
Species (ANS) management plans at the FY21 level of $4.4 million 
without compromising other ANS programs. We support continuation of 
FY21 funding levels at $25 million to implement the national Asian Carp 
management and control plan in the Mississippi River and tributaries as 
well as continuation of the provisions in the FY21 report language. We 
recommend increased attention on a comprehensive approach across all 
relevant federal agencies and assistance to the states to prevent and 
control the spread of AIS. Finally, we support increased funding to 
combat wildlife trafficking activities, conduct investigations, 
supplement inspections, and to work cooperatively with state fish and 
wildlife agencies to help protect our nation's native fish and wildlife 
resources from unsustainable exploitation.
    Habitat Conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System 
(NWRS).--We recommend no less than FY21 funding levels for Habitat 
Conservation, including no less than $60 million for the Partners of 
Fish and Wildlife Program for voluntary conservation efforts including 
to support wildlife migration corridors, habitat connectivity, and 
landscape resiliency. We support funding NWRS Operations and 
Maintenance at $520 million and continue to support the use of trapping 
on refuges as a management tool to provide much needed research on 
species of interest as well as to protect federally endangered and 
threatened species, imperiled species, and their habitats.
    State and Tribal Wildlife Grants and Partnership Grants.--The State 
and Tribal Wildlife Grants program is the only federal program 
available to states to leverage non-federal funds to conserve over 
12,000 state Species of Greatest Conservation Need identified in State 
Wildlife Action Plans to prevent them from becoming threatened or 
endangered. This investment in voluntary, proactive, and state-led 
conservation is needed now to improve the resiliency of State and 
Tribal natural resources and to preclude an increase in federal 
expenditures in the future under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). AFWA 
recommends $100 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants 
Program in FY22, and supports a legislative change proposal to enact 
the Recovering America's Wildlife Act which would provide States, 
Tribes, and their conservation partners with the dependable resources 
to do proactive, non-regulatory fish, wildlife, and habitat restoration 
and conservation. AFWA also recommends no less than $53 million for the 
North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, full authorized funding for 
the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, and $15 million for 
the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.
    Science Support.--Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) presents one of the 
most challenging disease threats to our nation's wildlife, and we 
request robust funding for USFWS to fulfill CWD responsibilities, 
including implementation of the Interstate Action Plan, prioritized 
research, monitoring, studies of CWD in wild, free-ranging deer 
species, and $5 million to establish the CWD Task Force as directed by 
Congress in P.L. 116-188.
    Ecological Services (ES) & Cooperative Endangered Species 
Conservation Fund (CESCF).--The FWS needs additional resources in ES to 
address a growing workload and to increase FWS recovery efforts for 
federally listed species. We support robust funding for ES as well as a 
strategy to achieve funding within the next 4 years that is 
commensurate with the agency's requirements to implement the national 
work plan and cooperatively recover species listed under the ESA. We 
recommend further deployment across the country of the Southeast's 
cooperative conservation model for implementing the ESA in partnership 
with the States and reinstatement of Recovery Challenge matching 
grants. We also recommend Congress provide robust funding for the 
CESCF, which includes a larger proportion of funding that is not tied 
to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and much needed flexibility for 
ongoing habitat management and species restoration activities as well 
as continue support the use of State data.
    Cooperative Landscape Conservation (CLC).--We support no less than 
FY21 funding levels for Cooperative Landscape Conservation to work with 
regional associations of state fish and wildlife agencies on mutual 
priorities that are jointly developed, fund important regional state--
federal partnerships, and continue cooperative conservation efforts 
supported by the States such as monarch butterflies, the Midwest 
Landscape Initiative, and the Southeast Conservation Adaptation 
Strategy.
    Migratory Bird Management (MBM).--The FWS and States share 
management jurisdiction for migratory birds, which represents one of 
the most successful state--federal cooperative partnerships for over 80 
years, but the program suffers from chronic under--funding of 
traditional functions and activities making it particularly vulnerable 
to unanticipated problems, capacity/workload challenges, and single 
points of failure. The FWS has gone to great lengths to protect the 
core functions, but more funding is needed to retain sufficient staff, 
fill key vacancies to work in cooperation with the States on 
traditional co-management issues, and support science to inform FWS 
decision--making. AFWA supports robust funding for MBM at FY2010 levels 
of $134.6 million, including full funding of the Migratory Bird Joint 
Ventures at $19.9 million, allowing resource managers to accomplish 
shared state and federal responsibilities and priorities.
                 united states geologial survey (usgs)
    Ecosystems.--Thank you for providing much--needed funding for the 
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program (CRU) in FY21, and 
we respectfully request $27 million for CRU in FY22. The CRU provides 
critically important scientific and technical support for state and 
federal fish and wildlife managers through collaborative scientific 
projects that address the nation's most critical fish and wildlife 
management needs and inform conservation and policy decisions. The 
additional $2 million would enable USGS to establish new, state and 
federally supported CRUs in MI and IN, to address significant 
scientific knowledge gaps and challenges faced by state and federal 
natural resource managers. Additionally, we support $5 million for each 
of the next 5 years for the CRU program to complete the Wildlife 
Migration Corridors Project for Big Game Species and $5 million for the 
new pollinator science cooperative to assist States, Tribes, and 
federal partners with pollinator identification and assessment 
methodologies. We support the National Cooperators Coalition's 
testimony on CRUs, funding for the Climate Adaptation Science Centers 
at $62 million and recommend $275 million in funding for the Ecosystems 
Mission Area, and continued financial support to the Southeastern 
Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia, which 
provides essential diagnostic and veterinary support services to at 
least 42 states.
    Water Resources.--USGS provides resource managers with crucial 
information for the survival of species affected by the management of 
water resources. We support the Groundwater and Streamflow Information 
Program, with robust funding increasing to $125 million. AFWA 
recommends $28.7 million for Federal Priority Streamgages to address 
funding shortfalls and reinstate lost gages, $33 million for 
Cooperative Matching Funds to work with states, tribes, and other local 
partners, and $20 million for the Next Generation Water Observing 
System to enable additional pilot basins and data modernization. 
Finally, we recommend at least FY21 funding levels for the National 
Water Quality Program with $2 million for harmful algal bloom research.
    Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program (BTR).--
AFWA recommends $40 million in funding for BTR, in addition to $10.62 
million in continued funding for Asian Carp research and $10 million 
for research on CWD in wild, free--ranging deer species in order to 
manage environmental contamination and control key sources of 
transmission, including to fulfill Congressional intent as directed in 
the FY21 omnibus for the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a 
transmission study of CWD. It is imperative that Congress provide 
additional resources to USGS Ecosystems and other federal agencies to 
coordinate with the states on research, management, surveillance, 
monitoring, testing, disposal, best management practices, and other CWD 
management challenges. We strongly support $0.5 million in funding for 
biological research and monitoring to coordinate and support the 
management of aquatic animal health in marine and freshwater 
aquaculture, including to conduct research with partners, submit data, 
and coordinate with other agencies to evaluate the use of drugs and 
other materials.
    Bureau of Land Managment (BLM).--AFWA supports funding commensurate 
with FY21 levels at no less than $1.22 billion for management of lands 
and resources. Recognizing states have authority to manage species 
within their borders, we recommend a $10 million increase for Wildlife 
and Aquatic Habitat Management, at least $2 million increase for sage 
grouse conservation activities, a $5 million increase for Rangeland 
Improvement and in Bighorn sheep disease prevention, and an additional 
$10 million for Wildlife Habitat Management (1170) to combat invasive 
species. We also recommend Congress reinitiate BLM's Cost-Share 
Challenge Grant Program under Wildlife Habitat Management at $10 
million to leverage conservation partnerships to accomplish more 
wildlife habitat goals and mission objectives. We support level funding 
for the Wild Horse and Burro (WHB) Program and recommend that funds no 
longer be borrowed from other budget line items within BLM to fund the 
WHB.
    Office of Surfice Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.--The 
Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund is critical to the restoration of lands 
at the nexus of many SGCN and water quality issues, and we support 
level funding at the FY21 level of $139.8 million, as well as level 
funding for Regulation and Technology at $92.7 million.
    United States Forest Service (USFS).--AFWA supports $2 billion for 
Wildland Fire Management, as well as a substantial increase to $2.1 
billion for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. We 
recommend level funding at $267.18 million for State and Private 
Forestry, including $11.9 million for the Forest Stewardship Program. 
We support level funding for the National Forest System and for 
hazardous fuels management.
    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).--Finally, we recommend 
funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $330 million and that 
funding be eligible for use on tributaries of the Great Lakes Region, 
which serve as a major conduit of invasive species introductions. We 
support funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund at $2 
billion, Nonpoint Source Grants at $177 million, and Pollution Control 
Grants at $230 million. AFWA recommends at least FY21 funding levels 
for the National Estuaries Program, the Beach/Fish Safety Program, and 
the Geographic Programs.
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Association of Friends of the Wichitas
Dear Senator Inhoff:

    I am writing this letter on behalf of the Association of Friends of 
the Wichitas to enlist your support for the National Wildlife Refuge 
Association's (NWRA) request to increase funding for Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance to $600 million in FY2022. We work closely 
with Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge staff as well as regional office 
representatives. We are honored to share their joys and challenges in 
protecting and conserving America's public lands for future 
generations.
    As you are undoubtedly aware, the Department of Interior's Refuge 
System Operations and Maintenance budget has been stagnant since 2010. 
On the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge this has meant a decrease in 
staffing, down to 34 positions caring for 59,000 acres with over 2.3 
million visitors annually. This funding gap has led to deferred 
maintenance and critical infrastructure issues such as a lack of 
potable water. Our members share NWRAs concerns that a lack of 
operating budget has also led to a decline in habitat. There are too 
few Law Enforcement Officers on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge 
to prevent human disturbance, vandalism, and a degradation of the 
natural environment. The result is not only a loss of precious pristine 
habitat, but increased public safety risks in this extremely beautiful, 
but very dangerous environment. As Friends members we are thrilled to 
volunteer alongside Refuge staff and we know that human and animal 
safety increases when there is a higher staff to volunteer ratio than 
what we are currently able to achieve.
    While we are aware you aren't on the Senate Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies we also know 
that as an Oklahoman you are acutely aware that the Wichita Mountains 
Wildlife Refuge is an economic driver, drawing tourists to Southwest 
Oklahoma from all over the world. As such, we respectfully request you 
make Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and the other 
Members of the Subcommittee aware of your commitment to providing the 
WMWR staff with the funding needed to care for such an extraordinary 
piece of our American heritage.

            Sincerely,

James Meyer
President
Association of Friends of the Wichitas
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Association of Friends of the Wichitas
Dear Senator Lankford:

    I am writing this letter on behalf of the Association of Friends of 
the Wichitas to enlist your support for the National Wildlife Refuge 
Association's (NWRA) request to increase funding for Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance to $600 million in FY2022. We work closely 
with Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge staff as well as regional office 
representatives. We are honored to share their joys and challenges in 
protecting and conserving America's public lands for future 
generations.
    As you are undoubtedly aware, the Department of Interior's Refuge 
System Operations and Maintenance budget has been stagnant since 2010. 
On the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge this has meant a decrease in 
staffing, down to 34 positions caring for 59,000 acres with over 2.3 
million visitors annually. This funding gap has led to deferred 
maintenance and critical infrastructure issues such as a lack of 
potable water. Our members share NWRAs concerns that a lack of 
operating budget has also led to a decline in habitat. There are too 
few Law Enforcement Officers on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge 
to prevent human disturbance, vandalism, and a degradation of the 
natural environment. The result is not only a loss of precious pristine 
habitat, but increased public safety risks in this extremely beautiful, 
but very dangerous environment. As Friends members we are thrilled to 
volunteer alongside Refuge staff and we know that human and animal 
safety increases when there is a higher staff to volunteer ratio than 
what we are currently able to achieve.
    While we are aware you aren't on the Senate Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies we also know 
that as an Oklahoman you are acutely aware that the Wichita Mountains 
Wildlife Refuge is an economic driver, drawing tourists to Southwest 
Oklahoma from all over the world. As such, we respectfully request you 
make Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and the other 
Members of the Subcommittee aware of your commitment to providing the 
WMWR staff with the funding needed to care for such an extraordinary 
piece of our American heritage.

            Sincerely,

James Meyer
President
Association of Friends of the Wichitas
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Association of State Drinking Water 
                             Administrators
                           summary of request
    The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) 
submits the following recommendations for Fiscal Year 2022 
appropriations on behalf of the drinking water programs in the 50 
states, five territories, District of Columbia, and Navajo Nation. 
ASDWA requests funding for two programs that ensure public health 
protection and that will result in enhancing economic stability and 
prosperity in American cities and towns. ASDWA requests $125 million 
for the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) program and $1.95 
billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF) 
program. ASDWA also requests $91.5 million for three drinking water 
grant programs to address lead in schools and communities.
overview: the importance of safe drinking water for our communities and 
        the economy & the role of state drinking water programs
    States need sustained federal support to maintain public health 
protection and to support the needs of the water systems they oversee. 
State drinking water programs strive to meet the Nation's public health 
protection goals through two principal funding programs: the PWSS 
Program and the DWSRF Program. These two programs provide most of the 
funding for states to work with drinking water utilities to ensure the 
state--federal partnership of drinking water regulations thrives and 
American citizens have safe and adequate water supplies. Vibrant and 
sustainable communities, their citizens, workforce, and businesses all 
depend on a safe and reliable supply of drinking water. Over 90% of the 
population receives water used for bathing, cooking, and drinking from 
a water system that is overseen by state drinking water program 
personnel. Water systems--as well as the cities, villages, schools, and 
businesses they support--rely on state drinking water programs to 
ensure they comply with all applicable federal requirements. In 
addition to the water we drink in our homes, water produced by water 
systems is also used to fight fires, transport wastewater, cook, wash 
clothes and dishes, as well as by businesses for manufacturing, food 
processing, and cooling. State drinking water programs must have 
adequate funding to protect public health and maintain the economic 
health of communities. Incidents such as the chemical spill in 
Charleston, West Virginia, cyanotoxins in the water for Toledo, Ohio 
and Salem, Oregon, prolonged water service interruptions due to more 
frequently occurring natural disasters as in Jackson, Mississippi, and 
the lead leaching from service lines into the water supply in Flint, 
Michigan all serve as stark reminders of the critical nature of the 
work that state drinking water programs do--every day--and the reason 
why the funding for state drinking water programs must be not only 
sustained but enhanced. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) 
contamination adds to the urgency of the need for increased funding.
           the public water system supervision (pwss) program
    How the PWSS Program Operates.--To meet the requirements of the 
SDWA, states have accepted primary enforcement responsibility for 
regulatory compliance and technical assistance for more than 150,000 
public water systems to ensure health--based violations do not occur or 
are remedied expediently. This involves 91 federally regulated 
contaminants and the complexity of regulations has increased in the 
past decade. Beyond the contaminants covered by federal drinking water 
regulations, states are also implementing an array of proactive 
initiatives to protect public health and the environment, such as 
source water assessments and protections, technical assistance for 
water treatment and distribution, and enhancement of water system 
performance. Many states have begun to set drinking water standards for 
non-federally regulated contaminants, such as PFAS and cyanotoxins. 
State activities go well beyond simply ensuring compliance at the tap 
and these activities must be efficient given continued resource 
constraints. These activities have increased in depth and scope during 
the COVID-19 pandemic to include assisting with the development of 
continuity of operations plans for water systems, coordination with 
state-level Water and Wastewater Response Networks (WARNs) on operator 
coverage, emergency operation, and equipment and chemical supply issues 
due to the pandemic; developing COVID-19 drinking water risk 
communication for the public and modifying ``routine'' drinking water 
public notices to clarify the connection or lack of connection to the 
coronavirus; developing new forms and processes for tracking closed 
facilities and revising reopening system and building procedures; 
developing and implementing remote work and oversight tools; and 
modifying and updating operator training classes and licensing 
programs.
    Why Adequate Support is Needed.--States will be unable to protect 
public health without adequate federal funding. Inadequate federal 
support for state drinking water programs has several negative 
consequences. For example, as part of ASDWA's comments on EPA's 
proposed Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), ASDWA updated its Costs 
of States' Transaction Study (CoSTS), which found the proposed LCRR 
will increase state staff hours by 835,000 hours annually over the 
current Lead and Copper Rule in its first five years of implementation. 
Using the national average loaded hourly rate for state employees, full 
implementation of the proposed LCRR would cost the states $50 million 
annually. In addition to the 91 contaminants regulated under the SDWA, 
states are balancing additional actions to address non-regulated 
contaminants such as cyanotoxins and PFAS. This is especially difficult 
given relatively flat PWSS funding over the past decade. While the FY21 
increase of 5.6% to PWSS funding (to $112.2 million) was a small step 
to closing the 20% funding gap caused by inflation in addition to the 
proposed LCRR, which alone will take 47% of current PWSS funding to 
fully implement. In total, to fully implement SDWA and continue to work 
proactively to keep drinking water safe, states require a 62.8% 
increase in funding. States will have to make tough decisions about how 
to prioritize support to existing programs to implement the 
requirements of the final LCRR. States want to offer the flexibilities 
allowed under existing rules to local water systems, however, fewer 
state resources mean less opportunity to work individually with water 
systems to improve their systems and protect public health.
    State drinking water programs are already hard pressed financially. 
State--provided funding has historically compensated for inadequate 
federal funding, but state budgets have been less able to bridge this 
funding gap in recent years, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 
pandemic, which has continued to negatively impact state budgets. 
Insufficient federal support for this critical program increases the 
likelihood of scenarios that put the public's health at risk. This is 
an untenable situation, as the long--standing regulatory oversight 
remains constant and several proactive actions such as addressing PFAS 
and cyanotoxins and providing oversight for the development of water 
systems' inventories of lead service lines have increased states' 
workloads. States consistently step in to help solve problems and 
return systems to compliance and to providing safe water as quickly as 
possible. Any reduction in federal funding for state water programs, no 
matter how small, exacerbate the existing financial difficulties.
    For the PWSS Program in FY 22, ASDWA Respectfully Requests $125 
million.--The number of regulations requiring state implementation and 
oversight as well as performance expectations continue to grow while 
the federal funding increases have not kept pace. Inflation has further 
eroded the relatively static funding levels. The requested funding 
amount is based on ASDWA's 2020 Resource Needs Report, which found the 
funding gap for the PWSS program in 2020 to be $375 million, increasing 
to $469 million by 2029. The funding gap has increased by $197 million 
since the previous analysis in 2011 due to increasing demands on state 
programs to address unregulated contaminants such as PFAS and harmful 
algal blooms, and to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal 
share of program funding has decreased by 8% since the previous 
analysis in 2011. Increased PWSS funds are urgently needed for 
implementing existing drinking water rules, taking on new initiatives, 
and to account for the eroding effects of inflation. It is a small 
price to pay for public health protection.
          the drinking water state revolving loan fund program
    How the DWSRF Program Operates.--Drinking water in the U.S. is 
among the safest and most reliable in the world, but it is threatened 
by aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants. Through low interest 
loans provided by the DWSRF, states help water systems overcome these 
threats. Since its inception, the DWSRF have provided funding for 
projects that enhance drinking water systems and protect public health. 
Through the DWSRF program, $21.1 billion in federal capitalization 
grants since 1997 have been leveraged by states into over $41.1 billion 
in infrastructure loans to 14,500 communities across the country. 26.3% 
of the cumulative DWSRF funding, including low- and negative--interest 
loans, has been provided to disadvantaged communities. Such investments 
pay tremendous dividends--both in supporting our economy and in 
protecting public health. For every $1 invested in the DWSRF from the 
federal government, $2 has gone to communities. States have effectively 
and efficiently leveraged federal dollars with state contributions. An 
important feature of the DWSRF program is the state ``set-aside'' fund 
component, a key reason to fully fund this critical program. Set-asides 
provide a process for states to work with water systems to maintain 
compliance and avoid violations. States may reserve up to 31% of these 
funds for a variety of critical tasks, such as increasing the 
technical, managerial, and financial capacity of water systems, 
providing training and certification for water system operators, and 
continuing source water protection efforts. Set-asides are an essential 
source of funding for states' core programs and these efforts work in 
tandem with infrastructure loans.
    Drinking Water Infrastructure Investment is Well below the 
Documented Need.--EPA's 6th Drinking Water Needs Survey concluded that 
$427.6 billion of capital investment was needed for the next 20 years. 
The total translates to $21.4 billion annually. Continued investment is 
needed for aging treatment plants, storage tanks, pumps, and 
distribution lines that carry water to our nation's homes, businesses, 
and schools. Unlike other water infrastructure funding programs, the 
DWSRF offers project subsidization for disadvantaged communities, funds 
for training and technical assistance, and is a fundamental funding 
mechanism for many medium and small utilities who would pay much higher 
interest rates if forced to use the bond market. The DWSRF plays a key 
role in keeping infrastructure projects and upgrades affordable for 
many communities. Having access to low--interest loans allows water 
systems to pass on the savings to their rate payers while working 
towards full--cost pricing of their water service.
    For the DWSRF Program in FY 21, ASDWA respectfully requests $1.95 
billion.--The DWSRF program was funded at $1.126 billion for FY19, 
FY20, and FY21, an increase from previous years of steady funding, an 
excellent step to provide increased support to the nation's water 
systems. In America's Water Infrastructure Act (Public Law 115-270), 
Congress authorized an increase in the funding of the DWSRF over time 
so that states can increase their staff and expand their expertise in 
conjunction with the increased funding. ASDWA fully supports this 
authorized increased funding. Funding the DWSRF at $1.95 billion (the 
FY 21 authorized level) will support state drinking water programs and 
America's water systems in proactively addressing emerging contaminants 
and the increased workload associated with the LCRR.
  three epa drinking water grant programs to address lead in water in 
                        schools and communities
    ASDWA respectfully requests $91.5 million for three drinking water 
grant programs.--In FY21 appropriations, Congress funded the Voluntary 
School and Childcare Lead Testing Grant program at $26.5 million. ASDWA 
requests Congress continue the same appropriation for FY 21. In 2018, 
Public Law No: 115-270 authorized $5 million through FY21 for a new EPA 
grant program to provide assistance to schools for the replacement of 
drinking water fountains manufactured prior to 1988. ASDWA requests 
that Congress fully appropriate the $5 million authorization for this 
grant in FY 22. Public Law No: 114-322 established an EPA grant for 
Reducing Lead in Drinking Water and authorized $60 million through 
FY21. Congress appropriated $21.5 million in FY21 and ASDWA requests 
full appropriation of $60 million for FY22. Addressing lead 
contamination in schools and communities is a priority for state water 
programs and continued funding for these three grant programs will 
provide significant public health impacts, particularly for children.
                               conclusion
    ASDWA recommends Congress fully fund state drinking water programs 
in the FY 22 in order to protect public health and drinking water 
across the nation. States are willing and committed partners, however, 
additional federal funding is needed to meet the ongoing and growing 
regulatory and infrastructure needs. Strong state drinking water 
programs supported by the federal-state partnership will ensure the 
quality of drinking water in this country will continue to improve so 
the public knows that a glass of water is safe to drink no matter where 
they live.

    [This statement was submitted by J. Alan Roberson, P.E., Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
    Thank you Chair Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski for the 
opportunity to submit testimony about the priorities of the Association 
of Zoos and Aquariums for Fiscal Year 2022. Specifically, I support 
Endangered Species Recovery Challenge Grants and the Multinational 
Species Conservation Funds administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) programs at the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and sufficient funding for the Fish 
and Wildlife Service to carry out its work, including to support the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA).
    My name is Dan Ashe, and I am the President and CEO of the 
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Founded in 1924, the AZA is a 
501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that our 241 
member zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and science centers represent 
the very best in animal care and welfare, conservation, education, 
science, and guest experience. In 2019, AZA's accredited member 
facilities welcomed nearly 200 million visitors (more than all 
professional sports combined), generated more than $22 billion in 
economic activity, and supported more than 210,000 jobs across the 
country. They also contributed $230 million in direct support for field 
conservation in 127 countries benefiting more than 980 species and 
subspecies, of which 246 are listed under the ESA.
    At the heart of AZA is its mandatory accreditation requirement, 
which assures that only those zoos and aquariums that meet the highest 
standards can become members. The rigorous, independent, objective, and 
exhaustive AZA accreditation process includes self-evaluation, on-site 
inspection, and peer review. Our standards are publicly available and 
are continuously evolving and improving as we learn more about the 
needs of the animals in our care. Once earned, AZA accreditation 
confers best-in-class status, an important message for local, state, 
and federal government and the visiting public.
    AZA and its members are leaders, partners, and participants in 
species conservation. We work in concert with Congress, the federal 
agencies, conservation organizations, state governments, the private 
sector, and the general public to conserve our wildlife heritage. AZA's 
Wildlife Trafficking Alliance is a coalition of private companies, non-
profit organizations, and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums working 
closely with U.S. government agencies to combat wildlife trafficking 
worldwide. AZA and its member facilities have long-standing 
partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA). Our collaborative efforts have focused on:

  --Engaging in endangered species recovery and reintroduction, 
        including some of the most successful and heralded recovery 
        efforts, like California condor;
  --Supporting conservation domestically and internationally through 
        multinational species conservation funds and state wildlife 
        grants; and
  --Collaborating on partnership opportunities involving national parks 
        and wildlife refuges, migratory birds, freshwater and saltwater 
        fisheries, national marine sanctuaries, illegal wildlife trade, 
        amphibians, and invasive species.

    I am submitting testimony in support of the following key programs 
funded through the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
appropriations bill.
              endangered species recovery challenge grants
    The Endangered Species Recovery Challenge Grant program recognizes 
the critically important role of nonprofit partners to the Service's 
endangered species recovery efforts, and it is a mechanism, through 
merit--based matching grants, to provide funding in a more commensurate 
manner to support and enhance these efforts. Recovery Challenge Grants 
are limited to nonprofit organizations implementing the highest 
priority recovery actions identified in recovery plans, such as for 
genetically sound breeding, rearing, and reintroduction programs.
    I urge you to continue to provide robust funding for endangered 
species recovery and prioritize longstanding recovery efforts in which 
existing resources and partner expertise can be most effectively 
leveraged. Specifically, I am requesting an increase in funding for the 
Recovery Challenge Grant program to $20 million in FY2022. This funding 
will power recovery partnerships and inspire their work to better 
recover critically endangered species.
                multinational species conservation funds
    Next, I support the inclusion of $30 million for the Multinational 
Species Conservation Funds (MSCF) administered by the Fish and Wildlife 
Service. These programs support public--private partnerships that 
conserve wild tigers, Asian and African elephants, rhinos, great apes, 
freshwater turtles, tortoises, and marine turtles in their native 
habitats. Through the MSCF programs, the United States supplements the 
efforts of developing countries that are struggling to balance the 
needs of their human populations and endemic wildlife. These programs 
help to sustain wildlife populations, address threats such as poaching 
and illegal trade, reduce human--wildlife conflict, and protect 
essential habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Service is seen as a global 
conservation leader in large part due to its commitment to 
international conservation efforts. This federal program supports AZA-
accredited facilities in their field conservation efforts and 
partnerships with the Service.
                         endangered species act
    AZA and its members enthusiastically support the ESA, which has 
prevented hundreds of listed species from going extinct. Like AZA 
accreditation, the ESA is the global ``gold standard.'' It reflects our 
national commitment to species and ecosystem conservation, and it is 
working. Since its inception in 1973, it has prevented the extinction 
of 99% of the species it protects. However, we know that the challenges 
facing our planet in the 21st century are as complex as they are 
urgent. Scientists estimate that the total number of mammals, birds, 
reptiles, amphibians, and fish has declined by more than 50% since 
1970, and many believe, including me, that we are living amidst the 
planet's sixth mass extinction. Climate change is accelerating this 
crisis. Without critical intervention today, we are facing the very 
real possibility of losing some of our planet's most magnificent 
creatures such as lions, cheetahs, elephants, gorillas, sea turtles, 
and sharks.
    AZA-accredited facilities have a unique opportunity and 
responsibility to help others understand this crisis. It is our 
obligation--to these animals and to all life on earth--to take bold 
action now to protect our planet's biodiversity. One achievement that 
has gone unnoticed by most people is that zoos and aquariums have 
played a significant role in bringing over 25 species, including 
California condor, Florida manatee, and black--footed ferret, back from 
the brink of extinction.
    Although we have made significant progress in saving endangered 
species, this work is far from done. Species protection and 
conservation requires long-term commitment by all of us. It is through 
the ongoing work related to species recovery plans that we will 
conserve these species for future generations. The AZA and its members 
fully support the ESA, and I encourage you to assure that the agencies 
responsible for carrying out the mandates of the Act receive the 
necessary funding and human resource capacity to succeed.
                 u.s. fish and wildlife service budget
    Much of the important conservation work at AZA-accredited 
facilities depends on a robust and fully staffed Fish and Wildlife 
Service. Acknowledging the budget challenges facing Congress and the 
agencies, I encourage you to assure that the Fish and Wildlife Service 
has sufficient resources to employ qualified professionals, 
particularly for the programs handling permits, which support AZA's 
science--based conservation breeding and wildlife education programs 
that require animals to be moved in an efficient, timely manner: 
International Affairs (Management and Scientific Authorities), 
Endangered Species, Law Enforcement, and Migratory Birds. In 
particular, AZA is keenly interested in expanding our critical work in 
support of treating and placing live confiscated wildlife seized at the 
ports/borders and on scientific and conservation research on polar 
bears in AZA facilities. The success of these important initiatives 
depends on the effective assistance of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
                     environmental education grants
    Finally, I urge the Subcommittee to include $14 million for 
National Environmental Education Act programs. This relatively small 
investment in communities yields an impressive return.
    Since 1990 the NEEA has served as a highly effective tool for 
improving student performance in science and math, protecting public 
health, and helping build 21st century skills by promoting job training 
and innovation. NEEA-supported education programs at AZA-accredited 
institutions provide essential learning opportunities in formal and 
informal settings. In the last 10 years, accredited zoos and aquariums 
trained more than 400,000 teachers, supporting science curricula with 
effective teaching materials and hands-on opportunities. School field 
trips at AZA member facilities annually connect more than twelve 
million students with the natural world.
    AZA-accredited facilities are long-standing partners that have made 
possible conservation successes for species like California condor, 
manatee, Mexican wolf, sea turtles, and less charismatic species like 
grasshopper sparrow, hellbender and American burying beetle. We 
appreciate the Subcommittee's support for $30 million in the ``American 
Rescue Plan Act'' for the care of captive species listed under the ESA, 
rescued and confiscated wildlife, and federal trust species in 
facilities experiencing lost revenues due to COVID-19. Although AZA-
accredited facilities were closed or operating at reduced capacity for 
much of 2020, losing more $2 billion in earned revenue, they continued 
their support for Service--driven recovery efforts.
    AZA and its members look forward to continuing to work with this 
Subcommittee and Congress to assure that as a nation we are devoting 
the necessary resources to conserve wildlife at home and globally.
    Thank you.

    [This statement was submitted by Dan Ashe, President and CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Center for Biological Diversity
Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, Members of the Committee:

    Thank you for consideration of our testimony. For FY 2022, we are 
requesting (1) an increase in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service budget 
of $1 billion, (2) an increase in funding to the Bureau of Land 
Management by $250 million concomitant with a decrease in funding for 
all new leasing on public lands and waters (3) a $3.8 billion increase 
in EPA funding to restore funding to FY 2010 levels, and (4) a decrease 
in the U.S. military budget of 25% to end the cycle of pitting critical 
programs that help people and the environment into an untenable 
austerity competition for budgetary scraps at the table.
    The world is in the midst of a staggering extinction crisis, with 
one million species facing extinction in the coming decades due to 
habitat loss, climate change, wildlife exploitation, pollution, and 
other human activities. The COVID-19 pandemic almost certainly arose 
from people's unsustainable and reckless exploitation of the natural 
world, and it demonstrates just how dangerous it can be when Congress 
fails to sufficiently protect biodiversity both at home and abroad. And 
the catastrophic wildfires of 2020 from California to the Amazon to 
Australia continue to demonstrate the inexorable connection between the 
climate and the extinction crises.
    Despite this, the Appropriations Committee has ignored the 
extinction crisis for years, content to throw only the meagerest 
breadcrumbs to the Fish and Wildlife Service and other conservation 
agencies, even though these austerity budgets will only ensure that 
future generations will inherit a world devoid of its most magnificent 
wildlife.
    For a tiny fraction of the cost of a few non-functional F-35 
fighter jets or one-third of the money now dedicated to ``Community 
Project Funding,'' the United States could save all of the endangered 
species found in this country, it could stem the tide of ever--
increasing deforestation around the world, and could crack down on the 
global wildlife trade--the only thing that would make it less likely 
another global pandemic like COVID-19 would occur again in the future.
    Accordingly, we request the Appropriations Committee stop enriching 
special interests and multinational corporations, stop forcing 
environmental priorities to fight amongst one another over pennies in 
the budget, and put the needs of people and environment first and 
foremost in the fiscal year 2022 budget. We request a 25% decrease in 
the military budget and a comparable increase in non-defense 
discretionary spending so that Congressional funding in the 302(a) and 
302(b) allocations actually helps people and the environment. Below are 
our specific requests:
 i. increase wildlife and endangered species act funding by $1 billion
    To begin to make up for lost ground and support the Biden 
Administration's commitment to address the threat of climate change to 
biodiversity, the Service requires a budget for domestic endangered 
species of at least $600 million, distributed across five programs, 
starting in FY2022. This would ensure every listed species receives a 
minimum of $50,000 per year for recovery and will allow more species to 
be put on the road to recovery. To save the western monarch butterfly 
from its likely extinction in the next 12 months, we request $50 
million in emergency funding. To reestablish our role as a global 
leader in conservation, the Service requires a budget for foreign 
endangered species of at least $350 million, distributed across the 
five multinational species conservation funds.

  --Listing. At current funding rates, it will take the Service 10 
        years to process the 400+ species remaining in the Service's 
        listing workplan, during which time, 5-8 additional species 
        will likely go extinct. The listing program budget should be 
        increased to at least $63.7 million in FY2022.
  --Recovery. Hundreds of endangered species receive less than $1,000 a 
        year for their recovery, with many receiving no funding from 
        Congress at all. Congress must provide a minimum of $50,000 per 
        year per species for recovery to make sure that no species 
        slips through the cracks, or approximately $250 million for the 
        recovery program in FY2022.
  --Planning and Consultation. The Planning and Consultation program 
        includes key processes that ensure species receive fundamental 
        protections while allowing flexibility for infrastructure and 
        other forms of development. This program could provide critical 
        tools to address the threat of climate change and to better 
        mitigate landscape level threats such as pesticides. Congress 
        needs to provide the Service with $150 million in FY2022.
  --Conservation and Restoration. This program provides critical tools 
        to help conserve species by improving their habitat and 
        removing threats before they need to be listed. To efficiently 
        keep species back from the brink of needing the protections of 
        the Act, Congress needs to provide $13.5 million for Candidate 
        Conservation in FY2022.
  --Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation. This program is one of 
        the most effective tools for states and tribes to conserve 
        wildlife on private lands. At least half of all listed species 
        spend a portion of their life cycle on private lands. To 
        reverse the gap from previous funding shortfalls and match the 
        current need for state and private lands conservation, the 
        Service requires CESCF funding of at least $125 million for 
        FY2022.
  --Monarch Butterflies. The western monarch population has crashed by 
        99.9%, and now numbers fewer than 2,000 monarchs in coastal 
        California this year--the lowest number ever recorded, down 
        from 30,000 last year and 1.2 million a decade ago. Without 
        immediate help, it is almost certain that the western 
        population will collapse by the next appropriations cycle. To 
        save western monarchs, Congress needs to provide $50 million 
        immediately in FY2022.
  --Multinational Species Conservation Funding. Just last month, the 
        IUCN declared the African Forest Elephant critically 
        endangered. All three species of orangutan, both species of 
        gorilla, the tiger, and all rhino species face imminent 
        extinction. Current funding levels are obscenely insufficient. 
        We recommend increasing the Fund to $350 million spread evenly 
        across the elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, great apes, and 
        marine turtle programs. Funding to sustain these species would 
        help address habitat loss and deforestation, which would also 
        benefit the fight against climate change and help to prevent 
        future pandemics.
  ii. end subsidization of fossil fuel extraction on public lands and 
                                 waters
    President Biden's Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate 
Crisis at Home and Abroad, took the bold step of pausing oil and gas 
leasing on public lands and waters to allow for a comprehensive review 
of the climate impacts of these activities. Congress must not undermine 
the President's actions by mindlessly maintaining the status--quo by 
funding further oil and gas activities that conflict with this landmark 
Executive Order. Accordingly, we recommend zeroing out funding for all 
new leasing and permitting during this time. Funds should be 
reallocated towards renewable energy, restoration, and protection of 
wildlife habitat to address the millions of acres that have already 
been destroyed or degraded by fossil fuel extraction.
Bureau of Land Management
  --Oil and Gas Inspection and Enforcement. Increase funding to $80 
        million. Since 2016, the appropriated amount in this line item 
        has remained largely unchanged despite the massive increase in 
        oil and gas activities on public lands. Failure to fund 
        inspections and enforcement inevitably leaves the public to 
        pick up the tab for environmental damage down the road.
  --Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management. Many populations of once 
        common species including pronghorn and greater sage grouse are 
        declining on BLM lands due to habitat fragmentation, fossil 
        fuel extraction and industrial development, as well as climate 
        change. To further President Biden's goal to protect 30% of the 
        nation's lands and waters, and to stop the downward trend of 
        wildlife, the BLM line item for wildlife management must be 
        increased to no less than $300 million in FY2022.
  --Abandoned Mine Lands and Hazardous Materials Management. There are 
        over 50,000 abandoned mines on BLM lands, which pose serious 
        risks to environment and public safety. We recommend an 
        increase in funding to $100 million in FY2022 to address the 
        backlog more aggressively in abandoned wells across BLM lands.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
  --Renewable Energy. Increase funding to $50 million. Congress should 
        increase the funding for the deployment of renewable energy 
        projects on the Outer Continental Shelf. This funding is needed 
        to ensure that the siting and environmental reviews of any 
        offshore wind capacity fully complies with the National 
        Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and Coastal 
        Zone Management Act in a robust manner.
  --Environmental Assessments. Increase funding to $120 million. 
        Congress should ensure the agency places an emphasis on both 
        programmatic and project or site--specific environmental impact 
        statements under NEPA. Renewable energy projects should not be 
        excluded from an in-depth environmental review under the 
        premise that it would not result in significant harm.
 iii. increase funding for the environmental protection agency by $3.8 
                                billion
    Despite the President's proposed increase of $2 billion, this still 
represents a decreased budget compared to the EPA's 2010 budget once 
inflation is taken into consideration. The EPA requires a total budget 
of at least $13 billion for FY2022 if it is going to make progress 
beyond what it accomplished in 2010. A decade of funding cuts and staff 
reductions at the EPA have jeopardized the integrity of the EPA's core 
missions to protect clean air, clean water and protect people from 
dangerous chemicals. Since 2000, the EPA has lost 21% of its full-time 
staff because of funding cuts, amounting to nearly 4,000 dedicated 
employees. Congress's failure to adequately fund the EPA has resulted 
in missed statutory deadlines, which have set back the health of our 
most vulnerable people.

  --Water Quality Protection. Water quality has suffered due to the 
        EPA's chronic understaffing and lack of funding. The Clean 
        Water Act instructs the EPA to develop and publish ``criteria 
        for water quality accurately reflecting the latest scientific 
        knowledge.'' The EPA has developed water quality criteria for 
        aquatic life for only two pollutants in the last decade. 
        Criteria for several pollutants such as lead have not been 
        updated since the 1980s. The EPA has also failed to develop 
        criteria for hundreds more chemicals known to cause harm in 
        aquatic ecosystems. The EPA needs an increase of $250 million 
        for its water quality criteria program to $466 million for 
        FY2022 in order to address new chemicals and other water 
        pollutants that do not have water quality criteria and to 
        update the numerous existing criteria that are decades out of 
        date.
  --Clean Air. The Clean Air Act directs the EPA to establish National 
        Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria air 
        pollutants and review them every five years. However, the EPA 
        is already overdue in its reviews of NAAQS for particulate 
        matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, 
        and must also review tainted determinations from the Trump 
        administration. Additionally, the Clean Air Act requires that 
        localities that do not meet air pollution standards must submit 
        State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to the EPA with the goal of 
        reaching federal standards. Though the Clean Air Act requires 
        the EPA to approve or deny a SIP within 12 months, there is an 
        enormous backlog of SIPs awaiting review, with submissions 
        dating back to 1993. Congress must prioritize clean air by 
        providing an additional $212 million in FY2022 to bring the 
        line item for Clean Air to at least $500 million to support the 
        EPA's critical Clean Air Act programs.
  --Pesticide Licensing. Pesticides are used every day without 
        complying with all statutory requirements to protect the 
        environment. The EPA is required to consult with the Fish and 
        Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service under 
        the Endangered Species Act when registering or reviewing a 
        pesticide to ensure use of that pesticide will not jeopardize 
        the existence of endangered or threatened species. Yet the EPA 
        has never completed the consultation process for any chemical 
        nationwide. Further resources are desperately needed so that 
        the EPA is able to conduct biological evaluations more 
        thoroughly and efficiently, guaranteeing stronger protections 
        for endangered species. We urge Congress to designate $50 
        million for Endangered Species Act consultations to prevent 
        further harm to imperiled species.

    [This statement was submitted by Brett Hartl, Government Affairs 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Center for Invasive Species Prevention
    The Coalition Against Forest Pests (CAFP) consists of non-profit 
organizations, for-profit entities, landowners, state agency 
associations and academic scholars who have joined together to improve 
our nation's efforts to address forest health threats.
    We appreciate this opportunity to comment on funding for USDA 
Forest Service programs that address non-native tree-killing pests.
    Between Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 and FY 2018, spending by the Forest 
Health Protection program to combat 11 specified non-native insects and 
pathogens fell by about 50%. Funding for research conducted by the 
Research stations on ten non-native pests decreased from $10 million in 
Fiscal Year 2010 to just $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2020--more than 
70%. As far as we can determine, very little additional funding has 
been allocated by these programs to species of non-native pests that 
have established in the country in recent years. As a result of these 
reductions, the Service's ability to develop and implement effective 
tools to manage the growing number of pests threatening the health of 
the Nation's forests has been crippled.
    We ask that the Appropriations Committee restore funding to these 
crucial programs by providing the following appropriations:

  --State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection--total funding
    --Cooperative Lands, funding for program work: $51 million
    --Federal Lands, funding for program work: $25 million
  --Research and Development: total funding $320 million; we ask for 
        report language encouraging the USDA Forest Service to increase 
        funding for research targeting non-native insects and 
        pathogens.
                               background
    To understand how damaging these cuts have been, consider that 
since 2010, the following new tree-killing pests have been detected: 
polyphagous and Kuroshio shot hole borers, spotted lanternfly, two 
rapid `ohi`a death pathogens, Mediterranean oak beetle, and velvet 
longhorned beetle. In the meantime, the Asian longhorned beetle has 
been detected in Ohio and South Carolina; the emerald ash borer 
expanded its range from 14 to 35 states; laurel wilt disease spread 
from five states to 11; a second strain of the sudden oak death fungus 
appeared in Oregon and California forests; and whitebark pine has been 
Pelisted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as Threatened under the 
Endangered Species Act.
    In total, more than 228 tree species growing in the ``lower 48'' 
states are attacked by non-native pests; additional tree species in 
Hawai`i and other islands are also infested by non-native pests. A 
study by Randall Morin found that non-native forest pests had caused an 
approximately five percent increase in total mortality by tree volume 
nation-wide. The greatest increases in mortality rates were a four-fold 
increase for redbay; and a three-fold increase for ash, beech, and 
hemlock. A study by Songlin Fei estimates that the 15 most damaging of 
the introduced species threaten 41.1% of the total live forest biomass 
in the 48 conterminous states.
    The Mission of the USDA Forest Service is ``To sustain the health, 
diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to 
meet the needs of present and future generations.'' To achieve this 
mission, the Forest Service needs adequate funding to address the 
difficult challenge of containing the spread of introduced pests, 
protecting host tree species from mortality caused by those pests, and 
restoring decimated tree species to the forest.
    Much of this effort must take place on the 60% of America's forests 
managed by states and private landowners. Effectively countering non-
native insects and pathogens requires addressing them where they are 
first detected. Almost always, those first detections occur in or near 
cities--which are the destination of the imported goods and plants 
which are the means by which the pests are introduced.
    Furthermore, once established, the non-native pests spread to 
forests in rural and wildland areas. The pests' spread is often 
facilitated by people moving firewood, plants or household goods. 
Consequently, addressing spread requires scientific understanding of 
the pest's biology and understanding what motivates people to avoid 
activities that facilitate pests' spread.
    Obviously, given the large number of damaging non-native pests, the 
Forest Service must set priorities. This need has been met by ``Project 
CAPTURE'' (Conservation Assessment and Prioritization of Forest Trees 
Under Risk of Extirpation) [https://forestthreats.org/research/
projects/project-summaries/genetic-risk-assessment-system]. Priority 
species for forests on the continent are listed below. A separate study 
is under way for forests in Hawai`i, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin 
Islands.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia)  Port-Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis
                                      lawsoniana)
American chestnut (Castanea          tanoak (Notholithocarpus
 dentata)                             densiflorus)
Allegheny chinquapin (C. pumila)     butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Ozark chinquapin (C. pumila var.     eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
 ozarkensis)
redbay (Persea borbonia)             white ash (Fraxinus americana)
Carolina ash (Fraxinus caroliniana)  black ash (F. nigra)
pumpkin ash (F. profunda)            green ash (F. pennsylvanica)
Carolina hemlock (Tsuga
 caroliniana)
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Project CAPTURE says these 15 species should be the focus of two 
types of programs. First, seed collection and banking and similar 
activities should be carried out as part of a comprehensive gene 
conservation program aimed at maintaining genetic integrity and natural 
levels of genetic diversity within species. Second, researchers should 
establish the trees' potential resistance to the pest, and develop tree 
breeding and restoration components--including possibly careful 
utilization of new genomic technologies. These projects would enable or 
hasten the establishment of applied breeding programs.
    We hope that the Congress will choose to implement these 
recommendations by providing additional funding to the USFS FHP and 
Research programs.
                 forest health and management programs
    To be most effective, the USDA Forest Health Management program 
must address pests where they are first found--which is almost always 
in urban or semi-rural forests. This pattern means that the initial 
responsibility for countering non-native pests falls primarily to the 
Cooperative Forest Health Management program. This program supports 
partners' efforts to prevent, monitor, suppress, and eradicate insects, 
diseases, and invasive plants through technical and financial 
assistance to state forestry agencies who deal directly with private 
forest owners.
    Of course, many of the pests spread into National forests. For 
example, since its introduction a century ago, white pine blister rust 
has spread throughout the West; 74 percent of the threatened whitebark 
pine grows within National forests. Since the 1950s, hemlock wooly 
adelgid has spread to National forests from Georgia to Pennsylvania and 
even Michigan. Within 20 years of its first detection, the emerald ash 
borer has spread from the Detroit area to kill trees in many National 
forests across the Northeast and Midwest. Over an even shorter period, 
the polyphagous and Kuroshio shot hole borers have entered the 
Cleveland National Forest. Forests in National parks in the 
Appalachians, California, the Pacific Northwest and Hawai`i have also 
been severely damaged by these pests. All were first discovered in 
urban forests.
    Considering the priorities established by Project CAPTURE, we 
applaud the continuing commitment by the FHP program to projects 
addressing Port-Orford-cedar root disease, threats to whitebark pine, 
and thousand cankers disease. However, we are concerned about past 
reductions in programs targetting laurel wilt and sudden oak death. We 
hope that the inclusion of their hosts (redbay and tanoaks) in the 
Project CAPTURE priority list will result in new funding becoming 
available. Furthermore, we support efforts to manage ``lingering'' ash 
and breed ash trees resistant to the emerald ash borer. Indeed, FHP 
leadership will be vitally important to stakeholders trying to manage 
spread of the emerald ash borer now that the USDA Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service has terminated its regulatory program. 
Wildland and urban forests in the Western states are at greatest risk 
to EAB spread.
    We expect that FHP will continue to help Hawaiian partners to 
counter the rapid `ohi`a death fungi, which threatens ?ohi?a lehua--
which makes up 80% of native forests. The fungus has killed over a 
million trees on 180,000 acres on the Big Island alone and has now 
spread to the other islands.
    We are pleased that the FHP program has established an ``emerging 
pest'' line, which in FY2021 is funded at $500,000. Welcome as this 
funding is, it is inadequate to carry the burden of addressing the 
dozens of non-native pests not included in the national program.
    As noted above, the Coalition Against Forest Pests asks that the 
Committee provide total appropriations of $51 million FHP Cooperative 
Lands and $25 million under FHP Federal Lands for Fiscal Year 2022.
       usda forest service forest and rangeland research program
    Effective programs to prevent, suppress, and eradicate non-native 
insects, diseases, and plants depend on understanding of the pest-host 
relationship gained through research. We seek $320 million for the USDA 
Forest Service Research and Development program in FY2021.
    Funding for research conducted by USFS on ten non-native pests 
decreased from $10 million in FY 2010 to just $2.5 million in FY 2020-
more than 70 percent. Current funding for invasive species thus 
constitutes about one percent of the total R&D budget. As a result of 
these reductions, the USFS's ability to develop and implement effective 
tools to manage the growing number of pests threatening the health of 
the nation's forests has been crippled. Programs targeting hemlock 
woolly adelgid, white pine blister rust, sudden oak death, and the 
Sirex woodwasp were cut in recent years. Programs targeting several 
other high-impact pests, including the Asian longhorned beetle, emerald 
ash borer, goldspotted oak borer, thousand cankers disease, and laurel 
wilt disease have been funded at a steady rate. We could find no 
documentation of USDA Forest Service research into beech leaf disease, 
rapid `ohi`a death, or other pests currently killing trees.
    Effective measures depend on an understanding of both the pest's 
biology and factors that motivate people to avoid activities that 
facilitate pests' spread. As part of the requested $320 million for 
Forest Service Research and Development, the signatory organizations 
urge you to include language in the Interior Appropriations report 
encouraging the USDA Forest Service to increase funding for research 
targeting non-native insects and pathogens.
    Thank you for considering our views. If you have any questions, 
please contact Faith Campbell at [email protected]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation & 
                     Alaska Conservation Foundation
Dear Chairman Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski:

    Collaborative, landscape-scale conservation brings people together 
across geographies, jurisdictions, sectors, and cultures to restore 
fragmented landscapes, thereby safeguarding the ecological, cultural, 
and economic benefits provided by intact and connected habitat. We are 
therefore encouraged to see $18.8 million (an increase of $6.3 million 
above the 2021 enacted level) proposed in the President's Budget for 
Cooperative Landscape Conservation via the Science Applications Program 
within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). However, additional 
funding is necessary to effectively coordinate landscape conservation 
across the federal government and with state, tribal, and 
nongovernmental partners across the country.
    In its Fiscal Year 2022 budget justification, USFWS claims: 
``Science Applications is the only program in the Federal government 
that provides collaboration and technical capacity to facilitate the 
integration, development, and strategic alignment of actions to achieve 
the conservation landscape [sic] of the future to sustain fish, 
wildlife, and plant by working with and for partners and local, State, 
and regional partnerships across the Nation'' (CLC-2, emphasis 
added).\1\ We fervently support this work and deeply appreciate the 
USFWS's leadership on landscape conservation. And yet, addressing 
complex, multi-scalar problems like biodiversity loss, the climate 
crisis, and environmental injustice requires a whole-of-government 
approach, as stated in the Biden administration's recent Conserving and 
Restoring the America the Beautiful report.\2\ Achieving the 
administration's ambitious conservation goals and tackling our most 
pressing natural resource management challenges at the landscape scale 
requires meaningful involvement of many agencies within the departments 
of Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, as well as the Council on 
Environmental Quality and other federal entities, in partnership with 
tribal, state, regional, and local stakeholders. Coordinating landscape 
conservation should not indefinitely be the sole responsibility of one 
program within one agency: it is by nature a collective responsibility.
    Effectively synchronizing landscape conservation and climate 
adaptation efforts across federal agencies and with non-federal 
partners will require investing in a new durable, comprehensive, and 
inclusive structure and approach to landscape conservation. With 
insights from diverse leaders in landscape conservation across the 
nation, our two organizations recently released a report calling for 
this commitment: Build back a better national landscape conservation 
framework.\3\ The report recommends providing national funding to 
support robust federal leadership and coordination, and providing 
resources to support and connect regional conservation partnerships 
across the nation to address large-scale conservation challenges. More 
specifically, the experts that contributed to the report suggest the 
following, among other recommendations: a) tasking an entity within the 
Biden administration to lead and coordinate federal government 
functions for the landscape conservation framework and b) creating a 
multi-stakeholder national landscape conservation council to maximize 
coordination, communication, and collaboration on policies and 
projects. This perspective is shared by many prominent leaders in the 
conservation community, as articulated in a recent op-ed published in 
The Hill by former U.S. Department of Interior officials Lynn Scarlett 
and Dr. Mamie Parker.\4\
    We propose providing $3 million of additional funding to USFWS 
(beyond the requested amount of $18.8 million for ``Cooperative 
Landscape Conservation'') to initiate the process of establishing a new 
framework for coordinating landscape conservation and climate 
adaptation efforts nationwide, in accordance with the recommendations 
in the report referenced above and excerpted below (see excerpt on page 
4 of this testimony). These additional funds would raise the total 
level for the Cooperative Landscape Conservation Program to $21.8 
million, which is approximately the funding used to facilitate the 
Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network from 2010-2017.
    We also suggest the following report language to clarify the 
purpose of the proposed additional $3 million:

    First, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will 
expend these dollars on coordinating landscape conservation and climate 
adaptation efforts with other natural resource and environmental 
agencies within the federal government. Second, USFWS will use these 
funds to launch an interagency and public engagement process that 
solicits recommendations for developing a new national framework for 
landscape conservation. Within 12 months, USFWS will submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees outlining the following:
    1. The need for and benefits of a durable, inclusive, and 
comprehensive national framework for landscape conservation;
    2. The opportunities and challenges of coordinating landscape 
conservation across federal agencies and with state, regional, and 
local governmental and non-governmental partners;
    3. The opportunities and challenges of integrating landscape 
conservation with climate adaptation efforts across the federal 
government;
    4. A proposed new or existing entity within the Biden 
administration to lead and coordinate federal government functions of 
the national landscape conservation framework;
    5. A proposed structure for a nationwide network of regional 
conservation partnerships;
    6. A proposal for establishing a diverse, inclusive national 
landscape conservation council composed of federal, state, and tribal 
agencies, regional partnerships, non-governmental organizations, 
university partners, private landowners, and other stakeholders; and
    7. A sustainable funding strategy to support the following: the new 
national landscape conservation network and framework; the federal 
interagency governing entity and multi-stakeholder council for national 
landscape conservation; dedicated federal, state, tribal, regional, and 
local agency staff positions to coordinate landscape conservation 
efforts across all scales of government; and landscape conservation 
projects across the country.

    The proposed new investment in developing a durable, inclusive, and 
comprehensive national framework will enable USFWS to facilitate 
greater involvement in and support for landscape conservation and 
climate adaptation. Such a coordinated approach would improve outcomes, 
eliminate redundancies, create synergies, promote inclusion, facilitate 
collaboration, and streamline the whole-of-government response 
necessary to conserve a network of healthy and productive lands and 
waters that sustain our nation's unique natural and cultural resources.
    We appreciate your consideration of our testimony and stand ready 
to address any questions or provide further resources.

            Sincerely,

Michael Barber, Executive Director
Alaska Conservation Foundation
[email protected]

Gary Tabor, President
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
[email protected]
                         Building Back a better
               National Landscape Conservation Framework
                           executive summary
                            recommendations
    To achieve the overarching goal of a connected network of healthy 
and productive lands and waters that sustain natural and cultural 
resources to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including climate 
change, environmental justice, the loss of biodiversity, and sustained 
economic well-being, the nation needs a durable national framework for 
landscape conservation. A federal convening structure and policy 
leadership will create opportunities and provide resources to advance 
conservation science and collaboration. The following recommendations 
will allow such an effort to be more effective, garner more public 
support, create a more equitable and inclusive conservation paradigm, 
and endure for generations to come.
Policies
    1. Identify an entity within the Biden Administration to lead and 
coordinate federal governmental functions for the landscape 
conservation framework.
    2. Issue an executive order, or take other executive action, 
directing federal agencies to bring together science and people through 
landscape conservation collaboratives.
    3. Over the next few years, work with Congress on a strategy to 
codify a national landscape conservation network.
    4. Create a national, multi-stakeholder landscape conservation 
council to maximize coordination, communication, and collaboration on 
landscape conservation policy and projects.
    5. Integrate landscape conservation and national climate adaptation 
science efforts.
Necessary Funding and Resources
    6. Work with Congress and the executive branch on joint sustainable 
funding strategies.
    7. Provide national funding to support backbone capacity and 
coordination.
    8. Seek new funding, and leverage existing funds, for landscape 
conservation efforts.
    9. Ensure that funding supports a diverse array of organizations 
and stakeholders.
    10. Revitalize investments previously made by the Obama-Biden 
administration in landscape conservation.
                               conclusion
    A common element in these recommendations is the important role of 
people in landscape conservation. Gone are the days of artificial lines 
and thinking about nature separate from people. Today we know that 
conservation is about sustaining whole landscapes for both communities 
and nature. This means involving a broad range of people in planning 
for and investing in the future of the places where they live and work. 
It also means recognizing the economic, ecological, cultural, 
recreational, and health benefits that intact, functioning ecosystems 
provide to local communities and citizens across America. This 
collaborative and holistic approach will be essential in achieving the 
administration's biodiversity, equity, and climate change goals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. ``The United 
States Department of the Interior Budget Justifications and Performance 
Information, Fiscal Year 2022.'' Available at: https://www.doi.gov/
sites/doi.gov/files/fy2022-fws-budget-justification.pdf.
    \2\ United States Department of the Interior, United States 
Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Commerce, and 
Council on Environmental Quality. 2021. ``Conserving and Restoring 
America the Beautiful.'' Available at: https://www.doi.gov/sites/
doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-
2021.pdf.
    \3\ Mankowski, J., Wathen, G., Poe, A., Mordecai, R., and Wearn, A. 
2021. ``Build back a better National Landscape Conservation 
Framework.'' Commissioned by the Center for Large Landscape 
Conservation and the Alaska Conservation Foundation. Available at: 
https://largelandscapes.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Landscape-
Conservation-Framework.pdf.
    \4\ Scarlett, L. and Parker, M. April 22, 2021. ``21st century 
conservation: A vision of collaboration across landscapes.'' Available 
at: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/549729-21st-century-
conservation-a-vision-of-collaboration-across.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District
    On behalf of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District 
(CAWCD), I encourage you to direct the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
to again expend at least $2.0 million from its Aquatic Habitat 
Management Program sub-activity (formerly known as the Soil, Water and 
Air Program) for Colorado River specific salinity control activities in 
Fiscal Year 2022. The funding will help protect the water quality of 
the Colorado River that is used by approximately 40 million people for 
municipal and industrial purposes and used to irrigate approximately 
5.5 million acres in the United States.
    CAWCD manages the Central Arizona Project (CAP), a multi-purpose 
water resource development and management project that delivers 
Colorado River water into central and southern Arizona. The largest 
supplier of renewable water in Arizona, CAP diverts an average of over 
1.5 million acre-feet of Arizona's 2.8 million acre-foot Colorado River 
entitlement each year to municipal and industrial users, agricultural 
irrigation districts, and Indian communities.
    Our goal at CAP is to provide an affordable, reliable and 
sustainable supply of Colorado River water to a service area that 
includes more than 80 percent of Arizona's population.
    These renewable water supplies are critical to Arizona's economy 
and to the economies of Native American communities throughout the 
state. Nearly 90% of economic activity in the State of Arizona occurs 
within CAP's service area. The canal provides an economic benefit of 
$100 billion annually, accounting for one-third of the entire Arizona 
gross state product. CAP also helps the State of Arizona meet its water 
management and regulatory objectives of reducing groundwater use and 
ensuring availability of groundwater as a supplemental water supply 
during future droughts. Achieving and maintaining these water 
management objectives is critical to the long-term sustainability of a 
state as arid as Arizona.
                 negative impacts of concentrated salts
    Natural and man-induced salt loading to the Colorado River creates 
environmental and economic damages. EPA has identified that more than 
60 percent of the salt load of the Colorado River comes from natural 
sources. The majority of land within the Colorado River Basin is 
federally owned, much of which is administered by BLM. Human activity, 
principally irrigation, adds to salt load of the Colorado River. 
Further, natural and human activities concentrate the dissolved salts 
in the River.
    The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has estimated the 
current quantifiable damages at about $354 million per year to U.S. 
users with projections that damages would increase to approximately 
$671 million per year by 2040 if the program were not to continue. 
These damages include:

  --A reduction in the yield of salt sensitive crops and increased 
        water use to meet the leaching requirements in the agricultural 
        sector;
  --Increased use of imported water and cost of desalination and brine 
        disposal for recycling water in the municipal sector;
  --A reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems, 
        water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, clothes washers, and 
        dishwashers, and increased use of bottled water and water 
        softeners in the household sector;
  --An increase in the cost of cooling operations and the cost of water 
        softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the 
        commercial sector;
  --An increase in the use of water and the cost of water treatment, 
        and an increase in sewer fees in the industrial sector;
  --A decrease in the life of treatment facilities and pipelines in the 
        utility sector; and
  --Difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply 
        with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit 
        terms and conditions, and an increase in desalination and brine 
        disposal costs due to accumulation of salts in groundwater 
        basins.

    The threat of salinity continues to be a concern in both the United 
States and Mexico. On November 20, 2012, a five-year agreement, known 
as Minute 319, was signed between the U.S. and Mexico to guide future 
management of the Colorado River. Among the key issues addressed in 
Minute 319 included an agreement to maintain current salinity 
management and existing salinity standards. The United States, Mexico, 
and key water users, including CAWCD, worked since 2015 to develop a 
successor agreement, Minute 323, which was finalized on September 27, 
2017. Minute 323 continues collaboration and cooperation among the 
United States and Mexico with respect to salinity control in the 
Colorado River system. The CAWCD and other key water providers are 
committed to meeting these goals.
    Adequate funding for salinity control will prevent the water 
quality of the Colorado River from further degradation and avoid 
significant increases in economic damages to municipal, industrial and 
irrigation users.
                               conclusion
    Implementation of salinity control practices through the BLM 
Program has proven to be a very cost effective method of controlling 
the salinity of the Colorado River and is an essential component of the 
overall Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program.
    The continuation of funding will prevent further degradation of the 
water quality of the Colorado River and further degradation and 
economic damages experienced by municipal, industrial and irrigation 
users. A modest investment in source control pays huge dividends in 
improved drinking water quality for nearly 40 million Americans. CAWCD 
requests that this committee direct that BLM again expend in Fiscal 
Year 2022 at least $2.0 million from its Aquatic Habitat Management 
Program sub-activity for Colorado River specific salinity control 
activities.

    [This statement was submitted by Theodore C. Cooke, General 
Manager.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Chugach Regional Resources Commission
    The Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) is a Tribal 
Organization whose primary mission is to develop the natural resource 
capability and capacity for each of our seven member Tribes located 
within Alaska's Chugach Region in southcentral Alaska; the Chenega IRA 
Council, Native Village of Eyak, Nanwalek IRA Council, Port Graham 
Village Council, the Qutekcak Native Tribe, Tatitlek IRA Council, and 
the Valdez Native Tribe. We depend on Federal appropriations to the 
BIA's Tribal Management/Development Program (TM/DP) account and U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to carry out programs which benefit 
our member Tribes. CRRC seeks a funding level of $750,000 within the 
Tribal Management/Development Program account and an increase of $1.0 
million within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service budget to increase 
Tribal opportunities in the policies of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-
Management Council.
    We thank Senate members for passage of the CARES Act in 2020, 
increased funding within the Interior appropriations budget for FY 
2021, and passage of the American Rescue Plan this year. Without these 
measures, our member Tribes would not have been able to navigate the 
challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the economic collapse that 
ensued, and the resulting challenges faced by Tribal governments, small 
Tribal businesses, and Alaska Native families. We thank Chairman 
Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Subcommittee Members for your 
steadfast support of Tribes and Tribal Organizations like CRRC.
    CRRC was organized in 1984 to address environmental and natural 
resource issues for our Tribes and develop culturally sensitive 
economic projects at the community level. Through our programs and 
services, CRRC contributes significantly to the health and economic 
vitality of our Tribes and their members. This was especially important 
this past year during the pandemic. As of 2021, we serve an estimated 
population of over 1,200 Alaska Natives. Here is a short overview of 
what we do:

  --Operate and fund the maintenance costs and salaries of the 12,000 
        sq. ft. Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute (APMI), located in 
        Seward, one of the only Tribally operated shellfish hatcheries 
        in Alaska that produces oyster and littleneck clam seeds, 
        geoducks, cockles, and razor clams for direct consumption;
    --Through funding the APMI, enable hatchery staff to develop a 
            shellfish sanctuary in Port Graham and Resurrection Bay;
    --Through funding the APMI, enable hatchery staff to study ocean 
            acidification as part of the Alaska Ocean Acidification 
            Network and the impact of acidification on fish and 
            shellfish stocks.
  --Operate and fund the Nanwalek Salmon Enhancement Project, a 
        subsistence fishery, to rejuvenate the availability of fish for 
        direct consumption;
  --Lead natural resource efforts on behalf of our Tribes, including 
        wetlands monitoring and planning, traditional foods advocacy 
        and protection, climate change vulnerability and adaptation 
        planning, subsistence resource advocacy, and the development 
        and management of a Tribal Conservation District;
  --Is the statewide manager and member of the Alaska Migratory Bird 
        Co-Management Council (AMBCC) working with the State and 
        USF&WS and

    Over the last year of the pandemic, we improvised our services, 
conducting education and outreach to our member Tribes through video 
teleconferences and posting information on our website.
    Through your support, the TM/DP account has grown nearly 45% over 
the last 8 years, from $9.22 million in FY 2013 to $13.387 million in 
FY 2021. During the same period, however, our funding rose only 16.8%, 
from $350,000 to $409,000, only to contract to $348,000 (FY 2018) and 
$380,000 (FY 2019 and FY 2020) before we raised concerns with the BIA 
that its unilateral reductions were contrary to the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. We have not been a 
beneficiary of the appropriation increases made to the TM/DP account by 
Congress despite the fact that we are one of the longest standing 
inter-tribal natural resource organization in Alaska and we regularly 
engage in co-management activities with the federal government.
    Our work is vital and important for the future of the mariculture 
industry in Alaska and importantly to our Tribes and their members who 
depend on CRRC's programs and services. We require a stable budget, 
together with eligible contract support cost funds, to help us carry 
out our programs, pay salaries, and operate and maintain the hatchery.
    We respectfully request an FY 2022 budget of $750,000, the funding 
level we sought in FY 2021 just as the pandemic was impacting the 
United States. This funding level will permit us to fully support the 
salaries of our Executive Director, the APMI Director, Science 
Director, Shellfish Technician Ocean Acidification Manager, Technician, 
and operate and maintain the APMI facility. Had CRRC received increases 
to our budget equal to the annual growth of the TM/DP subaccount since 
FY 2013, our budget would have grown to $507,500 by FY 2021.
    We also request that the Subcommittee include report language that 
directs the BIA to transfer TM/DP funds to Tribes based on the funding 
level reflected in the enacted appropriation and not a funding amount 
unilaterally decided by BIA reflected in its budget tables with no 
consultation, and certainly not below the prior year's appropriated 
level in violation of Pub. L. 93-638.
    Our work sustains full-time and seasonal employment for up to 20 
Alaska Native people and we help Tribal businesses, all of which 
contributes to community stability. Our employees are able to earn a 
living and support their families, reinvest their wages in the 
community, supporting the employment of other Alaska Native and non-
Native families, thereby removing families from the rolls of people 
needing Alaska State and Federal support. This contributes to family 
and community stability and is a bulwark against depression, substance 
abuse, suicide, and other social ills that plague remote Alaska Native 
communities. The prior year cuts to our TM/DP funding level undermined 
our services, reduced our natural resource and marine research and 
development, stretched our limited resources, and made it difficult to 
retain staff.
    Our programs also support future economic and commercial 
opportunities for the Prince William Sound and Lower Cook Inlet 
regions--protecting and developing the Alaskan shellfish industry and 
other natural resources. Federal investment in CRRC has translated into 
economic opportunities and community investments that have a great 
impact on the region. We highlight additional programs of CRRC below:
    Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council.--As the statewide 
manager and member of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council 
(AMBCC), CRRC works with its co-management partners--ten Alaska Native 
experts representing the people from each of their regions, the U.S. 
Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the State of Alaska--to develop 
regulations governing the subsistence harvest of migratory birds during 
the spring and summer. Through years of representing our Region on the 
AMBCC, CRRC was unanimously selected to serve as the managing entity 
for the statewide program, housing staff in the CRRC office, and 
providing overall management of the subsistence migratory bird program 
on behalf of the USFWS. This program has become one of the leading 
models of co-management in the state.
    Funding for the program comes from the USFWS to the Alaska Native 
non-profit organization through cooperative agreements. There is no 
specific line item for the AMBCC in the USFWS budget. As a result, 
Tribes do not know what level of funding will be available for the 
program from year to year. Funding decisions for the AMBCC are decided 
internally at the USFWS. This denies Tribes an opportunity to provide 
input in the decision-making process. We think this is wrong and ask 
the Subcommittee to include report language directing the USFWS to 
engage in meaningful consultation with Tribes consistent with the 
government-to-government relationship and the Interior Department's 
Tribal consultation policy.
    The Native Caucus of the AMBCC has directed the staff to pursue a 
P.L. 93-638 contract with the USFWS. We again seek additional funding 
of $1 million from Congress to the USFWS budget to support efforts to 
increase Tribal opportunities and Tribal voices in the policies of the 
Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council.
    Natural Resource Management Program.--CRRC's Natural Resource 
Management Program created an action plan to address the region's 
natural resources. This plan set priorities and direction for the 
future management of the natural resources of the Region. While guiding 
the plan development, CRRC has recognized that there is a wide variety 
of natural features, land uses, and priorities across villages in the 
Chugach Region. An inventory analysis was conducted to extract common 
themes and areas of concern from a tribal level. These themes were then 
integrated by CRRC and our Tribes to produce an effective regional plan 
that benefitted every community.
    Sockeye Salmon Enhancement Project.--CRRC continues to work along 
with the Nanwalek IRA Council members, staff, and community members to 
continue the Sockeye Salmon Enhancement Project. CRRC rejuvenated the 
project and become more involved in the management of this important 
subsistence fishery and now solely funds the operation of the program. 
CRRC pursues partnerships with organizations that can assist the Tribe, 
such as the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, the Alaska Pacific 
University (APU), Chugachmiut, and the Alaska Department of Fish & 
Game.
    In addition to these programs, CRRC is involved in a Wetlands 
Program Plan Development Project for our Tribes; a Traditional Foods 
Program; a Climate Change Program; a Subsistence Memorial Gathering to 
commemorate the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill; and a Tribal 
Conservation District program to work more effectively with 
governmental agencies and explore grant opportunities to better manage 
natural resources.
    With your continued support, CRRC is making a meaningful difference 
for the Alaska Native peoples we serve.
    Thank you for the opportunity to share CRRC's funding needs in the 
FY 2022 budget.

    [This statement was submitted by Willow Hetrick-Price, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Coalition for American Heritage
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer the Coalition for American 
Heritage's recommendations for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Interior, 
Environment and Related Agencies appropriations for the Department of 
the Interior.
    The Coalition for American Heritage (``the Coalition'') is an 
organization comprised of heritage professionals, scholars, small 
businesses, non-profits and history-lovers across the country. Our 
350,000 members work together to promote our nation's commitment to 
historic preservation. Preserving historic resources helps stabilize 
neighborhoods, attract investment, create jobs, generate tax revenues, 
support small businesses, and power America's heritage tourism 
industry.
    We appreciate the strong funding provided to historic preservation 
programs in the FY21 Interior Appropriations legislation. Investing in 
these programs will help ensure the continuance of our country's proud 
tradition of preservation. As you work to address funding levels for 
FY22, the Coalition requests robust funding for all of the U.S. 
Department of the Interior's historic preservation and cultural 
management programs, and for the National Endowment for the Arts and 
the National Endowment for the Humanities. Respectfully, the Coalition 
urges the Committee to approve the following funding levels for FY22:

  --NPS Historic Preservation Fund: $150 million
  --NPS Office of International Affairs: $2.1 million
  --NPS National Heritage Areas and Heritage Partnership Program: $32 
        million
  --Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cultural Resources Management: 
        $21.131 million
  --BLM National Conservation Lands: $65.131 million
  --Department of Interior Land and Conservation Fund (LWCF): continued 
        increase toward the full $900 million in dedicated funding from 
        offshore mineral leasing revenues
  --National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): $176 million
  --National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): $225 million
                         national park service
    The popularity of our national parks is at an all-time high. Our 
country cannot afford unwarranted reductions to visitor services and 
cuts to the responsible stewardship of our historic and cultural 
resources. The NPS is responsible for 418 National Park System units. 
Over the past 20 years, more than 40 new parks have been added to the 
park system. Many recent additions preserve historic places and themes 
that have traditionally been underrepresented within the system.
    Within the requested funds, we recommend robust funding for 
Resource Stewardship, including $1 million for the National Underground 
Railroad Network to Freedom, $1 million for the African American Civil 
Rights Network, and $1 million for the Reconstruction Era National 
Historic Network. Funding for these popular initiatives provides the 
public with valuable educational resources that honor and preserve our 
country's rich African-American heritage and history for future 
generations.
                     nps historic preservation fund
    We urge the Committee to appropriate $150 million in FY22 for the 
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), a vital program that, in partnership 
with states, local governments and tribes, is the cornerstone of our 
country's historic preservation initiatives.
    Within the $150 million request, we recommend the following funding 
breakdown:

  --$60 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs) for 
        heritage preservation and protection programs.
  --$24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs).
  --$19 million for competitive grants to document, interpret, and 
        preserve historic sites associated with the Civil Rights 
        Movement.
  --$7 million for the competitive grants program to preserve the sites 
        and stories associated with securing civil rights for all 
        Americans, including women, Latinos, Native Americans, Native 
        Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and LGBTQ Americans.
  --$20 million for Save America's Treasures grants for the 
        preservation of nationally significant sites, structures, and 
        artifacts.
  --$10 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and 
        Universities to preserve and repair historic buildings.
  --$9 million for Paul Bruhn preservation grants to revitalize 
        historic properties of national, state, and local significance.
  --$1 million for competitive grants for the survey and nomination of 
        properties associated with communities currently 
        underrepresented on the National Register of Historic Places 
        and National Historic Landmarks.
                        nps deferred maintenance
    We urge the Committee to address the deferred maintenance backlog 
at America's national parks. Almost half of the current backlog concern 
historic assets. Robust investments in this area will contribute to the 
successful preservation of historic sites and structures and other NPS 
cultural resources. Without critically needed funding for repair and 
rehabilitation, these critical sites, buildings and artifacts that draw 
visitors to our national parks' assets risk further deterioration and 
potential loss.
    We recommend the following funding breakdown:

  --$140 million for Line-Item Construction projects
  --$150 million for Repair and Rehabilitation
  --$205 million for Cyclic Maintenance

    Line-Item Construction projects.--We support $140 million toward 
addressing the needs of the highest priority non-transportation assets.
    Repair and Rehabilitation.--We recommend $150 million, a $14 
million increase above the FY21 enacted level. The Committee's support 
for these programs has been very helpful in addressing the long-term 
maintenance needs at America's national parks over the past several 
years.
    Cyclic Maintenance.--We recommend $205 for cyclic maintenance, a 
$16.8 million increase above the FY20 enacted level. These efforts are 
critical to preventing assets from degrading to the point of needing 
repair. Performing regular maintenance will help prevent an increase in 
the number of deferred maintenance projects.
         national park service: office of international affairs
    We urge a $2.1 million FY22 appropriation for the NPS Office of 
International Affairs. This funding would ensure that the United States 
can robustly engage in and support the World Heritage Program. 
Communities throughout the country are pursuing nominations of sites in 
their area to the World Heritage List, including Hopewell Ceremonial 
Earthworks in Ohio and Mount Vernon in Virginia. The Office of 
International Affairs is critical to shepherding advocates through the 
nominations process.
                      nps national heritage areas
    We recommend $32 million in funding for the Heritage Partnership 
Program and our National Heritage Areas (NHAs). Through the use of 
public-private partnerships, NHAs support historic preservation, 
heritage tourism, and recreation. These programs collaborate with 
communities to make heritage relevant to local interests and needs.
                   blm cultural resources management
    We appreciate the Committee's ongoing oversight of the BLM 
reorganization and the impacts of the move on BLM's ability to oversee 
the largest, most diverse collection of historic and cultural resources 
on America's public lands. We remain very concerned about the staff 
reductions in the Cultural Resources Division. It is vital that BLM has 
sufficient staff to support Section 106 reviews, monitor compliance 
with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and 
consult with tribes.
    To assist staff with providing these key services, we respectfully 
request that the committee provide $21.131 million for BLM Cultural 
Resources Management. We ask that the Committee support BLM efforts to 
fill key staff vacancies, especially those cultural resources positions 
stipulated in the BLM Tribal Relations Manual, including: National 
Curator/NAGPRA Coordinator, National Tribal Coordinator, and 10 of the 
12 state office Tribal Coordinator positions.
    This funding would also support ongoing collaboration with state 
historic preservation offices to standardize and integrate cultural 
resources data for BLM lands through the National Cultural Resources 
Information Management System. Strengthening BLM's ability to update 
predictive modeling and data analysis will enhance the agency's ability 
to address large-scale, cross-jurisdictional land-use projects.
                    blm national conservation lands
    We urge a $65.131 million FY21 appropriation for the National 
Conservation Lands. An increase in base funding will prevent critical 
damage to 36 million acres of congressionally and presidentially 
designated National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness, 
Wilderness Study Areas, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Wild 
Scenic Rivers managed by BLM. Increased funding will help achieve 
President Biden's goal of conserving at least 30% of our lands and 
waters by 2030.
                    blm land water conservation fund
    We urge the Committee to continue increasing LWCF funding toward 
the full $900 million from offshore mineral leasing revenues that is 
dedicated to the LWCF annually. Many of our country's most significant 
historic and cultural landscapes have been permanently protected 
through LWCF investments, including Martin Luther King Jr. National 
Historic Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Hopewell 
Culture National Historic Park. In total, more than $550 million has 
been invested to acquire historic sites and 137,000 acres in 162 NPS 
units.
    Within LWCF funding, we urge the Committee to fund the American 
Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) at $20 million in FY22. Through 
public-private partnerships, the ABPP has helped communities to 
preserve more than 100 historic battlefields in 42 states and 
territories. In protecting the hallowed ground upon which so many 
Americans fought and died, the ABPP preserves a valuable part of our 
shared history.
    independent agencies: advisory council on historic preservation
    We request $8 million for the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation (ACHP), to fund its work to administer the rulemaking 
process for historic preservation law, assist in resolving conflicts 
from historic resource reviews, and provide advice on historic 
preservation.
          national endowments for the arts and the humanities
    The Coalition urges the Committee to fund the NEA at $176 million 
and the NEH at $225 million each in FY22. Robust funding for the NEA 
and NEH is critical to communities across America. NEH Preservation 
Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions--such as 
libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, 
cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges 
and universities--improve their ability to preserve and care for their 
significant humanities collections, which may include books and 
journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, 
architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art 
objects, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, 
historical objects, and digital materials.
    The Coalition is grateful to the Committee for the opportunity to 
offer its perspective on FY22 appropriations for the Interior, 
Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The Coalition 
stands ready to work with the Committee on finding common ground to 
achieve the FY22 funding levels that will support and enhance historic 
preservation.

    [This statement was submitted by Marion Werkheiser, Policy 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Coalition for Healthier Schools
Dear Chairman Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski:

    We--the undersigned sixty-six organizations and 39 individuals--
write to urge two critical improvements to the President's Budget FY22 
Budget for US EPA. The nation and its children, many in the poorest and 
or most remote areas, have just endured a year school closures and lack 
of access to education. While we support the PBFY 22 top-line increase 
for EPA, the proposed boost is not proportional to the risks. 
Specifically, it does not restore or expand funding to the offices in 
EPA most critical to keeping schools open safely: the Office of Air and 
Radiation/Indoor Environments Division and the Office of Children's 
Health Protection. They have long worked to improve the condition of 
learning facilities for all children. In a continuing pandemic, we 
believe schools and child care facilities, children and communities, 
and the economy, need those offices enhanced to meet the crises of poor 
indoor air amid the pandemic and severe weather like high heat.
    CLEAN AIR IN EVERY SCHOOL. Understanding that poor indoor air is 
common in schools and erodes children health and learning, in the face 
of the continuing airborne infective virus, announced by CDC on May 7, 
2021, we urge that $65 Million be directed to EPA's Office of Air and 
Radiation/Indoor Environments Division's to restore and expand its 
Reducing the Risks of Indoor Air program and $10 Million directed to 
Office of Children's Health Protection to restore and expand pediatric 
environmental health assistance. The offices provide voluntary 
education, technical assistance, and related grant programs to educate 
communities, parents and personnel, schools, states, and tribes on how 
to improve Indoor Air and fix other problems of educational facilities.
    There are 98,000 school buildings enrolling 51 million children. 
That is more children in fewer schools with fewer staff than five years 
ago. Schools are more densely occupied than nursing homes and 40% of 
children have chronic health conditions. Poor indoor air quality can be 
a severe health risk in `normal times' for the 6 million American 
children with asthma, the leading cause of school absenteeism due to 
chronic illness. About half of school children rely on subsidized meal 
programs, and half are children of color. An estimated 40% of all 
school children had no internet or devices at home during the past 
school year.
    In 2019, schools were clearly not pandemic-ready, and just as 
clearly, they were not weather resilient nor climate-ready either. A 
2020 US GAO report found tens of thousands of schools needed updated or 
all new ventilation systems. In spring 2021, a survey found that most 
schools were unable to implement CDC's reopening guidance. This means 
that the 2019 environmental factors that made it impossible to reopen 
schools fully in 2020 were not addressed: no ventilation and poor 
sanitation.
    EPA is the only agency, not CDC and not Education, that has 
authorizations, critical technical information, and educational grant 
programs to help parents, communities, education leaders, and personnel 
understand how to keep school buildings open safely and how to reduce 
barriers to learning. EPA's Indoor Environments Division has a 25+ year 
history of programs and guidance on aspects of indoor environments like 
indoor air quality, molds, hazardous chemical management, and flood 
repairs to schools and child care facilities. Further EPA is continuing 
to build on its archive of training programs that, ten years ago, had 
spurred a learning network on school facilities operated as healthy 
places for children and staff. The children's office supports pediatric 
environmental health services. The science has only grown over the 
decades, with the most recent publications on moving air to reduce the 
viral load from UC Davis and Johns Hopkins, while the Harvard School of 
Public Health's ``Schools for Health'' recaps the leading science on 
healthful indoor environments for learning and contributed 
significantly to media's understanding of how the virus is transmitted.
    Today, K-12 schools are receiving an estimated $200 billion in 
COVID relief aid, but not one dollar is required to be spent on indoor 
air or ventilation. A proportional response to the real risks of 
contaminated indoor air to children who are required to go to school is 
needed now from EPA and from this administration.
    A proportional response must restore and expand support for the 
Office of Air and Radiation/Indoor Environments Division working under 
its authorizations from the Clean Air Act and Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act to host annual symposia and provide education and 
training to school personnel, districts, and non-governmental 
organizations and communities both nationally and regionally. A 
proportional response should also support the Office of Children's 
Health Protection's grants to pediatric environmental health experts 
and researchers.

                               Sincerely,

Alaska Community Action on Toxics
American Public Health Association
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Association of Asthma Educators (PA)
Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO 
International)
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
Californians for Pesticide Reform
Cancer Prevention Coalition for Los Angeles (CA)
Center for Environmental Health
Child Care Aware of America
Children's Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley at New York 
Medical Center and Maria Farer Children's Hospital (NY)
Children's Environmental Health Network
Children's Environmental Protection Alliance (AL)
Clean and Healthy NY
Coalition for Environmentally Safe Schools (MA)
Collaborative for High Performance Schools
CT Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools
The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center at Hackensack UMC (NJ)
Earth Day Network
Education Law Center
Empire State Consumer Project (NY)
First Focus
Green Schools National Network
Healthy Legacy (MN)
Health Resources in Action
Healthy Schools PA/Women for a Healthy Environment
Healthy Schools Network, Inc.
Improving Kids' Environment (IN)
Indoor Air Institute
IPM Institute of North America
Kids for Saving the Earth (MN)
Learning Disabilities Associations of America
Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas
Learning Disabilities Association of Georgia
Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois
Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa
Learning Disabilities Association of Maine
Learning Disabilities Association of Maryland
Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota
Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania
Learning Disabilities Association of New Jersey
Learning Disabilities Association of Oklahoma
Learning Disabilities Association of South Carolina
Learning Disabilities Association of Tennessee
Learning Disabilities Association of Texas
Learning Disabilities Association of Utah
Maine PTA
Maryland Children's Environmental Health Coalition
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
Midwest Pesticide Action Center
National Center for Environmental Health Strategies
Nontoxic Certified (NY)
Pesticide Action Network of North America
Occupational Health & Safety Section of the American Public Health 
Association
Ohio Public Health Association
Parents for Students Safety (TN)
Partners for a Healthier Community (MA)
Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program
Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition (MA)
Project Green Schools (MA)
Rachel Carson Council (MD)
Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (CA)
Responsible Purchasing Network
School-Based Health Alliance
School Based Health Alliance of Arkansas
Sierra Club
South Texas Asthma Coalition
Toxics Information Project (RI)
Twenty-first Century Schools Fund (DC)
Valley Community Healthcare (CA)
Western New York Council on Occupational Safety & Health
      
  individuals (organizational affiliations for informational purposes 
                                 only)
Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Nuiqsut (AK)
Elgin Avila, MPH, Esq., Health Solutions
Louis Allen, MD
David Hammond, MD, NW Passage (WI)
Gary Arthur, Issaquah Educ. Assoc. WA)
Carl R. Baum, MD, Yale School of Medicine
Gloria E. Barrera, MSN, RN (IL)
Carla C Campbell, MD, MS, FAAP, University of Texas at El Paso
Marie Chan, Fremont VA
Richard Crime, Env. Engineer (KY)
Evan A. Davis, (NY)
Mary Rothwell Davis (NY)
Mary Gant, Green Science Policy Institute
Augusta Gross, PhD (NY)
Chip Halverson, ND, Northwest Center for Biological Medicine (OR)
Miriam Heilbrun, MS, Brooklyn, NY
Brent Ibata, PhD, JD, MPH, FACHE (FL)
Tenaya Jackman, MPH (HI)
Senator Emanuel Jones, Ellenwood, GA
Jerry Lamping, Take Care of Your Classroom Air (TX)
Paul Landsbergis, PhD, MPH, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Patricia A. Lasley, MPH, Great Lakes Center for Children's 
Environmental Health (IL)
Larry K. Lowry, Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health 
(TX)
Daniel Lefkowitz (NY)
Virginia Mott (ME)
Christina Lorentz, MPH, Columbia University
Larry K. Olsen, DrPH, MCHES, AT Still University (NM)
Jerome A. Paulson, MD, FAAP, Emeritus, George Washington University 
School of Public Health
Kim Poli, MD (NY)
Joseph Pones, PhD, Rutgers University
Chelsea Alexandra Schafer, California State University, Northridge
Alexandra W. Siniora (IL)
Lindsay Talon, PhD, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health 
Sciences
Joan K. Teach, PhD (GA)
Mariana Torchia (CA)
Theodora Tsongas, PhD, MS (OR)
Jeff Vincent, PhD, UC Berkeley
Leon Vinci, DHA, Health Promotion Consultants (VA)
Yolanda Whyte, MD, Whyte Pediatrics
Atlanta, GA

    List as of June 24, 2021

    Contact: Claire L. Barnett, Coordinator, Coalition for Healthier 
Schools and Executive Director, Healthy Schools Network, 153 Regent 
Street, Ste. 1050, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866., 
[email protected]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates
Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    I appreciate the opportunity to provide written testimony on behalf 
of the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates, CORFA, a nonprofit 
organization registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We thank you 
for your support for the National Wildlife Refuge System and for the 
opportunity to offer comments on the FY2022 Interior Appropriations 
bill, most importantly regarding funding for the Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance Fund, which we respectfully request you fund 
at $600 million in FY2022.
    CORFA is an all-volunteer organization whose mission is to provide 
a national peer support group for members of Friends organizations and 
community partners, who are working to promote the understanding and 
conservation of natural, cultural, and historical resources associated 
with the National Wildlife Refuge System. Over 700 members of these 
nonprofit groups turn to CORFA to build relationships through 
conversations that answer questions and share information, insights, 
and experiences concerning nonprofit governance and management. Members 
of these nonprofits can receive and give advice on the various 
challenges our incredible organizations face such as building capacity, 
marketing and communications, fund-raising, and coalition building. I 
am a member of the Board of this organization and serve as Vice 
President and Secretary.
    Just over a year ago, when the pandemic quickly shutdown most 
federal, state, and local parks, and other public lands, there were few 
places visitors could go to safely drink in nature, while masked and 
socially distanced. One of those places was often a National Wildlife 
Refuge. Although Visitor Centers, restrooms, and even the parking lots 
might be closed, people flocked to National Wildlife Refuges by the 
hundreds of thousands to soak up a much-needed ration of the outdoors.
    As more and more people ``discovered'' refuges as a respite in a 
very stressful time, there has been a heightened public awareness of 
these public lands as a valuable resource to local communities. But, 
with increased awareness and usage came increased need for upkeep and 
protection. The Fish and Wildlife Staff has done a stellar job of 
preserving the habitat of our refuges, but they are working at a great 
handicap. The completely inadequate budgets continue to fail to cover 
the cost of maintaining the incredibly rich and diverse wildlife 
habitats that make up the Refuge System. Our refuges are being loved to 
death.
    The funding gap that has arisen due to low budget allocations over 
the last decade has degraded critical wildlife habitat and imperiled 
important species. Although the FY2020 appropriations bill injected a 
much needed additional $14 million into this budget, funding levels 
remain below the high of $503 million in FY2010, with the shortfall 
becoming more acute every year. We must change this trajectory.
    National Wildlife Refuges are currently funded at 59 per acre per 
year. Compare that to funding for National Park Service at $30 per acre 
per year.
    The Refuge System cannot fulfill its obligation to the American 
public, our wildlife, and 59 million annual visitors (in FY2019) 
without increases in maintenance and operation funds. Even with the 
gains in FY 2020, overall funding for the Refuge System has declined 
substantially over the last twelve years. Funding in FY2010 was $503 
million--$598 million in today's dollars with inflation and salary 
increases. This difference of $95 million has forced the Service to cut 
back on programs and create efficiencies whenever possible--
efficiencies that are sometimes harmful or even dangerous. For example, 
many refuges have been placed into complexes, where staff travel 
sometimes large distances to juggle duties on multiple refuges.
    The number of annual Refuge System visitors jumped by 13 million 
over the last few years and is likely to take another jump for 2020 
visitors, due to lack of access to many other nature areas as mentioned 
above. More people are looking to recreate on wildlife refuges, yet 
understaffed refuges struggle to provide those opportunities. 
Reductions in visitor services can be extremely limiting for 
constituencies who want to visit.
    Equally troubling is a 15% drop in the number of volunteers since 
FY2011. At a time when record numbers of Americans are retiring and 
have the capability and desire to give back, the Service's ability to 
oversee volunteer efforts has been curtailed. Volunteers provide an 
additional 20% of work on our national wildlife refuges, yet they are 
being turned away when the System needs them the most. We hear every 
day from Friends groups about the frustration their members are 
experiencing because they cannot perform the volunteer work for their 
refuge that they would ordinarily be doing. Outdoor areas will continue 
to be a safer and popular choice for Americans looking to escape the 
seclusion of pandemic lock downs but without adequate staffing, refuges 
cannot provide the volunteer supervision that makes many of their 
visitor services possible.
    The Refuge System is bare bones right now and increased growth in 
urban spaces and outdoor recreation, and the impacts of climate change, 
place additional stress on the System. Every year, more and more 
refuges are closed to the public, habitat degrades, and visitors are 
turned away. Current funding is nowhere near the at least $900 million 
needed for full funding. Our goal is to reach that figure in the next 
three years. Funding the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance Fund 
at $600 million is a step to reaching that goal.
    CORFA appreciates the Subcommittee's consideration of our request 
of $600 mil for the refuge system operations and maintenance budget for 
FY2022. We look forward to working with Congress to accomplish this 
goal and appreciate your consideration of our requests. Please let me 
know if you have any questions.

    [This statement was submitted by Cheryl Turoczy Hart, Board 
Member.]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
    Waters from the Colorado River are used by nearly 40 million people 
for municipal and industrial purposes and for irrigation of 
approximately 5.5 million acres in the United States. Natural and man-
induced salt loading to the Colorado River causes environmental and 
economic damages. In 2020 the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) 
estimated the quantifiable damages to Lower Basin water users due to 
elevated salinity levels at about $354 million per year. Congress 
authorized the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program (Program) 
through the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Act) (P.L. 93-
320) in 1974 to offset increased damages caused by continued 
development and use of the waters of the Colorado River. Modeling by 
Reclamation indicates that the quantifiable damages would rise to 
approximately $671 million by the year 2040 without continuation of the 
Program. Congress has directed the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to implement a comprehensive program for minimizing salt 
contributions to the Colorado River from lands administered by the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM has funded these efforts as 
directed by Congress through its Aquatic Habitat Management sub-
activity. BLM's efforts are an essential part of the overall effort. A 
funding level of $2.0 million for salinity specific projects in 2022 is 
requested to prevent further degradation of the quality of the Colorado 
River and a commensurate increase in downstream economic damages.
    EPA has identified that more than 60 percent of the salt load of 
the Colorado River comes from natural sources. The majority of land 
within the Colorado River Basin is federally owned, much of which is 
administered by BLM. In authorizing Program (P.L. 93-320, Act) in 1974, 
Congress recognized that most of the salts in the Colorado River 
originate from federally owned lands. Title I of the Act deals with 
programs downstream of Imperial Dam that enable the U.S. to meet its 
commitment regarding the quality of waters being delivered to Mexico 
(Minute No. 242 of the International Boundary and Water Commission, 
United States and Mexico). Title II of the Act addresses measures 
upstream from Imperial Dam, thus improving the quality of the water 
delivered to users in the United States. This testimony deals 
specifically with Title II efforts. In 1984, Congress amended the 
Salinity Control Act (P.L. 98-569) and directed the Secretary to 
develop a comprehensive program for minimizing salt contributions to 
the Colorado River from lands administered by BLM. In 2000, Congress 
reiterated its directive to the Secretary and requested a report on the 
implementation of BLM's program (Public Law 106-459). In 2003, BLM 
employed a Salinity Coordinator to increase BLM efforts in the Colorado 
River Basin to pursue salinity control studies and to implement 
specific salinity control practices.
    BLM is now working on a comprehensive Colorado River Basin salinity 
control program as directed by Congress. In January 2018 BLM issued A 
Framework for Improving the Effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin 
Salinity Control Program, 2018-2023. This document lays out how BLM 
intends to implement Colorado River Basin salinity control activities 
over the five-year period. Meaningful resources have been expended by 
BLM in the past few years to better understand salt mobilization on 
rangelands. With a significant portion of the salt load of the Colorado 
River coming from BLM administered lands, the BLM portion of the 
overall program is essential to the success of the effort. Inadequate 
BLM salinity control efforts will result in significant additional 
economic damages to water users downstream.
    Concentration of salt in the Colorado River causes approximately 
$354 million annually in quantified damages and significantly more in 
unquantified damages in the United States and results in poor water 
quality for United States users. Damages, by water usage sector, 
include the following:

  --a reduction in the ability to reclaim and reuse water for 
        beneficial uses, including drinking water and irrigation water 
        supplies, due to high salinities in the water delivered to 
        water treatment and reclamation facilities,
  --a reduction in the yield of salt sensitive crops, increased water 
        use to meet leaching requirements and additional actions 
        necessary to comply with the Clean Water Act within the 
        agricultural sector,
  --increased use of imported water and cost of desalination and brine 
        disposal for recycling water in the municipal sector,
  --a reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems, 
        water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, clothes washers and 
        dishwashers, and increased use of bottled water and water 
        softeners in the household sector,
  --an increase in the cost of cooling operations and the cost of water 
        softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the 
        commercial sector,
  --an increase in the use of water and the cost of water treatment, 
        and a corresponding increase in sewer fees in the industrial 
        sector,
  --a decrease in the lifespan of treatment facilities and pipelines in 
        the utility sector, and
  --difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply 
        with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit 
        terms and conditions, and an increase in desalination and brine 
        disposal costs necessary to minimize accumulation of salts in 
        groundwater basins.

    The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) is composed 
of gubernatorial appointees from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, 
New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The Forum is charged with reviewing the 
Colorado River's water quality standards for salinity every three years 
to facilitate compliance with Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act 
(P.L. 92-500). In so doing, it adopts a Plan of Implementation 
consistent with these standards. The level of appropriation requested 
in this testimony is in keeping with the adopted Plan of 
Implementation. If adequate funds are not appropriated, significant 
damages from higher salinity concentrations in the water will be more 
widespread in the United States and Mexico.
    In summary, implementation of salinity control practices through 
BLM is a cost-effective method of controlling the salinity of the 
Colorado River and is an essential component to the overall Program. 
Continuation of adequate funding levels for salinity control within the 
Aquatic Habitat Management sub-activity will assist in preventing 
further degradation of the Colorado River's water quality with a 
commensurate significant increase in economic damages to municipal, 
industrial and irrigation users. A modest investment in source control 
pays huge dividends in improved water quality to nearly 40 million 
Americans. The Forum requests that this committee direct that BLM again 
expend at least $2.0 million in 2022 from its Aquatic Habitat 
Management Program sub-activity for Colorado River specific salinity 
control activities.

    [This statement was submitted by Don A. Barnett, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Board of California
    This testimony is in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 funding for 
the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
associated activities that assist the implementation of Title II of the 
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-320). This 
long-standing successful and cost-effective salinity control program in 
the Colorado River Basin is being carried out pursuant to the Colorado 
River Basin Salinity Control Act and the Clean Water Act (P.L. 92-500). 
Congress has directed the Secretary of the Interior to implement a 
comprehensive program for minimizing salt contributions to the Colorado 
River from lands administered by the BLM. BLM funds these efforts 
through the Aquatic Habitat Management Program. BLM's efforts are an 
essential part of the overall effort. A funding level of $2.0 million 
for salinity specific projects in FY-2022 is requested to prevent 
further degradation of the quality of Colorado River water supplies and 
increased environmental and economic damages.
    The Colorado River Board of California (Colorado River Board) is 
the state agency charged with protecting California's interests and 
rights in the water and power resources of the Colorado River system. 
In this capacity, California participates along with the other six 
Colorado River Basin states through the Colorado River Basin Salinity 
Control Forum (Forum), the interstate organization responsible for 
coordinating the Basin States' salinity control efforts. In close 
cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 
pursuant to requirements of the Clean Water Act, the Forum is charged 
with reviewing the Colorado River water quality standards every three 
years. Every three years the Forum adopts a Plan of Implementation 
consistent with these water quality standards. The level of 
appropriation being supported in this testimony is consistent with the 
Forum's 2020 Plan of Implementation. The Forum's 2020 Plan of 
Implementation can be found on this website: https://
coloradoriversalinity.org/docs/2020%20REVIEW%20-%20Final%20w
%20appendices.pdf. If adequate funds are not appropriated, significant 
damages associated with increasing salinity concentrations of Colorado 
River water will become more widespread in the United States and 
Mexican portions of the Colorado River Basin.
    The EPA has determined that more than sixty percent of the salt 
load of the Colorado River comes from natural sources. The majority of 
land within the Colorado River Basin is federally owned, much of which 
is administered by BLM. Through passage of the Colorado River Basin 
Salinity Control Act in 1974, Congress recognized that much of the 
salts in the Colorado River originate on federally owned lands. Title I 
of the Salinity Control Act deals with the U.S. commitment to efforts 
related to maintaining the quality of waters being delivered to Mexico 
pursuant to the 1944 Water Treaty. Title II of the Act deals with 
improving the quality of the water delivered to water users in the 
United States. In 1984, Congress amended the Salinity Control Act and 
directed that the Secretary of the Interior develop a comprehensive 
program for minimizing salt contributions to the Colorado River from 
lands administered by BLM. In 2000, Congress reiterated its directive 
to the Secretary and requested a report on the implementation of BLM's 
program (Public Law 106-459). In 2003, BLM employed a Salinity 
Coordinator to coordinate BLM efforts in the Colorado River Basin 
states to pursue salinity control studies and to implement specific 
salinity control practices. BLM is now working to create a 
comprehensive Colorado River Basin salinity control program as directed 
by Congress. In January 2018 BLM issued A Framework for Improving the 
Effectiveness of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program, 
2018-2023. This document lays out how BLM intends to implement Colorado 
River Basin salinity control activities over the next five years. 
Meaningful resources have been expended by BLM in the past few years to 
better understand salt mobilization on rangelands. With a significant 
portion of the salt load of the Colorado River coming from BLM--
administered lands, the BLM portion of the overall program is essential 
to the success of the entire effort. Inadequate BLM salinity control 
efforts will result in significant additional economic damages to water 
users downstream.
    Over the forty-seven years since the passage of the Colorado River 
Basin Salinity Control Act, much has been learned about the impact of 
salts in the Colorado River system. Currently, the salinity 
concentration of Colorado River water causes about $354 million in 
quantifiable economic damages in the United States annually. Economic 
and hydrologic modeling by Reclamation indicates that these economic 
damages could rise to more than $671 million by the year 2040 without 
continued implementation of the salinity control program. For example, 
damages can be incurred related to the following activities:

  --A reduction in the ability and increased costs to reclaim and reuse 
        water due to high salinities in the water delivered to water 
        treatment and reclamation facilities;
  --A reduction in the yield of salt-sensitive crops and increased 
        water use to meet the leaching requirements in the agricultural 
        sector;
  --Increases in the amount of imported water;
  --Increased costs of desalination and brine disposal for recycled 
        water in the municipal sector;
  --A reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems, 
        water heaters, faucets, and other household appliances, and 
        increased use of bottled water and water softeners in the 
        residential sectors;
  --Increased costs of cooling operations and the cost of water 
        softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the 
        commercial sector;
  --Increases in the use of water and cost of water treatment, and an 
        increase in sewer fees in the industrial sector;
  --Decreased life of treatment facilities and pipelines in the utility 
        sector;
  --Increasing difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements 
        to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
        permit terms and conditions; and
  --Increased desalination and brine disposal costs due to accumulation 
        of salts in groundwater basins.

    The Colorado River is, and will continue to be, a major and vital 
water resource to the nearly 20 million residents of southern 
California, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural water 
users in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San 
Diego, and Ventura Counties. The protection and improvement of Colorado 
River water quality through the continued implementation of this very 
effective salinity control program avoids, or reduces, additional 
environmental and economic damages to California, the other Colorado 
River Basin states, and Mexico that rely on Colorado River water 
resources.
    Thank you for your consideration of this testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by Christopher S. Harris, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
    Chairman Merkley and members of the subcommittee, the Columbia 
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is pleased to share its 
view on the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) FY 
2022 budget. We have specifically identified the following funding 
needs within the Rights Protection Implementation account:

    1. $5.913 million for Columbia River Fisheries Management (CRFM) to 
meet the base program funding needs of the Commission and fisheries 
programs of our member tribes;
    2. $6.279 million for U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon treaty to 
implement obligations under the recent agreements adopted by the U.S. 
and Canada;
    3. $1.7 million for the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing 
Access Sites to sustain annual Operations and Maintenance (O&M) at the 
31 In-lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites and prevent a complete lapse 
in services anticipated in 2023;
    4. $1.5 million annually to maintain the increased funding for 
Public Safety, Criminal Investigations, and Police Services that was 
provided in FY 2020 and 2021 for law enforcement at the In-Lieu and 
Treaty Fishing Access Sites;
    5. $11 million for the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing 
Access Sites to support implementation of P.L. 116-99;
    6. $9.0 million for Tribal Climate Resilience for treaty-based 
climate change adaptation and planning, a combined figure for US v OR 
and U.S. v. WA case areas; and
    7. $5.0 million for the Tribal Youth Initiative Program to build a 
tribal workforce pool of respected and skilled Native American 
scientists, policy analysts, technicians, and managers that serve the 
tribes' fisheries and natural resource management program needs.

    History and Background.--CRITFC was founded in 1977 by the four 
Columbia River treaty tribes: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 
Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation 
of Oregon, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the 
Nez Perce Tribe. CRITFC provides coordination and technical assistance 
to these tribes in regional, national, and international efforts to 
protect and restore our shared salmon resource and the habitat upon 
which it depends. Our collective ancestral homeland covers nearly one-
third of the entire Columbia River basin in the United States, an area 
the size of the State of Georgia.
    In 1855, the U.S. entered treaties with the four tribes \1\ 
whereupon we ceded millions of acres of our homelands. In return, the 
U.S. pledged to honor our ancestral rights, including the right to fish 
in all Usual and Accustomed locations. Unfortunately, a perilous 
history has brought the salmon resource to the edge of extinction with 
12 salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia Basin listed under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
    The CRITFC tribes are now globally recognized leaders in fisheries 
restoration and management. We are principals in the region's efforts 
to halt the decline of salmon, Pacific lamprey, and sturgeon 
populations and rebuild them to levels that support ceremonial, 
subsistence, and commercial harvests. Columbia River fish stocks form 
the core of high-value fisheries from the interior West to Southeast 
Alaska valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. To restore these 
fish populations, our actions emphasize `gravel-to-gravel' management 
including supplementation of natural stocks, restoration of healthy 
watersheds, and a commitment to collaboration with state, federal, and 
private entities.
    1. Columbia River Fisheries Management within Rights Protection 
Implementation.--The tribes are leaders in one of the nation's largest 
fishery restoration efforts as a result of the negative impacts of the 
Federal Columbia River Power System. Management is increasing in 
complexity requiring greater data collection, collaboration, and 
enforcement. Funding shortfalls are prohibiting the achievement of 
tribal self-determination goals for fisheries management, ESA recovery 
efforts, protecting non-listed species, conservation enforcement, and 
harvest monitoring. The BIA's Columbia River Fisheries Management 
budget supports the core fishery program efforts of CRITFC and our 
member tribes and covers the bulk of current anadromous fish habitat in 
the Columbia Basin. We request an increase of $144,000 over current 
levels for a new program base of $5.913 million to account for 
inflationary pressures.
    CRITFC and our member tribes are principal implementers of actions 
laid out in three landmark agreements: 1) the Columbia Basin Fish 
Accords with federal action agencies overseeing the federal hydro 
system in the Columbia Basin,\2\ 2) continuing engagement in a 10-Year 
Fisheries Management Plan with federal, tribal, and state parties under 
U.S. v Oregon, and 3) a new Chinook Chapter of the Pacific Salmon 
Treaty. These agreements establish regional and international 
commitments to harvest and fish production efforts, commitments to 
critical investments in habitat restoration, and resolving contentious 
issues by seeking balance of the many demands within the Columbia River 
basin. While the tribes have committed to substantial on-the-ground 
projects through these agreements with additional resources from the 
Bonneville Power Administration, the overall management 
responsibilities of the tribal programs have grown exponentially 
without commensurate increases in BIA base funding capacity. For 
example, Congress recently enacted the Endangered Salmon Predation 
Control Act, P.L. 115-329, which recognizes that CRITFC and its member 
tribes assist the region in management of sea lion predation in the 
Columbia River. The tribes are also addressing unmet mitigation 
obligations such as fish losses associated with the John Day and The 
Dalles dams and increasing avian and piscivorous fish predation. Rights 
Protection Implementation funding takes on even greater importance as 
funding for state co-management agencies has become inconsistent or 
decreased.
    2. U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty within Right Protection 
Implementation.--In response to Yakama Nation v Baldridge the U.S. and 
Canada forged the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985 to conserve and rebuild 
salmon stocks, provide for optimum production, and control salmon 
interceptions. The treaty established the Pacific Salmon Commission 
(PSC) as a forum to collaborate on intermingled salmon stocks. The U.S. 
Section of the PSC annually develops a coordinated budget for tribal, 
state, and federal programs to ensure cost and program efficiencies. 
The 2008 agreement, which expired at the end of 2018, represented a 
step forward in ensuring the conservation and rebuilding of the shared 
salmon resource. The Parties recently completed revisions to the 2008 
agreement. The revised agreement calls for the implementation of 
additional data requirements.
    For tribal participants in the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the U.S. 
Section has identified a continuing program need of $6.279 million for 
the 25 participating tribes to implement the revised agreement. These 
funds provide for direct tribal participation with the Commission, 
panels, and technical committees. This funding maintains tribal 
resource assessment and research programs structured to fulfill 
required Treaty implementation activities, which protect trust 
resources and ensures that our tribal fishers receive an equitable 
portion of the harvestable fish numbers. Our FY 2022 recommended level 
for this program is consistent with the FY 2021 level and correlates to 
the U.S. Section's recommendation.
    3. Columbia River Treaty Fishing Sites Operation and Maintenance, a 
NEW PROGRAM within Rights Protection Implementation.--Short-term 
reliability of O&M funding for the 31 federally owned In-lieu and 
Treaty Fishing Access Sites is in jeopardy. A federal commitment to 
provide O&M funding was established under a 1995 MOU between the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers and BIA. This fund was assigned to CRITFC in 
2003 under a Self-Determination Act (P.L. 93-638) agreement. It will be 
exhausted during Fiscal Year 2023, short of its projected life due to 
delayed initial capitalization by BIA necessary for interest earnings, 
erosion of the principle during this period, and unanticipated low 
federal interest rates compared to the rates assumed in the MOU. Since 
the federal government has not recapitalized this fund, operations and 
maintenance services for the sites are anticipated to lapse in 2023. 
CRITFC is required to inform the BIA if we anticipate insufficient 
funds for performance of O&M requirements. We request $1.7 million in 
reoccurring inflation-adjusted annual appropriations to meet the 
ongoing O&M at the sites as anticipated in federal law.
    4. Public Safety, Criminal Investigations and Police Services 
within Rights Protection Implementation.--Public safety continues to be 
a high priority for CRITFC and our member tribes. Our conservation and 
criminal enforcement officers are the cornerstone of public safety in 
the popular and heavily used Columbia River Gorge area patrolling 150 
miles of the Columbia River, including its shorelines in Oregon and 
Washington. In this area we are the primary provider of enforcement 
services at 31 fishing access sites developed pursuant to P.L. 87-14 
and P.L. 100-581 for use by treaty fisheries. CRITFC's officers possess 
BIA Special Law Enforcement Commissions to enhance protection and 
service to tribal members and federal trust properties along the 
Columbia River. CRITFC entered a P.L. 93-638 contract with BIA in 
February 2011 for enforcement services along the Columbia River. That 
contract currently provides funding for two enforcement positions. 
Additional appropriations were provided in FY2020 ($500K) and FY2021 
($1.5M) that are currently being implemented to enhance public safety 
and law enforcement services. Our immediate priority is to assure that 
the appropriations of FY2020 and FY2021 are reoccurring for the long 
term. The operational priority is to add four patrol officers, one 
sergeant, one investigator, one lieutenant, and three dispatchers.
    5. Implementation of P.L. 116-99 (Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty 
Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act) within Rights Protection 
Implementation.--P.L. 116-99 recognized the deteriorating condition of 
the sites due to age and significant use. Under the act, Congress 
authorized $11 million, and we are requesting that amount in FY 2022, 
to fulfil the intent of the act including immediate improvements to 
begin restoration of the facilities at the 31 sites to safe and 
sanitary conditions which are protective of human health and safety.
    6. Tribal Climate Resilience within Rights Protection 
Implementation.--The Columbia River treaty tribes are a place-based 
people. We have lived thousands of years on the same geographic 
landscape. We walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. Unlike our 
immigrant neighbors we cannot simply move on to find other locales that 
might fit our needs. Our place is on the specific landscape of the 
Columbia River.
    Climate-related stress was evident in 2020 in the form of historic 
forest fires and in 2015 with the loss of up to 400,000adult sockeye 
salmon due to elevated water temperatures. There needs to be continued 
funding to help the tribes collaborate with public, private, and non-
profit sectors to develop and implement adaptation strategies to 
protect species at risk.
    7. Tribal Youth Initiative Program within Rights Protection 
Implementation.--CRITFC strives to build a tribal workforce pool of 
respected and skilled Native American scientists, policy analysts, 
technicians and managers that serve the tribes' fisheries and natural 
resource management program needs. CRITFC's Workforce Development 
Program helps prepare tribal members of all ages for jobs and careers 
in natural resources management by providing hands-on, culturally 
relevant experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math 
(STEM). Since 2010, CRITFC has held a yearly week-long Salmon Camp for 
middle school students in collaboration with our member tribes using 
limited funding resources. From 2014-2018, CRITFC was able to offer 
paid internships and research experiences for college students 
interested in fisheries and natural resources, but due to a lack of 
funding those opportunities are not currently available. In 2020, 
CRITFC acquired the Center for Coastal Margin Observation and 
Prediction (CMOP), a renowned ocean and estuary research institution 
dedicated to further understand the linkage between the Columbia River 
and the Pacific Ocean which we hope will provide tribal workforce 
opportunities in the marine environments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Treaty with the Yakama Nation, June 9, 1855, 12 Stat. 951; 
Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon, June 25, 1855, 12 Stat. 963; 
Treaty with the Umatilla Tribe, June 9, 1855, 12 Stat. 945; Treaty with 
the Nez Perce Tribe, June 11, 1855, 12 Stat. 957
    \2\ The Nez Perce Tribe is not a Columbia Basin Fish Accord 
signatory

    [This statement was submitted by Jeremy Takala, Chair.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership
    On behalf of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), which 
represents our nation's leading ocean science, research, and technology 
organizations from academia, industry, and the larger nonprofit sector, 
I appreciate the opportunity to submit for the record a few of COL's 
fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding priorities for the Department of the 
Interior and the Smithsonian Institution appropriations.
    In the last few years, there has been bipartisan interest from 
Congress, federal agencies, the administration, private partners, 
philanthropists, academia, and more in growing our nation's efforts 
related to ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization. These 
efforts include increased funding for NOAA Ocean Exploration and 
Research (OER); legislation reauthorizing the National Oceanographic 
Partnership Program; presidential memorandums establishing ocean 
mapping, exploration, and characterization as a national priority; and 
the creation of a National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and 
Characterization (NOMEC) Council to coordinate federal policy and 
actions and to support collaboration with non-federal and non-
governmental partners related to mapping, exploring, and characterizing 
our ocean.
    With this increased interest and activity around ocean exploration 
will come increased data and sample collection through NOAA OER and the 
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, the Ocean Exploration Cooperative 
Institute, and other academic, private, and philanthropic partners, 
particularly as ship operations pick up following cancellations and 
delays due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. As an advocate for 
increased funding for NOAA mapping and exploration activities, COL 
would also like to ensure sustained and adequate funding to support 
academic, private, and philanthropic partners; enhanced support for 
interagency partnership efforts; and augmented support for the 
management of the collected data and geological and biological samples.
    Given the important role the Department of the Interior plays in 
mapping, exploring, and characterizing waters within the United States 
Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ), I support the President's requested 
increases of $37.0 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 
(BOEM) and $29 million for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) 
Natural Hazards programs. The proposed $227.8 million BOEM budget 
includes $45.8 million for renewable energy, $15.0 million for marine 
minerals, and $86.8 million for environmental programs. The proposed 
$207.7 million USGS Natural Hazards budget includes important increases 
for subduction zone science within the Earthquake Hazards Program 
(+$2.0 million) and enhanced research, observations, and forecasting 
within the Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program (+$10 million). 
Together, these activities are essential to advancing ocean 
understanding, promoting the blue economy, and using sound science to 
support balanced ocean use.
    I respectfully request an additional $1 million to BOEM's Marine 
Minerals program, $2 million to BOEM's Environmental Studies Program, 
and $2 million to USGS's Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program 
to support continued efforts to map, explore, and characterize the 
critical mineral and offshore renewable energy potential of California 
and Oregon, the Aleutian Island Arc, and the central and Western 
Pacific Ocean in partnership with other agencies, academia, and the 
private sector. Given increasing demand for critical minerals, 
including those needed to support the Administration's renewable energy 
goals, and continuing concerns regarding critical mineral supply 
chains, there remains an urgent need to catalogue the strategic 
reserves of ocean-based critical minerals within the U.S. EEZ, support 
continued development of BOEM's National Offshore Critical Mineral 
Inventory, advance interagency NOMEC efforts, and ensure the best 
available data and scientific analyses are available to support 
sustainable offshore energy development.
    I also support the president's requested increase of $1.3 million 
for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The 
proposed $53.4 million includes $567,000 for collections support, and I 
respectfully request an additional $1 million to NMNH collections to 
support the museum's work as the biological sample repository for the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s ocean 
exploration efforts. Currently, biological specimens collected during 
expeditions of NOAA's Okeanos Explorer, the only federal vessel 
dedicated to exploring the ocean, are catalogued, curated, archived, 
and made publicly accessible by the NMNH. This $1 million would support 
sustained curatorial staff to curate and analyze biological samples, 
make them available to the scientific community, and allow for the 
timely analysis to document the many new species discovered each year, 
which will help improve our understanding of marine life and ocean 
biodiversity and inform important ocean stewardship and management 
decisions.
    I also respectfully request $2 million to ensure adequate support 
for the Smithsonian's leadership of the Marine Life 2030 program, which 
was endorsed by the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental 
Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC). Marine Life 2030, which is 
led by the Smithsonian Institution and includes more than 30 NGO and 
nearly 40 academic partners around the world, seeks to establish a 
globally coordinated system over the next decade to deliver information 
on ocean life, which will promote human well-being, sustainable 
development, and ocean conservation. A better understanding of marine 
biodiversity through increased biological observations will help in 
decision-making on issues ranging from fisheries management to climate 
change. These resources will allow for increased staffing needed within 
NMNH to lead Marine Life 2030 efforts both domestically and 
internationally, in partnership with academic, private, philanthropic, 
not-for-profit, and other non-governmental organizations.
    I appreciate the subcommittee's consideration of these requests. I 
look forward to engaging more on these and other topics related to 
using science to support sound and sustainable use of ocean resources, 
which is increasingly important as ocean use continues to grow. Finding 
ways to sustain and grow interagency and cross-sectoral work on 
overlapping ocean issues (e.g., offshore renewable wind and ocean 
mapping, exploration, and characterization activities) will be critical 
to effective management that ensures sustainable use for decades to 
come.
                consortium for ocean leadership members
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Alaska SeaLife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)
ASV Global, LLC
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Chevron USA
College of William & Mary (VIMS)
Columbia University (LDEO)
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA)
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Duke University
Earth2Ocean
East Carolina University
Esri
Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University
Exocetus Autonomous Systems
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Florida Institute of Oceanography
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Harte Research Institute
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
IOOS Association
JASCO Applied Sciences
L-3 MariPro, Inc.
Liquid Robotics, Inc.
Louisiana State University
MARACOOS
Marine Technology Society (MTS)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Mystic Aquarium
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA)
NERACOOS
New England Aquarium
North Carolina State University
North Pacific Research Board
Nova Southeastern University
Ocean Aero, Inc.
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Rutgers University
Saildrone
Savannah State University
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Sea-Bird Scientific
Severn Marine Technologies, LLC
Shell Exploration and Production Company
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography of the University of Georgia
Sonardyne, Inc.
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA)
Stanford University
Stony Brook University
Texas A&M University
ThayerMahan
U.S. Arctic Research Commission
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Diego (Scripps)
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Hawaii
University of Maine
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
University of Miami
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
University of Rhode Island
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Texas at Austin
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences
Vulcan, Inc.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    [This statement was submitted by Dr. Alan P Leonardi, President and 
CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Cooperative Alliance For Refuge Enhancement
Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    The National Wildlife Refuge System stands alone as the only 
federal land and water conservation system with a mission that 
prioritizes wildlife and habitat conservation alongside wildlife-
dependent recreation. Since 1995, the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge 
Enhancement (CARE) has worked to showcase the value of the Refuge 
System and to secure a strong congressional commitment for conserving 
these special landscapes.
    All of the CARE members listed below have endorsed this testimony 
and our request to your subcommittee. We represent millions of users of 
the National Wildlife Refuge System-wildlife watchers, hunters, 
anglers, wildlife professionals and conservationists, and Friends 
members. We are watching the Refuge System degrade as year after year, 
funding for operations and maintenance erodes, positions are lost, and 
habitat is under-managed or, in some cases, abandoned. The U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service has been decimated. We need the committee to 
include robust funding that will get the System back to land and 
wildlife protection.
    We ask that the Committee provide a funding level of $600 million 
for the Operations and Maintenance accounts of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System for FY 2022.

American Birding Association
American Fisheries Society
American Sportfishing Association
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Defenders of Wildlife Ducks 
Unlimited, Inc.
Izaak Walton League of America
Marine Conservation Institute
National Audubon Society National Rifle Association
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Safari Club International
The Corps Network
The Nature Conservancy
The Wilderness Society
The Wildlife Society
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute
           inadequate funding-challenges to the refuge system
    Found in every U.S. state and four territories, national wildlife 
refuges conserve a diversity of America's environmentally sensitive and 
recreationally vital ecosystems, including wetlands, coasts, forests, 
prairie, tundra, deserts, and oceans, and provide Americans with an 
opportunity to encounter and engage with these areas. With its primary 
focus on wildlife conservation, refuges provide habitat for an 
abundance of species, but they also provide a place for people to go to 
recreate.
    The Fish and Wildlife Service has been decimated by a decade of 
slow erosion of funding. In the late 2000's, CARE worked closely with 
the Bush and Obama Administrations and Congress to increase funding for 
Refuge System O&M by $132 million over three years (FY07-10). At its 
peak funding of $503 million in FY2010, staffing levels were over 3,240 
across the Refuge System O&M. Over 800 refuge positions have been lost 
since that time, a 25% loss in staff. Across the entire NWRS, 1,050 
positions have been lost in that time. Wage grade staff number only 
500, down from 1,000 in the late 1990's.
    Funding remains today (FY2021) at $503 million. With inflation, 
level funding in FY2021 (with FY2010 as the base year) would be $603 
million. That loss of $100 million in capacity has translated into 
those staffing cuts of over 1,000 FTEs, with a dramatic loss of habitat 
maintenance and refuge programs. A minimum of $8-10 million is needed 
each year to keep pace with inflation and fixed costs.
    These losses simply cannot continue. If we want a Refuge System and 
the associated wildlife populations the System supports to be around to 
pass along to our children, Congress must appropriate at least $600 
million in FY2022. Here are a few grim statistics:

  --No refuges are fully staffed, while even large, priority refuges 
        have seen 50%+ loss in staffing levels.
  --Over half of refuges are unstaffed, with occasional checks by staff 
        from neighboring refuge units.
  --For staffed refuges, budget cuts have meant a loss of all extra 
        capacity--refuges with three biologists now have one; 
        maintenance work is done by regional strike teams, not 
        dedicated staff; entire states share 1-2 law enforcement 
        officers; if an environmental education program exists, it is 
        more than likely run by volunteers.
  --Many refuges lost all but one staff, leading managers to pull all 
        staff due to safety concerns.
  --Over 53 million visitors came to refuges last year, but that number 
        has skyrocketed due to COVID shutdowns. Some funding from the 
        CARES Act, for example, will cover some costs of bathroom 
        openings and visitor center ventilation, but the staffing needs 
        to maintain lands with constant visitors has not been 
        addressed.

    CARE's primary concern is what this means for wildlife populations. 
A striking example of long term declines in bird populations is 
occurring along the Atlantic flyway. Shorebird populations have 
declined 40% over the last 40 years, the primary cause of which is 
human disturbances. There are numerous refuge units along the east 
coast, which should be a haven and resting spot for migratory birds. 
However, chronic funding shortages have meant that there are virtually 
no staff on the beaches anymore, and there is no one present to stop 
beachgoers from letting their dogs run into groups of feeding birds or 
disrupting nests. When these birds are disturbed numerous times a day, 
they lose nutrients and their ability to reproduce. Law enforcement 
staff in Region 5 (Northeast Region) alone has dropped in half-there 
are now 21 LE officers in 13 states with one-quarter of the American 
population.
    In previous years, CARE has focused on critical areas of funding 
that are particularly low. This year, however, we are at a crisis 
point. Every aspect of the Refuge System is strained to the point of 
breaking.

  --Law enforcement needs a minimum of $35 million additional dollars 
        to even get to a point where there are enough federal wildlife 
        officers to make a difference.
  --Invasive species strike forces cannot keep up with the demand, and 
        numerous refuges are overrun with phragmites and mice, kudzu 
        and quagga mussels, purple loosestrife and feral hogs. 2.4 
        million Refuge System acres are infested with invasive plants, 
        and current funding and capacity only allows treatment of 10% 
        of those acres. Similarly, the Refuge System has 1,749 invasive 
        animal populations and currently controls 5.3% of those.
  --Many visitor services and environmental education programs have 
        been turned over to volunteers. And as wonderful as they are, 
        volunteers and Friends members are now the face of many 
        visitor's centers (when they're actually open, due to COVID 
        restrictions) because there are not enough staff to operate 
        them.
  --Refuges are down to one specialist (if they're lucky, they still 
        have one) for each refuge complex. For example, cuts have been 
        made strategically so that there is at least one biologist per 
        refuge complex. But if that biologist is on leave or leaves the 
        complex for a different position, there is no one to continue 
        the work. And it is the same scenario with law enforcement and 
        maintenance workers and every other position in the System.
  --Salary increases are eating into any appropriations increases. In 
        Alaska, for example, a 0.5% salary increase last year 
        translated into a loss of 3 FTEs. System-wide, the modest 
        funding increase provided in FY2021 did not even cover the cost 
        of the scheduled 1% federal wage increase.
  --As the Refuge System has opened additional acres for hunting, there 
        is not an equivalent increase in funding-habitat maintenance, 
        parking lots, bathrooms, youth hunt programs, hunt programs for 
        disabled citizens, etc, are all severely impacted.

    This dire funding situation can be seen across the other seven 
regions. Without significant increases in funding, there is simply no 
room left to trim positions and still maintain at least a portion of 
those services--they will simply disappear, and school programs or 
ongoing maintenance will end. And refuges will continue to close.
              national wildlife refuge system: background
    The National Wildlife Refuge System, established by President 
Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, protects approximately 850 million land and 
marine acres on 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management 
districts in every state and territory in the U.S., and 5 marine 
monuments in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. These acres are part of 
the Refuge System and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed (with some 
marine acres co-managed with NOAA). From the Virgin Islands to Guam to 
Alaska to Maine, the Refuge System spans 12 time zones and protects 
America's natural heritage in habitats ranging from arctic tundra to 
arid desert, boreal forest to sagebrush grassland, and prairie wetlands 
to coral reefs.
    CARE welcomes recreational use of our nation's refuges. The ``Big 
6'' uses of the Refuge System--hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, 
photography, environmental education, and interpretation--were 
enshrined into law in the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System 
Improvement Act. Refuges provide major environmental and health 
benefits, such as filtering storm water before it is carried downstream 
and fills municipal aquifers; reducing flooding by capturing excess 
rainwater; and minimizing the damage to coastal communities from storm 
surges.
                  care requests $600 million in fy2022
    There is no alternative to allocating this amount of funding to 
Refuge System Operations and Maintenance in FY2022. Anything less means 
refuges will slip further into neglect, and with shifting ecosystems 
from climate change and human impacts, refuges need protection now. 
Financially, it will be easier and far cheaper to properly maintain 
refuges now rather than restore all 100 million land acres in the 
future.
    If annual operations and maintenance funding does not rise 
substantially, CARE anticipates further impacts both within and outside 
of refuge boundaries, including further closures of visitor centers, 
elimination of environmental education programs that currently work 
closely with local schools, reduced quality of habitat for hunting, 
reduced treatment of invasive plants that reduce habitat quality for 
wildlife (both game and non-game) and place nearby private lands at 
higher risk of infestations, and decreased use of prescribed fire, 
which is used on refuges both to improve habitat for wildlife and to 
reduce hazardous fuels that pose a wildfire risk to nearby communities.
    The common denominator to all these challenges is a lack of 
funding. Adequate staffing and funding are critical to the maintenance 
of healthy wildlife populations and access for recreational users to a 
healthy ecosystem. Increasing funding for the System will empower and 
enable individual refuge units to deliver on-the-ground conservation 
that benefits not only wildlife and recreation, but also local 
communities across the nation.
    We urge Congress to fund the Refuge System at $600 million in 
FY2022--to bridge the growing gap between what the System needs and 
what it receives--enabling refuges to continue moving America forward 
as the world's leader in wildlife conservation and restoration.
    On behalf of our more than 16 million members and supporters, CARE 
thanks the Subcommittee for the opportunity to submit comments on the 
FY2022 House Interior Appropriations bill, and we look forward to 
meeting with you to discuss our request.
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Council on Environmental Quality
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony to the 
Subcommittee. I write to focus on Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations for 
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). By way of background, I 
served as CEQ's General Counsel for 25 years, beginning with the 
administration of President Reagan and ending with the administration 
of President George W. Bush.
    CEQ has enormous potential to significantly improve the efficiency 
and effectiveness of the environmental review process mandated by the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). CEQ's focus has traditionally 
focused on excellence in analysis and on interagency, inter-
governmental and public involvement in implementing NEPA while at the 
same time discouraging excess documentation of peripheral issues, 
duplication of processes, and delay. However, in its attempts to make 
the process more efficient, CEQ has encountered two related obstacles: 
inadequate resources to oversee NEPA within CEQ and inadequate 
resources within the implementing agencies to implement NEPA.
    Let me offer some perspective. In the later half of the 1970's, CEQ 
staff numbers ranged from fifty to seventy full time employees. There 
were teams of people handling discrete sets of issues, including a 
robust team overseeing NEPA implementation in the eighty some agencies 
that implement the law. However, CEQ's current staffing level is at 17 
FTEs. The administration's request is to raise that number to 22 FTEs. 
In light of the nation's bi-partisan interest in improving 
infrastructure, as well as the enormous challenges of climate change 
and regular ongoing business, that is simply inadequate.
    The challenge in terms of CEQ oversight is not just issuing 
regulations and guidance, as critical as those tools are. Indeed, while 
I was at CEQ, the regulations in place had, as a major purpose, the 
reduction of delay and paperwork. When those provisions were followed, 
the process worked quite well. But as agency budgets and staff declined 
(along with CEQ's) for NEPA implementation, two problems emerged: 1) 
agency staff who were frankly not well trained in how to implement the 
regulations, and 2) a dramatic rise in the use of contractors to 
prepare NEPA documents.
    While contractors may do excellent work, in my experience, the use 
of contractors inevitably slows down the overall review process, often 
quite significantly. The agencies must first, of course, expend a fair 
amount of time and work on the procurement process and then establish 
communication protocols with the contractors. Agency personnel 
generally have a fair better sense of their goals then the contractors, 
who need to check back early and often in ways that often take more 
time than internal agency communications. Because the implementing 
agencies themselves often lack adequate staff, contractors not 
infrequently are waiting on agencies to move to the next step.
    The environmental impact statements that I have seen go from start 
to completion within a year or eighteen months--and yes, it happens--
were those that were done by an agency in-house team that was well 
trained in NEPA implementation and that had good leadership, management 
support and, appropriate, CEQ guidance. Leadership, good management and 
adequate resources were the key. These are not just my personal 
observations, based on 25 years of experience. The Department of Energy 
initiated a process in 1994 that lasted through 2017 to measure their 
NEPA performance, including issues of time and delay, using specific 
program metrics. Their analysis routinely came to the same 
conclusions.\1\
    Implementation issues are not what people usually consider when 
thinking of delay in the environmental review process. Instead, they 
often assume there is something inherent in the law or regulations that 
causes the problem. In my twenty-five years of experience at CEQ, I 
often found that people came in with good ideas for a ``fix'' that were 
already in the regulations. Indeed, I once had a group of County 
Commissioners come to me with fourteen suggestions for amending CEQ's 
NEPA regulations to expedite the process. When I went through each 
suggestion with them, we determined that each of their recommendations 
was already incorporated into the CEQ regulations. Yet those provisions 
were clearly not being implemented well. In all honesty, I did as much 
as I possibly could, usually working six to seven days a week, but in 
most of my time at CEQ, I was either the sole person overseeing NEPA or 
had one other person plus an intern helping to do the work. That is 
flat out inadequate.
    CEQ's oversight of NEPA and the integration of other environmental 
review requirements into the NEPA process has the potential for being 
an enormous help in implementing whatever new infrastructure and 
transportation legislation this Congress enacts. But it cannot fully 
meet its potential with resources requested in the administration's 
budget.
    I urge the Subcommittee to add, at a minimum, $1,500,00.00 dollars 
to CEQ's appropriations and to designate those additional funds 
specifically to add capacity for oversight of NEPA implementation. I 
also recommend that the Subcommittee direct CEQ to use a portion of 
those funds to survey the capacity of the agencies to implement NEPA in 
an effective and efficient manner and to report back to the 
Subcommittee about its findings prior to the next appropriations cycle.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See, Shorter EIS Completion Times: A Closer Look, NEPA Lessons 
Learned, September, 2017, available here: https://www.energy.gov/nepa/
downloads/lessons-learned-quarterly-report-september-2017

    [This statement was submitted by Dinah Bear.]
                                 ______
                                 
                Prepared Statement of David Jonas Bardin
  Supporting Full Funding of Administration FY 2022 Request for USGS 
 Geomagnetism Program to Protect Critical Infrastructure Against Solar 
  Storms Magnetotelluric (MT) Survey, Existing Observatories, Adding 
                             Observatories
The Honorable Jeff Merkley, Subcommittee Chair
The Honorable Lisa Murkowski, Subcommittee Ranking Member
The Honorable Patrick Leahy, Chairman, Full Committee on 
        Appropriations, U.S. Senate
The Honorable Richard Shelby, Vice Chairman, Full Committee on 
        Appropriations, U.S. Senate

Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Joyce, Chairman Leahy. Vice Chairman 
Shelby, and Members:

    This OWT fully supports the Request: a FY 2022 appropriation of 
$5,673,000 and 14 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the USGS 
Geomagnetism Program, to continue the magnetotelluric (MT) survey, to 
operate ground-level geomagnetic observatories, and to begin adding 
observatories (for which Administration requests $1.5 million and 2 
FTEs).\1\

  --The Request aims to ``protect critical national infrastructure from 
        geomagnetic events.''
  --Careful bi-partisan and bi-cameral attention, at the Subcommittee 
        and Full Committee levels, during several budget cycles lay the 
        foundations for favorable action on the FY 2022 Request.

    FY22 Justifications for this Program \1\ are well explained and 
compelling and rightly stress the value and aims of completing the MT 
survey and expanding the geomagnetic observatories:



                      magnetotelluric (mt) survey
    The USGS Geomagnetism Program is completing a magnetotelluric (MT) 
survey across the southern third of the lower 48 States [``CONUS'' 
\2\], carrying out requirements established by the National Space 
Weather Strategy and Action Plan and Executive Order 13865 for 
Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses. The survey 
will provide a public service by conducting electromagnetic pulse 
vulnerability assessments, which will be used to protect critical 
national infrastructure from geomagnetic events. The survey is being 
executed through a cooperative agreement with Oregon State University, 
which began in April 2020, and is now in its second year, with an 
estimated completion date of 2024. Sustained efforts on the MT survey 
have been provided for in annual congressional appropriations, with 
$1.7 million provided for the effort in FY 2021. [Emphases added.]
    The Geomagnetism Program will continue the magnetotelluric (MT) 
survey of the United States to improve U.S. electrical grid resilience, 
improve forecast models for geomagnetic storms, and aid in mineral 
resource assessments. Collection of MT data on a national scale is a 
basis for modeling the Earth's electric field, used to assess the 
impact of electrical storms. This survey is responsive to priorities 
established in the National Space Weather Strategy, as well as related 
international initiatives for pursuing induction hazard research. This 
broad collaboration includes scientists from NASA, NOAA, the Institute 
for Defense Analyses, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the NSF.
    The Geomagnetism Program provides data and information on short-
term and long-term variations in the strength and direction of the 
Earth's magnetic field, including the intensity of magnetic storms, 
through operation of a network of geomagnetic observatories and 
supporting research, and analyzes related geomagnetic hazards that 
threaten the economy and national security. Magnetic storms are caused 
by the dynamic interaction of the Earth's magnetic field with the Sun. 
While magnetic storms often produce beautiful aurora lights that can be 
seen at high latitude, they can also wreak havoc on the infrastructure 
and activities of our modern, technologically based society. Large 
storms can induce voltage surges in electric-power grids, causing 
blackouts and the loss of radio communication, reduce GPS accuracy, 
damage satellite electronics, and affect satellite operations, enhance 
radiation levels for astronauts and high-altitude pilots, and interfere 
with directional drilling for oil and gas. [Emphases added.]
    The Geomagnetism Program is part of the U.S. National Space Weather 
Program (NSWP), an interagency collaboration that includes programs in 
NASA, DOD, NOAA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and DOE. The 
Geomagnetism Program provides data to the NSWP agencies, oil drilling 
services companies, geophysical surveying companies, and several 
international agencies, including INTERMAGNET, an organization with a 
worldwide membership drawn from institutes operating geomagnetic 
observatories who coordinate geomagnetic monitoring around the world. 
Data, products, and services from the USGS are also used by the 
electric-power industry to evaluate geomagnetic storm risk. [Emphasis 
added.]
    Domestically, the USGS continues to operate 14 geomagnetic 
observatories (six within CONUS), delivering data and working 
cooperatively with the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the 
U.S. Air Force 557th Weather Wing, and numerous other customers and 
Federal agencies. For example, USGS observatory data are used by NOAA's 
SWPC, and by the U.S. Air Force, for issuing geomagnetic warnings and 
forecasts. USGS geomagnetism research is conducted in collaboration 
with the Colorado School of Mines, the USGS Crustal Geophysics and 
Geochemistry Science Center, the NOAA SWPC, and the NASA Community 
Coordinated Modeling Center. [Emphasis added.]
    Expansion of Magnetometer Observatories (+$1,500,000/+2 FTE)--The 
USGS would enhance monitoring and evaluation of space--weather hazards 
via a significant expansion of operational ground-based magnetometer 
stations. In coordination with the NOAA Space Weather Prediction 
Center, this expansion would enable delivery of accurate geoelectric 
hazard maps by reducing uncertainties that are primarily associated 
with the limited number of current observatories. This expansion is 
necessary for national electric grid resilience and is responsive to 
the interagency Space Weather Action Plan, which calls for an enhanced 
geomagnetic monitoring network that will deliver data to operational 
centers in real time. The Space Weather Action Plan is being executed 
by the Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation Interagency 
Working Group, involving Interior, Department of Energy (DOE), 
Department of Commerce, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of 
Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, and 
Department of Transportation. Funding will begin the addition of the 
first of three planned new permanent observatory sites, adding to the 
six existing sites within the CONUS and will facilitate beginning the 
addition of roughly a dozen new low-cost variometer stations. As the 
three new observatories are completed, they will be targeted to cover 
regions of high hazard and fill in the geographic footprint of the 
current observatory network. [Emphases added.]
    New England is a ``region of high hazard'' with a deficient 
observatory ``footprint'', USGS advises me, supporting, a new 
observatory somewhere in or near Maine to protect the Northeast.

  --Using regional MT survey data (which are available) and geomagnetic 
        monitoring data from its remote Frederick, Virginia 
        observatory, USGS found a geohazard ``hot spot'' in Maine and 
        regional risks endangering the Northeast.
  --Canadian observatories are also relatively remote.
  --USGS will take time and effort to pick specific observatory sites 
        (in Maine or elsewhere) for maximum cost effectiveness. 
        Preferring, for example, sites which already have local utility 
        services and sites which will be available without up front 
        land acquisition costs.
  --If funded, USGS would obligate FY22 funds in FY22 to procure 
        equipment for a New England observatory even though operations 
        don't begin until later. (I do hope USGS decides to monitor 
        electric--as well as magnetic--fields there, as does its 
        Boulder, CO observatory.)
  --The FY 2022 Request's Observatories Expansion builds upon USGS's 
        February 20, 2020, presentation to the GeoMagnetic Disturbance 
        Task Force (see Appendix hereto).

    I urge full funding of this FY 2022 Request. Please let me know if 
you have any questions.
                                appendix
    ``Possible Future CONUS Geomagnetic Monitoring'', presented by USGS 
on Feb. 20, 2020, under Agenda Item 4 at a face-to-face meeting of the 
GeoMagnetic Disturbance Task Force [GMDTF], in Salt Lake City, UT. It 
is also posted online at https://michaelmabee.info/wp-content/uploads/
2021/04/Item_4_USGS.pdf. [This statement was submitted by David Jonas 
Bardin.]


      
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Pages 75, 76, 77 of USGS FY 2022 Budget Justifications [ 
https://www.usgs.gov/media/files/fy2022-usgs-budget-justification-
greenbook and https://prd-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/
palladium/production/atoms/files/
FY2022%20USGS%20Budget%20Justification%20%28Greenbook%29.pdf ] (June 3, 
2021)
    \2\ CONUS = ``contiguous United States'' or ``conterminous United 
States'' (or ``lower 48'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of the Defenders of Wildlife
    Mister Chairman, Ranking Member and Members of the Subcommittee, 
thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am Mary Beth 
Beetham, Director of Legislative Affairs at Defenders of Wildlife. 
Founded in 1947, Defenders has nearly 2.2 million members and 
supporters and is dedicated to the conservation of wild animals and 
plants in their natural communities.
    Biodiversity is in crisis on a global scale. Numerous scientific 
studies in the last several years have raised the alarm about this 
crisis. A landmark 2019 study \1\ compiled by hundreds of the world's 
leading scientists found that about 1 million species are facing 
extinction. A subsequent report \2\ by the United Nations Convention on 
Biological Diversity warned that humanity is at a crossroads and the 
biodiversity crisis is intensifying. The health of wildlife and 
ecosystems is directly related to human health and well-being--
exploitation of wildlife and habitat fragmentation create circumstances 
that can cause spillover of animal diseases to humans. Moreover, the 
World Economic Forum found that the biodiversity crisis is one of the 
top three threats to the global economy in its 2020 report.\3\
    The biodiversity crisis cannot be addressed without funding--more 
than 1,900 scientists signed a letter \4\ published in the journal 
Science which asked Congress to fully fund conservation programs to 
protect biodiversity, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA). But 
years of severely inadequate funding and the scale of the catastrophe 
facing the planet's wildlife mean significantly more funding is needed 
in every area.
    In addition, we are extremely disappointed that the final FY 2021 
omnibus bill once again reinstated the longstanding prohibition on 
protecting the sage--grouse under the ESA, which undermines the 
science--based listing process critical to the law's functionality--
listing decisions should be based solely on science, not politics. New 
research \5\ shows sage--grouse populations have declined 80 percent 
range wide since 1965 and nearly 40 percent since 2002. Time is running 
out for the sage--grouse and the Sagebrush Sea. The President's FY 2022 
budget did not include the rider in its legislative proposal. We urge 
the Subcommittee to exclude the rider from the final FY 2022 bill.
                       fish and wildlife service
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is our nation's premier 
wildlife conservation agency. To address the biodiversity crisis, the 
agency needs significant increases to support recovery of threatened 
and endangered species; protect migratory birds and fish, species of 
global conservation concern and other trust species; and prevent 
domestic and international wildlife crimes.
    Ecological Services--Earlier this year, a coalition of more than 
170 organizations sent a letter to Congress requesting a significant 
infusion of funds into the Ecological Services program to begin to 
address the biodiversity crisis. Based on available data on the needs 
and costs for ESA implementation by FWS across its programs, as well as 
inflation adjustment, the recommendation totaled $466.5 million, or 
$196.8 million more than the current level:

  --Listing: Currently, FWS is scheduled to review 330 species in its 
        listing workplan between FY 2021-FY 2025. At current funding 
        levels it would take about ten years to address this backlog. 
        For FWS to meet this obligation a total of $63.7 million is 
        needed annually, an increase of $42.9 million.
  --Recovery: Of the more than 1600 listed U.S. species, more than 1200 
        have no recovery plans or have plans that are at least a decade 
        old and that may no longer contain current scientific 
        information, especially related to climate change. Hundreds of 
        listed species receive less than $1,000 per year for recovery 
        and many receive no FWS funding at all. Congress should provide 
        a minimum of $50,000 per year per species for recovery. For FWS 
        to meet its obligations under the recovery budget, a total of 
        at least $240.3 million is needed annually, an increase of 
        $135.3 million. We very much appreciate prior report language 
        directing FWS to establish extinction prevention programs for 
        critically endangered species and we urge the Subcommittee to 
        press for the establishment of these programs.
  --Planning and Consultation: FWS conducts ESA Section 7 consultations 
        on more than 10,000 federal actions each year so that projects 
        can move forward while minimizing harm to listed species. The 
        requirements of pesticide consultations in particular are 
        highly technical and essential to protecting species. To meet 
        these needs and to work with non-federal stakeholders to 
        develop Habitat Conservation Plans, $149 million is needed 
        annually, an increase of $39.7 million. In addition, we are 
        grateful for the direction included in the FY 2021 report for 
        FWS to enhance the Information for Planning and Consultation 
        system and develop a system for compliance monitoring. We urge 
        continued oversight of these efforts.
  --Conservation and Restoration: At least $13.5 million per year is 
        needed for the Candidate Conservation element of Conservation 
        and Restoration to assist with early conservation action on the 
        current 27 candidate species.
  --Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Program: We are disappointed that 
        the President's budget zeroed out this important program that 
        assists livestock owners co-existing with wolves, and we urge 
        continued funding at no less than $1 million.

    National Wildlife Refuge System.--A key component in addressing the 
biodiversity crisis in the U.S. is to refocus federal land management 
on the conservation of biodiversity. Our National Wildlife Refuge 
System is the largest network of public lands and waters in the nation 
dedicated to wildlife conservation. Substantially increased funding 
commensurate with the true costs of maintaining and recovering the 
biological integrity, diversity, and health of the System should be 
prioritized. Yet the System has lost 25 percent of its staff since FY 
2010, and in FY 2021, the System was funded at just $503.9 million, 
$100 million short of inflation adjusted FY 2010 funding levels. 
Defenders and the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, a 
coalition of 23 hunting, fishing, conservation, and scientific 
organizations, support funding at no less than $600 million for FY 2022 
to allow the FWS to begin to recover from the erosion of staff and 
resources over the last decade.
    Migratory Bird Management.--In North America nearly 3 billion birds 
have disappeared since 1970 and the only groups to not suffer severe 
declines were waterbirds that have received substantial funding over 
the decades.\6\ Given the harm to migratory birds under Trump-era 
regulations, funding for conservation is more important than ever. 
Defenders supports the FY 2022 request of $66 million, an increase of 
$18.2 million over the FY 2021 level, which includes increases of $5 
million to modernize the permitting process and $1 million for Urban 
Treaties to help address threats to birds in underserved communities.
    Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and International Affairs (IA).--
For OLE, we are extremely grateful that the FY 2021 bill continues 
appropriated funding to support inspectors at ports of entry and we 
urge it be maintained. Defenders supports $115 million for FY 2022, an 
increase of $28 million, to help OLE continue to address the crisis in 
the illegal global wildlife trade and the threat of zoonotic disease. 
For IA, Defenders supports $30 million for FY 2022, an increase of $7 
million, crucial in continuing to combat illegal wildlife trade and to 
build capacity in range countries.
    Cooperative Landscape Conservation and Science Support.--We thank 
the Subcommittee for again restoring funding for these two programs, 
which the prior administration had continually proposed to zero out. We 
support the President's request, for $18.8 million (an increase of $6.3 
million) and $36.4 million (an increase of $19.2 million) respectively. 
With these increases, FWS can continue to work to address complex 
challenges posed by the dual climate and biodiversity crises.
    Key grant programs.--Defenders supports: $125.6 million for the 
Cooperative Endangered Species Fund, an increase of $83.6 million; $7.9 
million for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Fund, an increase of $3 
million; $30 million for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, 
an increase of $12 million; and $100 million for State and Tribal 
Wildlife Grants, an increase of $27.6 million.
            u.s forest service and bureau of land management
    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service 
(FS) manage approximately twenty percent of the country's land base, 
providing habitat for hundreds of species listed under the ESA and 
thousands of sensitive species. These agencies have long been deprived 
of the funding they need to adequately conserve and restore imperiled 
species. Given the enormity, urgency, and complexity of the 
biodiversity crisis and the importance of these lands in contributing 
to solutions, Defenders urges funding increases for programs that 
specifically address the biodiversity crisis and restore resilient 
ecosystems as listed below. (For the FS, given the recent budget 
restructuring, sufficient allocations for salaries and expenses must be 
made to accompany program investments.)
    BLM Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species Management.--Current 
T&E program funding levels support recovery actions for a fraction of 
the 337 listed species that occur on BLM lands. Defenders supports a 
total of $33.8 million, an increase of $12.3 million, to support more 
recovery actions for more species. This program has been flat at $21.6 
million since FY 2014. Additionally, given the impact of the recent 
agency reorganization, we recommend that the Subcommittee direct BLM to 
report on species recovery needs and T&E program capacity and make 
clear to the agency that T&E funding is to be used specifically to 
advance recovery of listed species on its lands rather than to pay for 
ESA Section 7 compliance, which should generally be funded by the 
benefitting programs. We are disappointed that the President's request 
does not seem to designate a specific sub-category for the T&E program 
and recommend reinstating the program as its own subactivity within the 
Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management activity to improve outcome 
tracking and accountability.
    BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration.--This program provides 
national leadership across BLM and the federal agencies to ensure 
consistent and adequate supplies of America's native plant species for 
restoration of native ecosystems. Historically, funding has been 
cobbled together from multiple sources within the agency. We support a 
total of $25 million for FY 2022, $11.2 million more than BLM's 
internal FY 2021 allocation, for continuing the National Seed Strategy 
and increasing botanical expertise necessary to yield successful 
habitat restoration and long-term ecosystem resiliency. We recommend 
establishment of the program as its own subactivity to ensure it 
endures and is accountable Bureau-wide to specific outcomes and 
expenditures.
    BLM Resource Management Planning, Assessment and Monitoring.--
Defenders supports the President's request of $95.7 million, an 
increase of $28.6 million to support urgently needed programmatic 
initiatives and associated plan amendments to establish regional and 
range-wide strategies for the conservation and recovery of imperiled 
species' habitats. The increase will also support enhanced expertise 
necessary to advance the President's Executive Order on Tackling the 
Climate Crisis and needed changes to Trump administration plan 
revisions that reduced essential protections for imperiled species.
    FS Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Management.--Defenders supports 
the President's request of $36.7 million, an increase of $16 million. 
At least $10 million of this increase should be used to reestablish a 
new budget line item for the Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive (TES) 
Species Program. This will enable greater transparency and 
accountability regarding the agency's legal obligations to conserve the 
over 480 listed, proposed, and candidate species and 3,100 sensitive 
species that occur on FS lands. We also ask that the Subcommittee 
direct the agency to report on its progress toward conducting recovery 
plan actions and other recovery work for listed species.
    FS Land Management Planning, Assessment and Monitoring.--Close to 
fifty percent of all land management plans are over 15 years old. 
Defenders supports a significant increase in funding from the FY 2021 
level of $16.5 million to $24.5 million in FY 2022 to help accelerate 
the number of plans revised to finalization and to improve the ability 
of planning processes to help achieve 30x30.
    FS Forest and Rangeland Research (FS R&D).--Defenders supports the 
President's request of $88.7 million, an increase of $48 million for 
R&D Programs, including funding for the Wildlife and Fish Research 
Program, to support crucial science and applied research. This should 
include a specific budget allocation for the Wildlife and Fish Research 
Program, which has historically received 9-10 percent of the R&D 
Programs line item but warrants a significant increase given the 
magnitude of the biodiversity crisis.
                         u.s. geological survey
    Ecosystems--Defenders supports the President's request of $358.2 
million, an increase of $99 million to support development of crucial 
scientific information for sound management of our nation's biological 
resources. This includes an important increase of $43 million for the 
National and Regional Climate Adaptation Centers which is more than 
double the current level. The Survey's work and the data it provides 
will be essential to guiding our national effort to achieve 30x30, 
which is a central part of the solution to the biodiversity crisis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Diaz, S., J. Settele, E. S. Brondizio, et al. 2019. ``Summary 
for Policymakers of the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and 
Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on 
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.''
    \2\ Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 2020. 
``Global Biodiversity Outlook 5.'' Montreal.
    \3\ World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2020
    \4\ Malcom, J et al. 2019. ``Solve the biodiversity crisis with 
funding.'' Science 365 (6459): 1256
    \5\ Coates, P.S. et al., 2021. ``Range-wide Greater Sage-Grouse 
Hierarchical Monitoring Framework: Implications for Defining Population 
Boundaries, Trend Estimation, and a Targeted Annual Warning System,'' 
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report (2020)
    \6\ Rosenberg, L. V. et al. 2019. ``Decline of the North American 
avifauna.'' Science 366 (6461): 120-124.
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                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-hle Community Grant School 
                                 (DCGS)
    Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community Grant School (DCGS) is K-8, tribally 
controlled grant school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). 
We are located in Bloomfield, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation 
reservation and primarily serve Navajo students, many of whom travel 
great distances over unimproved roads to attend school each day. We 
have operated as a tribally controlled school since 2005. As a tribally 
controlled school, we have both the greater freedom and the tremendous 
responsibility to ensure that our students receive a quality and 
culturally relevant education that will help them reach their fullest 
potential. We take this responsibility seriously. Our testimony covers 
the following priorities:

  --Inclusion in the Federal COVID-19 Response and the Pending 
        Infrastructure Legislation;
  --Teacher Benefits and Pay Parity;
  --School Repair and Replacement and DFMC Oversight;
  --Halting Unnecessary and Unlawful BIE Reporting Requests; and
  --FY 2022 Funding Priorities: ISEP Formula Funds, Tribal Grant 
        Support Costs, Student Transportation, the FACE program (early 
        childhood learning), Facilities Operations and Maintenance, and 
        Facilities Improvement and Repair and Replacement Construction.

    Inclusion in the Federal COVID-19 Response and the Pending 
Infrastructure Legislation. We would like to extend our tremendous 
gratitude to the House and Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, 
and Related Agencies Subcommittees for the role you played in ensuring 
that schools in the BIE school system were included in the COVID-19 
relief laws in a robust and equitable manner. Our communities have been 
some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. This emergency funding was 
greatly needed and has enabled us to continue providing instruction to 
our students in a safe manner, despite these unbelievably challenging 
circumstances. Thank you.
    As Congress now turns its attention to our Nation's infrastructure 
needs, we ask that you similarly ensure that schools in the BIE school 
system are included. As you know, our students go to school in some of 
the oldest buildings, have some of the slowest internet connections, 
and travel great distances every day over largely unpaved or unimproved 
school bus routes. Progress has been made on these persistent 
inequities because the Subcommittees continue to prioritize funding to 
address them on a fiscal year basis. This pending infrastructure 
package provides an opportunity to make significant headway on the 
tremendous backlog you have been working so hard to address each fiscal 
year. Your support can once again make the difference.
    Teacher Benefits.--We would also like to thank these Subcommittees 
for the inclusion of a provision in the latest COVID-19 relief law, 
which allows tribally controlled schools to participate in the Federal 
Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Federal Employee Group Life 
Insurance (FEGLI) programs. While not directly an appropriations 
matter, the option to participate in FEHB/FEGLI means that tribally 
controlled schools now have the opportunity to purchase cheaper and 
more comprehensive insurance options for our employees-at no cost to 
the federal government. These new options will bolster our teacher 
recruitment and retention efforts and put less pressure on our ISEP 
funds. Thank you.
    Teacher Pay Parity.--We would also like to specifically thank the 
House Subcommittee for your oversight and FY 2021 report language 
requesting reports from the BIE on teacher pay parity. The BIE's 
failure to appropriately request fixed cost increases to provide pay 
parity for teachers and counselors in the BIE school system with their 
counterparts in the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) 
puts us and other schools at a competitive disadvantage while it erodes 
the spending power of our budgets year after year. Further, federal law 
requires BIE-DODEA teacher pay parity. We look forward to reading this 
report and hope that BIE will adjust its subsequent budget requests to 
comply with federal law.
    School Replacement Construction and DFMC Oversight.--As you may be 
aware, the DCGS is one of the schools on the 2016 Replacement School 
list to receive funding for school replacement construction projects. 
DCGS's facilities are in desperate need of replacement in order to 
provide our students with an adequate learning environment. DCGS is 
committed to putting our replacement school in operation as promptly as 
possible for the wellbeing of our students. Under DCGS leadership, the 
school replacement construction project is currently on track, with the 
dormitory building completion by August 2021 and the academic buildings 
by December 2021. Our 100% design drawings have been completed and 
approved, the dorm building has been enclosed, the gym walls are going 
up, the academic building footings are completed, and the roof beams 
and walls are being installed.
    Unfortunately, DCGS has already weathered significant bottlenecks 
due to the Indian Affairs Division of Facilities Management and 
Construction (DFMC), failures to respect the grant agreement terms. 
DCGS has had to trigger the procedures to address two disputes under 
the grant agreement (one of which is still pending) and the DFMC 
continues to misinterpret key grant provisions that are intended to 
ensure prompt and thorough review of project documents by the DFMC in 
accordance with the project schedule. As a result, reaching the 
project's current milestone has unfortunately taken significantly more 
time, money, and effort than it should have. The lack of proper 
supervision and oversight at DFMC threaten not only to delay the date 
by which DCGS will have a safe, new school campus, but they have the 
cascading effect of delaying the schools behind us in line on the 2016 
Replacement List.
    We have repeatedly raised these and related concerns with DFMC and 
BIE leadership in the spirit of constructive criticism and building a 
strong working relationship between DCGS and DFMC moving forward. While 
BIE leadership and some DFMC officials have shown commitment to the 
project, DCGS is concerned about the lack of supervision of personnel 
within the DFMC and the inadequate oversight of the DFMC with respect 
to school replacement construction. To ensure integrity, efficiency and 
cost-effectiveness in the school replacement construction process, we 
encourage the Subcommittees to request a report from the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) on the DFMC's role in school replacement 
construction projects that will allow tribally controlled schools to 
share their observations and experiences.
    Halting Unnecessary and Unlawful BIE Reporting Requests.--DCGS has 
had to expend excessive time and resources to address the BIE's 
unauthorized and improper reporting requests and evaluations. Congress 
established clear limits upon the BIE's ability to impose its own 
administrative directives upon tribally controlled schools. By statute, 
agency directives applicable to tribally controlled schools are 
expressly limited to the Tribally Controlled Schools Act (TCSA, PL 100-
297), its implementing regulations, and guidelines, manuals, and policy 
directives to which the tribally controlled school has agreed to in its 
grant agreements. Any authority otherwise not explicitly referenced 
does not apply to tribally controlled schools, including authorities 
the BIE may impose upon its BIE-operated schools.
    DCGS has had to field several BIE requests in which BIE officials 
have acted beyond their authority. DCGS is particularly concerned with 
the BIE's overreaching with respect to its new approach to school 
employee background check requirements, which has introduced audit 
findings that mischaracterize the applicable standards and tribal 
school compliance. DCGS has been complying and is absolutely committed 
to comply with federal statute and the 25 CFR Part 63 regulations for 
Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention. Protecting the 
wellbeing of our children is of paramount concern for our school and 
our community.
    DCGS has adopted and implemented best practices in our background 
check procedures, including contracting with a private firm that 
specializes in background investigations, as authorized by regulation. 
The Part 63 regulations repeatedly draw distinct lines between what is 
required of the BIA/BIE and what is required of Tribal entities, such 
as DCGS. Our focus, as required by statute and regulation, is to obtain 
complete, thorough and accurate investigations of any person who will 
have contact with our students. A recent BIE background check audit of 
DCGS, however, called for DCGS to replicate the federal process used by 
the Office of Personnel Management, including background checks on 
individuals who have no contact with students. As established by law, 
regulation and established best practices, DCGS will continue directing 
its resources to the protection of our students. We do not agree with 
the BIE's suggestion that a finance office director (with no direct 
contact with children) should be subject to higher scrutiny in 
background investigations than our custodial staff. Federal law, 
regulation, DCGS procedures and common sense call for the investigation 
of those individuals who will have contact with children. The BIE's 
audit of our background check process should not have issued findings 
on matters not provided by statute, regulation or agreement and should 
not distract us from the important responsibilities we work to fulfill.
    FY 2022 Funding Priorities.--We deeply appreciate the 
Subcommittees' ongoing commitment to fully funding Tribal Grant Support 
Costs--which are analogous to Contract Support Costs for tribally 
controlled schools. We would also like to thank the Subcommittees for 
increases for our core operating accounts: ISEP Formula Funds, Student 
Transportation, the FACE program (early childhood learning), and for 
Facilities Operations and Maintenance. These critical accounts fund the 
bulk of our budgets and are in need of further increases to meet 
schools' basic operating needs.
    We would also like to thank the Subcommittees for the recent 
increases for the Education Construction accounts including Facilities 
Improvement and Repair and Replacement Construction. As the 
Subcommittees are very much aware, the deferred maintenance backlog for 
schools runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars and many schools 
are long past due for replacement construction. We applaud the 
Subcommittees' efforts to urge Indian Affairs to develop and maintain 
building lifecycle and replacement plans for each school.
    Looking forward, we urge the Subcommittees to redouble your 
oversight of DFMC. As we explained in detail, there are real concerns 
to be addressed at DFMC and these factors are delaying much needed 
school repair and replacement efforts. DCGS finds the DFMC's lack of 
qualified personnel with experience in school construction and federal 
grants management to be disconcerting. Unqualified personnel have been 
placed in positions of authority, yet lack proper supervision. We do 
not accept that remote work under COVID-19 can explain or justify the 
poor performance of DFMC personnel or the lack of supervision or 
oversight of these employees. The Subcommittees have provided 
significant resources for school replacement construction. The federal 
employees hired to carry out the federal responsibilities must be 
appropriately qualified, provided with proper training and supervised 
to ensure successful project results.
                               conclusion
    In closing, Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community Grant School thanks the 
Subcommittees for the important funding increases and oversight 
directed to school repair and replacement construction. Direct, 
consistent funding is needed to achieve the timely completion of 
construction of schools on the 2016 Replacement List and to properly 
maintain these important federal investments for our children's future. 
For FY 2022, we ask that you continue these critically needed funding 
increases and redouble your efforts to keep the Administration 
accountable for the timely and transparent completion of projects. At 
DCGS, we believe that all children deserve the opportunity to reach 
their potential and to go to school in safe buildings. Thank you for 
remaining our steadfast partners in this most critical endeavor.
    Please continue to consider us a partner and a resource. Please 
contact our Administrative Services Director Faye BlueEyes at: 
[email protected] if you have any questions.

    [This statement was submitted by Ervin Chavez, School Board 
President.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Entomological Society of America
    The Entomological Society of America (ESA) respectfully submits 
this statement for the official record in support of funding for 
entomology-related activities at the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, 
and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI). For fiscal year (FY) 2022, 
ESA recommends $830 million for EPA Science and Technology, as well as 
strong support for programs across the agency that advance the safe 
application of pesticides. ESA strongly supports EPA's commitment to 
work with other federal agencies to monitor and improve pollinator 
health. In addition, ESA requests the Forest Service be funded at no 
less than $8.4 billion in discretionary funds. Within the Forest 
Service, ESA requests the Forest and Rangeland Research budget be 
supported at $313.5 million to preserve valuable invasive species 
research and development. The Society also supports continued 
investment in Forest Health Management programs across the Forest 
Service at no less than the FY 2020 enacted level of $100 million. ESA 
also recommends that DOI continue to support the important work of the 
National Invasive Species Council (NISC), to be funded at no less than 
$2 million for its critical coordination of efforts across agencies to 
respond to the threats posed by invasive species.
    Advances in forestry and environmental sciences, including the 
field of entomology, help to protect our ecosystems and communities 
from threats to our nation's economy, public health, and agricultural 
productivity and safety. Through improved understanding of invasive 
insect pests and the development of biological approaches to pest 
management, entomology plays a critical role in reducing and preventing 
the spread of infestation and diseases harmful to national forests and 
grasslands. The study of entomology also contributes to the development 
of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, which use science-
based, environmentally conscious, comprehensive methods to take 
effective management action against pests, often resulting in lower 
costs and a more judicious use of pesticides. In addition, entomology 
improves our knowledge of pollinators and factors affecting pollinator 
health and populations, helping to ensure safe, reliable crop 
production that meets the needs of a growing world population.
    EPA carries out its mission of protecting human health and the 
environment by developing and enforcing regulations, awarding grants 
for research and other projects, conducting studies on environmental 
issues, facilitating partnerships, and providing information through 
public outreach. Through these efforts, EPA strives to ensure that our 
nation enjoys clean water, clean air, a safe food supply, and 
communities free from pollution and harmful exposures to chemicals.
    EPA's Pesticides Licensing Program Area, supported by EPA's Science 
& Technology and Environmental Program & Management budgets, serves to 
evaluate and regulate new pesticides to ensure safe and proper usage by 
consumers. Through the mandate of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA uses scientific expertise and data, 
including knowledge gained from entomological sciences, to set maximum 
tolerated residue levels and to register pesticide products as 
effective and safe. By controlling insects that carry diseases of 
humans and domesticated animals, and invasive insect species that 
endanger our environment, pesticides registered by EPA help protect 
public health and the nation's food supply.
    Although pesticide registrations and regulations are the purview of 
the EPA, the agency has not traditionally been a major sponsor of 
entomology research. However, EPA has recently announced its intention 
to provide up to $2 million for projects that promote IPM adoption 
while promoting pollinator protection and addressing major challenges 
such as citrus greening disease. These Pesticide Environmental 
Stewardship Program (PESP) grants will enable grantees to ``implement 
sustainable pest management practices that reduce unnecessary risks 
from pests and pesticides.'' \1\ While IPM is a long-standing and well-
researched paradigm for mitigating pests, relatively few focused 
funding sources are available for entomologists focused on this 
subject. As such, ESA encourages you to enable EPA to continue 
expanding its investment in IPM and other innovative programs for 
safely managing the use of pesticides through increased funding for 
such activities across the agency's research and regulatory portfolios.
    ESA is in favor of increased funding for scientific studies of 
pollinator populations and health. Pollinators play a vital role in our 
nation's agriculture industry. Honey bees alone pollinate more than 90 
crops in the U.S. and are essential to produce an estimated one-third 
of all the food we eat or export, contributing over $17 billion in 
annual crop and seed production in the U.S. alone. To ensure a healthy 
bee population, more research is needed to fully understand the diverse 
factors that endanger bee health. Pesticides represent just one 
potential risk to bees, but both the risks and benefits must be 
balanced, and they will vary between different crops and different 
crop-producing regions of the U.S. EPA is well-positioned to help 
identify methods for protecting bee health. The agency has previously 
awarded agricultural grants to three universities to aid in the 
development of IPM practices that lower pesticide risks to bees while 
protecting valuable crops from pests. For this reason, ESA supports 
EPA's participation in multi-agency efforts to investigate pollinator 
health and implement plans to prevent pollinator population decline.
    The U.S. Forest Service sustains the health, diversity, and 
productivity of 193 million acres of public lands in national forests 
and grasslands across 44 states and territories. Serving as the largest 
supporter of forestry research in the world, the agency employs 
approximately 30,000 scientists, administrators, and land managers. In 
addition to activities at the federal level, the Forest Service 
provides technical expertise and financial assistance to state and 
private forestry agency partners.
    The Forest Service's Forest and Rangeland Research budget supports 
the development and delivery of scientific data and innovative 
technological tools to improve the health, use, and management of the 
nation's forests and rangelands. Programs within Forest and Rangeland 
Research provide science-based approaches to reduce and prevent the 
spread of destructive insects, plants, and diseases that can have 
serious economic and environmental consequences for our nation. For 
example, Forest Service scientists are working to understand the impact 
of the mountain pine beetle (MPB) on U.S. forests. Since 2000, 
outbreaks of MPB have affected more than 10 million hectares of 
lodgepole pine forests, compromising long-term forest health while 
creating the potential for more dangerous wildfires, loss of wildlife 
habitat, poorer water quality, and soil erosion.\2\ Such outbreaks are 
predicted to continue in the face of increased temperatures and drought 
associated with climate change. Funding for such studies will enable 
land managers to better predict and respond to ecosystem changes that 
occur following such outbreaks. ESA requests that Forest and Rangeland 
Research be funded at $313.5 million for FY 2022.
    Also under the purview of the Forest Service is the Forest Health 
Management program, which conducts mapping and surveys on public and 
private lands to monitor and assess risks from potentially harmful 
insects, diseases, and invasive plants. The program also provides 
assistance to state and local partners to help prevent and control 
outbreaks that threaten forest health. According to a 2011 study, 
invasive forest insects cost local governments alone an average of over 
$2 billion per year; direct costs to homeowners from property loss, 
tree removal, and treatment averages $1.5 billion per year.\3\ 
Initiatives within the Forest Health Management program can help 
control these costly pests. The program's ``Slow the Spread'' 
activities, for example, have led to a 60 percent reduction in the rate 
of the spread of the gypsy moth, another invasive species, resulting in 
an estimated benefit-to-cost ratio of 3:1. Without the program, it is 
estimated that 50 million additional acres would have been infested by 
the moth.\4\ Additionally, the southern pine beetle is the most 
destructive pest of pine trees from New Jersey to Florida and west to 
Texas. This beetle caused an estimated $1 billion in damage during an 
outbreak across the southern U.S., and it has since rapidly moved far 
further northward than previously thought possible.\5\ The new 
northeast range of the southern pine beetle includes threatened and 
rare pine ecosystems, such as the pine barrens of New Jersey.\6\ 
Funding for the Forest Health Management Program will support 
detection, monitoring, prevention, and management of this pest and slow 
its spread and limit its damage as it affects more and more of our 
country's forests. To support these important functions, ESA requests 
that the subcommittee provide no less than the FY 2020 enacted level of 
$100 million for Forest Health Management.
    The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) coordinates policy, 
communication, and technology applications among 16 federal agencies 
involved in the shared task of invasive species control. NISC serves a 
vital function since the impact of invasive species is felt across a 
variety of sectors (agriculture, environmental protection, public 
health, etc.) that are not under the jurisdiction of one single agency. 
As an example, since 2014 spotted lanternfly has become established in 
Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Its ability to 
disperse over broad geographic areas presents a particularly 
challenging problem to growers, homeowners, and forest managers, as 
does its unusually broad host range. It has been recorded feeding on 
more than 100 plants, including commercial crops such as hops, grapes, 
apples, and cherries.\7\ In addition to damage caused directly by 
feeding, the spotted lanternfly inflicts indirect damage via coating 
plants and other surfaces in ``honeydew'' (urine), which encourages the 
growth of mold and fungi. To respond to such threats, NISC recently 
helped coordinate the development of a comprehensive system of 
environmental DNA (eDNA) Rapid Response, whereby cutting-edge molecular 
surveillance tools are used to detect invasive insects before they 
establish to minimize control and damage costs. Such methods can enable 
more effective early detection of invasive species and rapid response, 
potentially saving billions of dollars' worth of crops, safeguarding 
native ecosystems, and preventing the destruction of private property. 
As such, ESA requests that NISC be funded at no less than $2 million in 
FY 2022.
    ESA, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest 
organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs 
of entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. Founded in 
1889, ESA has more than 7,000 members affiliated with educational 
institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. 
Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, 
administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, 
consultants, students, pest management professionals, and hobbyists. 
Thank you for the opportunity to offer the Entomological Society of 
America's support for Forest Service and EPA programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.epa.gov/pesp/pesticide-environmental-stewardship-
program-grants
    \2\ Fettig, C.J., R.A. Progar, J. Paschke, F.J. Sapio. Forest 
insects. G. Robertson, T. Barrett (Eds.), Implications of Forest 
Disturbance Processes for Sustainability in the Western US. PNW-GTR-XX. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 
Research Station, Portland, OR (2020). In press.
    \3\ Aukema, J.E.; Leung, B.; Kovacs, K.; [et al.]. 2011. Economic 
impacts of non-native forest insects in the continental United States. 
PLoS ONE 6(9): e24587.
    \4\ Forest Service FY 2017 Budget Overview: http://www.fs.fed.us/
sites/default/files/FY-2017-FS%20-budget-overview.pdf.
    \5\ Nowak, J.; Asaro, C.; Klepzig, K.; [et al.]. 2008. The southern 
pine beetle prevention initiative: working for healthier forests. J. 
For. 106(5): 261-267.
    \6\ Dodds, K. J.; Aoki, C. F.; Arango-Velez, A.; [et al.]. 2018. 
Expansion of southern pine beetle in northeastern forests: management 
and impact of a primary bark beetle in a new region. J. For. 116(2): 
178-191.
    \7\ https://entomologytoday.org/2020/09/10/list-known-host-plants-
grows-invasive-spotted-lanternfly/

    [This statement was submitted by Michelle S. Smith, BCE, 
President.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony for the 
record in support of programs under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction 
that support climate change mitigation and adaptation. The 
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a non-profit 
organization founded in 1984 on a bipartisan basis by members of 
Congress to help educate and inform policymakers, their staff, 
stakeholders, and the American public about the benefits of a low-
emissions economy that prioritizes energy efficiency, renewable energy, 
and new clean energy technologies. In 1988, EESI declared that 
addressing climate change is a moral imperative, and that has since 
guided our work.
    Climate adaptation and resilience work should complement and, when 
possible, contribute to a decarbonized, clean energy economy. From 
droughts to wildfires and hurricanes to extreme heat, different 
regions, states, and communities will experience different climate 
change--related threats. Communities need locally-tailored, accessible, 
and actionable data to make informed decisions to mitigate their 
climate risks and safeguard the ecosystems on which they depend.
    This testimony is informed by EESI's 2020 report, A Resilient 
Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from 
Solutions to Practice.\1\ This report is based on EESI's 16-part 
Congressional briefing series that featured 42 coastal resilience 
experts discussing federal, state, and local programs and policies 
conducting effective climate adaptation to coastal hazards. The 
programs outlined in this testimony are critical, and worthy of the 
Subcommittee's support.
       u.s. geological survey climate adaptation science centers
    There is one National Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) and 
nine regional CASCs tasked with helping people and ecosystems adapt to 
a changing climate. Regional CASCs partner with a university to conduct 
and disseminate research and support community adaptation activities. 
Because of their regional focus, CASCs are able to develop regional--
specific research and forge local partnerships, being more responsive 
to local needs--a valuable service given the scope and magnitude of 
climate challenges.
    An example of the on-the-ground adaptation and science support that 
CASCs conduct involves the Northwest CASC and the University of 
Washington's Climate Impacts Group and their work with the Northwest 
and Great Basin Tribes to develop climate risk tools. Based on input 
from the 84 Tribes that chose to participate, they created an online 
tool that provides climate summaries and climate information 
specifically tailored to the needs of those Tribes. The information is 
provided in multiple formats--as a map, a graphic, text, and as 
downloadable, custom reports--that summarize all of the changes by 
geographic area. The tool has been successful because of the 
development process's heavy focus on soliciting iterative user testing, 
feedback, and revisions.
    The Biden Administration's Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget proposal 
roughly doubles CASC funding, from $41,335,000 to $84,403,000. EESI 
supports the proposed funding level. In 2020, the United States 
experienced 22 billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events, the 
sixth consecutive year with 10 or more such events. The threat of 
climate change will necessitate spending to adapt and mitigate; 
however, these costs are overshadowed by the cost of doing nothing.
   u.s. fish and wildlife service cooperative landscape conservation
    Collaborative, landscape-scale conservation brings people together 
across geographies, jurisdictions, sectors, and backgrounds to restore 
fragmented landscapes and safeguard the ecological, cultural, and 
economic benefits provided by intact and connected habitat. The Biden 
Administration's proposed FY2022 budget requests $18.8 million (an 
increase of $6.3 million) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Cooperative Landscape Conservation (CLC) initiative via the Science 
Applications Program. EESI supports an additional $3 million for CLC to 
facilitate effective landscape conservation coordination between 
federal agencies and with state, tribal, and nongovernmental partners 
across the country.
    An appropriation of $21.8 million is approximately the same annual 
funding level the Science Applications Program received when it 
facilitated the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network from 2010 to 
2017. The increased funding would support a new process to establish a 
durable, inclusive, and comprehensive national framework for 
coordinating landscape conservation and climate adaptation efforts. 
This new approach would improve outcomes, eliminate redundancies, 
create synergies, facilitate collaboration, and streamline the whole-
of-government response necessary to conserve healthy and productive 
lands and waters that sustain natural and cultural resources.
    Thank you for your consideration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Available online at https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/a-
resilient-future-for-coastal-communities.

    [This statement was submitted by Daniel Bresette, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Environmental Council of the States
    Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) is the national 
nonprofit, nonpartisan association of state and territorial 
environmental agency leaders. For the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget appropriations, ECOS 
requests $630.1M for three specific Categorical Grant programs, as well 
as continued support for other Categorical Grants and infrastructure 
investments as noted.
    State environmental agencies are the engines of environmental 
progress in our nation. Under America's system of cooperative 
federalism, states exercise more than 90 percent of the delegable 
authorities under these and other federal laws. Through an ECOS 
resolution, states urge the U.S. Congress and EPA to financially 
support state implementation efforts commensurate with the complexity 
and breadth of federal requirements so we may fulfill our obligations 
to our communities. Please consider the following requests:
  i. support investment in critical water, wastewater and stormwater 
                             infrastructure
    States are keenly aware of the importance of infrastructure 
resiliency. During recent crises caused by winter storms, states 
offered technical assistance, outreach, and in some cases, brought 
critical supplies to local water systems. States also support funding 
for water and wastewater upgrades for cybersecurity and physical 
security. States work with water and wastewater systems facing 
enforcement actions and pilot creative solutions to infrastructure 
funding needs. As an example, in Oklahoma, its Funding Agency 
Coordination Team (FACT) streamlined the application process for 
infrastructure funding sources available to public water and wastewater 
systems. The FACT meets with eligible entities and works with them to 
develop the right funding package for their circumstances.
    State Revolving Funds (SRFs) support critical state-level 
investments in local infrastructure that provide our citizens safe 
drinking water, sanitation, and clean aquatic environments. The 
American Society of Civil Engineers 2021 Infrastructure Report Card 
estimates that our nation faces more than $1,045 billion in drinking 
water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs with a $434M 
funding gap.\1\ EPA's assessment on drinking water infrastructure is 
even more staggering--its most recent assessment from March 2018 cites 
a $472.6 billion need. We encourage Congress to allow 2% of annual 
Clean Water SRF capitalization grant funds to go to technical 
assistance to small, disadvantaged, and underserved communities as is 
done with the Drinking Water SRF. This would provide much-needed 
support to communities that lack the professional expertise to build 
wastewater infrastructure. We also encourage you to consider 
recommendations in the April 13 letter from ECOS and other water 
associations to Congressional leaders regarding maximizing federal 
investment in water infrastructure as appropriate.
    Since 2018, Congress has established and funded seven new STAG 
infrastructure assistance grants related to drinking water safety, 
totaling $139M as of FY21.\2\ States encourage Congress to consider 
making these STAG infrastructure grants eligible for Performance 
Partnership Grants (PPGs) to minimize grant administrative burdens. 
While states share Congress' commitment to achieving the specific 
purposes of each of these grant programs, additional programs may 
increase administrative burden and many states already have a complex 
system of matchmaking to efficiently distribute funds to the 
communities in most need.
   ii. increase state and tribal assistance (stag) categorical grants
    STAG Categorical Grants fund a wide range of states' core 
regulatory work. But these critical programs face an equally wide range 
of increased pressures: to move to electronic permitting and remote 
public participation, to increase data transparency, to enhance 
compliance presence in communities overburdened by pollution, to 
address emerging contaminants, and other activities. In FY02, STAG 
Categorical Grants were $1.1 billion enacted and are at $1.1 billion 
enacted in FY21--nineteen years later. ECOS encourages Congress to 
increase its funding of Categorical Grants, the most significant 
federal support to core delegated programs.

              STAG Categorical Grant Funding History \3\ 


    ECOS has documented that the federal government provides, on 
average, 27 percent of state environmental agencies' budgets. As 
program expectations expand with flat federal funding, fees (already 
our largest funding source comprising 61% of our budgets on average) 
have risen from $5.9B in FY2016 to $6.7B in FY2019, a 14% increase; \4\ 
further fee increases are unsustainable. Even if fees were increased, 
this may not address program needs. For instance, in an April 2020 
report, the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) notes 
that ``[states] collect fees for pollutant emissions on a per-ton basis 
. . . , but have seen major decreases in revenue from the program as it 
meets its primary goal: driving emissions down to create better air 
quality.'' In addition to permitting work, state air agencies have seen 
increasing ambient monitoring infrastructure programs as well as State 
Implementation Plan (SIP)-related and National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards (NAAQs) related planning workload.
    ECOS looked closely at three critical Categorical Grant programs: 
State and Local Air Quality Management (CAA Sec. 103, 105, and 106); 
Pollution Control (CWA Sec. 106); and Hazardous Waste Financial 
Assistance (RCRA Sec. 3011). This review found that federal funding 
levels for these three grant programs have not meaningfully increased, 
or have decreased, since 2010. Between inflation and increases in the 
cost of administering regulatory programs over this period, states 
propose that a 1% compounding annual escalation is the minimum federal 
funding trajectory needed.

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              State and
                                              Local Air                   Hazardous
                                               Quality        Water         Waste        11-year
                                             Management     Pollution     Financial      Enacted
          STAG Categorical Grant              (CAA Sec.   Control (CWA   Assistance       Level         Total
                                              103, 105,    Sec.  106)    (RCRA Sec.     Increase
                                              and 106)                      3011)
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY10 Enacted \1\..........................       $226.6M       $229.3M       $103.3M  ............       $559.2M
FY21 Enacted \2\..........................       $229.5M       $230.0M       $101.5M         $1.8M       $561.0M
FY21 if 1% Escalation started 2010........       $252.8M       $255.8M       $115.2M  ............       $623.3M
Delta: 1% escalation vs. FY21 enacted.....       $ 23.3M       $ 26.5M        $11.9M  ............       $ 61.7M
FY22 Funding Request......................       $255.3M       $258.4M       $116.4M  ............       $630.1M
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Source: FY11 EPA Budget in Brief pg. 69
\2\ Source: FY21 Omnibus

    As noted in the above table, if a 1% compounding escalation had 
been implemented for these programs starting in FY10, this would amount 
to a $61.7M funding level increase by FY21. For FY22, ECOS requests 
that Congress consider enacting a combined $630.1M for these three 
programs as shown in the above table--$255.3M for air/105 and 103; 
$258.4M for water/106, and $116.4M for hazardous waste. As a further 
demonstration of a 1% compounding escalation, figure 1 shows this in 
greater detail for the air/105 and 103 program. Other charts may be 
shared if requested but are not included due to space constraints.


                     iii. additional considerations
    ECOS has testified in the past on a number of topics that remain 
important to state environmental agencies. These include:

    1. Importance of Flexible STAG Multipurpose Categorical Grant. This 
is an important resource to enable nimble project deployment, and we 
hope Congress will continue and expand this resource and continue to 
provide states flexibility to use these federal funds to address local 
needs and priorities.
    2. State Research Needs. In February, ECOS' affiliate the 
Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS) published 
responses from 43 states and territories of their research needs across 
all media, plus PFAS. ECOS urges Congress to provide funding to EPA to 
help meet these needs.
    3. Oppose shift from 103 to 105 air funds. States ask that Congress 
push back against the proposed CAA Sec. 103-Sec. 105 funding shift at 
states' expense.
    4. Rescissions. States continue to oppose rescission of STAG 
Categorical Grant funds before a state receives them and appreciates 
Congress' diligence in preserving funds for their identified purposes.

    ECOS thanks the subcommittee for considering the views of state 
environmental agencies as you prepare the FY22 budget for EPA. We would 
welcome further discussion with you about how federal funding can 
support state-level work to protect human health and the environment. 
Please do not hesitate to contact me or ECOS Executive Director Don 
Welsh at [email protected].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Data taken from ASCE Failure to Act 2021 study. www.asce.org/
failuretoact.
    \2\ New STAG infrastructure assistance grants: assistance for small 
and disadvantaged communities, reducing lead in drinking water, lead 
testing in schools, drinking water infrastructure resilience and 
sustainability, technical assistance for treatment works, sewer 
overflow control grants, and water infrastructure and workforce 
investment.
    \3\ Sources: FY2021 EPA Budget in Brief, p.89 and ECOS Green Report 
on Status of Environmental Agency Budgets, 2017, p.11.
    \4\ State environmental agency average excluding CalEPA. Source: 
ECOS Green Report: Status of State Environmental Agency Budgets Fiscal 
Years 2016 to 2019.

    [This statement was submitted by Patrick McDonnell, Secretary, 
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and President.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC)
    I am Howard Learner, the Executive Director of the Environmental 
Law & Policy Center (ELPC). ELPC is the Midwest's leading environmental 
legal advocacy and sustainability innovation organization. ELPC's staff 
is engaged in the Great Lakes states, in Washington D.C., and with 
Canada to protect the Great Lakes. Since 2008, we have participated 
with policymakers and colleagues to build, effectively implement, and 
expand the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).
    Thank you Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and all members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to submit my testimony 
supporting an increased appropriation for the Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative. GLRI is a program that works well and has demonstrated 
implementation successes. GLRI funds have been deployed to protect safe 
clean drinking water supplies, clean up toxic sites, protect wetlands 
and shorelines, help alleviate harmful algae outbreaks, hold off 
invasive species from entering the Lakes, and safeguard aquatic 
resources. Restoring the Great Lakes' vital natural resources creates 
very high leveraged value gained for environmental, public health and 
recreation benefits, and for overall economic growth.
    The Great Lakes are a global gem, and they contain 21% of the 
planet's surface fresh water. 42 million people rely on the Great Lakes 
for safe drinking water supplies. The Great Lakes provide a rich 
aquatic habitat for many species, and they support a $7 billion annual 
fishing industry. Great Lakes recreation draws millions of tourists who 
boost the economies of shoreline communities. In short, the Great Lakes 
are where many millions of people live, work and play.
    ELPC was pleased with the bipartisan Congressional support for the 
reauthorization of the GLRI program, which was signed into law earlier 
this year. The reauthorization ramps up funding to $475 million in 
2026, thereby matching the GLRI funding received in its initial year. 
We request that the Senate Appropriations Committee fully fund the GLRI 
program with at least $375 million for FY 2022.
    I'll make two points in support of fully funding the GLRI at its 
authorized amount for FY 2022:

    First, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vitally important 
and successful. This is a model federal program providing great 
benefits, and it is working well.
    Second, the challenges the Great Lakes are facing, from increases 
in harmful algal outbreaks and climate change especially, justify full 
funding at least at the authorized $375 million for FY 2022.

    1. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vitally important and 
successful. This is a model federal program providing great benefits, 
and it is working well.
    The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been a breakthrough 
program, injecting vital funding and structure that had previously 
hindered efforts to restore the Great Lakes. Over the past 12 years, 
the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has achieved strong results with 
sustained funding.
    As the third GLRI Action Plan states: ``the GLRI has been a 
catalyst for unprecedented federal agency coordination, which has in 
turn produced unprecedented results.'' The program supports shoreline 
and wetlands protection projects, keeping out invasive species, and 
reducing harmful algae blooms. Congress' recognition of the 
effectiveness of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is reflected in 
the bipartisan support for full authorized funding of $300 million for 
FY 2018 and 2019 and increased funding for FY 2020 and 2021.
    The GLRI funds and supports thousands of projects across the Great 
Lakes states to:

  --Improve water quality for safe drinking water supplies, fisheries, 
        and aquatic habitats.
  --Protect shorelines and restore wetlands.
  --Protect and restore native habitats and species.
  --Help prevent and control invasive species.
  --Clean up toxic sediments on lake bottoms.
  --Reduce nutrient runoff that causes harmful algal blooms.

    The GLRI effectively creates a system of coordination among federal 
agencies, state entities and local partners to achieve outcomes. There 
are many examples of GLRI projects that deliver multiple benefits to 
the Great Lakes, from river and natural area restoration projects to 
addressing and ultimately delisting Areas of Concern, including:

  --In Ohio, the restoration of Griswold Creek, which included removal 
        of invasive species and restoration of habitat, and the 
        restoration of Irwin Wet Prairie near Toledo. Both ultimately 
        benefit Lake Erie.
  --In Northern Minnesota, the Flute Reed Riverbank stabilization 
        project keeps nutrients out of Lake Superior, improves flood 
        plains, and creates habitat for fish.
  --In Illinois, the Burnham Wildlife Corridor in Chicago restored 
        natural areas with native species and wildlife habitats while 
        helping slow down and filter water before it enters Lake 
        Michigan, thereby reducing runoff pollution into the Lake.

    These projects bring together a broad array of partners, working 
together to achieve the GLRI's goals and create jobs. The third GLRI 
Action Plan details work to address Areas of Concern, including those 
that are now delisted: Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania, and Deer Lake 
and White Lake in Michigan.
    GLRI has broad regional economic benefits. A University of Michigan 
study showed that every $1.00 of funds spent on GLRI projects between 
2010 and 2016 will produce $3.35 in additional economic activity in the 
Great Lakes region through 2036.
    2. The challenges the Great Lakes are facing, from severe recurring 
harmful algal blooms and climate change especially, justify full 
funding at least at the authorized amount of $375 million for FY 2022.
    While recognizing the GLRI's successes, the threats from climate 
change and severe recurring harmful algal outbreaks are getting worse.
    ELPC commissioned 18 leading Midwest and Canadian scientists to 
write the state-of-the-science report, An Assessment of the Impacts of 
Climate Change on the Great Lakes, which we released in 2019 along with 
recommended policy solutions. The scientists concluded that climate 
change is causing significant and far-reaching impacts on the Great 
Lakes region, including increasingly extreme water level fluctuations--
mostly higher, and occasionally lower--which wreak havoc on shoreline 
communities, homes, beaches, and businesses. Annual precipitation in 
the region has increased at a higher percentage than the rest of the 
country, and more precipitation is coming in unusually large events 
such as derechos and intense thunderstorms. Lake Michigan had record-
high water levels in 2020, whipped by winds and waves that caused 
flooding and damaged the shoreline's built infrastructure.
    ELPC is now preparing a report that looks at the risks of rising 
lake levels, extreme weather events, and flooding at several industrial 
facilities and contaminated sites along the western and southern shores 
of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Using 
data from the Digital Elevation Model prepared by the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management, 
the report visualizes the extent and severity of inundation at the 
sites and surrounding areas. One threat: potential inadvertent releases 
of dangerous pollutants into nearby communities and Lake Michigan.
    Climate change impacts on the Great Lakes intersect with the 
growing problem of agricultural runoff pollution--mostly fertilizers 
and manure. These are the principal cause of severe recurring toxic 
algae outbreaks in western Lake Erie and other shallow water bays in 
the Great Lakes. The Ohio EPA concluded that agricultural runoff 
pollution accounts for about 90% of the phosphorus flow into western 
Lake Erie.
    The Maumee River Basin, which flows into western Lake Erie, is 
among the priority watersheds included in the third GLRI Action Plan. 
ELPC used satellite imagery to count and measure Concentrated Animal 
Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and to estimate the number of animals and 
amount of manure those facilities produce. The data shows that in 2018, 
alone, CAFOs produced over 3.5 million tons of manure.
    The GLRI Action Plan provides a detailed look at strategies to 
reduce this harmful agricultural runoff pollution, noting that GLRI 
projects have kept more than one million pounds of phosphorous out of 
the lakes. But the threats from nutrient pollution from CAFOs to the 
Great Lakes and region remain and are amplified by changing rainfall 
patterns. On April 7-9, 2021, ELPC hosted our 6th Annual Great Lakes 
Science-Policy Confluence Conference, bringing together scientific 
experts and policy makers to focus on the growing threat of CAFOs and 
manure runoff pollution to the Great Lakes region. A more robust GLRI 
is an important part of addressing this problem.
    In conclusion, the Environmental Law & Policy Center appreciates 
the opportunity to submit testimony in support of the Great Lakes 
Restoration Initiative and urge the Subcommittee to recommend to the 
full Senate Appropriations Committee an appropriation of $375 million 
for GLRI in FY 2022. GLRI is a successful program and a model for 
federal, state, and local cooperation.

    [This statement was submitted by Howard Learner, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the Federation of State Humanities Councils
    Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the 
opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of the nation's humanities 
councils. The state and jurisdictional humanities councils were 
authorized in the founding legislation for the National Foundation for 
the Arts and Humanities and are funded, in part, through the Federal/
State Partnership line in the National Endowment for the Humanities 
budget. As 501c3 nonprofit organizations, councils leverage, on 
average, $4 for every $1 of federal funding with support from state and 
local governments, foundations, private sector entities, and 
individuals. For Fiscal Year 2022 we are requesting $225 million for 
the National Endowment for the Humanities, including $70 million for 
the state and jurisdictional humanities councils through the Federal/
State Partnership.
    This is a busy and challenging--but in many ways--exciting and 
promising time for the state and jurisdictional humanities councils. 
Last year, in the CARES Act, $30 million was made available to the 
humanities councils for grants to local cultural organizations to help 
them survive the impacts of COVID-19. In a few months, councils made 
more than 4,500 awards throughout the states, territories, and DC. 
Councils were able to efficiently move money into communities where it 
could save jobs, help preserve local institutions, and respond to other 
immediate needs. However, the needs far exceeded the available funding. 
Consequently, the additional $51.6 million allocated to the councils 
through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act is a welcome addition to 
meeting the continuing needs of local cultural organizations and to 
enabling them to prepare for recovery.
    In the instance of both CARES and ARP, the state humanities 
councils serve largely as a pass-through organization in order to move 
funds quickly to a large number of local organizations that put those 
funds to use both responding to lingering COVID issues and preparing 
for recovery. The councils are well positioned for this job--they know 
their states and institutions deeply and broadly, they are accustomed 
to making grants of a size that address the needs of smaller entities, 
and they understand the broader community and how their investments 
will fit into that environment.
    What the emergency funds through CARES and ARP do not do, however, 
is contribute to the on-going operations and programming of the 
councils. In a year, humanities councils may partner with some 9,000 
local organizations, sponsor more than 31,000 programs and reach as 
many as 270 million people in almost every Congressional district. To 
maintain and grow current activities and respond to the community needs 
and interests, we need additional funding in the Federal/State 
Partnership, which directly funds the state councils. This is money 
that comes directly to the states and local communities and ensures a 
wide availability of public humanities programming across the nation.
    In a recent survey of state councils, it became clear that 
individual councils, in part driven by size, could immediately use 
another $300,000-$600,000 each. Almost all councils see a need for 
additional Grantmaking to cities and counties, urban and rural areas 
throughout their states. Grantmaking from the state councils allows 
communities to commemorate their history and heritage, reach out to new 
and underserved audiences, and address the many issues which demand 
urgent attention including equity and inclusion, reading and literacy, 
healthcare, civics education, international understanding, and 
preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of 
Independence. Such funding would also help councils sustain and expand 
upon work with veterans, Native and indigenous communities, the 
incarcerated, and other groups. Councils also see a critical need to 
pursue additional discussion groups and conversations, bringing 
communities together to examine issues that divide us or that are 
changing the way we live, work and play. Finally, councils have 
remaining needs for infrastructure, for the technical tools that allow 
them to continue to serve their new virtual audiences and get out 
safely to every corner of their states with in-person programming.
    To elaborate on the work of the councils and the impact of our work 
throughout the nation, I would now like to turn to two perspectives: 
First, a description of some of the existing programs that have left 
indelible imprints on communities throughout the nation and, second, 
some brief comments on the commanding opportunities that lie ahead.
    For 50 years, humanities councils have developed and delivered 
programs that address issues of greatest concern to their communities, 
helping explore history and culture and sharing the stories of our 
multi-vocal nation. From innovative programs created in response to the 
pandemic like Humanities Washington's online discussion initiative, 
``Cabin Fever Questions'' and its kid-friendly version ``Cabin Fever 
Kids'' to programs that facilitated connection and community during 
isolation such as Oregon Humanities' letter-writing program ``Dear 
Stranger,'' councils seek out your constituents and work with them to 
provide programming, resources, and support where it is most needed. 
Actually initiated in 2014, ``Dear Stranger'' took on a new importance 
during the pandemic. Oregon Humanities also started its ``Connect in 
Place'' conversations in April, thus far sponsoring more than 40 
sessions across the state to discuss community, safety, immigration, 
faith, race, and aging, among other topics.
    Supporting Infrastructure.--The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, 
through its Chester Made program, works with local citizens and 
businesses to promote revitalization of a portion of downtown Chester. 
The project includes development of a story-based cultural map, 
launching of a Chester Made Exploration Zone, and the creation of maker 
space, videos celebrating local artists and history, pop-up art shows, 
workshops exploring history of the downtown area, artist exchanges, and 
youth summer camps. Properties along the Chester Corridor are now being 
purchased and renovated by residents, and a theater, art galleries, 
work spaces, restaurants, and shops are moving in.
    In California, Legacies of the Street: Seeking Transportation 
Justice, a three-part public conversation supported by California 
Humanities, explores the racialized past and present of roads in San 
Francisco, Fresno, and Los Angeles, where communities of color suffered 
disproportionately from the creation of California's transportation 
infrastructure, as highways carved up urban communities to facilitate 
suburban commuting to employment hubs. California Humanities has also 
supported the LA River project, which included biking and walking tours 
and programs examining the River in history, literature, and film, as 
well as community forums and exhibits for BART train stations and 
riders of the Capitol Corridor train.
    Providing Civic Education For decades, the state and jurisdictional 
humanities councils have actively conducted and supported nonpartisan 
programs, resources, and events providing civic education in support of 
our democracy. Nationally, the humanities councils are currently 
conducting programs in 43 states and territories as part of their ``Why 
It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation'' initiative. These 
events provide free humanities programming to engage the public in 
collaborative, accessible, and thought-provoking dialogues on the 
importance of electoral and civic participation. Since 2018, nearly all 
state and jurisdictional humanities councils have conducted or 
supported programs as part of the Federation's Mellon-funded 
``Democracy and the Informed Citizen'' national initiative, which 
focuses on the role of journalism and the humanities in a democratic 
society as well as on the ways citizens gather, assess, and share 
information to make decisions about the futures of their communities 
and nation.
    In addition, councils provide programming on the history of women's 
suffrage, including the impact on and contributions of marginalized 
groups. From podcasts, such as Humanities New York's ``Amended'' 
program to film screenings and discussions like South Dakota 
Humanities' ``Without a Whisper/Konnon;Kwe'' on the ``untold story of 
the proud influence of Indigenous women on the beginning of the United 
States women's rights movement,'' to interactive panels and lectures 
such as Florida Humanities' ``100th Women's Suffrage Centennial: How 
Women of Color Helped to Win the Vote'' and Connecticut Humanities' 
``The Fight for Women's Suffrage in Connecticut'' that explores how 
Connecticut women fought for, and against, the right to vote, councils 
seek to explore America's complex stories and experiences of civic 
participation. Ohio Humanities is one of those councils who is 
currently offering civic reflection sessions through a special 
initiative entitled, ``Justice Talking: The Meaning of Service,'' a 
collaboration with ServeOhio and AmeriCorps to prompt ``thoughtful 
dialogue about service, justice, and civic engagement.''
    Serving Teachers & Students.--Support for our nation's educators 
and students has never been more important. Prime Time Family Reading 
has been a mainstay of Kentucky Humanities for many years. The program, 
which brings together children and their parents face to face with a 
scholar and storyteller, not only promotes reading but also introduces 
children to books which deal with issues such as honesty, bigotry and 
friendship. The Kentucky Humanities Book Festival is celebrating its 
40th year, providing workshops, children's programs and special events 
with both national authors and poets and hundreds of Kentucky writers. 
Florida offers ``English for Families'' in partnership with the Orange 
County Library System, a program that utilizes award-winning children's 
books to engage the whole family. This leads to increases in English 
language acquisition, inspires thought and conversation, promotes 
critical thinking, and improves employment prospects and educational 
performance.
    Rural Development.--For years, the state and jurisdictional 
humanities councils have focused programs on rural areas, often in 
concert with the Smithsonian traveling exhibits. To date, the 
humanities councils have been a large part of touring exhibitions, with 
topics from American food to water to change in rural America, and have 
served 1,600+ rural communities with an average population of 8,300. 
Bringing these exhibits to small towns prompts excitement, but also 
triggers a variety of programs and conversations that allow for the 
serious exploration of the exhibit's topics.
    Racial Equity and Social Justice.--Programs such as Alabama 
Humanities Alliance's ``Why It Matters: Black Alabamians and The 
Vote,'' explore race and electoral participation in America. Minnesota 
Humanities Center partnered with Sweet Potato Comfort Pie to create 
``How Can We Breathe,'' a four-part community engagement initiative 
that amplifies the voices of African Americans through its programming.
    Serving Native and Indigenous Populations.--Vermont Humanities is 
increasing its engagement with indigenous Vermonters, with several 
programs featuring Abenaki tribal members speaking on the importance of 
storytelling, maintaining native languages, and addressing the present 
day consequences of the Vermont Eugenics Movement in the1920s.
    The Minnesota Humanities Center has also been active in reaching 
and serving Indigenous populations in their state, educating 
Minnesotans about the history and culture of the state's Indigenous 
people through such programs as the award-winning traveling exhibit, 
``Why Treaties Matter: Self Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe 
Nations,'' and the ``Bdote Memory Map,'' a resource for teaching about 
the Dakota people's relationship to the people of Minnesota.
    Environmental Humanities Environmental humanities programs use 
literature and history to make sense of the changing environmental 
concerns facing Americans. From hiking trails to canoe trips, water to 
forests, and sustainability to preservation, council programs address 
our sense of place and our shared responsibility for the future of the 
planet. Vermont Humanities will be hosting a conference this fall on 
the impact of the extended fire season on human communities in the 
western United States.
    Healthcare and the Humanities.--Finally, councils are well 
positioned to support the medical community and play a prominent role 
in efforts to better position those in the field to deliver their 
services as well as to help individuals and their families manage the 
many aspects of their illnesses. Since 1997, when Maine Humanities 
Council created and piloted Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the 
Heart of Healthcare, a reading and discussion program for healthcare 
workers, the program has been a hallmark effort for many councils, 
including Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, 
Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
South Dakota, and Vermont.
    Maine and Vermont councils have also used the Literature & Medicine 
program in veterans' hospitals and facilities. Ohio Humanities awarded 
a grant to support ``Not Far From Me: Stories of Opioids and Ohio,'' 
which included the publication of an anthology of more than 50 first-
person accounts from addicts, their families, first responders, faith 
leaders, social workers, teachers, medical professionals, community 
leaders, and others impacted by opioids. This served as the basis for 
community discussions.
    In conclusion, we believe the state humanities councils have a 
unique role moving our country forward. The humanities help the nation 
understand who we are, where we have been, and how we might begin to 
recover from the events of the past year. As the face of the humanities 
in their local communities, the state and jurisdictional humanities 
councils have the local and national networks to provide the programs 
and tools necessary to bring people back together and begin our 
collective healing.
    In addition, the state councils share their own experiences and 
programming with each other, creating a rich, innovative and varied 
palate of public humanities options. Prime Time Reading and Literature 
& Medicine are long-standing programs in many states. Mississippi and 
Massachusetts recently partnered on a six-program series that explored 
the historical and cultural connections between the seemingly different 
states. People from both states as well as from around the country were 
involved in panels and conversations on such topics as literature, 
poetry, civil rights movement, school integration, coastal communities 
and Blues music.
    As Americans awaken to the fact that this pandemic is not a 
``pause'' from our ``normal,'' but a new chapter that has and will 
continue to transform our world in ways we must all adapt to and 
wrestle with, humanities councils will best equip us to reimagine and 
recommit us to what makes us human. In the coming year, councils will 
gather their program participants together at newly configured in-
person events as well as continue to serve their growing virtual 
audiences. They will create new civic education programs in the lead up 
to the 250th anniversary of the nation. Most importantly, they will 
respond to the crises of the present moment with lasting change and 
help us reimagine not only how we learn, teach, love, work, mourn, 
parent and partner, but also how we recommit ourselves to what we owe 
each other.

    [This statement was submitted by Phoebe Stein, President.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
    Chairman Merkley, and respected members of the Committee, I am 
Kevin Dupuis, the Chairman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa. On behalf of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, 
I would like to thank you for inviting me to testify. We submit this 
testimony to urge Congress to increase, or, at the very least preserve, 
the federal funding levels for Indian programs.
    As we talk about funding needs in Indian country, it is essential 
to keep in mind that the problems that face communities nationwide are 
far more severe for Indian communities, with tribes having far fewer 
resources to address problems like substance abuse, domestic violence, 
public safety, and homelessness. The Fond du Lac Band has worked, and 
will continue to work, to find solutions to problems of this kind. With 
seed money from federal funds, we have implemented innovative programs 
and measures to provide health, education, social services, public 
safety and other governmental services to our 4,200 members and the 
more than 7,300 Indian people who live on and near our Reservation. For 
example, Fond du Lac built the first-of-its-kind supportive housing 
programs in Indian country, and the first such supportive housing for 
Veterans. We have begun implementing best practices in health care, 
using a range of programs and services to aid our people.
    We are proud of what we have accomplished, but more remains to be 
done. The investment of federal funds is key to that effort. It allows 
us to use Band resources and attract private partners so we can provide 
jobs, grow the local economy, educate our children, prevent crime, and 
care for our elders and infirm. We urge Congress to continue to fund 
these programs at least at the levels the President has requested.
    BIA: Trust-Natural Resources Management.--There is nothing more 
important than preserving and protecting the territories and resources 
that our ancestors reserved for our people when they signed our 
Treaties with the United States. The Fond du Lac Band is committed to 
the management, conservation, and sustainability of the natural 
resources of the Fond du Lac Reservation and within our Ceded 
Territory, where we have Treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather. We 
appreciate Congress's decision to provide a $35 million increase in 
funding for BIA Trust-Natural Resources programs in FY 2021. We urge 
you to provide full funding for Trust-Natural Resources Management in 
FY 2022, including increased funding for Rights Protection and 
Implementation which will allow us to protect, enhance, and restore 
natural resources with our Reservation and Ceded Territory.
    The Fond du Lac Reservation consists of 101,153 acres, including 
forests, lakes and rivers that must be managed and protected for the 
current and future generations. In addition, our Ceded Territory covers 
portions of Upper Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, and North Central 
Minnesota. The challenges to our natural resources across the region 
are diverse and complex, from species restoration and reintroduction to 
adaptation to climate change. But our members depend on our Treaty 
rights to put food on the table and for ceremonial practices that serve 
as the foundation for our culture. The stewardship of those natural 
resources--through scientific study, resource management, and 
enforcement of Band laws that regulate Tribal members who hunt, fish 
and gather those resources--is critical and is also an important source 
of employment for members.
    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).--We appreciate that Congress 
has continued to provide federal funds for EPA, but we ask that funding 
for EPA in FY 2022 be increased.
    State and Tribal Assistances Grants (STAG).--We thank Congress for 
providing STAG funding in FY 2021. We strongly urge Congress to 
increase funding for this Program, which has not seen a substantive 
increase in years, yet the Band's responsibilities continue to grow as 
we work to protect our land, water and air in the face of increasing 
pressures and obstacles.
    Water Quality.--We have a robust federally-approved water quality 
standards program. Given the current threats to water resources in our 
region, we urge that Tribal Section 106 funding be doubled so that we 
can do the work needed to protect our waters.
    Air.--We have a long-standing air monitoring program that has faced 
a steady decline in federal funding. As the impacts of climate change 
continue to be felt in higher temperatures and more frequent heavy 
precipitation events, both indoor and ambient air quality concerns 
continue to impact Band members and their health. We request that air 
quality program funding for tribes be increased.
    Wetlands.--One-half of our reservation is made up of wetlands. 
Proper management and restoration of this valuable resource is 
impossible without adequate and consistent federal funding. We request 
sustained wetland monitoring and protection program funding.
    Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.--The Band fully supports this 
initiative and asks that Congress maintain the $330 million level of 
funding for this initiative. This initiative has broad--reaching 
benefits to resources of importance for all stakeholders (state, tribal 
and private) in the Great Lakes region. This funding helps support our 
wildlife programs, including our ongoing wild rice and fisheries 
stewardship and restoration efforts on the Reservation and in our Ceded 
Territories.
    BIA: Public Safety and Justice.--A significant part of protecting 
our homeland is having a fully staffed and trained law enforcement 
department. We appreciate Congress's decision to increase funding for 
BIA's Public Safety and Justice, including funding to solve Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women cold cases. The largest law enforcement 
problems we face are due to opioids and other substance abuse problems. 
Our law enforcement responds to a wide range of issues and calls, and 
the demand increases each year.
    We address law enforcement by a combination of tribal and available 
federal funds and cooperative agreements with local law enforcement 
agencies, but more funding is needed. To meet need, we should have 25 
full-time officers, but currently we only have funding for 18. We also 
have 2 administrative staff, but should have 2 more to ensure our 
department can effectively operate. Funding is also needed for 
training. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with an increase in the drug 
epidemic and related crimes, our officers need, but are not receiving, 
vital training, including for dealing with an increase of people with 
mental health issues. Budget constraints also restrict us from 
replacing essential equipment like patrol vehicles, cameras, and 
recorders.
    Bureau of Indian Education.--With funding from the BIE and the 
Department of Education, we operate the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School 
serving an average of 220 children from pre-K through 12th grade. More 
than 90% of our students come from very low-income households, and 96% 
receive free or reduced-price lunch. We are slowly making progress in 
improving the outcomes for our students. While the high school 
graduation rates for American Indians in Minnesota is at 51%, we are 
now at 59%, which is still far behind the state-wide rate of 81%. BIE 
funding has never kept pace with need, which prevents us from providing 
the educational services needed for our students. We urge Congress to 
significantly increase federal funding for Indian education.
    Indian Health Service.--We appreciate Congress's decision to 
maintain funding for IHS at the FY 2020 levels. But Indians at Fond du 
Lac, like Indians throughout the Nation, continue to face severe 
disparities across a broad range of health issues, including due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic. We serve over 7,300 Indian 
people at our clinics, but the current funding level meets only 33% of 
our health care funding needs. To make progress in reducing the 
disparities in Indian health, we strongly support the Administration's 
$2.2 billion requested increase in funding for IHS programs, with the 
top priorities given to Hospitals & Health Clinics; Purchased/Referred 
Care; Mental Health; Alcohol & Substance Abuse; and Dental Health. 
Expanded resources for treatment and community education capacity are 
especially needed to combat the epidemic of drug abuse.
    We support the Administration's proposal to provide advance 
appropriations for Indian Health Service starting in FY 2023. We also 
support the proposal to make both Contract Support Costs and the 105(l) 
leasing funding mandatory. This is an important first step in making 
all Indian Health Service funding mandatory. As many of my elders have 
said, we prepaid for our health care and this funding should not be 
subject to the discretionary appropriations process.
    Miigwech. Thank you.

    [This statement was submitted by Kevin R. Dupuis, Sr., Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Foundation for Resilient Societies
Dear Senators:
    We are writing to express our strong support for full funding of 
``Administration FY 2022 Request for USGS Geomagnetism Program to 
Protect Critical Infrastructure Against Solar Storms.'' This request 
would allow for an appropriation of $5,673,000 and 14 full-time 
equivalent (FTE) positions for the USGS Geomagnetism Program to further 
the magnetotelluric survey across the southern third of the United 
States, add observatories, and fund continuing operation of 
observatories. Each of these requests is critical to scientific 
understanding of the effect of solar storms and associated geomagnetic 
disturbance upon our nation's electric grid.
    Geomagnetic disturbance caused by solar storms can cause cascading 
collapse of electric grids. An example of this hazard occurred in March 
1989 when a relatively small solar storm caused a blackout for the 
entire province of Quebec in only 92 seconds.
    Solar storms can also cause high voltage transformers in critical 
locations to catch fire, melt down or explode. As a result, grid 
restoration could be prevented until these transformers are replaced. 
High voltage transformers could take 1-2 years to manufacture and are 
largely produced abroad. Thus, without further action to understand and 
monitor geomagnetic activity triggered by solar storms, the United 
States could face long-term blackouts.
    We appreciate your attention to this important appropriation for 
better understanding of solar storm impacts on America's electric grid 
and for monitoring solar activity.

            Sincerely,

Thomas S. Popik, Chairman and President
Mary Lasky, Treasurer and Secretary
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is submitted on behalf of the Friends of Alaska 
National Wildlife Refuges, which was formed in 2005 to support all 16 
Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. We appreciate the opportunity to 
offer comments on the FY 2022 Interior Appropriations bill.
    The Alaska Friends is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose 
members reside primarily throughout the State of Alaska and in the 
other 49 States. We work on a volunteer basis to assist the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service to accomplish its Congressionally mandated mission 
for the 16 Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, which encompass 77 million 
acres.
    The Alaska Refuges serve many important functions for the people of 
Alaska. They provide vital subsistence resources for its many Alaska 
Natives and other rural residents. They offer extensive opportunities 
for wildlife viewing, photography, hunting, fishing, environmental 
education, and a wide variety of land and water recreation. 
Furthermore, their natural habitats and extensive wildlife populations 
provide essential opportunities for scientific studies of the changes 
produced by our warming climate. Alaska is on the forefront of climate 
change, whch is creating many challenges to the management and 
maintenance of their natural values and productivity for the many 
people and communities that depend on their resources.
    The Alaska Friends works closely with 16 Alaska National Wildlife 
Refuges to assist them in maintaining and enhancing the many resources 
and other values to the Alaska community.
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in annual Operations and Maintenance Funding to be considered 
``full funding'', with all refuges staffed with adequate maintenance, 
biological monitoring and management, outdoor recreation, law 
enforcement, environmental education, and interpretation programs. We 
request that you work towards that overall goal of $900 million in 
annual funding by allocating $600 million in funding for Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance for FY 2022. This request of $600 million, 
an increase of $112 million over FY 2011 appropriations, would greatly 
assist our refuges. The 16 National NWRs would be able to hire urgently 
needed staff, meet the increasing needs for adequate law enforcement, 
maintain environmental education programs, and develop methods and 
actions to mitigate the increasing effects of Alaska's rapidly warming 
climate on habitat, fisheries, and wildlife.
    The 16 Alaska National Wildlife Refuges comprise approximately 83% 
of the lands in National Wildlife Refuge System, but they received only 
10.4% of the FY 2021 budget for the Refuge System. Their $52.4 million 
FY 2021 funding represented a long-term decrease of 10.4% in real 
dollars relative to FY 2010 and is far less than needed to operate and 
manage the vast system of magnificent Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. 
We request that a substantial increase to $600 million in FY 2022 be 
the first step in reaching the goal of $900 million full funding, which 
would hopefully provide the opportunity for our 16 Alaska Refuges to 
obtain the additional funds they need to manage and maintain these 
national treasures.
    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact 
Dr. David C. Raskin, President of the Friends of Alaska National 
Wildlife Refuges at [email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Friends of the Bill Williams River and Havasu 
                       National Wildlife Refuges
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of the 
Bill Williams River and Havasu National Wildlife Refuges, which was 
formed in 2012 to support the Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuges 
Complex. We appreciate the opportunity to offer comments on the FY 2022 
Interior Appropriations bill. Our interest is in the Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance fund, which we respectfully request you fund 
at $600 million in FY2022.
    The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941 along 
the lower Colorado River above the Parker Dam. It is roughly 38,000 
acres and goes from Needles, CA south to Lake Havasu City, AZ. It 
extends a total of 30 river miles and has 300 miles of shoreline. A 
vast area to monitor and maintain. It is also part of the Pacific 
Flyway--a major north-south route for migrating birds.
    In 1993, the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge was 
designated as a separate NWR with 6,100 acres. This refuge holds one of 
the last stands of naturally regenerated cottonwood--willow forest 
along the lower Colorado River.
    Now both the Havasu NWR and Bill Williams River NWR are considered 
as the Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuges Complex.
    The complex is home to threatened and endangered species such as 
the Southwest Willow Flycatcher, the Yuma Ridgway's Rail, Western 
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Razorback Sucker, and the Northern Mexican garter 
snake. There are many more species (including plants) that are 
monitored but not mentioned here.
    The Friends of the Bill Williams River and Havasu National Wildlife 
Refuges was established as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) in 2012. Birders, 
fishermen, hunters, kayakers, boaters and nature enthusiasts came 
together to support and help with these two refuges in the Complex. At 
least 100,000 people live within an hour's drive of either refuge. With 
Lake Havasu located in between, parts of the refuges seem urban. This 
requires maintenance and upgrades that have not been possible lately.
    Since the two refuges are close to populated areas, they provide 
opportunities for adults and for school children to learn. The Friends 
group in partnership with the Refuge staff have provided opportunities 
such as the Youth Duck Hunt, Teach-a-Child-to-Fish Day (in conjunction 
with Pondhopper Nation, a non-profit), Friends and Family Fun Day, 
Youth Bird Camp, as well as walking tours and school field trips.
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance Funding to be considered ``full 
funding'', which all refuges staffed, with adequate maintenance, 
biological, hunting, fishing, environmental education, and 
interpretation programs. We ask that you work towards that overall goal 
of $900 million in annual funding.
    We request that this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding 
for the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022.
    This request of $600 million, an increase of $97 million over FY 
2021 appropriations, would greatly impact our refuge. The Lake Havasu 
NWR Complex would begin plans to:

  --Construct Nature trails in both Refuges
  --Increase Maintenance staff
  --Restore more habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 
        areas damaged by wildfire, invasive species and drought.
  --Provide adequate Law Enforcement
  --Plan and provide public education programs and activities for local 
        children
  --Build a Visitor Center in Lake Havasu City for the Complex
  --Build and maintain restroom facilities in high use areas
  --Maintain fishing docks and boat launching areas in the Complex

    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact 
Jude Gilford, the President of the Friends of the Bill Williams River 
and Havasu National Wildlife Refuges at: [email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 
                                  Inc.
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of 
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Inc. which was formed in 1987 to 
support the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge, 
Maryland. We appreciate the opportunity to offer comments on the FY 
2022 Interior Appropriations bill.
we request that this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding for 
     the refuge system operations and maintenance fund for fy 2022
    Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1933 
as a waterfowl sanctuary for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. 
It is home to an incredible amount of plant and animal diversity in its 
three major habitats--forest, marsh and shallow water. The Refuge 
contains one-third of Maryland's tidal wetlands, which makes an 
ecologically important area within the state. These wetlands also 
provide storm protection to lower Dorchester County, including the city 
of Cambridge. Blackwater NWR is recognized as a ``Wetland of 
International Importance'' by the Ramsar Convention and was named a 
priority wetland in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. In 
addition, the Refuge has been designated as an Internationally 
Important Bird Area. Blackwater NWR is home to the largest natural 
population of formerly endangered Delmarva peninsula fox squirrels and 
is also home to the largest breeding population of American bald eagles 
on the east coast, north of Florida. Blackwater NWR encompasses over 
33,000 acres, including an area believed to be the birthplace of 
Harriet Tubman.
    The Friends of Blackwater NWR (FOB) assists the Refuge with its 
environmental education, recreation, biological and wildlife 
conservation programs in hopes of making the visitor experience the 
best that it can be. Over the past year, visitation increased over 27% 
to over 233,000 visitors! Along with volunteering, we provide annual 
bus transportation and supplies for the Refuge environmental education 
program for all 4th and 6th graders in Dorchester County's public 
schools. FOB supports the maintenance of four Refuge hiking trails and 
over 20 miles of water trails. FOB recently supported studies of deer 
and bat populations on the Refuge and provided funds for tree planting 
projects. We operate five web cameras overlooking a bald eagle nest, 
two osprey nests and two waterfowl impoundments. FOB supports the 
annual Eagle Festival, Kids Fishing Event, Junior Duck Stamp 
Competition, and a scholarship program. In recent years, the Refuge has 
sought support for other things out of the normal realm--like a mowing 
contract, new gutters on the environmental education building, a 
cleaning contract for the Visitor Center and Headquarters buildings, 
and an intern for the Visitor Services program. In the 17 years I've 
been volunteering at Blackwater NWR, I've watched the Refuge workforce 
continue to shrink along with the budget. The backlog of maintenance 
projects continues to grow. This is not the way to run the business of 
taking care of our public lands.
    While overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at 
least $900 million in Operations and Maintenance funding to be 
considered ``full funding'', a $600 million allocation for FY 2022 will 
go a long way and move us in the right direction to allow our Refuge 
managers to take care of our public lands and wildlife in a responsible 
manner.
    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact: 
Richard Abend, President of the Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife 
Refuge, Inc., at 1111 Taylors Island Rd., Madison, MD 21648, email 
[email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the Friends of Eastern Neck
Chairwoman Pingree, Ranking Member Joyce, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of 
Eastern Neck, which was formed in 1997 to support the Eastern Neck 
National Wildlife Refuge. We appreciate the opportunity to offer 
comments on the FY 2022 Interior Appropriations bill. We request that 
this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding for the Refuge 
System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022.
    Eastern Neck NWR is an island of 2800-acres off Maryland's Eastern 
Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is an important waystation and winter 
home for migratory waterfowl, as well as having a diverse woodland, 
field and marsh environment and its own resident population of 
wildlife. The Friends of Eastern Neck is a totally volunteer 
organization with a dedicated board of directors and over 150 
memberships. Friends' volunteers do projects for the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, staff the Visitor Center and Bookstore on the Refuge, and 
maintain what many consider to be one of the best butterfly gardens in 
Maryland.
    During my time volunteering in the Eastern Neck NWR Visitor Center 
I have met a diverse group of people from all over the world. These 
visitors are important to the Refuge, but also to a small town near the 
Refuge. This is Rock Hall, which is home to a community of waterman. 
The seafood industry in the Chesapeake Bay has been adversely affected 
by pollution, climate change and regulations attempting to conserve the 
fish, crab and oyster populations. The closure of restaurants during 
the Covid-19 pandemic has further devastated the market for these 
products. The 100,000 visitors a year to the Eastern Neck Refuge have 
become critical to the economy of the town as well as to that of Kent 
County. There is an active boating season in the summer that brings 
visitors, but the Refuge keeps visitors arriving to view the birds that 
winter there. The Eastern Neck Refuge has been blatantly understaffed 
and underfunded by the Fish and Wildlife Service, even though In the 
past the refuge had five staff members. The situation got so bad that 
from 2018 to 2020 there were no resident FWS staff on the island. In 
2018 the FWS Regional Administration suggested ``shuttering'' the 
Refuge. It was only after intense lobbying by the Friends of Eastern 
Neck, community outrage, pressure from the citizens of Kent County and 
help from Senator Chris Van Hollen that a position was opened and a 
solitary biologist took up his post on the island at the end of 2020.
    The scientific program, educational programs and maintenance have 
all declined. By the time of the Covid lockdown in 2020 all outreach 
programs by FWS had ended, and the annual deer and youth turkey hunts 
were all that remained. The ``Winter Bird Walks'', which continued, 
were run solely by Friends volunteers. Because of the lack of funding 
FWS has become dependent on the Friends for funding of maintenance 
activities including the rebuilding of observation areas such as the 
Tundra Swan Boardwalk, repairs to the roof of the Visitor's Center and 
paying for the painting of the staff housing on the Refuge. Signage and 
interpretive signs which have deteriorated over the years need 
replacement. Eastern Neck NWR is emblematic of the funding issues 
facing the Fish and Wildlife Service.
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance Funding to be considered ``full 
funding'', with all refuges staffed, with adequate maintenance, 
biological, hunting, fishing, environmental education, and 
interpretation programs. We ask that you work towards that overall goal 
of $900 million in annual funding.
    This request of $600 million for FY 2022, an increase of $112 
million over FY 2021 appropriations, would greatly impact our refuge. 
The Eastern Neck NWR would be able to hire staff, begin to address the 
maintenance backlog, and restore outreach and education programs. Most 
importantly it would secure the scientific program and fund invasive 
species control beyond the barebones efforts that are at present.
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of 
increasing FWS funding so that our precious natural resources are 
protected and that the mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service can be 
sustained.
    Please feel free to contact me, Cecelia Trainor by email at 
[email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope 
                                 Refuge
Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is submitted on behalf of Friends of Hart Mountain 
National Antelope Refuge (FOHM), a nonprofit organization founded in 
2003 with a mission of supporting the conservation purposes of our 
namesake refuge. We appreciate the opportunity to offer input to the FY 
2022 Interior Appropriations bill. Your deliberations can address a 
critical need and opportunity to conserve imperiled species, enhance 
wildlife corridors and protect cultural resources on millions of acres 
of public lands by increasing funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service) to administer the National Wildlife Refuge System to 
$600 million, including $15.7 million for the Conservation Planning 
subaccount.
    The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only network of federal 
lands and waters dedicated specifically to wildlife conservation. The 
guiding purpose and historic legacy of the System are vital to ensuring 
that imperiled species and diverse wildlife populations in North 
America are secure and thriving. Not only is the System essential to 
biodiversity conservation and climate resilience, but it also provides 
innumerable recreational and educational opportunities for wildlife 
watchers, sportsmen, scientists and outdoor enthusiasts. Public use of 
our refuges supports more than 35,000 jobs nationwide and generates 
billions of dollars in local, sustainable economic revenue.
    Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, located in the northern 
Great Basin, is an exceptional unit of the Refuge System. Established 
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, Hart Mountain has become a 
success story in conserving and restoring wildlife habitat and 
biodiversity in the Sagebrush Sea. The more than 270-thousand-acre 
refuge is home to the fleet-footed pronghorn, colorful native fishes, 
melodious songbirds, rocky draws filled with quaking aspen, resplendent 
desert wildflowers and serves as a vital stronghold for the charismatic 
but imperiled greater sage-grouse. Within its boundaries, Hart Mountain 
also harbors a rich history of human habitation, preserving ancient 
petroglyphs and indigenous artifacts. The refuge attracts thousands of 
visitors annually to enjoy an array of recreational offerings, 
generating sustainable annual revenue to surrounding communities.
    Based in southeastern Oregon, FOHM invests substantial resources 
into educating and promoting Hart Mountain Refuge to a public 
increasingly interested in Oregon's high desert and the wildlife that 
depend on it. The organization works closely with the Service on a 
variety of planning and management activities to protect and restore 
this vital wildlife reserve.
    Proper conservation and maintenance of public values on Hart 
Mountain and the rest of the 850-million-acre Refuge System requires at 
least $900 million annually for the Operations and Maintenance Fund. 
This amount would provide ``full funding'' for the Service to 
administer all 568 refuges with sufficient staff, adequate conservation 
planning, comprehensive management, and provision of biological, 
hunting, fishing, environmental education, and interpretation programs. 
We urge you to work towards this long-term goal of $900 million in 
annual funding.
    This year, we request that your Subcommittee allocate $600 million 
for the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance Fund for FY 2022. As 
part of this amount, we urge you to allocate $15.7 million for 
Conservation Planning (account 1265) to support planning on national 
wildlife refuges. Both the $600 million overall and the $15.7 million 
request are an amount nearly equivalent to the sum appropriated for 
Refuge Operations and Maintenance and Conservation Planning, 
respectively, in FY 2010, when adjusted for inflation. Both would 
greatly benefit Hart Mountain Refuge.
    Planning for the National Wildlife Refuge System has fallen behind 
schedule, depriving managers, partners and the public of the latest 
science and best practices for conserving wildlife, providing for 
habitat connectivity and climate resiliency, and welcoming the American 
public to our national wildlife refuges. Updating the 27-year-old 
management plan for Hart Mountain Refuge (which even predates the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997) should be a 
priority for how it could advance biodiversity protection and climate 
adaptation across a vast and fragile landscape, while supporting 
continued public enjoyment and local economic benefits derived from 
this iconic refuge. In fact, the Service began revising the Hart 
Mountain Refuge plan in 2012 as the top priority for planning in U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1, but the effort was deferred due to 
budget and other constraints.
    Updating the management plan for Hart Mountain would help ensure 
this refuge contributes to national conservation goals by continuing to 
provide for its important natural resources, while meeting the 
challenges posed by climate change, supporting habitat connectivity, 
protecting cultural resources and bolstering sustainable economies in 
the region.
    Thank you for your consideration of our request, and for your 
important work on the Subcommittee. Please feel free to contact me at 
[email protected] or Jesse Laney, President of the Board 
of Directors of Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, at 
[email protected] if you have any questions.
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the Friends of Heinz Refuge
Dear Chair Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski:

    This provides testimony on behalf of the Board of Directors and 
Members of the Friends of the Heinz Refuge (FOHR), which was formed in 
1997, to support the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. We appreciate 
the opportunity to offer comments on the FY 2022 Interior 
Appropriations bill.
    The FOHR is a non-profit charitable organization to work in 
partnership with the Refuge. The Refuge and FOHR work to connect people 
with nature, and promote a culture of environmental stewardship through 
education for all that also reaches children from low-income 
communities, outreach, service, and nature-based recreation for the 
conservation of wildlife and habitat.
    The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum Marsh (JHNWR) is 
in the nexus of the Delaware River, Schuylkill River, and Tinicum 
Marsh--the largest remaining tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. It provides 
key environmental services by absorbing water during storm surges, 
which otherwise would make the area completely unlivable, and which 
would otherwise flood the Philadelphia International Airport. It also 
provides cleaner air, watershed protection, maintenance and 
stabilization of ecological processes, and enhancement of biodiversity. 
It provides safe forage and breeding areas for migrating birds along 
the Atlantic Flyway, and other birds and wildlife, such as this year's 
breeding eagles and owls, who call it home. The increased funding from 
FY 2022 appropriations would greatly impact our Refuge by allowing them 
to hire needed staff, repair infrastructure damage from storms, restore 
the confluence wetlands of the Delaware River watershed, and build out 
their environmental education programs.
    The ten miles of hiking trails in the Refuge remained open for 
outdoor nature experiences for visitors during the covid-19 pandemic, 
which was so severely needed and for which we are all very grateful. 
People flocked in record numbers to the Refuge during the pandemic. 
Before the pandemic, about 350,000 people visited the Refuge in 2017, 
and provided environmental and natural resource goods and services to 
people in the categories of:

    1. Maintenance and conservation of environmental resources, 
services, and ecological processes,
    2. Protection of natural resources such as fish, wildlife, and 
plants;
    3. Protection of cultural and historical sites and objects;
    4. Provision of educational and research opportunities; and
    5. Outdoor and wildlife-related recreation.
                               in summary
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance Fundings to be considered ``full 
funding'', for Refuge staff to provide adequate maintenance, and 
biological, hunting, fishing, environmental education, and 
interpretation programs. We ask that you work towards that overall goal 
of $900 million in annual funding. The Refuge System needs an increase 
to at least $600 million, and without it, it leaves the system in a 
critical situation as the Refuges become open to tragic loss of native 
plant and animal species, wetlands become further degraded, pollution 
builds up on both land and water, and staff morale degrades.
    During the frequent and severe hurricanes and tropical storms of 
the past few years, the JHNWR sustained major damage to its hard 
structures, while the plantings survived, showing the importance of 
natural processes in becoming resilient to climate change. This refuge 
has geothermal facilities, and solar panels that were undamaged and 
also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service 
work efficiently, consistently, and untiringly in their mission to 
provide all of this to the American people.
    However, their efforts require more support from Congress to enable 
them to recover from the damage caused by increasingly intense storms, 
because at the same time, they are stabilizing the region in the face 
of these storms. The Refuge System has accumulated (1) needs for 
repairs from storms and heavy public usage, and (2) pro-active work to 
become more resilient to climate change. They have been undestaffed and 
undermaintained, and are desperately in need of funding. The requested 
large increase in funding is critical to the health and capabilities of 
the Refuge System, and retention of staff.
    Economically, the JHNWR also makes local contributions through 
economic output to resident and non-resident visitors, jobs, job 
income, and state and local tax revenue (cf The Economic Contributions 
of Recreational Visitation at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at 
Tinicum, May 2019, Div. of Economics, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.)
    Wildlife refuges are economic engines for their communities, yet 
the biggest challenge facing the Refuge System is a lack of funding. 
Each Refuge requires tailored management to protect its rich and 
diverse wildlife habitat, but faces a stark lack of staff. Since 
FY2010, when the budget was the same ($503 million) as it is today in 
FY2021, 3,500 staffers worked to maintain and protect the Refuge 
System. Today, that number is under 2,500, an enormous 30% loss in 
capacity.
    Due to years of low budget allocations, the funding gap has 
degraded critical wildlife habitat and imperiled important species. The 
number of wage grade staff have declined by 50% in the last 20 years to 
a level of just 500. These staff move the water, maintain the roads, 
and support all the infrastructure involved in Refuge management. 
Without them, roads are not repaired, trails are lost, wetlands do not 
receive the necessary water to grow food for migratory birds, invasive 
species management is neglected, and buildings (fishing piers, bridges, 
etc.) fall into disrepair.
    Refuge staff are working with escalating urgency to try to 
compensate for the lack of staffing, maintenance, and operations 
support, as they are incredibly stoic and are dedicated to their 
purpose with a great deal of grit. However, those of us who support the 
Refuges, can see the desperate situations they are in.
    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact 
the President of the FOHR.
    Sincerely, on behalf of President Jaclyn Rhoads and the full FOHR 
Board, Carol L. Armstrong, Board Secretary
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Members of the Committee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of 
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), which was formed in 1999 to 
support Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. We appreciate the 
opportunity to offer comments on the FY 2022 Interior Appropriations 
bill.
    I serve as president of the Friends of Malheur NWR, which has a 
membership base of over 700 and over 13,000 fans following our social 
media pages. This large, 187,000-acre, very rural and remote Refuge is 
very important to the American people and to the fish and wildlife it 
supports. It is one of the ``jewels'' of the refuge system and it 
provides multiple environmental services that are of high value to the 
American people.
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding to be considered 
``fully funded'', which would allow all refuges to be fully staffed, 
with adequate maintenance, biological, hunting, fishing, environmental 
education, and interpretation programs. We ask that you work towards 
that overall goal of $900 million in annual funding. We request that 
this subcommittee allocate at least $600 million in funding for the 
Refuge System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022. Much more 
funding is needed which would better serve the public and would yield 
net economic benefits.
    Fully funding the needs of the National Wildlife Refuge System is a 
very good investment. The 2019 Banking on Nature Report--a survey of 
the economic values of refuge visitation, estimated that ``In FY 2017, 
53.6 million people visited refuges. Their spending generated $3.2 
billion of sales in local economies. As this spending flowed through 
the economy, over 41,000 people were employed and $1.1 billion in 
employment income was generated.'' The report also shows that in 
FY2017, Malheur NWR supported 210,340 visits which generated 
$30,679,300 in economic benefits and supported $8,261,800 in employment 
income. Money spent on National Wildlife Refuges is a fantastic 
investment for the American People!
    As a refuge Friends organization, we have witnessed the effects 
that years of underfunding have had on our National Wildlife Refuge 
System, especially at Malheur NWR. Underfunding has caused a huge 
maintenance backlog there which has reduced the area of wetlands that 
can be provided for migratory birds, therefore limiting the ability of 
the refuge to fulfill its mission to benefit wildlife. It also has 
caused cutbacks in visitor services and degradation of visitor 
facilities, lowering the quality of visitor experiences at this jewel 
of the Refuge System. Malheur National Wildlife Refuge staff is down to 
only 11 permanent full-time equivalents (FTEs) from a full workforce of 
30 FTEs. Also, as you should be aware, Malheur NWR was severely 
impacted by the effects of the illegal occupation of refuge 
headquarters in 2016 and the severe damage done to the facilities on 
the refuge. The repair costs of several million dollars took funding 
away from the Refuge System, further setting back progress on meeting 
the needs of refuges. Our organization donates approximately 10,000 
hours of volunteer service to Malheur annually; however, our volunteer 
force cannot meet all the unfunded needs of this vast 187,000-acre 
refuge.
    This pattern of chronic underfunding is not sustainable. Despite 
the hard work of our volunteers, volunteer efforts cannot equal the 
knowledge and expertise of FWS staff. Our request of $600 million for 
the Refuge System's O&M accounts will allow the Refuge System to make 
up its more than 400 staff position lost since FY11, including those at 
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
    This request of $600 million, an increase of $112 million over FY 
2011 appropriations, would greatly benefit our refuge and the 
economically depressed local community. Malheur NWR would be able to 
hire more staff to meet its mission and purpose and to restore wetland 
vitality, repair damaged infrastructure needed to manage wetlands, 
build out our environmental education programs, and further engage the 
broad collaborative partnership Malheur is involved with in the local 
community to improve wetlands and wildlife habitat conditions.
    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact 
me, Gary Ivey, the President, of the Friends of Malheur National 
Wildlife Refuge at [email protected] (web page: 
MalheurFriends.org).
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Friends of the Mid-Columbia River Wildlife 
                                Refuges
Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of the 
Mid-Columbia Wildlife Refuges. Our organization was formed in 2001 to 
support the 7 separate refuges and one national monument in our area 
that are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We thank you 
for your support of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and would like 
to request an increase in funding for Refuge System Operations and 
Maintenance to $600 million in FY2022.
    All of our activities are done to support work of our local US Fish 
and Wildlife Service personnel. We provide opportunities for people to 
connect with nature through projects, programs and events. Consistent 
with what many psychologists have observed, our organization feels that 
interacting with nature produces more well-rounded and healthy 
individuals, be they adult or child. We also feel that the resources 
within the Refuges in our region, and the activities of the Refuge 
staff, provide this interaction for many in our community.
    Our region, like others, has been greatly affected by the pandemic 
and mandated isolation. During this time, we have noted that many 
people have been visiting the Mid-Columbia Refuges not just to hunt, 
but simply to walk or observe wildlife. We have had an annual 
visitation of 150,000 including 30,000 hunt visits Despite this heavy 
use, the 4 refuges of the Mid-Columbia Refuges have lost 20% of their 
staff over the past 2 years with no funding to replace them. Our local 
refuges have become a much needed refuge for people as well as 
wildlife, and our bi-county health district has strongly encouraged 
these activities as a way of coping with the isolation and depression 
associated pandemic restrictions.
    Recent development and construction in our area has resulted in the 
loss of much valuable habitat and similar issues on a national level 
are resulting in a reduction in the population of many species. Our 
Refuges provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, 
endangered salmon, and rare/declining species including the burrowing 
owl, long-billed curlew, and ferruginous hawk. It is our feeling that 
the Refuge system can continue to play a role in turning around 
national trends but if we do not act now, we will lose much that we 
hold precious and valuable.
    Friends of the Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuges are proud to 
have worked closely with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff on many 
projects, including:

  --Remediation of critical habitat for both migratory and residential 
        birds, many large and small mammals, and a plethora of other 
        species. This is critical because, as noted above, our region 
        is undergoing very fast growth with the habitat loss 
        characteristic of such rapid development.
  --Prior to the pandemic, we worked with Refuge staff on guided field 
        trips aimed at providing opportunities for people to view, 
        photograph, study, research and learn about the flora and fauna 
        of the Mid-Columbia Refuges. While many programs were for 
        adults, a good number were tailored to the age group of 
        visiting school children.
  --We have helped Refuge staff with trail maintenance, increasing 
        accessibility for walking (with disabled access), hiking on 
        soft trails, biking, horse-riding, kayaking and canoeing. These 
        and associated activities allow many local residents of all 
        ages to get outdoors for exercise and to explore a world of 
        wildlife while doing so.
  --Our organization and Refuge staff have had `citizen science' 
        projects that support biologists studying local fauna and 
        flora, with our members often being on hand to answer questions 
        from the public and contact for assistance
  --In conjunction with a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Oregon, 
        we have had programs that educate the public about returning 
        injured wildlife to their natural environment by releasing them 
        on our Refuges.
  --Because many of the visitors are from our region, our Refuges offer 
        fishing and hunting opportunities relatively close to home thus 
        obviating the need to drive long distances for outdoor 
        recreational activities. This reduction in drive-time supports 
        the State of Washington's goal to reduce its carbon footprint.

    We agree with the National Wildlife Refuge Association which 
estimates that at least $900 million is needed for full funding and 
that supporting the 2022 Refuge System Operations and Maintenance Fund 
at $600 million is the first step to reaching that long term goal. This 
increase over the FY 2021 appropriation would have a strong positive 
impact for the Mid-Columbia Refuges by allowing them to fill vacant 
staff positions, to continue with much needed habitat restoration and 
to support their many environmental education programs.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. Please feel free 
to contact our organization at [email protected]

    [This statement was submitted by Carl Berkowitz, Secretary.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife 
                                 Refuge
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of 
Midway Atoll NWR, which was formed in 1999 to support the Midway Atoll 
National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial 
(MANWR). We appreciate the opportunity to offer comments on the FY 2022 
Interior Appropriations bill.
    Located approximately halfway between Honolulu and Tokyo on the far 
northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, Midway Atoll forms part 
of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Important Bird Area (IBA), designated 
as such by BirdLife International because of its seabirds and endemic 
land birds. The atoll is a critical habitat in the central Pacific 
Ocean which includes breeding habitat for 17 seabird species. Midway 
Atoll is host to the world's largest albatross colony, including over 
70% of the world's nesting population of the Laysan albatross and 
almost one third of the world's Black-footed Albatrosses. In breeding 
season there can regularly be over a million albatross nesting on the 
Refuge's 2-1/2 square miles of land.
    Midway Atoll is not only home for the Laysan and Black-footed 
albatross but for other rare and endangered species as well, such as 
the Laysan Teal, green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and the 
critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal (the most endangered marine 
mammal found wholly in US waters). Since 2011 the islands of Midway 
have also been the only US location where successful nesting of the 
critically endangered Short-tailed albatross has occurred. The 
surrounding marine seascape also is unique, with coral reefs that are 
home to a high percentage of endemic fish species.
    Midway is perhaps best known for the pivotal role it played in a 
June 1942 naval battle that turned the tide of World War II in the 
Pacific and was one of the most significant naval battles in our human 
history. The battle is commemorated by the Battle of Midway National 
Memorial that was established in 2000. The U.S. Navy recognized the 
Battle of Midway as one of the two most significant dates in naval 
history. The Memorial was established so that the heroic courage and 
sacrifice of those who fought against overwhelming odds to win an 
incredible victory will never be forgotten.
    Being halfway between the mainland US and Asia, commercial air 
carriers (and their US based manufacturers) rely on Midway's existing 
FAA approved runway as an emergency diversion point. Henderson Airfield 
on the Refuge is certified as emergency diversion point for ETOPS 
(Extended Range Twin Engine Operations) operations.
    The need to maintain an operational airfield along with the 
designation as a National Memorial (with no additional funds for the 
latter) places an unusual burden on the USFWS. MANWR is like no other 
Refuge in the US, where in addition to its normal charge of conserving, 
protecting, and enhancing the flora and fauna, the USFWS staff on this 
refuge is also responsible for maintaining the historic structures and 
managing for the Battle of Midway National Memorial, all while 
operating Henderson Field to FAA standards. In addition, MANWR because 
of its existing runway, is also the only true entryway (window) into 
the largest contiguous fully protected conservation area under the U.S. 
flag, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM). 
Importantly, PMNM, is inscribed as a mixed (natural and cultural) World 
Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 
Organization's (UNESCO) and is the only designated mixed World Heritage 
site in the US. Finally, the high number of endangered or threatened 
species living at MANWR makes initiating and completing just about any 
project on the Refuge much more expensive often times due to Federal 
endangered species regulations and concerns.
    Despite inflation and aging infrastructure, overall funding for 
MANWR has been unchanged for the past decade. This in part, has 
resulted in a long-term inability of the USFWS to adequately address 
many of the refuge's infrastructure needs including needs of some of 
the historical buildings. Over the years flat budgets have led to 
increasing deferred maintenance backlogs on many facilities and 
structures on the refuge, and since November 2012 a cessation of the 
public visitor program.
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance Funding to be considered at 
``full funding'', which allows all refuges to be staffed and with 
adequate funds for maintenance, biological, hunting, fishing, 
environmental education, and interpretation programs. We ask that you 
work towards that overall goal of $900 million in annual funding.
    We request that this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding 
for the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022.
    This request of $600 million, an increase of $112 million over FY 
2011 appropriations, would greatly impact our refuge. The Midway Atoll 
NWR and Battle of Midway National Monument would be able to hire needed 
staff positions that are now vacant, begin to address the deferred 
maintenance backlog, and potentially reestablish a public visitation 
program allowing Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Battle of 
Midway National Memorial and Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument 
to again be accessible to the American people.
    Finally, Midway Atoll NWR along with this country's 567 wildlife 
refuges are a national treasure. They provide clean air and water, a 
haven for wildlife, and a place for people to connect with nature
    Thank you for your consideration, and please feel free to contact 
Wayne Sentman, the President of the Friends of Midway Atoll NWR at 
[email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Friends of Neal Smith NWR, Prairie City, Iowa
Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted by Board Member, James Johnson, 
Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, Iowa.
                          history and mission
    The Walnut Creek National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1990 by an 
act of Congress primarily through the efforts of Congressman Neal 
Edward Smith, Democrat, Iowa, 4th and 5th districts, an 
environmentalist with family roots in farming. The land was destined by 
its owners, Redfield Electric, to become a nuclear power plant but 
public opinion following nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and 
Chernobyl together with geologic studies coalesced opinion that it was 
not a good idea. Congressman Smith, hearing the land was to be sold, 
found funding for the initial purchase of 3,000 acres and the land 
became the fifth national wildlife refuge in Iowa
    In 1997, the name of the Refuge was changed to Neal Smith National 
Wildlife Refuge in honor of Congressman Smith. This year, in March, Mr. 
Smith celebrated his 101st birthday and he, as health permits, remains 
active in the affairs of the Refuge and the Friends organization 
supporting the Refuge. That same year, 1997, the 40,000 sq. foot 
Prairie Learning Center which houses a visitor center, displays, 
education laboratories, classrooms, a theater and the refuge staff was 
opened to the public. The Neal Smith Refuge with a congressionally--
defined boundary containing approximately 11,000 acres is home to the 
largest contiguous, public, tallgrass restoration effort in the United 
States. Nearly 6,500 acres have been returned to tallgrass prairie, the 
threatened oak savanna and wet sedge meadows. NSNWR is classified as an 
urban refuge being just 13 miles from the Des Moines metroplex of some 
15 cities and a population exceeding 750,000. Neal Smith NWR has as its 
mission to actively protect, restore, reconstruct and manage the 
diverse native ecosystems of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and sedge 
meadow and to develop a citizenry that through environmental education 
understands the importance of conservation and our nation's natural 
resources.
                        tallgrass prairie value
    So why reconstruct a tallgrass prairie? Both agriculture fields and 
prairies are valuable commodities. Tallgrass prairies were the 
environments in which our central prairie state's livelihoods developed 
from the 1840s for a hundred years or more. The prairie remnants and 
restorations preserve the natural, cultural, and historical 
environments in which many of our fathers and grandfathers and families 
grew up. Historically and traditionally, Native Americans relied on 
prairie plants for food, medicine, shelter and clothing. Bison bison, 
the American megafauna species and National mammal, numbered in the 40s 
of millions and were an important source of food, tools and clothing. 
European-American settlers learned much about these life supporting 
attributes of prairies from the Native Americans but brought their own 
ways and means forever changing the landscape, the flora, and the 
wildlife existing thereupon.
    So to, from research, we know the prairie can continue to benefit 
mankind. The deep root systems, reaching depths of fifteen feet and 
more below the surface, anchor soils helping to prevent erosion. Brome 
and native, but invasive, canary grass monocultures, commonly planted 
as buffers along roadsides and streams, are less efficient than native 
prairie in erosion prevention and do not provide a habitat for 
diversity and abundance of wildlife. The deep roots of prairie plants 
act as filters, absorbing agriculture runoff nutrients to improve water 
quality downstream. Research studies initiated at Neal Smith NWR have 
demonstrated that strips of prairie plants separating agriculture 
fields and impeding surface runoff reduce nitrates and phosphates 
leaving the fields by over 90% relative to the typical brome and canary 
grass buffer strips planted as study controls. Prairies are efficient 
carbon storage and oxygen production entities. They build up quality 
soils and provide habitat for wildlife. People enjoy the colorful 
beauty of the prairie landscape while participating in outdoor 
activities such as nature photography, hunting, and wildlife 
observation. Prairies serve as the homes for pollinator species. These 
species enable a 12 billion dollar agricultural industry in the USA. 
Also, the 400-500 tallgrass prairie plants species provide a vast set 
of genes from which we may be able to derive new medicines, improve 
plant growth characteristics and yields, or even develop entirely new 
products for mankind.
                       friends of neal smith nwr
    The supporting Friends organization formed in 1992 in support of 
the Walnut Creek National Wildlife Refuge, near Prairie City, Iowa. The 
Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 267 
members, supports the mission goals and objectives of the Refuge with 
programs, activities, education, human resources, and with a coalition 
of partners we purchase and hold land within the projected Refuge 
boundaries and affect easements on lands adjacent to the Refuge 
boundaries. Our effort and that of the Refuge may be stated as the 
attempt to restore fields of corn and soybeans into tallgrass prairie 
that existed in Iowa in the 1840s before settlements arrived and modern 
farming modified the landscape. In the entire tallgrass prairie region 
of the United States just 0.1% of native tallgrass prairie remains yet 
it was responsible for the creation of the world's most productive crop 
lands and the multi-billion dollar industry that agriculture is today. 
The Friends mission is to bring together the public and a thriving 
wildlife refuge valued by all. Our vision as Friends is to bring this 
story of the Prairie to as many people as possible. To this end we 
create programs, host speakers, participate in partner events, lead 
interpretive walks, raise funds through memberships and events, design 
and participate in workdays, serve as teachers, support education of 
students, create curriculum, seek grants, identify and purchase lands 
for the FWS, provide academic scholarships, commission research 
studies, support Refuge interns, support community projects, assist 
with plantings and seed collections, maintain a Prairie Point Nature 
bookstore and serve as hosts for the 250,000 yearly visitors. We 
support children's education through grants for busing that bring 
nearly 8,000 school children to the Refuge each year. Volunteers 
provide approximately 15,000 yearly service hours to Refuge operations 
but it is never enough to accomplish needed, ongoing projects. With the 
recent FWS budget cut backs, the Friends have supported Refuge goals 
with purchases of seeds, supplies and equipment for the development and 
management of areas. But we can do only so much as our Friends budget 
has been severely curtailed due to the pandemic. The two principal 
sources of income, our Prairie Point Nature store and memberships and 
donations have been deeply affected by the pandemic. Yet the overall 
need for our service has drastically increased because Neal Smith NWR 
has had an influx of over 92,000 more visitors than the previous year 
when 250,000 visitors use the tours and trail system.
                          challenges and needs
Staff
    At one point NSNWR had a full time staff of twelve with another 
twelve student interns provided by funds from the Friends. Today, there 
are just seven full time staff and no interns to meet the mission, 
goals and objectives of the Refuge. Adequate funding is critically 
important for this restoration project. Just one refuge operations 
staff member exists to maintain infrastructure and support habitat 
management. He cannot keep up with needs. Visitor services have had 
critical needs for staff for several years. With the estimated 340,000 
visitors in 2020 and maintenance, infrastructure and services being 
just a shadow of what they have been, we are desperate. The Refuge 
needs to have the twelve staff persons and several contiguous years of 
full funding to begin to achieve the objectives in the NSNWR 15 year 
Comprehensive Plan begun in 2013.
Burn group
    Native and non-native invasive plant species are a critical threat 
to prairie restoration projects. Chemicals, selective mowing and burns 
are the principal means to control invasives and support native prairie 
species. NSNWR has invasives that are best controlled by burns. In 
fact, about one fourth of the restored acres (2,000) need to be burned 
each year. NSNWR does not have a Burn Team and the Regional burn unit 
is usually unavailable during opportune times. We have brought Burn 
Units from other regions but the costs and scheduling are prohibitive 
and difficult, respectively. A second Regional mobile Burn Team with 
equipment would make prairie burns more effective as they could be 
scheduled in the spring or fall. There have, as of this writing, been 
no burns since the fall of 2019 and the invasives such as black locust 
and willow along with the lespedeza sericea species are being found in 
many areas. This is tragic. Funds for the return of prescribed burns to 
an adequate level are critical in establishment of prairies and 
controlling invasive species.
Roads
    The gravel roads through the prairie are in need of repair 
especially after each winter when ruts make some spots unpassable and 
even dangerous. County roads are maintained by county equipment but at 
the Refuge roads see much more service and require more maintenance. 
New gravel is needed and equipment is needed to spread and move gravel 
to the road crowns. Funding for agreements with counties increasing 
repair and maintenance for roads is needed but is nonexistent.
Bison
    Diversity of the American National Animal, Bison bison, requires a 
breeding/husbandry program for the approximately 35,000 genetically 
pure animals remaining. This is accomplished through multiple federal, 
state and other pasturing sites and transport of appropriate animals to 
minimize inbreeding. NSNWR is one of these pasturing sites and 
participates in the Bison program with approximately 50--66 bison on 
800 acres. In support of the program, plans to increase the acreage to 
1,600 acres holding 100-110 bison have developed but are on hold 
because of costs. High tension wire fencing costs estimated at $100,000 
per mile not including installation have made this improvement 
impossible under the current budgeting situation. The Friends have not 
found a grant resource or have not been successful in developing 
partnership funding for the needed support.
Service/Education
    Visitor services are the heart and soul of the Refuge. Four staff 
members and four interns together with volunteer teachers were employed 
in visitor services to teach, educate, develop curriculum, answer 
visitors' questions, to plan and arrange meetings and group visits, and 
develop plans to bring the nature and scope of the Refuge to the eyes 
of the public. Visitor Services, now, has only two positions, there are 
no interns, and volunteers from the Friends provide much of the visitor 
interactions. The Friends provide six or more educational programs 
during the year and the Refuge visitor services created additional 
programs while hosting 60 to 150 school classroom visits involving 
8,000 children on a yearly basis. Many volunteers were involved in 
these activities. Interpretive hikes and classroom sessions were a 
major and very well appreciated activity developed through Visitor 
Services. Community outreach was a vigorous part of Visitor Services. 
Education is a major objective in the Refuge's 15 year Comprehensive 
Plan. Educational objectives in the Plan will not be met without 
continuous and adequate funding. After Covid-19 the Friends group and 
volunteers will again do what they can, smoothing out the 
inconsistencies and gaps and providing financial support, but 
volunteers and part-time staff are not a sustainable model for the 
NSNWR or the Refuge system's needs.
Prairie Learning Center
    The Prairie Learning Center is the focus of the Refuge and contains 
education, administrative, and visitor information and displays. It is 
twenty five years old and its needs are many. HVAC is a continuous 
problem, rain exposes many roof leaks, communication links are 
problematic, water and plumbing issues create unusable restrooms, and 
the classrooms, and teaching laboratory have ancient or non-existent 
teacher support equipment. The 12,000 sq. feet of displays have not 
been updated in 25 years. The Friends looked into a major display 
update and found that 1.2 million dollars would be required for 
significant display improvements. An outdoor amphitheater with seating 
for 250-300 has been on the list of needs for eight years.
Land Acquisition
    Neal Smith NWR boundary encloses about 8,500 acres and with 
purchase of 2,500 acres could achieve its defined boundaries. Because 
of shortfalls in the FWS budget, land, when it becomes available in the 
defined area, may be purchased by the Friends through negotiations with 
owners and agents then sold to the FWS or its agent when federal money 
becomes available. By this means we have increased by several hundred 
acres the protected areas of the refuge this past year. To fully expand 
the Refuge to its defined limits, more than 17 million dollars would be 
needed. Federal acquisition money has been sporadically available; 
therefore, the Refuge and Friends try to negotiate easements with local 
landowners to protect interests of the Refuge.
                            national funding
    Very simply the Board members of the Friends of Neal Smith NWR and 
I request that your subcommittee allocate the full 600 million for the 
Refuge System Operations and Maintenance fund for the 2022 fiscal year. 
The NSNWR would be able to

  --Hire staff and support interns
  --Support the restoration with prescribed burns to reduce invasives
  --Develop and maintain roads and trails
  --Support the populations and genetics of Bison bison
  --Construct a needed amphitheater for meetings events and education
  --Enhance and develop hands-on environmental education
  --Restore habitat, monitor and protect threatened species such as the 
        Grasshopper sparrow
  --Conduct research with colleagues to study solutions to National 
        problems such as farm runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus and 
        topsoil losses
  --Improve the public's understanding of the Tallgrass prairie through 
        improved displays and
  --Provide for land acquisition and restoration and maintenance of the 
        Prairie Learning Center.

    Our Nation's refuges are the face of environmentalism for the 
public and a source of pride for the Country. We must recognize the 
intrinsic value of our refuges and provide maximum funding to insure 
protection, accessibility, stewardship, and stability of the refuge 
system now and for the next generations.
    Thank you for your time and consideration.
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge 
                                 (NWR)
Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    This testimony is being submitted on behalf of the Friends of 
Sherburne NWR, which was formed in 1993 to support the Sherburne 
National Wildlife Refuge. We appreciate the opportunity to offer 
comments on the FY 2022 Interior Appropriations bill. We request that 
this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding for the Refuge 
System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022.
                               who we are
    Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) 
nonprofit organization that nurtures an appreciation for and the 
conservation of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge through education, 
volunteerism, and philanthropy. With more than 450 members, we support 
the refuge in providing education for children in nature's classroom, 
furnishing information and facilities for refuge visitors, and ensuring 
family events like Wildlife Festival remain free and open to all. Our 
members are passionate about conserving wildlife and wild places, 
especially at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
                      importance of sherburne nwr
    Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge provides important resources and 
services to the community and beyond: 1) maintenance and conservation 
of environmental resources, services, and ecological processes; 2) 
protection of natural resources such as fish, wildlife, and plants; 3) 
protection of cultural and historical sites and objects; 4) provision 
of educational and research opportunities; and 5) outdoor and wildlife-
related recreation. Major ecological contributions of the refuge are 
watershed protection, maintenance and stabilization of ecological 
processes, and the enhancement of biodiversity.
                    overview of refuge and programs
    The 30,700-acre Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is in central 
Minnesota and predominantly composed of oak savanna. Sherburne supports 
a wide variety of wildlife, including state threatened Blanding's 
turtles, and is a fall staging area for greater sandhill cranes, with a 
record number of over 11,000 cranes estimated to be roosting on the 
refuge in recent years. The land is also managed to promote the health 
and well-being of migratory birds and their habitat.
    Oak savanna habitat, traditionally found in Minnesota and the 
Midwest, has largely disappeared from the landscape due to plowing and 
development. Only about 0.02 percent of this habitat remains. The 
refuge strives to maintain, enhance, and restore this landscape for the 
benefit of a wide variety of species, including the red-headed 
woodpecker.
    The refuge is an asset to local communities, providing recreational 
opportunities for residents and for those traveling through these 
communities. Many visitors enjoy the scenery and wildlife that can be 
spotted on the refuge's three hiking trails, the Prairie's Edge 
Wildlife Drive, or from a canoe or kayak on the designated canoe route 
along the St. Francis River.
    A hotspot for photographers and birders, Sherburne NWR draws many 
visitors from the Twin Cities and across the country. Among hunters, we 
are known for deer, small game, and migratory bird hunting. Anglers are 
commonly spotted at the various fishing access points spread across the 
refuge.
    The refuge hosts environmental education programs throughout the 
year for local elementary and intermediate schools, both on and off 
site. The refuge has a partnership with two schools that receive 
volunteer or staff-led programming and offers self-led opportunities 
for other neighboring school districts. Further, it provides a variety 
of interpretive programs and events throughout the calendar year. The 
refuge has an active volunteer program, with more than 200 passionate 
and dedicated individuals donating their time and expertise, some for 
more than two decades.
      national funding and the sherburne national wildlife refuge
    Overall, the National Wildlife Refuge System requires at least $900 
million in Operations and Maintenance Funding to be considered ``full 
funding,'' meaning all refuges staffed, with adequate maintenance, and 
support for biological, hunting, fishing, environmental education, and 
interpretation programs. We ask that you work towards that overall goal 
of $900 million in annual funding.
    We request that this subcommittee allocate $600 million in funding 
for the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance fund for FY 2022.
    This request of $600 million, an increase of $112 million over FY 
2011 appropriations, would greatly impact our refuge. With adequate 
funding, Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge would be better able to 
hire the staff and cover expenses to:

  --Restore and maintain oak savanna critical for support of species 
        dependent on the habitat
  --Provide maintenance of wetlands to support migrating waterfowl
  --Provide increased capacity for biological research, surveys, and 
        monitoring
  --Control invasive species to benefit a diversity of fish and 
        wildlife
  --Have an adequate level of law enforcement for natural resource 
        protection and public safety
  --Further build out our environmental education programs
  --Increase capacity to reach communities of diverse backgrounds
  --Construct and operate the long-awaited Visitor Center

    Just as Sherburne NWR is the face of public lands for people from 
the north metro of the Twin Cities to St Cloud, Minnesota, all national 
wildlife refuges are there for communities across the country. We need 
full funding to ensure that they stay protected, accessible, and 
stewarded for the generations to come.
    Thank you for your consideration.
    For more information, please feel free to contact Steven Chesney, 
President of the Friends of Sherburne NWR, at 
[email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife 
                             Refuge Complex
Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    I appreciate the opportunity to provide written testimony on behalf 
of the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Complex, near 
Portland, Oregon. Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is 
a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the 
conservation and welfare of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge 
for all dependent species and to enrich the lives of citizens through 
education and experience. Our organization has approximately 300 
members. I am a member of the Board of this organization. We thank you 
for your support for the National Wildlife Refuge System and for the 
opportunity to offer comments on the FY2022 Interior Appropriations 
bill, most importantly regarding funding for the Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance Fund, which we respectfully request you fund 
at $600 million in FY2022.
    Just over a year ago, when the pandemic quickly shutdown most 
federal, state, and local parks, our beloved Oregon Coast beaches and 
other public lands in the Portland area, there was one place where 
visitors could go and safely drink in nature while masked and socially 
distanced. That place was Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. 
Although the Visitor Center and restrooms and even the parking lot were 
closed, we flocked there by the thousands to soak up our much-needed 
ration of the outdoors.
    As more and more people ``discovered'' the Refuge as a respite in a 
very stressful time, there has been a heightened public awareness of 
the refuge as a valuable resource to our community. But, with increased 
awareness and usage comes increased need for upkeep and protection. Our 
Fish and Wildlife Staff has done a stellar job of preserving the 
habitat of the refuge, but they are working at a great handicap. Staff 
has not increased while an entire new refuge was added to their care in 
2013 and is now being prepared for opening to the public.
    The completely inadequate budgets fail to cover the cost of 
maintaining the incredibly rich and diverse wildlife habitats that make 
up the Refuge System. Our refuges are being loved to death.
    The funding gap that has arisen due to low budget allocations over 
the last decade has degraded critical wildlife habitat and imperiled 
important species. Although the FY2020 appropriations bill injected a 
much needed additional $14 million into the budget, funding levels 
remain below the high of $503 million in FY2010, with the shortfall 
becoming more acute every year. We must change this trajectory.
    National Wildlife Refuges are currently funded at 59 per acre per 
year. Compare that to funding for National Park Service at $30 per acre 
per year.
    The Refuge System cannot fulfill its obligation to the American 
public, our wildlife, and 59 million annual visitors (in FY2019) 
without increases in maintenance and operation funds. Even with the 
gains in FY 2020, overall funding for the Refuge System has declined 
substantially over the last twelve years. Funding in FY2010 was $503 
million--$598 million in today's dollars with inflation and salary 
increases. This difference of $95 million has forced the Service to cut 
back on programs and create efficiencies whenever possible--
efficiencies that are sometimes harmful or even dangerous. For example, 
many refuges, such as Tualatin River, have been placed into complexes, 
where staff travel sometimes large distances to juggle duties on 
multiple refuges.
    Current funding is nowhere near the at least $900 million needed 
for full funding. Our goal is to reach that figure in the next three 
years, and funding the Refuge System Operations and Maintenance Fund at 
$600 million is a step to reaching that goal.
    The number of annual Refuge System visitors jumped by 13 million 
over the last few years. More people are looking to recreate on 
wildlife refuges, yet understaffed refuges struggle to provide those 
opportunities. Reductions in visitor services can be extremely limiting 
for constituencies who want to visit. Equally troubling is a 15% drop 
even before the pandemic in the number of volunteers since FY2011. At a 
time when record numbers of Americans are retiring and have the 
capability and desire to give back, the Service's ability to oversee 
their efforts has been curtailed. Volunteers provide an additional 20% 
of work on our national wildlife refuges, yet they are being turned 
away when the System needs them the most.
    The Refuge System is bare bones right now and increased growth in 
urban spaces and outdoor recreation, and the impacts of climate change, 
place additional stress on the System. Every year, more and more 
refuges are closed to the public, habitat degrades, and visitors are 
turned away.
    The Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
appreciates the Subcommittee's consideration of our request of $600 mil 
for the refuge system operations and maintenance budget for FY2022 We 
look forward to working with Congress to accomplish this goal and 
appreciate your consideration of our requests. Please let me know if 
you have any questions.

    [This statement was submitted by Cheryl Turoczy Hart, Board 
Member.]
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Geological Society of America
                                summary
    The Geological Society of America (GSA) recommends that Congress 
provide $1.75 billion for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Fiscal 
Year 2022. We thank Congress for the investments made in FY 2021 and 
encourage a path of increased investment to build USGS capabilities. As 
one of our Nation's key science agencies, the USGS plays a vital role 
in understanding and documenting mineral and energy resources that 
underpin economic growth; researching and monitoring potential natural 
hazards that threaten U.S. and international security; informing 
communities about the impacts of a changing climate; determining and 
assessing water quality and availability; and assessing risk of COVID-
19 spread to new species. Approximately two thirds of the USGS budget 
is allocated for research and development. In addition to supporting 
the science activities and decisions of the Department of the Interior, 
this research is used by communities across the nation to make informed 
decisions in land-use planning, emergency response, natural resource 
management, engineering, and education. GSA believes that it is 
important to grow the USGS budget to address past shortfalls in 
staffing, facilities, and research, given the importance of its many 
activities that protect lives and property, contribute to national 
security, and enhance the quality of life.
    The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a scientific society 
with members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 
countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA 
enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the 
geosciences in the service of humankind. GSA encourages cooperative 
research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters 
public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth 
science education.
    The Geological Society of America (GSA) appreciates the increase to 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) budget in FY 2021 and thanks the 
Committee for recognizing the importance of the work of the agency to 
protect lives, property, and national security. GSA urges Congress to 
build on these investments and provide USGS $1.75 billion in Fiscal 
Year 2022. This increase will allow the USGS to implement new 
initiatives, maintain the base funding for critical research and 
monitoring, fill many vacant positions, and update and maintain its 
facilities.
u.s. geological survey contributions to national security, health, and 
                                welfare
    The USGS is one of the nation's premier science agencies, with a 
distinctive capacity to engage interdisciplinary teams of experts to 
gather data, conduct research, and develop integrated decision support 
tools. Approximately two thirds of the USGS budget is allocated for 
research and development. In addition to underpinning the science 
activities and decisions of the Department of the Interior, this 
research is used by communities and businesses across the nation to 
make informed decisions regarding land use planning, emergency 
response, natural resource management, engineering, and education.
    USGS research addresses many of society's greatest challenges for 
national security, health, and welfare. Several are highlighted below.

  --Natural hazards are a major cause of fatalities and economic 
        losses. NOAA found that in 2020 alone, there were 13 severe 
        storms, seven tropical cyclones, one drought, and one wildfire 
        that resulted in a cost of $95 billion and 262 deaths. An 
        improved scientific understanding of geologic and atmospheric 
        hazards will reduce future losses by informing effective 
        planning and mitigation.
  --Decision makers in many sectors rely upon USGS data to respond to 
        natural hazards. For example, USGS volcano monitoring provides 
        data to enable decisions on aviation safety. NOAA depends on 
        USGS products and data that are reliable, timely, and accurate 
        to issue flood, drought, and tsunami warnings. USGS is a key 
        partner in obtaining data necessary to predict severe space 
        weather events, which affect the electric power grid, satellite 
        communications, and navigation systems. The Promoting Research 
        and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of 
        Tomorrow Act (PROSWIFT Act), which was signed into law in 
        October of 2020, highlights a path forward for USGS research to 
        meet these objectives.
  --The recent enactment of several bills illustrates the bipartisan, 
        bicameral support of hazards research and GSA recommends 
        adequate funding to implement these bills. For example, the 
        National Landslide Preparedness Act was signed into law earlier 
        this year, which expanded the existing Landslide Hazards 
        Program within USGS and also authorized a 3D elevation program 
        to update and coordinate the collection of elevation data 
        across the country using enhanced, high-resolution surveys. 
        Directives to USGS include identifying, mapping, assessing, and 
        researching landslide hazards, responding to landslide events, 
        establishing working groups with state offices, and developing 
        landslide guidelines for geoscientists, emergency management 
        personnel, and land-use decision-makers.
  --GSA urges Congress to continue supporting efforts for USGS to 
        modernize and upgrade its natural hazards monitoring and 
        warning systems, including additional 3-D elevation mapping and 
        earthquake early warning systems, while maintaining fundamental 
        research and monitoring.
  --There is a vital need to understand the abundance and distribution 
        of critical mineral resources, as well as the geologic 
        processes that form them, both within the United States and 
        globally, as articulated in the Energy Policy Act of 2020. 
        Achieving this goal will require expanded collection and 
        analysis of geological, geochemical, and geophysical data.
  --GSA supports increases in minerals science, research, information, 
        data collection and analysis that will allow for more economic 
        and environmental management and utilization of minerals. In 
        addition, GSA supports increases in funding for research to 
        better understand domestic sources of energy, including 
        conventional and unconventional oil and gas and renewables. GSA 
        appreciates congressional support for the EarthMRI program, 
        which will provide new resources and leverage current data to 
        accelerate geological and geophysical mapping, identify 
        critical mineral sites for further scientific review, among 
        other safety, security, scientific, and industrial uses.
  --Improved fundamental understanding of the quantity, quality, 
        distribution, and use of water resources through monitoring and 
        research by the USGS is necessary to ensure adequate and safe 
        water resources for the health and welfare of society. Improved 
        representation of geological, biological, and ecological 
        systems--including underlying physical and chemical processes 
        and their interactions-is needed. In addition to maintaining 
        current monitoring capabilities, new hydrologic data are 
        required to improve the reliability and reduce the uncertainty 
        of scientific analyses that support water resources management 
        and policy decisions.
  --USGS research on climate impacts is used by local policymakers and 
        resource managers to make sound decisions based on the best 
        possible science. In addition to fundamental, long-term climate 
        change research, the USGS provides scientific information 
        necessary to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to the effects of 
        climate change at regional and local levels, allowing 
        communities to make smart, cost-effective decisions. For 
        example, the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) 
        has conducted research on the relationship between wildfire and 
        other ecological disturbances, such as drought, which will help 
        resource managers plan for and adapt to the evolving threat 
        that fire poses to humans, infrastructure, and ecosystems. 
        Across the country, the Southeast CASC is working with local 
        stakeholders to protect cultural resources in the face of a 
        changing climate.

    Activities from hazard monitoring to mineral forecasts are 
supported by Core System Sciences, Facilities, and Science Support. 
These programs and services, such as geologic mapping, data 
preservation, and satellite observation, provide critical information, 
data, and infrastructure that underpin the research of the USGS. 
Stagnant funding has created backlogs in the posting of available jobs, 
the hiring of new scientists, and the dissemination of data to new 
stakeholders; increased investment is needed to fill these critical 
roles. GSA appreciates the committee's recent investments in Facilities 
to address many deferred maintenance issues and encourages continued 
investment in this area. GSA recommends long-term funding and support 
for the USGS library, which is used by both federal scientists and 
external researchers. The Library houses more than 1.5 million volumes 
and more than three million maps, photographs and field records, with 
much of the information unique to the USGS or available from very 
sources worldwide.
    The Landsat satellites have amassed the largest archive of remotely 
sensed land data in the world, a tremendously important resource for 
natural resource exploration, land use planning, and assessing water 
resources, the impacts of natural disasters, and global agriculture 
production. GSA supports interagency efforts for future support of 
Landsat. The recent National Academy of Sciences' Earth Science and 
Applications from Space (ESAS) Decadal Survey report notes,

        ``Earth science and applications are a key part of the nation's 
        information infrastructure, warranting a U.S. program of Earth 
        observations from space that is robust, resilient, and 
        appropriately balanced.''

    Knowledge of the Earth sciences is essential to scientific literacy 
and to meeting the environmental and resource challenges of the twenty-
first century. Investments in these areas could lead to job growth, as 
demand for these professionals now and in the future is assessed to be 
high. Strong investments in geoscience research are needed to prepare 
citizens for these job opportunities. These investments will also allow 
for the recruitment and training of a diverse STEM pipeline, paving the 
way for increased equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the field 
of Earth sciences.
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony about the U.S. 
Geological Survey. For additional information or to learn more about 
the Geological Society of America--including GSA Position Statements on 
climate change, water resources, mineral and energy resources, natural 
hazards, and public investment in Earth science research--please visit 
www.geosociety.org or contact GSA's Director for Geoscience Policy 
Kasey White at [email protected].
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife 
                          Commission (GLIFWC)
 1. department of the interior, bureau of indian affairs, operation of 
                            indian programs
    a. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Rights Protection 
Implementation (RPI), Great Lakes Area Resource Management--$8,185,186 
($1,129,000 above FY2021 allocation) an increase of 16%, equivalent to 
that proposed by the Administration for the Department of the Interior. 
GLIFWC supports full expansion of the RPI line item to meet treaty 
obligations and fulfill federal court orders.
    b. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Tribal Management/
Development Program (TM/DP): At least the $13,387,000 provided in FY21 
and the TM/DP requests of GLIFWC's member tribes.
    c. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Invasive Species: At least 
$10,776,000, the amount provided in FY21.
    Funding Authorizations.--Snyder Act, 25 U.S.C. s. 13; Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act, (P.L. 93-638), 25 U.S.C. 
ss. 450f and 450h; and the treaties between the United States and 
GLIFWC's member Ojibwe Tribes.\1\
                   2. environmental protection agency
    a. Environmental Programs and Management, Geographic Programs, 
Great Lakes Restoration: At least $330,000,000, the amount provided in 
FY21, including no less than $16,500,000 for the Distinct Tribal 
Program (DTP) ($15,000,000 base program plus a proportional increase of 
the overall GLRI).
    b. State and Tribal Assistance Grants, Categorical Grants, Tribal 
General Assistance Program: At least $66,250,000, the amount provided 
in FY21.
    Funding Authorizations.--Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. s. 1268(c); 
Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Pub. L. 114-322 
s. 5005; and treaties cited above.
    These programs fulfill federal treaty, trust, and contract 
obligations to GLIFWC's member tribes, providing vital resources to 
sustain their governmental programs. We ask that Congress maintain and 
enhance these programs in proportion to recently proposed or enacted 
increases.
              glifwc's fy 2022 funding request highlights
    1. GLIFWC and its member tribes are seeing the resurgence of an old 
challenge--combatting the racism that plagued the years after the 
tribes' rights were reaffirmed, and a new one--understanding the 
ongoing impact of climate change on their treaty protected resources. 
Increased funding, described in more detail below, is needed to address 
these issues.
    2. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding of no less than 
$330,000,000, with no less than $16,500,000 for the Distinct Tribal 
Program.
    3. Full funding for contract support costs, as required by the 
ISDEA Act.
    4. Sufficient funding in the Tribal Management and Development line 
item for GLIFWC's member tribes to fulfill their needs for 
reservation--based natural resource programs and to fund the Circle of 
Flight wetlands program.
  glifwc's goal--a secure funding base to fulfill treaty purposes and 
                           legal obligations
    For over 35 years, Congress has funded GLIFWC to implement 
comprehensive conservation, natural resource protection, and law 
enforcement programs that: 1) ensure member tribes are able to 
implement their treaty reserved rights to hunt, fish, and gather 
throughout the ceded territories; 2) ensure a healthy and sustainable 
natural resource base to support those rights; 3) protect public 
safety; and 4) promote healthy, safe communities. These programs also 
provide a wide range of public benefits, and facilitate participation 
in management partnerships in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.


 glifwc's programs--promoting healthy communities and educating tribal 
                 members through treaty rights exercise
    Established in 1984, GLIFWC is a natural resources management 
agency of eleven member Ojibwe Tribes with resource management 
responsibilities over their ceded territory (off-reservation) hunting, 
fishing and gathering treaty rights. These ceded territories extend 
over a 60,000 square mile area in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and 
Michigan.\2\ GLIFWC employs over 80 full-time staff, including natural 
resource scientists, technicians, conservation enforcement officers, 
policy specialists, and public information specialists.
    GLIFWC strives to implement its programs in a holistic, integrated 
manner consistent with the culture and values of its member tribes, 
especially in light of tribal lifeways that the exercise of treaty 
rights supports. This means not only ensuring that tribal members can 
legally exercise their rights, but supporting community efforts to 
educate them about the benefits (physical, spiritual, and cultural) of 
harvesting and consuming a more traditional diet, as well as promoting 
inter-generational learning and the transmission of traditional 
cultural and management practices.
    GLIFWC and its member tribes thank Congress, and particularly this 
Subcommittee, for its continuing support of these treaty obligations 
and its recognition of the ongoing success of these programs. In 
addition to continuing to support allocating increases to the RPI line 
item in the historically proportionate amounts, GLIFWC's FY 22 funding 
request includes two main elements:
    1. BIA Great Lakes Area Management (Within The RPI Line Item): 
$8,185,186 An Increase In Glifwc's Allocation Within The Overall Line 
Item Is Needed To Address Two Primary Issues: 1) The Need For 
Additional Education And Sustained Partnerships To Combat Racism Toward 
Tribal Citizens And Misconceptions About Their Treaty Rights, And 2) 
The Effects Of Climate Change On Treaty Protected Resources. Addressing 
These Issues Effectively Will Require Glifwc To Sustain And Build Upon 
Partnerships That Have Already Established It As A Trusted Cooperator 
In Numerous Arenas.
    With an increase to its base budget of 16%, GLIFWC could:

  --restore the buying power it has lost since 2018 (approximately 
        $356,500),
  --secure funding for a full-time position in GLIFWC's Public 
        Information Office to mitigate racism by enhancing educational 
        efforts at all grade levels, including adult education 
        (approximately $100,000),
  --evaluate the impacts of changing habitat conditions including 
        climate change on walleye, tullibee and other species in Mille 
        Lacs Lake, Minnesota, an important fishery resource for both 
        tribal and non-tribal fishers (approximately $275,000),
  --conduct fisheries assessments near the Keweenaw Peninsula as a way 
        to monitor stressors (including climate change) on the fishery 
        (approximately $125,000), and
  --solidify its harvest monitoring and enforcement activities and 
        develop and sustain law enforcement partnerships to mitigate 
        racism and social conflict (approximately $272,500).

    The past year has seen unprecedented challenges and has exposed the 
need to redouble efforts to educate non-tribal communities about tribal 
treaty rights. GLIFWC and its member tribes have worked hard to ensure 
the public is aware of treaty harvesting activities, but even with 
additional support from the State of Wisconsin, that awareness has 
resulted in many of the old, anti-Indian misconceptions being 
recirculated in social media as well as at harvesting locations. 
Harvester harassment during the spring fishing season appears to be 
increasing. GLIFWC proposes to enhance its enforcement presence and 
partnerships, and to fund a full-time staff employee within its Public 
Information Office. Both efforts will enable greater outreach to 
citizens and students at all education levels, including adult 
education, so that understanding about treaty rights is sustained from 
an early age, and current misconceptions can be addressed.
    Climate change is impacting the health of natural resources and 
requiring adaptation by people accessing those resources. These changes 
can exacerbate negative feelings. Continued research into climate 
change and its impacts, as well as dedicated and focused outreach about 
these issues, can help address some of these concerns and 
misconceptions.
    2. EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: $330,000,000. Distinct 
Tribal Program: $16,500,000. GLIFWC supports continued funding for the 
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) as an important non-
regulatory program that enhances and ensures coordinated governance in 
the Great Lakes, fulfillment of international agreements, and 
substantive natural resource protection and restoration projects. 
GLIFWC supports the continuation of GLRI funding at no less than $330 
million.
    GLIFWC appreciates the directive that EPA should follow the 
guidance in House Report 116-100, which directs the EPA and other 
federal agencies to fund tribal activities at not less than 
$15,000,000. Unfortunately, this amount is being treated as a ceiling 
rather than a floor. As implementation proceeds, an increasing number 
of tribes have shown interest in the GLRI, and as the program expands, 
the BIA must increase its capacity to administer it. Funds for 
administration are currently taken from Distinct Tribal Program (DTP) 
funds. GLIFWC and tribes have proposed that, should overall GLRI 
funding increase, the DTP should increase as well. To that end, a 
continued 5% commitment to this program for amounts over and above $300 
million would allow additional tribes to implement their highest 
priority programs and allow for necessary capacity increases within the 
BIA.
               results and benefits of glifwc's programs
    1. Maintain The Requisite Capability To Meet Legal Obligations, To 
Conserve Natural Resources, and To Regulate Treaty Harvests: At its 
most basic level, GLIFWC's programs support tribal compliance with 
court decrees and intergovernmental agreements that govern the tribes' 
treaty--reserved rights. Funding for science and research enhances 
GLIFWC's ability to undertake work and participate in partnerships to 
address ecosystem threats that harm treaty natural resources, including 
those related to climate change.
    2. Remain A Trusted Management and Law Enforcement Partner, and 
Scientific Contributor In The Great Lakes Region: GLIFWC has become a 
respected and integral part of management and law enforcement 
partnerships that conserve natural resources and protect public safety. 
It brings a tribal perspective to interjurisdictional Great Lakes 
management forums and would use its scientific expertise to study 
issues and geographic areas that are important to its member tribes but 
that others may not be examining.
    3. Maintain The Overall Public Benefits That Derive From Its 
Programs: Over the years, GLIFWC has become a recognized and valued 
partner in natural resource management. Because of its institutional 
experience and staff expertise, GLIFWC has built and maintained 
numerous partnerships that: i) provide accurate information and data to 
counter social misconceptions about tribal treaty harvests and the 
status of ceded territory natural resources; ii) maximize each 
partner's financial resources and avoid duplication of effort and 
costs; iii) engender cooperation rather than competition; and iv) 
undertake projects that achieve public benefits that no one partner 
could accomplish alone.
    4. Encourage and Contribute To Healthy Tribal Communities. GLIFWC 
works with its member tribes' communities to promote the benefits of 
treaty rights exercise. These include the health benefits associated 
with a more traditional diet and the intergenerational learning that 
takes place when elders teach youth. In addition, GLIFWC sponsors a 
camp each summer where tribal youth build leadership skills, strengthen 
connections to the outdoors, and learn about treaty rights and careers 
in natural resource fields.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Specifically, the Treaty of 1836, 7 Stat. 491; Treaty of 1837, 
7 Stat. 536; Treaty of 1842, 7 Stat. 591; and Treaty of 1854, 10 Stat. 
1109. The rights guaranteed by these treaties have been affirmed by 
various court decisions, including a 1999 US Supreme Court case.
    \2\ GLIFWC's programs do not duplicate those of the Chippewa Ottawa 
Resource Authority or the 1854 Treaty Authority. GLIFWC also 
coordinates with its member tribes with respect to tribal treaty 
fishing that extends beyond reservation boundaries by virtue of the 
Treaty of 1854 and the reservations' locations on Lake Superior.

    [This statement was submitted by Michael J. Isham Jr., Executive 
Administrator.]
                                 ______
                                 
                  Prepared Statement of the Hopi Tribe
    Greetings Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Honorable 
Members of the Senate Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies. My name is Timothy Nuvangyaoma and I have the honor 
of serving as Chairman of the Hopi Tribe. Thank you for the opportunity 
to provide testimony on priorities for Fiscal Year 2022. My testimony 
will focus on the need for funding to address the arsenic contamination 
in our water supply, as well as the need for funding to improve our 
education system.
    The Hopi Reservation, located in the Northeast corner of Arizona, 
is approximately 2,500-square-miles. The Tribe has more than 14,000 
enrolled tribal citizens, over half of whom reside in one of the 
Reservation's 12 villages. Unfortunately, the residents of the 
Reservation suffer from a 60% unemployment rate due, in large part, to 
the lack of economic development opportunities caused by the remote and 
landlocked nature of the Reservation. The Hopi Reservation is the only 
reservation in the United States to be completely surrounded by another 
reservation. This makes it even harder to access markets and 
opportunities outside of the reservation.
        i. update on the hopi arsenic mitigation project (hamp)
    The Hopi Tribe has suffered with arsenic contamination in its water 
supply since the 1960s when the BIA first installed its drinking water 
system. The water for eight of the Tribe's villages is contaminated 
with high levels of naturally occurring arsenic. These levels exceed 
the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safe drinking water 
standards by as much as three times the allowable contaminants.
    This troubling situation led the Hopi Tribe to create the Hopi 
Arsenic Mitigation Project (HAMP) whose mission is to find a solution 
to the arsenic contamination. The HAMP has two phases. The first phase 
of HAMP only delivers water to Hopi villages, and the second would 
increase the system capacity of the initial phase through the 
construction of water main extensions and pressure upgrades to increase 
the range of pumped water.
    The HAMP was ranked as a priority project by the Indian Health 
Service (IHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This 
designation provided full funding for Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 
2021 through Safe Drinking Water Act program allocations. The total IHS 
and EPA contribution for the basic HAMP is approximately $20 million, 
which is sufficient to complete the project. The HAMP construction 
contractor mobilized on April 1, 2020, with an anticipated completion 
date of approximately one year.
    The Tribe is also encouraged by recent developments on the Keams 
Extension Project (KEP), which is the planned and approved regional 
water transmission system project designed to expand the capacity and 
extend the length of HAMP to serve additional Hopi families, schools, 
and institutions of Eastern First and Second Mesa, which were excluded 
in the HAMP. The BIA contributed an additional $5 million for KEP in 
November 2020, bringing the total funding for the project to $7.6 
million. This segment of the planned regional water system is under 
final design and permitting phase. An additional $10 million is needed 
to complete the Keams Extension Project.
                            ii. hopi schools
    The Hopi Tribe asks that the Subcommittee prioritize funding for 
the BIE school construction program, as we are dealing with significant 
health and safety issues at several Hopi schools. In addition, this 
program is so underfunded that even when tribal schools are placed on 
the priority list, it can take a decade or more before a school is 
actually built.
    The Hopi Tribe has two tribally controlled schools willing to 
consolidate into one school-Hopi Day School (``HDS'') and Hotevilla 
Bacavi Community School (``HBCS''). The Hopi Day School (``HDS'') is 
over 100 years old, with most of the building made from logs. As you 
can imagine, there are significant structural issues that require 
constant upkeep and repairs. Further, the HDS does not have an adequate 
HVAC system. Despite the poor condition of the HDS, it is not even on 
the BIA's school construction priority list. HBCS is over 50 years old, 
and relies heavily on the use of portable modular buildings due to 
safety concerns in the original structures of the school. HBCS is being 
considered for the BIA's school replacement list, but is not on it yet.
    The Keams Canyon Elementary School (``KCES''), which was built in 
1935, has major health and safety concerns, including cracked walls, a 
leaking roof, and retention walls that need major repairs. There are 
also water quality concerns at the KCES due to high arsenic 
concentrations. The KCES was on the BIA's school replacement priority 
list in 2004, but it was not re-built.
    The Moencopi Day School (``MDS'') is over 50 years old. The school 
relies heavily on the use of portable modular buildings due to safety 
concerns in the original structure of the school. MDS is currently on 
the BIA's priority list.
    The Tribe also requests the Subcommittee's support as we work to 
unify our seven Tribally Controlled Schools under a single school 
district on the Hopi Reservation. This effort represents a major 
transformation for our schools and will provide improved educational 
opportunities for our youth, better administrative efficiency and 
management of school resources, and increased accountability and 
support for our educators and staff. The unification will also allow 
increased focus on Hopi culture and language throughout the educational 
system.
    Funding is needed to provide a Central Administration Office that 
will be home to most administrative staff for the new Hopi School 
System, including the superintendent, curriculum and instruction 
specialist, food services director, human resources director, specials 
needs education director, and transportation director. We have already 
identified the site for the building and estimate and request the total 
construction costs at $3,000,000 for an 8,000 square foot building and 
site work.
    The Tribe also needs funding for the transition to our new unified 
Hopi School System, which will continue over the next two years 
concluding in 2023. This transition funding is a critical part of 
creating a successful unified school system, and includes the hiring of 
our superintendent, business manager and office secretary, which will 
cost $305,230. In the following year, the staffing costs will increase 
to $2,695,752 to hire the rest of the Central Office staff (about 30 
employees).
    The Hopi Tribe requests that no cuts be made to our administrative 
cost grant during this process. The Tribally Controlled Schools Act 
provides administrative funds to tribes by applying an administrative 
cost grant formula. 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2008. Once the Hopi Tribe unifies 
our school system, as currently implemented, the administrative cost 
formula could result in the loss of over $1 million dollars to Hopi 
schools. Section 2008(h) provides an exception to this calculation. 
However, the Appropriations bill language for BIE limits tribes who can 
make use of this exception. We ask that the Subcommittee change the 
``grantees'' eligible to use ``the distribution formula based on 
section 5(f) of Public Law 101-301'' from ``fiscal year 2003 or 2004'' 
to ``fiscal year 2023 or 2024.'' This will ensure that the Hopi Tribe 
is able to receive the same funding it currently receives, and this 
change will not disturb funding for any other tribes' schools.
    Finally, Our Hopi schools need housing units for our teachers and 
staff. The lack of adequate housing prevents us from attracting and 
retaining quality teachers and staff. We request that Congress 
appropriate funding for new housing needed for staff and teachers for 
our Central Administration Office and our schools. Our current analysis 
shows that we need at least 10 housing units at an estimated cost of 
$300,000/house = $3,000,000.
    Thanks again for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding the 
Hopi Tribe's priorities for Fiscal Year 2022. We urge the Subcommittee 
to increase funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs' School 
Construction and Environmental Quality Projects accounts.

    [This statement was submitted by Timothy Nuvangyaoma.]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Humane Society of the United States and the 
                        Society Legislative Fund
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to offer testimony on 
matters of importance to our organizations and to our millions of 
supporters. We thank you for the support and investment in animal 
protection in the Subcommittee's Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bill. 
We appreciate your continued consideration in Fiscal Year 2022 and urge 
you to address the following requests in the FY22 Department of 
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget:

  --EPA new approach methodologies development and implementation: 
        strong funding
  --BLM, Wild Horse and Burro Program: $150,000,000, contingent on 
        immediate implementation of a management program based on four 
        prongs detailed below
  --USFS, Wild Horse and Burro Program: FY21 enacted language to 
        protect USFS wild horses and burros from slaughter
  --FWS, Multinational Species Conservation Fund: $30,000,000, with no 
        funds to promote or facilitate trophy hunting, trade in animal 
        parts, or other consumptive uses of wildlife
  --FWS, Office of Law Enforcement: $115,000,000
  --FWS, Office of International Affairs: $30,000,000
  --FWS, Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project Prevention grant: at 
        least $1,000,000

    We also request that the budget exclude any language that would: 
relax regulations on imports of sport--hunted trophies; impede the 
success or expansion of wildlife corridors, including through grants to 
tribes; or undermine the integrity, efficacy, or purpose of the 
Endangered Species Act. We additionally request that the budget include 
language to prohibit FWS from using appropriated funding to authorize 
imports of sport--hunted trophies of species listed as threatened or 
endangered under the ESA. Finally, we echo the requests for increased 
funds for FWS, BLM, and USFS to implement the ESA detailed in letters, 
signed by us and more than 170 other organizations, to Appropriations 
Committee leadership.
environmental protection agency--new approach methodologies development 
                           and implementation
    Thousands of chemicals are currently used, and hundreds of new ones 
are introduced each year, for which EPA must conduct risk assessments. 
The EPA is also tasked with evaluating and registering pesticides and 
evaluating chemicals for possible endocrine activity. In addition, 
since 2016, EPA has had a mandate to develop and implement non-
vertebrate test methods for chemical safety evaluation under the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA). The EPA outlined its commitment to this 
goal in its 2019 announcement that it plans to reduce by 30% the number 
of studies that require the use of mammals by 2025, and to halt 
reliance on such studies completely by 2035. Additionally, in its 
Budget Justification Request for FY21, EPA notes that it will continue 
efforts to develop alternative methods to whole animal toxicity testing 
on the effects of pesticide active ingredients on terrestrial and 
aquatic vertebrates.
    To address these needs, EPA must shift significant focus to new 
approach methodologies (NAMs)-defined by the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) as ``any non-animal technology, 
methodology, approach, or combination thereof that can be used to 
provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment.'' When 
evaluating NAMs to replace vertebrate testing, EPA must also ensure 
they provide information of equivalent or better scientific quality and 
relevance that will support regulatory decisions under the revised 
TSCA. The EPA's National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT), in 
collaboration with NIEHS, the National Center for Advancing 
Translational Sciences, and the Food and Drug Administration, has 
developed an extensive database of chemical safety information, is 
screening thousands of chemicals using high--throughput non-animal 
methods, and is developing and improving models for estimating 
exposure. Although these newly developing NAMs are beginning to reduce 
animal use while improving the speed and accuracy of chemical 
evaluations, further development and implementation is needed to 
effectively carry out EPA's mandates.
    As such, we support strong funding of NCCT and other EPA Office of 
Research and Development programs focused on NAMs development and 
implementation in order for EPA to fulfill its commitment to end 
reliance on mammal studies and assure a more efficient and relevant 
chemicals risk assessment process.
    The EPA's FY21 budget justification also notes that the agency 
awarded five grants under the Request for Applications (RFA) titled, 
``Advancing Actionable Alternatives to Vertebrate Animal Testing for 
Chemical Safety Assessment.'' These awards aim to develop and apply 
alternative test methods to replace, reduce, and refine vertebrate 
animal testing. Similarly, in 2019, EPA announced an RFA titled 
``Advancing Toxicokinetics for Efficient and Robust Chemical 
Evaluations.'' This initiative aims to advance development of chemical 
toxicokinetic tools and approaches for broader applicability during 
chemical evaluations, especially NAMs. Additionally, EPA's FY22 budget 
request of $22,229,000 for computational toxicology--an increase of 
$742,000 over FY21 enacted--underscores the agency's desire to increase 
development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies that can 
reduce and replace its animal testing. We recommend supportive funding 
for these and similar NAMs-focused grant programs.
     bureau of land management and forest service--prohibition of 
             destruction of healthy wild horses and burros
    We request FY22 inclusion of language mirroring the language in the 
FY21 appropriations bill, barring BLM and USFS from sending any wild 
horse or burro to slaughter or selling/transferring any horse or burro 
in a manner that results in its destruction, and barring any federal, 
state, or local government that receives any wild horse or burro 
transferred from BLM or USFS from doing likewise. (See P.L. 116-260, 
Sec. 419(d)-(e).)
        bureau of land management--wild horse and burro program
    We appreciate Congress's increase in funding for FY21 and applaud 
the report language directing BLM to ``institute an aggressive non-
lethal population control strategy'' with strict compliance with the 
agency's Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program protocols, as it will 
help ensure gathers are conducted as humanely as possible (FY21 
Division G Report language, pp 13). We request $150 million for FY22 to 
fund BLM's immediate implementation of a sustainable management program 
applying the four key management concepts previously highlighted in 
FY21 report language:

    1. Conduct targeted gathers and removals at densely populated Herd 
Management Areas (HMAs) to reduce herd size in the short term.
    2. Treat gathered horses with fertility control prior to returning 
to the range. This program should continue until 90% of the mares on 
the range have been treated and continued consistent fertility control 
is implemented.
    3. Relocate horses in holding facilities, and those taken off the 
range, to large cost-effective pasture facilities funded through 
public-private partnerships.
    4. Promote adoptions to reduce captive populations and costs.

    A large coalition including animal welfare groups, cattlemen, state 
and local land managers, and groups focused on rangeland health support 
this request. Additionally, the Western Governors Association supports 
additional funding to implement this management program.
    With regard to fertility control, in FY20 the BLM only administered 
735 doses--a fraction of what is needed to curb the on-range 
population. While we have seen promising signs from BLM that it intends 
to administer fertility control vaccines at levels that will impact 
population growth (i.e., giving it to 80-90% of the mares they turn 
back onto the range) as reported in their FY21 Gather Schedule, they 
are a long way from administering the number of vaccines that will 
impact the overall population. Thus, it is imperative that Congress 
provide continued oversight and funding to ensure BLM revamps this 
program in a sustainable and humane way.
   fish and wildlife service--multinational species conservation fund
    We urge the Subcommittee to appropriate $30 million in FY22 for the 
MSCF, which supports critical conservation programs for some of our 
world's most iconic species: African and Asian elephants, rhinos, 
tigers, great apes, and sea turtles. The HSUS joins a broad coalition 
of organizations in support of the MSCF and additionally asks that the 
sales of semi-postal stamps benefiting this program be authorized to 
continue supplementing these programs above annually appropriated 
levels.
    While we wholeheartedly support continued funding for MSCF, we 
remain opposed to any use of funds from these conservation programs to 
promote trophy hunting, trade in animal parts, and other consumptive 
uses--including live capture for trade, captive breeding, 
entertainment, or for the public display industry--under the guise of 
conservation. The use of MSCF grants must be consistent with the spirit 
of its authorizing law.
          fish and wildlife service--office of law enforcement
    We urge the Subcommittee to fund OLE at $115 million and to 
continue appropriating funds to support activities investigating 
wildlife crimes and enforcing wildlife laws. OLE serves an integral 
role in ongoing efforts to both combat the global crisis of wildlife 
poaching and trafficking and to prevent zoonotic disease outbreaks. The 
conditions for zoonotic viruses to emerge and be transmitted to humans 
exist in legal and sustainable trade, and in markets with common 
wildlife species as well as in markets with illegal and/or 
unsustainable trade. As one of the world's largest consumers of illegal 
wildlife, the U.S. must invest in rigorously enforcing existing laws, 
regulations, and international treaties that combat the illegal trade 
in wildlife.
    One of OLE's most effective tools is the deployment of attaches to 
targeted U.S. embassies in countries where wildlife trafficking is a 
serious problem. Attaches have provided extensive support to local 
authorities engaged in wildlife trafficking investigations and vital 
access to FWS resources such as the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic 
Laboratory and the Digital Evidence Recovery and Technical Support 
Unit. Several investigations of transnational organized crime networks 
involved in trafficking elephant ivory, rhino horn, reptiles, and other 
wildlife and wildlife parts between Africa and Asia have been initiated 
as a direct result of attache intervention, and attaches have assisted 
extensively in fostering intelligence sharing and investigative support 
between affected nations. Here at home, the 2020 confiscation of 1,400 
shark fins in Miami illustrates OLE's effectiveness.
    Increasing funding for OLE and the attache program will support 
efforts to maximize the scope and effectiveness of FWS response to the 
international wildlife trafficking crisis, ensuring OLE has an adequate 
number of law enforcement agents deployed to enforce laws against 
wildlife trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.
       fish and wildlife service--office of international affairs
    We request that you appropriate $30 million for OIA, whose programs 
provide critical resources to help stakeholders on the ground fight 
wildlife trafficking and poaching as well as to provide frontline 
protection against zoonotic disease by supporting programs that can 
help prevent conditions in wildlife trade that lead to spillover 
events. It is critical that the U.S. increase investment in global 
conservation, including work supported by OIA programs that mitigate 
and prevent global crises like pandemics and biodiversity and habitat 
loss by promoting conservation and restoration of forests and other 
wildlife habitats, monitoring wildlife health, promoting alternatives 
to wildlife as a protein source, and combating wildlife trafficking.
    Importantly, we request that none of these funds be used to support 
or carry out trophy hunting activities or programs. In both FY20 and 
FY21, Congress expressed doubt over the conservation efficacy of the 
current FWS ``policy to evaluate applications for importing trophies 
for elephants and lions on a case-by-case basis'', stating it ``may not 
adequately determine whether a country has proper safeguards in place 
to protect species vulnerable to poaching. Population counts continue 
to decline causing concern that the current policy is detrimental.'' 
The Service failed to comply with policy review and reporting 
directives set forth in FY20 and FY21 accompanying reports, 
demonstrating a dire lack of transparency that necessitates a thorough 
review of FWS's current trophy--import policies and their compliance 
with determination requirements under the ESA. Consequently, we also 
request that the import of sport--hunted trophies of species listed as 
threatened or endangered under the ESA be halted until a transparent 
permitting scheme is established that demonstrably benefits the 
species' survival, is biologically sustainable, and does not contribute 
to corruption or undermine rule of law in range countries.
   fish and wildlife service, bureau of land management, u.s. forest 
             service--endangered species act implementation
    In 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on 
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released a groundbreaking 
assessment warning that roughly one million species are at risk of 
extinction. Myriad taxa--level studies showing steep populations 
declines, for example of monarch butterflies and North American birds, 
underscore the biodiversity crisis. We therefore echo the requests for 
increased funding for FWS, BLM, and USFS to implement the ESA detailed 
in NGO coalition letters to Appropriations Committee leadership that we 
and more than 170 other organizations signed (FWS letter dated March 2, 
BLM/USFS letter dated April 13).
  fish and wildlife service--wolf livestock loss demonstration project
    We urge the Subcommittee to provide at least $1 million for the 
Prevention grant of the Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Project. This 
grant assists livestock producers in undertaking proactive, nonlethal 
activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss due to predation by 
wolves.

    [This statement was submitted by Jocelyn Ziemian, Senior 
Legislative Specialist, Humane Society Legislative Fund.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the International Fund for Animal Welfare
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony on the 
FY22 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The 
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has 15 offices globally 
and works in more than 40 countries around the world. IFAW takes a 
holistic approach to innovating solutions for tough conservation 
challenges like conflicts between humans and wildlife, and illegal 
wildlife trafficking. Recognizing the unbreakable link between animals 
and human wellbeing, we support and empower communities to coexist with 
and value native wildlife and help those communities develop tools to 
protect their wild heritage. IFAW is grateful for this Subcommittee's 
championship of strong conservation funding for the current fiscal year 
(FY21), and requests your continued support for these programs in FY22. 
Specifically, we request the $30 million for the Multinational Species 
Conservation Funds, $30 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS) Office of International Affairs, $115 million for the FWS Office 
of Law Enforcement, and $592.1 million for Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
implementation across five programs. IFAW also requests the 
Subcommittee deny support for any projects that seek to circumvent the 
ESA or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Finally, we urge the 
Subcommittee to prioritize infrastructure projects that are sustainable 
and resilient.
    The year 2020 was marked, as was the year before it, by ever-more 
disturbing news about the state of our natural world. It was the second 
hottest year on record, knocking 2019 to the third hottest year in 
Earth's history.\1\ Changing climate conditions spurred storms and 
other natural disasters of increased frequency and severity: 
hurricanes, cyclones, flash floods, and wildfires wreaked havoc in 
communities around the world with deadly results.\2\ Trafficking in 
wildlife and wildlife parts remained the fourth most lucrative criminal 
enterprise worldwide with an estimated annual revenue of $20 billion--
add in illegal logging and fishing, and that number skyrockets to $1 
trillion or more.\3\ And we all suffered the effects as a deadly 
zoonotic pandemic caused by human interference with wildlife, COVID-19, 
forced world-wide lockdowns, sickening more than 175 million people to 
date, and causing millions of deaths around the globe.\4\
    The environmental, biodiversity, and pandemic crises we continue to 
face are not the product of bad luck; they are the direct results of 
human activities. On June 10, 2021, a report on Biodiversity and 
Climate Change was released on a workshop co-sponsored by the 
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem 
Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 
(IPCC)--the first ever collaborative workshop co-sponsored by the two 
organizations.\5\ This peer reviewed report warns that ``changes in 
climate and biodiversity, driven by human activities, have combined and 
increasingly threaten nature, human lives, livelihoods and well-being 
around the world. Biodiversity loss and climate change are both driven 
by human economic activities and mutually reinforce each other. Neither 
will be successfully resolved unless both are tackled together.'' \6\
    Fortunately, as we have been the architects of our current crises, 
it is within our power to change our shared trajectory, and this 
Subcommittee has jurisdiction over critical programs that can help to 
do just that. Given the severity of the challenges we face, IFAW 
respectfully asks the Subcommittee to exert its leadership in order to 
reverse the alarming and interrelated climate and biodiversity 
emergencies by making substantial increases in funding for the 
important conservation programs within your purview. Doing so will help 
to protect biodiversity, and will in turn have significant protective 
effects against future wildlife--borne diseases entering the human 
population, promote healthy ecosystems, fight climate change, improve 
climate resilience, and safeguard human health and wellbeing.
    No NEPA or ESA Waivers.--IFAW urges this Subcommittee to consider 
the health of wildlife and the environment in all of its actions. At a 
minimum, no federally-supported construction projects, including 
disaster remediation projects, should be exempted from such fundamental 
laws as the ESA and NEPA. NEPA and ESA analyses protect against 
substantial social, environmental, and economic harm. These reviews 
allow construction projects to move forward while ensuring full 
disclosure of potentially harmful outcomes, informed decision-making, 
effective design, and risk mitigation. There has been a distressing 
trend toward exempting projects from NEPA, ESA, or other environmental 
reviews and we urge the Subcommittee to reverse this trend by denying 
funding for any plan that does not include a commitment to bedrock 
conservation laws and environmental reviews.
    Infrastructure.--As Congress moves to address our aging 
infrastructure, we have an unparalleled opportunity to invest in 
environmental safeguards and conservation innovations that will ensure 
American wellbeing and security, and create jobs and prosperity for the 
citizens of today and for many future generations. IFAW urges this 
Subcommittee to review any infrastructure plans within your 
jurisdiction through the lens of wildlife conservation and 
environmental sustainability. We advocate prioritizing funding for 
projects that: rely on sustainable or natural materials to increase 
infrastructure resiliency and longevity; reintroduce or preserve native 
flora; create resilient and sustainable water and waste management 
systems, particularly through implementing natural alternatives to 
traditional water and wastewater management systems like wetlands, dune 
restoration, and natural vegetation buffers. Over time, these 
modalities can increase resilience while saving scarce taxpayer 
dollars. A single acre of wetlands can hold up to 1.5 million gallons 
of rain or melting snow. For less than $300,000, it's possible to 
construct an artificial wetland that can intercept 3.25 million gallons 
of stormwater otherwise destined for the sewer.
    We also urge the Subcommittee to prioritize funding for 
infrastructure projects that reduce wildlife conflict using wildlife 
corridors and crossings. Every year in the U.S. there are an estimated 
1-2 million collisions that occur between motorists and large 
animals.\7\ These collisions result in 200 human deaths and more than 
26,000 injuries, at a cost to Americans of more than $8 billion 
annually.\8\ A 2011 study by the insurance industry estimated that over 
$1 billion dollars per year is spent on property damage due to wildlife 
vehicle collisions while the total annual cost to American taxpayers is 
nearly $8.4 billion.\9\ In addition, walls, fences, roads, and dams 
impede migratory routes, cut off food and water supplies, and otherwise 
disrupt important wildlife habitats. We can and must improve safety and 
safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem health by creating and protecting 
habitat connectivity, wildlife corridors, and crossings for wildlife.
             us fish and wildlife service priority programs
    Endangered Species Act.--The biodiversity crisis represents an 
existential threat to humanity. Ecosystems require healthy biodiversity 
and wildlife in order to remain healthy. As native species decline, 
ecosystems weaken, and can even collapse, and may no longer have the 
capacity to provide the services upon which we all rely: among them 
drinking water, clean air, and productive soil.
    The Endangered Species Act, remains our nation's most important 
conservation law, and has been successful in protecting 99% of listed 
species from becoming extinct. Saving species from extinction is about 
more than just preserving iconic wildlife for generations to come. We 
are also protecting integral parts of the ecosystem that provides the 
air we breathe, the water we drink, the parks we enjoy, and the 
medicine we need. The Endangered Species Act protects wildlife within 
the United States, and species around the globe by requiring agencies 
to ensure that federally supported international activities protect 
species survival and preserve important habitat and by generally 
prohibiting the import of listed species.
    While the ESA remains popular among Americans regardless of 
political party, with an approval rating of around 90%, it continues to 
face attacks through spending riders, authorizing legislation, and 
administrative action. IFAW thanks this Subcommittee for its efforts to 
fend off appropriations riders in past bills, and asks that any riders 
aimed at undermining the ESA--including legacy riders--be excluded from 
the FY22 Act.
    As species face ever--mounting pressures from climate change, 
habitat loss, and other factors, funding for the ESA has not kept pace 
with the need. Furthermore, there remains a backlog of species awaiting 
consideration for protections under the Act, as well as listed species 
in need of additional resources to promote recovery. IFAW requests 
$592.1 million across the following five programs to make up for lost 
ground and put species on the path to recovery:

  --Recovery Program: $240.3 million
  --Planning and Consultation Programs: $149 million
  --Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: $125.6 million
  --Listing Program: $63.7 million
  --Conservation and Restoration Program: $13.5 million

    FWS International Affairs.--The FWS International Affairs (IA) 
program is tasked with coordinating domestic and international efforts 
to protect and restore wildlife and ecosystems. By overseeing domestic 
conservation laws and international conservation treaties, including 
the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 
the IA program has become a keystone of U.S. leadership on the 
international stage. Importantly, the IA program supports transboundary 
regional projects as well as those that focus on target species, 
promoting habitat conservation and restoration in areas where wildlife 
is most at risk from habitat loss. IFAW requests $30 million for this 
important program in FY22.
    Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF).--IFAW is part of a 
diverse coalition of groups, including animal welfare, environmental, 
sporting, and industry organizations, that support the MSCF. These 
funds protect tigers, rhinos, African and Asian elephants, great apes, 
and marine and freshwater turtles and tortoises, all of which are in 
constant danger from illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking, habitat 
destruction, climate change, and other pressures. Wild members of these 
species may live outside our borders, but these iconic animals remain 
important to the American people. None of us wants this to be the 
generation to preside over the extinction of elephants or tigers in the 
wild. MSCF programs have helped to sustain wildlife populations by 
funding groundbreaking projects that combat poaching, reduce human--
wildlife conflict and protect the vital habitat of priority species. By 
promoting community engagement and combatting trafficking, the MSCF 
programs also promote the rule of law abroad and contribute to our 
domestic security. These programs are highly efficient, with low 
administrative costs ensuring that more than 95% of appropriated funds 
were distributed through grants in FY17. The MSCF is authorized at $30 
million, but it has never been fully funded. Meanwhile, pressures on 
these species continue to increase around the globe. IFAW requests that 
$30 million be appropriated for the MSCF for FY22.
    Office of Law Enforcement.--The Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) 
within the FWS is on the front lines of wildlife crime, inspecting 
wildlife shipments, conducting investigations, and enforcing federal 
wildlife laws to protect fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems. The 
OLE combats poaching and wildlife trafficking, breaking up 
international criminal rings that not only harm wildlife, but may also 
engage in other illicit activities. Among other things, the small but 
mighty force at OLE sends experienced FWS attaches to strategic regions 
where they combat wildlife trafficking by supporting and advising 
foreign partners. And, as the world confronts a novel coronavirus with 
origins in wildlife, the OLE's inspection and enforcement 
responsibilities take on even greater import. This program is critical 
both to domestic and international conservation efforts and to national 
health and security. IFAW requests $115 million in FY22 for OLE.
    In closing, thank you for the opportunity to share IFAW's funding 
priorities to promote conservation in the FY2022 Interior, Environment 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Wildlife and their habitats 
are more than our national heritage; they are essential to human health 
and welfare, and to domestic and international security. We appreciate 
the continued leadership of this Subcommittee on conservation efforts 
globally and within the United States. With your support, we can 
reverse the tide of extinction, protect human health, and promote a 
better future for generations of wildlife lovers and Americans yet to 
come. Thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.noaa.gov/news/2020-was-earth-s-2nd-hottest-year-
just-behind-2016
    \2\ https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/here-are-
10-of-the-deadliest-natural-disasters-in-2020
    \3\ http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/482771571323560234/
WBGReport1017Digital.pdf
    \4\ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/mapping-
spread-new-coronavirus/?itid=sf_coronavirus_sn_mapping-spread-new-
coronavirus_2
    \5\ https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2021-06/
20210609_workshop_report_embargo_3pm_CEST_10_june_0.pdf
    \6\ https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2021-06/
20210606%20Media%20Release%20EMBARGO
%203pm%20CEST%2010%20June.pdf
    \7\ Huijser, M.P., P. McGowen, J. Fuller, A. Hardy, A. Kociolek, 
A.P. Clevenger, D. Smith and R. Ament. 2008. Wildlife-vehicle collision 
reduction study. Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Federal Highway Administration, Washington D.C., USA.
    \8\ Id.
    \9\ Putting a Dent in the Cost of Wildlife--Vehicle Collisions, 
Defenders of Wildlife Blog, September 20, 2011, https://
defendersblog.org/2011/09/putting-a-dent-in-the-cost-of-wildlife-
vehicle-collisions/

    [This statement was submitted by Kate Wall, Senior Legislative 
Manager.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Interstate Council on Water Policy
              summary of coalition's requests for fy 2022:
    Federal Priorities Streamgages is $28.7 M
    Cooperative Matching Funds for Streamgage Network is $33.0 M
    NGWOS and Data Delivery Modernization is $28.1 M
     coalition supporting usgs streamgage networks & modernization
    As leaders in the undersigned organizations, we urge your support 
to enable the US Geological Survey (USGS), an agency in the Department 
of Interior (DOI), to fully support its streamgaging networks. These 
vital networks, managed within the USGS Groundwater and Streamflow 
Information Program, provide critical, life-saving information and 
serve the national interest with continuous streamflow information at 
over 8,400 locations. Due to inadequate funding, gages supported by 
these necessary USGS programs are being discontinued annually, and our 
coalition is particularly concerned with the impact of the lack of 
resources over many years on the Federal Priority Streamgage network 
(details below). Maintaining and adding to the streamgaging networks is 
paramount to adequately quantify and manage the nation's critical water 
supplies and infrastructure. The members of our organizations rely on 
the streamgage data and science that USGS produces and many of us 
represent active, cost-share partners in funding the data collection 
that Congress and the federal agencies require. Data from streamgages 
provides necessary trend information and is the basis for understanding 
climate science and for making modeling and forecasted predictions 
about how climate change may impact our nation's total water supply and 
timing of its availability. Streamgage information is also critical for 
natural resource decisions made on U.S. Indian Reservations and for 
determining environmental impacts to disadvantaged communities 
throughout the nation.
    Data and information from these valuable streamgages are utilized 
by emergency responders, water supply managers, water quality 
administrators, recreationists, consulting engineers, and many others 
in forecasting and response during floods, droughts, and other extreme 
events, design of bridges and other infrastructure, energy generation, 
management of federal lands, design and operation of federal reservoirs 
and navigation infrastructure. These networks provide critical 
information to other agencies of the DOI and to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, NOAA, FEMA, EPA, USDA, and other federal agencies, as well 
as providing information essential to Congressional oversight and 
revision of many federal laws, including the Clean Water Act, Safe 
Drinking Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and many interstate river 
basin compacts and international treaties.
    Federal Priority Streamgage (FPS) Network (formerly referred to as 
the National Streamflow Information Program, ``NSIP'').--Authorized by 
Congress in 2009, to operate and maintain a stable ``federal backbone'' 
network of streamgages to meet five specific national needs for 
streamflow information at (1) interstate and international boundaries, 
(2) National Weather Service flood forecast sites, (3) outflows of 
major river basins, (4) ``sentinel watersheds,'' needed to evaluate and 
anticipate the potential consequences of ongoing changes in American 
land use, water use, climate etc., and (5) national priority water--
quality monitoring sites. Our national ability to collect sufficient 
water data at the needed locations to answer the necessary federal, 
state, tribal, local, business and NGO questions is seriously 
compromised by the insufficient funding for the FPS Network.
    The budget for the FPS Network has been flat since 2016, yet 
operational costs of the network nationwide have grown by approximately 
1%-3% per year since 2016 due to increases in salary, travel, 
equipment, and communication costs. Historically, these cost increases 
have been covered by 1) USGS partners, where gages are jointly funded, 
or 2) delaying planned network enhancements. Network enhancements 
include cyclical upgrades to equipment (e.g. for monitoring, 
telecommunication, and data transmission) to ensure sites meet 
requirements for successful data collection and transmission, as well 
as activities to flood--harden existing FPS sites. However, after 5 
years of flat funding, the USGS reached a tipping point where network 
enhancements could no longer be delayed and operational costs continued 
to increase another 1%-3%. With these considerations in mind, the 
shortfall of approximately $0.5M between the FPS funding needed to 
cover costs in 2021 ($25.2M) over what was available in the enacted 
2021 funding levels ($24.7M) resulted in 29 gages being discontinued. 
If no increase is made in the program's budget for FY2022, another 33 
additional gages (62 total) will be at risk for being discontinued. Of 
our requested amount for the FPS, $1.25 M is based on the need to re-
instate these lost gages ($20K/gage x 62 gages lost).
    Also, contemporary water management issues such as ecological flows 
were not considered when the original national criteria were developed 
for the Network. Additional funding would begin to meet these needs. 
Today, only 25 % of the Federal Priority Streamgages are fully funded 
by the federal government. The USGS is unable to complete development 
of the Network, as Congress directed in 2009, without additional 
funding. Full implementation of the Federal Priority Streamgage Network 
is estimated at $130M. Requested Funding Level for Federal Priorities 
Streamgages is $28.7 M for FY 2022 to begin to address the critical 
shortfall for the FPS network and to reinstate gages discontinued since 
2016.
    Cooperative Matching Funds.--The USGS works with over fourteen 
hundred partners nation-wide (federal, state, tribal, local, and NGO) 
using Cooperative Matching Funds to jointly support USGS streamgages, 
many of which meet the criteria of the FPS Network. This matching 
program, which began as a 50-50 program, has seen the federal cost-
share contribution decrease from 50 % to less than 30 %. Given the 
ability for this program to enable and encourage the expansion of 
vitally needed streamgages on a two for one (or greater) cost basis, an 
increase over the FY2021 level of $29.6 M will allow for an expansion 
beyond the 5,273 streamgages currently covered under this program. 
Requested Funding Level for Cooperative Matching Funds for Streamgage 
Network is $33M for FY2022.
    Related Programs within the USGS Water Mission Area--Next 
Generation Water Observation System (NGWOS) and Modernization of the 
Networks and Data Delivery.--Our coalition very much appreciates 
Congress' recent support of NGWOS and modernization efforts. Build-out 
of this innovative program will provide focused monitoring in ten 
basins nationwide to better calibrate modeling, thus improving the 
ability to estimate water supply in the nation's many ungaged areas. 
Additional gaging stations added in the NGWOS basins supports the goals 
of increasing gages nationwide under the FPS Network and through 
Cooperative Matching Funds. We are supportive of the modeling and 
predictive analytical work being developed by the USGS. A robust 
network of physical gages is crucial to the calibration of many models 
(including NOAA's National Water Model and those developed by others); 
however, this coalition's primary support remains directed toward 
adequately supporting, invigorating and expanding the real-time stream 
gages across the U.S. A recent quote from USGS is illustrative on the 
continued need for physical streamgages to calibrate innovative 
modeling efforts:

        ``Looking nationwide, there are about 10,000 streamgages, but 
        that is only about three one hundredths of one percent of the 
        Nation's stream reaches. When we talk about groundwater, it is 
        even more sparse. As models and predictive capabilities have 
        advanced over the years, we're starting to exceed in the 
        modeling what we have observations to support. The density of 
        observations starts to get too low to calibrate and validate 
        the new high-fidelity models that we need to project what water 
        will look like in the next few weeks to the next few years.''

    Requested Funding Level for NGWOS and Data Delivery Modernization 
is $28.1 M to enable additional pilot basins to be added to the NGWOS 
program and to allow USGS to continue to modernize water data delivery 
systems that benefit all water users across the nation. An increase of 
$3.6M in FY2022 over FY2021 amount of $24.5 would allow USGS to stay on 
the planned NGWOS implementation track--Operation &Maintenance for the 
Delaware River Basin network, complete capital monitoring investments 
in the Upper Colorado River basin, implement about 65% of monitoring 
investments in Illinois River basin, begin preliminary work in Basin #4 
and continue critical NWIS modernization activities
    For additional, independent analysis of the USGS' needs for 
supplying the nation's water science, we encourage you to review the 
recently released ``U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Streamgaging Network: 
Overview and Issues for Congress'' Report (R45695) by Anna Normand at 
the Congressional Research Service (released March 2, 2021). The report 
provides many more funding details and ramifications in its 28 pages, 
including impacts to the streamgaging program budgets in nominal 
dollars. The full Report can be found at: https://
crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45695
    With your help and continued support, Congress can enable the USGS 
to fulfill its Water Resources Mission Area goals, including working 
toward full implementation of the Federal Priority Streamgage Network, 
adequately funding the Cooperative Matching Funds for streamgaging and 
moving water science into the 21st century through much needed 
modernization upgrades. Meaningful climate change and adaptation work 
cannot be completed without the hydrologic knowledge gained from our 
Streamgage networks.
    We are happy to answer your questions or provide additional 
information; please contact any of us or Sue Lowry at the Interstate 
Council on Water Policy ([email protected]).

 84 Organizations Signing on to FY 2022 Streamgage Support Letter (April
                                14, 2021)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Organization                  Signor               Title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Fisheries Society......  Drue Winters......  Policy Director
American Rivers.................  Ted Illston.......  Senior Director-
                                                       Policy
American Society of Civil         Thomas W. Smith...  Secretary & Exec.
 Engineers.                                            Dir.
American Water Resources          Dresden Farrand...  Executive VP/CEO
 Association.
American Water Works Association  Tracy Mehan.......  Exec. Dir./Gov't
                                                       Affairs
American Whitewater.............  Mark Singleton....  Executive Director
Appalachian Mountain Club.......  Susan Arnold......  VP for
                                                       Conservation
Association of American State     Rich Ortt.........  President
 Geologists.
Association of California Water   David Reynolds....  Director/Federal
 Agencies.                                             Relations
Association of Clean Water        Tom Stiles........  ACWA President
 Administrators.
Association of Fish & Wildlife    Jennifer Mock       Gov't Affairs
 Agencies.                         Schaeffer.          Director
Association of Metropolitan       Diane VanDe Hei...  CEO
 Water Agencies.
Association of State Dam Safety   Lori C. Spragens..  Executive Director
 Officials, Inc..
Association of State Floodplain   Chad Berginnis....  Executive Director
 Managers.
Association of State Wetland      Marla J. Stalk....  Executive Director
 Managers.
Bear River Commission...........  Don A. Barnett....  Engineer-Manager
Big Hole Watershed Committee....  Pedro Marques.....  Executive Director
Big Horn River Alliance.........  Anne Marie Emery..  Executive Director
California Sportfishing           Bill Jennings.....  Executive Director
 Protection Alliance.
Cascade Water Alliance..........  Ray Hoffman.......  CEO
CDM-Smith.......................  Timothy D. Feather  Vice President
Cobb County-Marietta Water        Glenn M. Page.....  General Manager
 Authority.
Colorado Lake & Reservoir         Kate Dunlap.......  President
 Management Assn..
Colorado River Salinity Control   Don A. Barnett....  Executive Director
 Forum.
Delaware River Basin Commission.  Steven J. Tambini.  Executive Director
Environmental Defense Fund......  Steve Cochran.....  Assoc. VP/Coastal
                                                       Resilience
Fly Fishers International.......  Patrick Berry.....  President & CEO
Freshwater Mollusk Conservation   Jeremy Tiemann....  President
 Society.
Great Lakes Observing System....  Kelli Paige.......  CEO
Henry's Fork Foundation.........  Brandon Hoffner...  Executive Director
Hydrological Services America...  Peter Ward........  General Manager
Idaho Rivers United.............  Nic Nelson........  Executive Director
Idaho Water Users Association...  Paul L. Arrington.  Executive Director
Interstate Commission on the      Michael Nardolilli  Executive Director
 Potomac River Basin.
Interstate Council on Water       Kirsten Wallace...  ICWP Chair
 Policy.
Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River    Earnie Gilder.....  Federal Chair
 Compact Comm..
KISTERS North America, Inc......  Becca Emery.......  Business Develop.
                                                       Mngr.
Madison River Foundation........  Jonathan Malovich.  Executive Director
Metropolitan North Georgia Water  Katherine Zitsch..  Director
 Planning District.
Missouri Department of Natural    Jennifer Hoggatt..  Director/Water
 Resources.                                            Res. Center
Minnesota Department of Natural   Ann Pierce........  Director/Ecol. &
 Resources.                                            Water Res.
Montana DNRC....................  Anna Pakenham-      Director
                                   Stevenson.
Montana Trout Unlimited.........  David Brooks......  Executive Director
Montana Watershed Coordination    Ethan Kunard......  Executive Director
 Council.
North American Lake Management    Lisa Borre........  President
 Society.
Nat'l. Assoc. Flood & Stormwater  Susan Gilson......  Executive Director
 Management Agencies.
National Assoc. State Boating     John Fetterman....  Director/Law
 Law Administrators.                                   Enforcement
National Audubon Society........  Julie Hill-Gabriel  VP/Water
                                                       Conservation
National Drought Mitigation       Dr. Mark Svoboda..  Director
 Center.
National Ground Water             Terry S. Morse....  CAE, CIC, CEO
 Association.
National Hydrologic Warning       Bruce Rindahl.....  President
 Council.
National Hydropower Association.  Malcolm Woolf.....  President and CEO
National Society of Professional  Curtis Sumner.....  Executive Director
 Surveyors.
National Water Resources          Ian Lyle..........  Executive Vice
 Association.                                          President
National Water Supply Alliance..  Dave Mitamura.....  Executive Director
National Wildlife Federation....  Melissa Samet.....  Sr. Water Res.
                                                       Counsel
Nebraska Department of Natural    Thomas E. Riley...  Director
 Resources.
New England Interstate Water      Susan J. Sullivan.  Executive Director
 Pollution Control Comm..
Ohio R. Valley Water Sanitation   Richard Harrison..  Executive Director
 Commission.
Oklahoma Water Resources Board..  Julie Cunningham..  Executive Director
Oregon Water Resources Congress.  April Snell.......  Executive Director
Phycological Society of America.  Eric W. Linton....  President
Red River Compact Commission....  Sue Lowry.........  Chairman
Republican River Compact          Thomas E. Riley...  Nebraska
 Commission.                                           Commissioner
Rivers Alliance of Connecticut..  Alicea Charamut...  Executive Director
Society of Wetland Scientists...  Loretta L.          President
                                   Battaglia.
Susquehanna River Basin           Drew Dehoff.......  Executive Director
 Commission.
The Nature Conservancy..........  Jimmy Hague.......  Sr. Water Policy
                                                       Adv
Three Rivers QUEST..............  Melissa O'Neal....  Associate Director
Tri-State Water Resource          Gail Melgren......  Executive Director
 Coalition.
Trout Unlimited.................  Steve Moyer.......  VP/Gov't Affairs
Upper Colorado River Commission.  Amy Haas..........  Exec. Director/
                                                       Secretary
Upper Mississippi River Basin     Kirsten Wallace...  Executive Director
 Association.
Upper Missouri Watershed          Sherry Meador.....  Board Chair
 Alliance.
Washington State Water Resources  Tom Myrum.........  Executive Director
 Association.
Water Environment Federation....  Walter Marlowe....  Executive Director
West Virginia Rivers Coalition..  Angie Rosser......  Executive Director
West Virginia Water Research      Paul Ziemkiewicz..  Director
 Institute.
Western Landowners Alliance.....  Lesli Allison.....  Executive Director
Western States Water Council....  Tony Willardson...  Executive Director
Wild Salmon Center..............  Caylin Barter.....  Water Policy Pgm.
                                                       Mngr.
Wyoming State Engineer's Office.  Greg Lanning......  State Engineer
Wyoming Water Association.......  Jodee Pring.......  President
Xylem Analytics.................  Timothy A. Grooms.  Marketing Director
------------------------------------------------------------------------

      
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission
    My name is Thomas L. Clarke and I serve as Executive Director of 
the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC). My address is 437A 
Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA 20190. My phone number is 703 709 8654. My 
email is [email protected]. We request that $68.59 million be 
provided in the budget of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement (OSMRE) of the Department of the Interior for State and 
Tribal regulatory grants under Title V of the Surface Mine Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.
    I appreciate the opportunity to present this statement conveying 
the views of IMCC's member States on the FY 2022 budget for OSMRE. IMCC 
is comprised of 26 States that together produce over 98% of the 
Nation's coal, as well as other important minerals. Among the Compact's 
purposes are to advance the protection and restoration of land, water 
and other resources affected by mining through the encouragement of 
programs in each of the party States that will achieve comparable 
results in protecting, conserving and improving the usefulness of 
natural resources.
    States are given exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over the 
environmental impacts of coal mining under Title V of SMCRA. This means 
that the core regulatory functions under this federal law are being 
carried out at the state level by IMCC member States. Primacy states 
perform all the duties mandated by SMCRA, including inspection and 
enforcement, ensuring that timely reclamation occurs following mining, 
designating lands as unsuitable for mining and issuance of permits that 
impose site--specific environmental protection requiremeents. In 
addition to performing the regulatory work Congress required in SMCRA, 
States pay a significant portion of the cost of meeting this mandate. 
Half of the cost of regulation on non-federal lands is borne by the 
states. In the aggregate the States are paying approximately 46% of the 
total cost of SMCRA regulation (all of the cost of regulation on 
federal lands is borne by the federal government). In addition to the 
fact that States bear a large part of the cost of regulation, another 
feature of state regulation that makes it cost-effective is lower 
personnel cost. The biggest single category of program expense is 
payroll and state pay scales are, for the most part, lower than those 
of the federal government. Accordingly, fulfilling the federal mandate 
for effective environmental regulation of coal mining impacts comes at 
a bargain to the federal government.
    It is no secret that coal production in America has declined. 
Instead of simplifying the regulatory challenge for States, the effect 
of this decline has been the opposite. The challenge of effectively 
regulating the environmental impacts of an industry in decline is much 
greater than when its markets were robust. Not only do States have the 
challenge of gaining compliance from mine operators who face declining 
cash flow, they also have the challenge of navigating their way through 
complex, high-stakes bankruptcies. Meanwhile, the number of permits 
that States must inspect has not declined at anywhere close to the 
falling rate of coal production. Adequate funding for protection of 
people and the environment from the adverse impacts of coal mining is 
more important than ever. Continued appropriation of adequate funding 
for state regulatory programs is essential if these programs are to 
achieve the objectives Congress established for them.
    Congress has appropriated $68.59 million in federal funding for 
State and Tribal SMCRA Title V regulatory programs in each of the last 
six fiscal years.\1\ This has been done in the face of administration 
budgets that would have gutted appropriations for state regulatory 
programs, cutting them by as much as $25 million per year (proposed 
budget FY 2021). Congress has wisely rejected these proposed cuts and 
continued a much-needed trend of appropriating an amount for state 
regulatory grants that aligns closely with the States' demonstrated 
needs. President Biden's proposed budget for FY 2022 includes slightly 
less than this for State grants, $65 million. The States are grateful 
that this Administration recognizes the need to devote significant 
funding to the environmental regulation of coal mining. However, its 
proposal falls just a little short of our need. We urge Congress to 
provide the full $68.59 million for State grants, as it consistently 
has in the recent past.
    The total grant requests for all State and Tribal Title V 
regulatory programs combined have consistently exceeded $70 million per 
year. See, Grants Resources (osmre.gov). For FY 2016-2021, State and 
Tribal Title V budget requests ranged from a low of $70.38 million for 
FY 2017 to a high of $76.24 million for FY 2020. In the current Fiscal 
Year, 2021, State and Tribal grant requests totaled $72.75 million. 
This is the amount the States believe they will need from the federal 
government to operate their regulatory programs.
    The amount the States have been able to actually spend for 
operation of these regulatory programs has averaged $63 million per 
year. Importantly, the gap between actual expenditures and the States' 
projected funding needs has been closing. The State's actual 
expenditures are on an upward trend. A variety of factors have 
prevented the States from spending all of their budgeted funds. These 
generally include the time it takes to fill vacancies under state 
personnel procedures, state-wide hiring and/or spending freezes imposed 
when States face budgetary issues and state revenue shortages that 
affect a state's ability to match federal dollars for program 
operation. State primacy under the SMCRA regulatory program dates to 
the early 1980's. As this regulatory program reached maturity in recent 
years, employees who began their careers when the state programs began 
have reached retirement age and moved on. When these senior employees 
have retired, they have often been replaced from within by a less 
senior employee. Less senior employees have often been replaced by 
junior employees, who have been replaced by new hires. It is not 
unusual for a State to go through the hiring process three times to 
fully eliminate the vacancy caused by a single retirement. During the 
time such vacancies persist, the money budgeted for the positions 
necessarily is not being spent. Because personnel costs are the biggest 
single cost driver for most state programs, vacancies are among the 
biggest of the challenges that a state program faces in operating 
according to budget. As the declining gap between the States' budget 
needs and actual expenditures may demonstrate, the States are nearly 
past this wave of retirements and the multiple vacancies that have 
resulted from them. Multiple vacancies should pose less of a budgetary 
challenge in the future, so the States' future needs from the federal 
government should be closer to their projections.
    With many States now in a position to utilize more of their full 
grant amount, it is imperative that funding be maintained at a level 
that meets the estimates of program needs the States made in their 
budget requests. Those requests reflect the ongoing work associated 
with state program implementation including permit reviews, inspections 
and enforcement at all inspectable units. Even with the decline in coal 
production, the States' workload has not correspondingly decreased--and 
in many cases has increased given the tenuous condition of some coal 
companies. Higher levels of vigilance are necessary to ensure 
contemporaneous reclamation and abatement of violations.
    This calls for vigilance by Congress. Inflation and other costs 
beyond the control of the States cannot be allowed to undermine state 
efforts to realize needed program improvements and enhancements or, 
more importantly, to jeopardize their efforts to minimize the potential 
adverse impacts of coal extraction operations on people and the 
environment. Our analysis of state program funding needs for FY 2022 
based on recent estimates indicate that a full federal appropriation of 
$68.6 million will be required for the existing State and Tribal 
programs. This represents a good middle ground figure that balances the 
need to assure that adequate funds will be available to enable the 
states to perform this vital work with the recognition that factors 
beyond state control may continue to have some effect on States' 
ability to spend the entirety of their projected budget needs.
    We acknowledge that over the course of many years, the gap between 
States' actual program expenditures and the amount of their budget 
requests for regulatory grants caused a balance of approximately $30 
million in unspent funds to accumulate. This was primarily the result 
of two factors: 1) the fact that federal appropriations for state 
regulatory grants are treated as two-year money, thereby providing 
flexibility for the use of these moneys, and 2) a few tough years where 
states faced particular challenges in obtaining state share match 
moneys and/or expending grant funding before the end of the federal 
fiscal year. Now, however, this accumulated balance has been all but 
eliminated. As adopted, the Fiscal Year 2021 funding bill (H.R. 133) 
rescinded $25 million of this balance. Having this small remaining 
cushion of available carryover funding provides the certainty and 
confidence that both OSMRE and the States require in managing funding 
for these critical programs. Congress should specifically mandate 
through report language that all carryover funds from past fiscal years 
can only be used to fund state regulatory program needs. It would also 
be beneficial to state program implementation if OSMRE was authorized 
to utilize these carryover funds for state program enhancement 
activities (without requirements for state matching funds) for such 
critical program topics as electronic permitting, mine mapping, and 
benchmarking workshops.
    Clear indications from Congress that reliable, consistent funding 
will continue has done much to stimulate support for these programs by 
state legislatures and budget officers who, in the face of difficult 
fiscal climates and constraints, have had to deal with the challenge of 
matching federal grant dollars with state funds. This is particularly 
true for those States whose match is partially based on fees from the 
mining industry, where significant reductions in mining and permitting 
activity translate to lower revenue (but not reductions in the volume 
of regulatory work for state agencies). Recall that any cut in federal 
funding generally translates to an additional cut of an equal amount 
for overall program funding for States, especially those without 
federal lands, since these States can generally only match what they 
receive in federal money.
    For all the above reasons, we urge Congress to approve not less 
than $68.59 million for State and Tribal Title V regulatory grants in 
FY 2022, the same amount enacted by Congress over the past few fiscal 
years. In doing so, Congress will continue its commitment to ensuring 
the States have the resources they need to continue their work on the 
forefront of environmental protection and preservation of public health 
and safety.
    A couple of forward-looking observations about future federal 
budgets should be made. The first concerns the potential impact of 
actions to eliminate emissions of greenhouse gasses that may be under 
consideration. As a compact of States with diverse interests, we take 
no position in support of or in opposition to any such action. We only 
wish to point out that a foreseeable collateral impact of greenhouse 
gas regulation may be the reduction or elimination of revenue from the 
coal industry the States use for operation of their SMCRA regulatory 
programs. If this happens, the States are likely to need a significant 
increase in future funding from the federal government for the 
regulatory effort that will be necessary to assure that the 
environmental impacts of existing mines are effectively addressed. The 
second concerns SMCRA Title V primacy being sought by the State of 
Tennessee. Tennessee has applied to OSMRE for primacy. Tennessee 
currently projects that this approval will come late in federal Fiscal 
Year 2023. For FY 2023 and thereafter, OSMRE budgets will need to 
include additional money for the federal share of the costs of 
operation of a state regulatory program in Tennessee.
    In addition to state regulatory grants, the States have a great 
degree of interest in the appropriations for OSMRE's National Technical 
Training Program (NTTP) and Technical Information and Professional 
Service (TIPS). The States rely heavily on the NTTP and TIPS training 
classes for their new employees and for refresher courses for more 
seasoned employees. These training programs are especially important as 
States find themselves at a point where many of their employees are 
finishing careers and must be replaced with less experienced people. 
Any adjustments to these two programs should involve the States working 
through the NTTP/TIPS Steering Committee.
    With regard to funding for State Title IV Abandoned Mine Land (AML) 
program grants, the States and Tribes should receive the mandatory 
appropriation of $155 million (before sequestration) in FY 2022. We 
also strongly support appropriation of $165 million for AML economic 
revitalization (AMLER) projects, as the President's budget proposes. 
This funding is targeted for economic and community development and 
reuse goals. We strongly support continued funding from the General 
Fund for these ``pilot'' projects. We also recommend concerted action 
to reauthorize fee collection under Title IV of SMCRA. IMCC also 
supports a continuation of funding for the watershed cooperative 
agreements at $1.55 million. Much valuable work has been accomplished 
through this program, especially given the matching funds that come 
from other sources besides OSMRE's share for these worthwhile projects.
    We appreciate the opportunity to submit this statement on OSMRE's 
budget for FY 2022. We also endorse the statement of the National 
Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs (NAAMLP), which goes into 
greater detail regarding the implications of OSMRE's funding for the 
States and Tribes related to the AML program. We would be happy to 
answer any questions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Grant funding for the Tribes' regulatory effort also comes from 
this appropriation. As appropriate in context, references herein to 
``States'' should be read to include the Tribes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Izaak Walton League of America
    The Izaak Walton League of America appreciates the opportunity to 
submit testimony for the record concerning appropriations for fiscal 
year (FY) 2022 for various agencies and programs under the jurisdiction 
of the Subcommittee. The League is a national, nonprofit organization 
with 40,000 members and 200 local chapters nationwide. Our members are 
committed to advancing common sense policies that safeguard wildlife 
and habitat, support community--based conservation, and address 
pressing environmental issues. The following pertains to programs 
administered by the Departments of the Interior, (Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance at $600 million, State and Tribal Wildlife 
Grants at $73 million, North American Wetlands Conservation Fund at $60 
million, Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense at $15 
million), and Environmental Protection Agency (Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative at $375 million, Chesapeake Bay Program at $90 million, 
South Florida Geographic Initiative at $6 million, and Non-Point Source 
Grants at $250 million).
    department of the interior, fish and wildlife service, national 
                         wildlife refuge system
    The League joins other members of the Cooperative Alliance for 
Refuge Enhancement (CARE), a diverse coalition of 22 wildlife, 
sporting, conservation, and scientific organizations representing 
approximately 15 million of members and supporters, in requesting $600 
million for operations and maintenance of the National Wildlife Refuge 
system in FY 2022.
    The League and CARE groups appreciate the importance of fiscal 
discipline and making strategic spending decisions. CARE annually 
develops an estimate of the operations and maintenance budget that is 
necessary to effectively provide visitor services and law enforcement 
as well as conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and habitat across the 
refuge system. CARE estimates operations and maintenance needs total 
$900 million annually. Although our long-term goal is to make steady 
progress toward a budget that more accurately reflects demands on the 
ground, the FY 2022 request balances fiscal responsibility with 
pressing resource conservation, visitor services, and law enforcement 
needs.
department of the interior, fish and wildlife service, state and tribal 
                            wildlife grants
    The League urges the Subcommittee to provide at least $73 million 
in FY 2022 for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants. This amount equals 
what was appropriated for FY 2021. State Wildlife Grants support 
proactive conservation projects aimed at preventing wildlife from 
becoming endangered. Experience shows that efforts to restore imperiled 
wildlife can be particularly contentious and costly when action is 
taken only after species are formally listed as threatened or 
endangered pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. State Wildlife 
Grants augment state and community--based efforts to safeguard habitat 
and wildlife before either reaches the tipping point. The federal 
investment leverages significant funding from private, state, and local 
sources.
 department of the interior, fish and wildlife service, north american 
                       wetlands conservation fund
    The League asks that the Subcommittee provide the fully authorized 
amount of $60 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund 
for FY 2022. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act conserves 
North America's wetlands and habitat for waterfowl, fish and wildlife 
while producing a variety of environmental and economic benefits. Its 
success is driven by partnerships involving federal, state and local 
governments, as well as non-profit organizations and community groups. 
Each federal dollar must be matched at least one to one, but funds are 
often doubled or tripled at the local level. In fact, NAWCA grants 
totaling more than $1.6 billion have leveraged over $4.68 billion for 
NAWCA projects through matching and nonmatching funds. Since its 
inception in 1989, more than 2,833 NAWCA projects have contributed to 
the conservation of almost 29.8 million acres of wetlands across North 
America.
   department of the interior, fish and wildlife service, chesapeake 
              watershed investments for landscape defense
    The League asks for the fully authorized amount of $15 million in 
FY 2022 for the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense 
program. We supported the authorization of this new program as part of 
the America's Conservation Enhancement Act last fall. Designed to 
support local restoration efforts that improve the health of our 
streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, this program was not authorized 
in time to be considered in the FY 2021 Omnibus.
    Throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed are iconic species that 
help shape the identity and culture of our communities, and drive the 
outdoor economy. By assisting local partners with on-the-ground work to 
enhance progress toward Bay watershed--wide goals like strengthening 
riparian forest buffers, restoring vital habitat for fish and wildlife, 
and improving water quality, this grant program will have an incredible 
impact on the environment and economy of the Bay and the 64,000 square 
mile watershed.
  environmental protection agency, great lakes restoration initiative
    The League supports providing $375 million for the Great Lakes 
Restoration Initiative in FY 2022. The Great Lakes provide drinking 
water to 35 million people and support jobs and recreational 
opportunities for millions more. However, the health of the Great Lakes 
is seriously threatened by untreated sewage, toxic pollution, invasive 
species, and habitat loss. The eight states that border the Lakes and 
many non-governmental organizations have invested significant resources 
to safeguard these national treasures. Sustained federal investment at 
a significant level is also needed or the problems will only get worse 
and cost even more to fix.
    Cleaning up the Great Lakes will provide many benefits, including 
economic development in the region. Great Lakes restoration efforts 
produce at least $2 in economic return for every $1 invested. 
Restoration projects create jobs for engineers, landscape architects, 
and construction workers and improve water quality, support outdoor 
recreation, and reestablish healthy fish and wildlife habitat. These 
results lay the foundation for long-term prosperity in the region.
        environmental protection agency, chesapeake bay program
    The League asks that the Subcommittee to fund the Chesapeake Bay 
Program at $90 million in FY 2022, matching last year's Chesapeake Bay 
Program reauthorization. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in 
the United States and one of the largest in the world. More than 16 
million people live within the Bay watershed. The Bay is a critical 
economic, environmental, and recreational resource for these residents 
and the entire nation. However, the productivity and health of this 
nationally significant resource remain seriously impaired by nutrient 
pollution from multiple sources throughout the watershed.
    The EPA and states have launched a significant and rigorous effort 
to cut pollution and improve water quality. Few would argue that 
implementing the total maximum daily load (TMDL) will not be 
challenging or not require significant investment to reduce point and 
non-point source pollution. However, the president's budget request is 
inadequate and fails to support states, local governments, and other 
partners as they implement the TMDL. The League believes it is 
essential to provide technical and financial assistance to achieve 
results on the ground and secure a foundation for sustained pollution 
reductions over the long-term.
  environmental protection agency, south florida geographic initiative
    The League respectfully requests the Subcommittee appropriate $6 
million for the South Florida Geographic Initiative for FY 2022. This 
amount matches last year's appropriation and is needed to reduce 
polluted discharges from leaking septic systems and other toxic 
cesspits, adequately monitor seagrass levels, assess efforts to restore 
the Everglades, and protect drinking water for 8 million Americans 
living in Florida. Economic benefits that would come from restoration 
of the Everglades are astronomical. Gains in biodiversity, groundwater 
purification and aquifer storage, increasing property values, park 
visitation, carbon sequestration, and improved fish and wildlife 
habitat that would come from a full restoration of the Everglades, as 
described in the Army Corps' Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, 
would drive an economic increase of $46.5 billion. The EPA investment 
in the restoration of south Florida and the Everglades is an important 
piece of the strategy to restore traditional water flows, protect 
drinking water, and conserve biodiversity.
 environmental protection agency, non-point source management program 
                     (clean water act section 319)
    The League is concerned that the FY 2021 omnibus provided only $177 
million for EPA's Section 319, the Non-Point Source Management Program. 
The EPA and many states report that non-point source pollution is the 
leading cause of water quality problems, including harmful effects on 
drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries and wildlife. Based on 
the pressing nature of the problem, it makes sense to invest resources 
that help states and local governments more aggressively tackle non-
point source pollution. The League urges the Subcommittee to increase 
funding for Section 319 to $250 million for FY 2022.
    The Izaak Walton League appreciates the opportunity to testify 
about these important issues.

    [This statement was submitted by Jared Mott, Conservation 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
    On behalf of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, I am pleased to submit 
this written testimony on our funding priorities and requests for the 
Fiscal Year 2022 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian 
Education (BIE) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) budgets.
    We commend the Biden's Administration's FY2022 proposed budget for 
Indian Country and urge Congress to enact similar funding levels to 
support strong Tribal governments, economies, and communities. 
Providing steady, equitable, non-discretionary base funding directly to 
Tribal Nations to support core government programs and services is an 
integral component of the Federal trust and treaty obligations. Tribes 
relinquished their lands and resources in exchange for funding and 
services from the Federal government in perpetuity and that obligation 
has not changed with time. It is solidified in our Constitution, 
Treaties, Executive Orders, and countless legal opinions. The Federal 
government, however, has never fully executed its responsibilities. It 
is time for the Federal government to honor those promises made nation-
to-nation.
    Over the past few decades, Tribal Nations have resumed exercising 
our inherent sovereignty and Self-Governance authority to develop 
sophisticated governmental systems that allow us to create 
comprehensive approaches to implementing programs and services at the 
local level that address our Tribal citizens and community's critical 
needs and align with our unique culture, traditions, and institutions. 
Self-Governance empowers Tribes to employ holistic techniques, develop 
innovative solutions, leverage the Federal dollar, and enter successful 
partnerships that allow us to realize a greater return on the Federal 
investment. The success we have attained demonstrates that continued 
Federal support is invaluable to growing sustainable Tribal economies 
that will enable us to attain our goal of self-sufficiency.
    Tribal Top 5 Priorities and Recommendations for the BIA/BIE and 
IHS:

    1. Advanced Appropriations for Tribal Programs and Services
    2. Increase Funding for Tribal Base Budgets/Recurring Programs
    3. Mandatory Appropriations for Section 105(l) Leases and Contract 
Support Costs
    4. Fully Fund Tribal Fixed Costs/Pay costs
    5. Invest in Tribal Infrastructure

    Advanced Appropriations for Tribal Programs and Services.--Tribal 
Nations are resilient, however, the persistent delays and/or lapse of 
Federal funding disrupts our governmental programs and services and 
attenuates our ability to protect the health and well-being of our 
communities and citizens. In addition, the 35-day government shutdown 
of 2018-2019 put our Treaty rights at risk jeopardizing the survival of 
our resources, inhibited our economic development potential, stifled 
our ability to recruit and retain staff, delayed the process for the 
reacquisition of our Tribal homelands and, most significantly, 
jeopardized our sovereignty and culture. Providing appropriations one 
year in advance for the BIA, BIE and IHS will mitigate the adverse 
financial effects of Federal budgetary uncertainties and allow Tribes 
to engage in more effective strategic planning, spend funds more 
efficiently, grow our Tribal economy and businesses and increase the 
quality of care and well-being of our Tribal citizens and community.
    Increase Funding for Tribal Base Budgets/Recurring Programs.--We 
urge Congress to appropriate funding to support Tribal base budgets by 
increasing funding for Tribal Priority Allocations and other Recurring 
Programs. For decades, in order to pay for tax cuts, wars, natural 
disasters and technology upgrades, funding for Tribal programs and 
services has been reduced or permanently rescinded. As funding for 
Tribal programs decreased, inflationary rates grew resulting in greater 
financial repercussions at the local level. There has been a growing 
trend among agencies to fund Tribal programs and services with grant 
dollars rather than providing base and recurring funding. Grant funding 
is incongruent with the trust and treaty resources and impose extensive 
regulations and reporting requirements, it is competitive short-term 
funding which creates uncertainty in planning and restricts the use of 
indirect costs.
    Mandatory Appropriations for Section 105(l) Leases and Contract 
Support Costs.--Separate, indefinite accounts that were established to 
support Section105(l) leases and Contract Support Costs (CSC) has 
allowed Tribes to recoup funding that is owed to them, but it has 
resulted in the unintended reduction of funding for Tribal program 
lines in the IHS, BIA and BIE budgets. The agencies are legally 
required to compensate Tribes for Section 105(l) lease obligations and 
CSC in accordance with the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (ISDEAA) but these obligations have grown tremendously 
since their inception. It is therefore incumbent upon the agencies and 
Congress to establish a permanent full funding solution that does not 
implicate current budget lines and services to Tribes.
    Fully Fund Tribal Fixed Costs/Pay Costs.--The Federal government's 
failure to fund Tribal fixed costs and pay costs has financially 
devastated Tribal governmental operations resulting in significant job 
losses. Our Federal counterparts consistently receive annual increases 
to their fixed costs rates to account for inflationary costs associated 
with fringe benefits and pay costs. Similar concessions must be 
extended to Tribal governments to preserve jobs at the local level.
    Invest in Tribal Infrastructure.--Increased Federal funding and 
investments could effectuate Tribal infrastructure development and, in 
turn, promote Tribal economic growth and self-sufficiency. Tribal 
governments and their citizens face profound infrastructure challenges 
that are acute and longstanding. Decaying, unsafe infrastructure is not 
only a public health issue but an impediment to economic development 
and job growth and reflects a failure of the Federal government to 
uphold its trust obligations. The breadth and severity of the unmet 
infrastructure needs must be addressed.
    Tribal Priorities & National Requests and Recommendations for the 
BIA:

    1. Trust Natural Resources
  --$66 million BIA Rights Protection Implementation
  --$17.1 million Western WA Fisheries Management
  --$15 million Wildlife & Parks
    2. $25 million Economic Development TPA
  --$25 million Indian Guaranteed Loan Program/Surety Bonds
    3. Human Services
  --$70 million Social Services
  --$100 million Welfare Assistance
  --$30 million Indian Child Welfare Act

    $66 million--BIA Rights Protection Implementation.--Rights 
Protection implementation is essential to preserve our Tribal treaty 
rights through resource management activities. The vitality and 
sustainability of our Natural Resources is integral to the health and 
welfare of our Tribal citizens, communities, culture and religious 
practices and economies. Our Tribal Treaty Rights are at risk. Climate 
change is having a profound impact on Tribal communities, lands, 
resources and infrastructure and degradation of our natural environment 
is happening faster than we can restore it in the Northwest. The 
Federal investment in Tribal Natural Resources is essential to restore 
ecological functions, healthy habitats, and protect our resources. This 
investment also fosters Tribal self-sufficiency and supports Tribal 
economies by allowing us to cultivate cross jurisdictional partnerships 
with state and local governments that create jobs and promote and 
advance trade. It also allows us to preserve for future generations 
important cultural and religious practices.
    $17.1 million--Western WA Fisheries Management.--This critical 
funding supports Tribal co-management activities of their treaty 
resources with the state of WA. These obligations include planning, 
regular assessments of resources, data gathering and other natural 
resource management requirements. This funding is critical to support 
day to day activities and monitoring of endangered habitat and fish 
stocks. Increased commercial and recreational activities coupled with 
the severe consequences of climate change has increased the urgency and 
costs associated with protecting our treaty resources.
    $15 million Wildlife & Parks.--Funding supports our hatchery 
operations that harvest salmon, oysters and other fish and shellfish 
stocks. Our Tribal culture and traditions, ceremonies and subsistence 
is dependent on the survival of these species.
    $25 million-Indian Guaranteed Loan Program/Surety Bonds.--Loan 
guarantees are an attractive financial tool because Tribes can leverage 
limited Federal funding in a prudent budgeting effective way and 
promote economic growth by investing in projects that can generate 
their own revenue streams. The Federal government is in a unique 
position to help advance Tribal projects and provide sustainable 
economic opportunities for Indian businesses and Tribal governments 
through the Indian Loan Guarantee Program and Surety Bonding for Indian 
contractors.
    Human Services.--Our social service programs cater to the needs of 
our most vulnerable populations by providing critical services to our 
elders, children, and Tribal families. We focus on opportunities for 
personal growth through education, training, and employment through 
structured programs that are designed with the goal of developing self-
reliance, self-sufficiency and developing strong Tribal citizens and 
community members. The success of our human services programs is 
demonstrated through the high number of Tribal citizens and descendants 
entering higher education learning and earning degrees, our 80% hiring 
rate and growing workforce of Tribal citizens, descendants and other 
Natives, our cultural preservation classes that create marketable 
products that can be sold through the Tribe's retail outlet and our 
flourishing language program. We lead our citizens down the path of 
self-sufficiency by developing their leadership skills, educational 
skills, job skills, fostering health and well-being in a culturally 
appropriate way.
    Tribal Priorities & National Requests and Recommendations for the 
IHS:

    1. $337 million to Support Current Services
    2. $460.3 million for Purchased and Referred Care
    3. $150 million Opioid Funding

    $337 million to Support Current Services.--Maintaining current 
services is a priority for Tribal governments and more vital now as we 
try to mitigate the impacts of the public health crisis on our 
communities. It is critical that the IHS budget honors and respects the 
Federal trust obligation by investing heavily in our healthcare 
systems. To maintain current services, factors such as the inflationary 
rate, pay costs, contract support costs, population growth and staffing 
needs for recently constructed facilities all need to be fully funded. 
When these mandatory factors are not funded, Tribes must supplement 
programs with their own limited revenue, or chose between limiting 
services or shutting down services completely. The COVID-19 pandemic 
exposed what Tribal leaders have been stating for decades; the severe 
and persistent underfunding of Tribal healthcare programs and services 
has resulted in underlying inequalities that cross a wide spectrum of 
areas leaving Tribes and their citizens vulnerable to deadly diseases 
and social and economic devastation. While Indian country was included 
in COVID Relief Legislation, the disproportionate impacts of the 
pandemic on Tribal communities require significantly more resources to 
preserve human life.
    $460.3 million Purchased and Referred Care (PRC).--Most IHS and 
Tribally operated direct care facilities do not provide the required 
emergency specialty care services, so Tribes are forced to turn to the 
private sector to fulfill this need. PRC funds are used to purchase 
essential health care services, including inpatient and outpatient 
care, routine emergency ambulatory care, transportation, and medical 
support services, such as diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, 
laboratory, nutrition, and pharmacy services. When PRC funds are 
depleted, services are denied to Tribal patients.
    $150 million Opioid Funding.--The opioid epidemic has devastated 
Tribal communities with American Indian/Alaska Native opioid related 
deaths exceeding three times the rate of non-Indians. We believe a 
holistic service delivery approach is most effective with those 
suffering from opioid addiction. Tribal governments must be included in 
any funding allocated for treatment and prevention.
    The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe continues to support the requests and 
recommendations of our Regional and National Indian Organizations. 
Thank you.

    [This statement was submitted by The Honorable W. Ron Allen, Tribal 
Chairman/CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the Kentucky Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Dear Chairman Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski:

    We are writing to express our support for the State and Tribal 
Wildlife Grants Program. We appreciate your past support and hope that 
you will make funding for this program a priority. The State and Tribal 
Wildlife Grants Program, now in its twentieth year, provides a critical 
investment that is necessary to sustain our nation's biodiversity. In 
FY2021, $72.4 million was appropriated to the program, benefiting every 
state, territory, the District of Columbia and Indian tribes. These 
funds leveraged tens of millions in state and private funds. We ask 
that you provide the most robust funding possible for the program in 
FY2022.
    The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is the nation's core 
program to prevent fish and wildlife from becoming endangered. The 
program provides funding for priority conservation work aimed at 
preventing and recovering endangered species. The program is saving 
taxpayer dollars by supporting interventions before federal listing is 
required for many species, cutting down on endangered species 
controversies. Successes in every state, territory and the District of 
Columbia are highlighted in a new report by the US Fish and Wildlife 
Service that documents 20 years of success for the program.
    The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program funds on-the-ground 
conservation work such as invasive species control, habitat management, 
land protection, species reintroduction, disease abatement, research, 
and monitoring needed to conserve over 12,000 animals identified as 
Species in Greatest Conservation Need in State Wildlife Action Plans. 
These plans were developed by each state, territory and the District of 
Columbia using the best available science and with input from farmers, 
ranchers, business-owners, conservationists, and the public.
    The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program directly benefits over 
100 million people who depend on healthy fish and wildlife and habitat 
for birding, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, hiking 
and other forms of wildlife-dependent recreation. The program is 
important to sustaining the $460 billion outdoor recreation economy and 
helps states meet their statutory responsibility for conserving fish 
and wildlife for future generations.
    Again, we appreciate the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies past support for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants 
Program and encourage you to make funding for this program a priority 
in FY2022. Stronger funding for the program will expand conservation 
work to a greater number of the species that are in decline. Thank you 
for considering our request.

            Sincerely,

Christina Wampler, President
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior 
                            Chippewa Indians
    On behalf of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians, I am pleased to submit testimony concerning the Tribe's FY 
2022 funding needs in the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA), Indian Health Service (IHS), and Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) accounts.
    The Tribe is grateful to the Subcommittee for passage of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and to all members who 
supported the CARES Act in 2020, which sustained the Tribe through the 
worst of the pandemic, and for the recently enacted American Rescue 
Plan (ARP) and the resources those measures provided the Tribe to 
actively combat and mitigate the pandemic, help Tribal businesses and 
families hit hardest by the pandemic, and ensure that essential 
governmental services could be provided to our members.
    We write to express our strong support for the Biden 
Administration's FY 2022 discretionary funding request. We understand 
that the Administration seeks significant increases in FY 2022 
discretionary spending to address the four-fold crises of: 1) the 
pandemic, 2) the economic crisis that has shuttered business and 
suppressed governmental revenues which threaten essential services, 3) 
racial inequities and historic shortfalls to underserved communities, 
and 4) the climate crisis. Our Tribe has seen all four calamities. We 
support the President's FY 2022 budget request. We ask that you to do 
the same.
    As of April 8, 2021, there have been 362 positive coronavirus cases 
on the Lac du Flambeau reservation out of 1829 tested (a positivity 
rate of 19.7%), 360 recoveries, 2 active cases, 21 hospitalizations, 1 
current hospitalization, and zero deaths. We have been very fortunate. 
But this was no accident. On March 14, 2020, early in the pandemic, we 
issued a State of Emergency Declaration. This was followed up a few 
days later with a Shelter at Home Declaration. We closed the Lac du 
Flambeau Public School and Zaasijiwan Head Start program on the advice 
of our medical professionals. We closed the Aging Program, suspended 
daily meal deliveries, began doing curbside delivery of frozen meals 
for elders, and urged seniors to shelter at home. On April 29, 2020, we 
closed access to public boat landings, campgrounds, parks, trails, and 
tribal roads. We also closed the LDF Country Market, LDF Gas Station, 
LDF Smoke Shop, and the Tribal Government Building to Visitors. We 
issued a face-mask order and kept our members updated through frequent 
statements on the Tribe's website.
    With CARES Act funds, we were able to issue hazard pay to essential 
workers, did our best to provide services and resources to Tribal 
members impacted the most by the pandemic, and made emergency 
assistance available to those most in need. We hope to construct an 
Emergency Operation Center using COVID-19 relief funds to better meet 
the needs of our reservation community in times of crises. We have 
already leveled the ground in anticipation of construction. The past 
year has been a testament to the hard work of dedicated Tribal 
officials and employees working collaboratively to keep members and 
residents safe and to mitigate the spread of the infectious 
coronavirus. The pandemic, however, highlighted the unmet needs of 
Indian country.
                   i. indian health service programs
    The Tribe appreciates the Subcommittee's commitment to increasing 
appropriations in FY 2021 for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to 
address the health needs of our members. We greatly appreciate and 
support the President's $8.5 billion funding request for FY 2022 for 
IHS, an increase of $2.2 billion. If enacted into law, this will help 
address ``long-standing health inequities'' experienced by Tribal 
members that have been driven home to all Americans by the pandemic. 
This funding also includes an advance appropriation for FY 2023. These 
funds will better ensure that we maintain and expand the Peter 
Christensen Health Center, Dental Program, the Family Resource Center, 
and our In-patient Treatment Center. These programs are vital to ensure 
the support and preservation of family life and wellbeing by providing 
outpatient mental health, inpatient & outpatient alcohol and other drug 
abuse, and psychological consults.
    We are also pleased to see the Administration prioritize funding to 
fight the opioid crisis with an investment request of $10.7 billion, an 
increase of $3.9 billion over the FY 2021 enacted level. The request 
will help Tribes like ours provide medication--assisted treatment and 
expand our behavioral health provider workforce. The Tribe is still 
working hard to combat the problem of opioid addiction. We appreciated 
the Committee's continued focus on the urgency of this crisis. We urge 
the Subcommittee to increase funds for preventive health programs such 
as Drug Endangered Children (DEC) and Drug Endangered Elders (DEE). 
These programs can save lives. Congress must recognize the toll that 
the pandemic, quarantines, and economic uncertainty has caused Tribal 
communities that are predominantly low-income.
                     ii. bie and bia appropriations
    A. Indian Education. The Tribe continues to promote higher 
education among our children, especially in STEM subjects with the hope 
that through scholarships and federal loan forgiveness programs, our 
young Tribal citizens will return to the Reservation to maintain it as 
a vibrant Tribal community. We have limited Tribal funds to help our 
members cover the rising costs of college and graduate school. For 
these reasons, we strongly support President Biden's request of $4 
billion for the BIA and BIE, a $600 million increase over the FY 2021 
enacted level. We cannot stress enough our need to retain our human 
capital here at Lac du Flambeau. Recruitment and retention of qualified 
professionals remains the greatest challenge for remote reservations 
like ours. Investments in people return powerful dividends for our 
future.
    B. Road Maintenance Program. The Tribe appreciates Congress 
appropriating $36 million for the BIA Road Maintenance Program for FY 
2021, including $500,000 for school bus roads. The BIA, however, has 
not been transparent in how these additional appropriations are 
allocated among eligible Tribes. We again urge the Subcommittee to make 
a one-time investment in the Road Maintenance Program, as it did 30 
years ago, and ensure that at least $20 million be added to the Road 
Maintenance Program account for FY 2022 for the replacement by Tribes 
and the BIA of aging heavy road maintenance equipment. With many 
equipment decades old, replacement parts are hard to come by. We need 
to replace plow trucks, front end loaders, graders, sanders, and wings. 
Every Tribal program depends on all-season road access, including 
elementary, middle, and high schools, health centers, law enforcement, 
ambulance services, residences, and on-reservation businesses. Idle 
equipment serves no one.
                  iii. natural resources (epa and bia)
    The Tribe enthusiastically supports President Biden's call for a 
budget of $11.2 billion for EPA, an increase of $2 billion (21%) above 
the FY 2021 enacted level. We support the restoration of nearly 1,000 
staff from EPA over the last four years. Ensuring that this important 
agency can carry out its core mission to protect the air, land, and 
waters of the United States, is critical. EPA must also lead the Nation 
in tackling the threat of climate change. We urge the Subcommittee to 
increase FY 2022 funds for the BIA and EPA Natural Resources programs 
that are critical to protecting our culture, our health, and our 
economy; part of Wisconsin's $19 billion hunting, fishing, recreation, 
and tourism industry. We thank the Subcommittee for increasing the 
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Program to $330 million in FY 
2021 and urge the Subcommittee to prioritize funds in FY 2022 to 
address environmental conditions in underserved communities like Indian 
country. We strongly recommend additional funding for the GLRI in FY 
2022.
    The Tribe has one of the leading Tribal Natural Resources programs 
in the Country. Our program includes a Fish Hatchery for several 
species of fish, Fisheries Management, Waterfowl habitat protection, 
GLRI, Wild Rice Restoration, Conservation Law Enforcement, Wildlife 
protection, Historic Preservation, and numerous Environmental Programs, 
including Water Resources and GAP. Our Natural Resources Department 
employs fish/wildlife/wild rice technicians, fish hatchery operators, 
hydrologists, environmental specialists, and administrators, many of 
whom are paid in full or in part with EPA and BIA funds. These funds 
are critical to our work protecting the resources that were promised to 
us in Treaties. Vilas and Oneida county lakes continue to have high 
concentrations of mercury. We cannot eat contaminated fish that are 
otherwise a staple of our members' diet. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) 
is another threat to our treaty protected resources and has been 
detected in deer in our ceded territories and is moving closer to the 
reservation. We seek funds to research CWD and prevention.
    We continue to see higher levels of PFAS; per- and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances, which are entering waters in our ceded territories. EPA 
established cumulative-lifetime health advisories for PFOA and PFOS, 
which are two PFAS that have been most widely produced and studied, at 
70 parts per trillion (ppt). The Wisconsin Department of Health 
Services, at the request of the State's Department of Natural 
Resources, after study, recommended groundwater enforcement standards 
of 20 ppt for PFOA and PFOS. Exposure to PFOA and PFOS can lead to 
adverse health effects, including cancer. Wisconsin recommends that 
Walleye consumption be limited to one per month when such fish test 
positive. We seek additional funds to test for PFOS levels and other 
contaminants such as pharmaceuticals.
    A. EPA's Underground Storage Tank Fund (LUST). The annual 
appropriation for Tribes allocated by EPA to cleanup under the Leaking 
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program is inadequate for Indian 
Country. We have spent almost a decade working with State and EPA 
officials to clean up the Tower Standard/Haskell Lake site, a LUST site 
located within the Tribe's exterior boundaries. This site is 
contaminated with petroleum, benzene, lead, dibromoethane, and other 
contaminants. EPA estimated that $1.7 million was required for 
``interim'' action measures to remediate contamination on the site. The 
Tribe has advocated for recognition of Tribal Cleanup Standards and 
Federally Approved Water Quality Standards. EPA has not recognized our 
standards. Tribal Groundwater Standards are equivalent to Federal Safe 
Drinking Water Act Standards and State Groundwater Cleanup Standard. 
Tribal Water Quality Standards were approved by EPA in 2005. Last fall, 
EPA completed site work with an Air Sparge/Soil Vapor Extraction Pilot 
Test and groundwater monitoring of some of the site wells. The design 
of this system will result in an interim measure expected to last 3 
years, subject to funding. EPA has also promised to complete the site 
characterization monitoring wells next year, also subject to funding. 
This has been an outstanding promise since 2015.
    Please allocate at least $25 million as a Tribal set-aside within 
the LUST Program for FY 2022. This will better ensure that our Tribe 
and other Tribes have access to sufficient EPA funds to remediate known 
LUST sites causing harm to our communities. We further recommend that 
the Senate report repeat language used in the Senate's FY 2020 report 
that directs EPA to ``fully engage in meaningful consultation with 
Tribes and honor Tribal cleanup standards when developing interim and 
final action plans to remediate LUST sites located on reservations.''
    B. EPA Tribal General Assistance Program. For FY 2021, Congress 
approved $66.25 million for the Tribal general assistance program 
(GAP). Tribal GAP program provides base funds to assist Tribes build 
their environmental capacity to assess environmental conditions, 
utilize available data, and build their environmental programs to meet 
local needs. The Tribal GAP funding is limited to capacity building. It 
is critical that Congress expand Tribal EPA funding to include program 
implementation. Please consider this change in eligible uses, along 
with more funding for the program, in the FY 2022 appropriations 
measure.
    C. Trust-Natural Resources Management. Continue to build Tribal 
capacity through meaningful increases to the Trust-Natural Resources 
Management program, specifically Tribal Fish Hatchery Operations and 
the Tribal Management/Development Program. For FY 2022, our Hatchery 
operations alone requires a $500,000 increase to the BIA's Fish 
Hatchery Operations account, and we require a $250,000 increase to our 
TM/DP Program operations. Our Natural Resources Program is the pride of 
the Tribe. We want to perpetuate it and hire and train future 
biologists, hydrologists, and environmental specialists to maintain the 
health of our hatchery, waters, land, and air. Our Natural Resources 
Program is the pride of our Tribe. We want to perpetuate it and hire 
and train future biologists, hydrologists, and environmental 
specialists to maintain the health of our hatchery, waters, land, and 
air. This requires resources we do not have. This Subcommittee's 
actions are key to our Tribe's ability to build on our successes for 
the benefit of our members. Please also support passage of the 
Recovering America Wildlife Act this year, including its set-aside of 
nearly $100 million for Tribal natural resource programs.
    D. GLIFWC. The Tribe strongly supports the Great Lakes Indian Fish 
and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) appropriations request for FY 2022. 
GLIFWC provides valuable support to the Great Lakes Tribes, like Lac du 
Flambeau, through services and activities which GLIFWC funds under the 
BIA's Rights Protection and Implementation and other programs.

    [This statement was submitted by John Johnson, Sr., President.]
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the League of American Orchestras
    The League of American Orchestras urges the Senate Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to 
substantially increase Fiscal Year 2022 funding for the National 
Endowment for the Arts (NEA). While the agency has received steady 
bipartisan support from the Subcommittee and Congress over the last 
several years, this past year of unprecedented closures due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic has called for special consideration of the 
devastating impact on the arts sector, including orchestras.
    Since the onset of COVID-19, the League of American Orchestras has 
collected information tracking the pandemic's impact on orchestras, 
their workforce, and their capacity to deliver on their community--
centered mission. Our third COVID-19 Impact Survey opened on February 
22, 2021, with 198 orchestras across budget sizes participating by 
March 11, 2021. The survey collected information to help gain a better 
understanding of orchestras' capacity to deliver performances for the 
rest of the current season and the 2021-22 season. Among the highlights 
as of March: 23% of orchestras are currently offering performances with 
a live, in-person audience; over two-thirds (67%) are offering 
streaming performances; orchestras are expecting halls to be on average 
at 42% of capacity when audiences return in person. The full impact of 
this pandemic has yet to be felt. Even as government closure orders 
lift, orchestras will not quickly return to full capacity, which will 
have a severe and prolonged impact on their financial capacity and 
workforce.
    The designation of being an NEA grantee has long provided a 
significant reputational boost that assists orchestras of all sizes in 
presenting concerts and unique experiences to the public. In 2020, the 
value of an NEA grant became even more significant given the crucial 
financial support in the form of CARES Act grants during what continues 
to be an extended period of vulnerability for the performing arts. The 
following testimony is both an expression of gratitude by the grantees 
and a request on behalf of the orchestral field for the agency to be 
empowered to continue providing necessary support. The NEA's leadership 
capacity, direct grants via Art Works and Challenge America as well as 
its indirect grantmaking through state and regional partnerships, 
research, and convening role make the agency an irreplaceable beacon to 
arts organizations and the communities that rely upon them as they cope 
with and recover from this troubled time.
    A National Endowment for the Arts CARES Act grant made it possible 
for the Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra (PSO) to retain its office 
location, pay needed utility bills, and preserve its artistic and 
education staff, all of which were needed for the 2020-21 season to 
operate. Without NEA CARES funding, the orchestra would have had to 
make dire cuts to its programs, staff, and operations. The NEA CARES 
grant freed up operational funds that led to the PSO's ability to 
quickly plan scenarios for an ever--changing 2020-21 season. This work 
resulted in a virtual concert season and the creation of a new program 
entitled Musician Led Projects. Both were launched in fall 2020. The 
digital season is employing nearly the entire roster of PSO musicians 
through Classical, Pops, Youth, Holiday, and Summer concerts. These 
concerts have included works by Arturo Marquez, Florence Price, Max 
Richter, George Walker, Ahmet Adnan Suygun, and many others. Musician 
Led Projects have given every musician in the orchestra the opportunity 
to earn income through self--led initiatives that connect music to 
members of the Portland community; this has been critical as the 
orchestra can only perform with 25-30 musicians on stage due to health 
recommendations. These projects have included small performances in 
outdoor locations, virtual performances, zoom studio tours with 
patrons, and educational content to engage very young listeners. 
Virtual concerts and Musician Led Initiatives have reached supporters 
and patrons in 36 states and provided employment opportunities for 
stagehand and concert hall staff in addition to work for PSO staff 
members. The NEA CARES Act grant allowed the Portland Symphony 
Orchestra not only to survive but quickly pivot to provide safe 
employment opportunities for artists and meaningful programs for the 
community.
    With funding from an NEA CARES grant, the Nashville Symphony is 
presenting a series of free Community Concerts in the spring and summer 
of 2021. Scheduled to take place both at Schermerhorn Symphony Center 
and at locations around the Middle Tennessee region, these concerts 
will be the Nashville Symphony's very first performances since being 
forced to shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 
the past year, the Nashville Symphony has embarked on a reimagining 
process and has initiated dialogues with key stakeholders and 
organizations in its community in order to help shape and transform the 
orchestra's community engagement programming. As part of the Nashville 
Symphony's reemergence, these Community Concerts represent a vital 
first step in how the orchestra will respond to the community's input 
and play a meaningful role in helping the people of Middle Tennessee 
heal from the devastation of the pandemic.
    The Billings Symphony utilized its NEA CARES grant to fill and 
sustain three key positions: Music Director, Education Director and 
Manager of Artistic Operations. These positions play a significant role 
in contributing to the organization's overall community engagement and 
are critical for sustaining the orchestra's mission to ``enrich lives 
through music.'' Eliminating or curtailing even one position would have 
resulted in dramatically reduced services to its already--underserved 
populations. This award allowed the Billings Symphony to continue 
offering its services through uncertain times as well as sustain it 
into the future. Given the unknown end of this public health crisis, 
the Billings Symphony has started facing a new reality by tasking its 
community engagement division to begin a transformation to provide 
creative and effective alternative programming, i.e., live streaming 
events, online educational resources for students, creative connection 
platforms for patrons and more. It prioritized scheduling for those who 
have been most isolated during the shutdown such as the Women's Prison 
and assisted living facilities. Lastly, receiving CARES funding freed 
up the orchestra to retain a residency for its ``you can't be it if you 
can't see it'' equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, which 
include the leads for its planned March 2021 Guys and Dolls Concert.
    By supporting musician salaries at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra 
(SLSO) during the summer of 2020, CARES Act funds benefitted both 
performers and the regional community, which enjoyed continued access 
to orchestral music. Creative offerings included: the #SLSOatHome video 
series in which musicians offered performances from their homes; the 
SLSO Instrument Playground Online, a valuable free educational tool for 
students, teachers, and parents to be introduced to orchestral 
instruments by musicians; and several musicians organized outdoor 
concerts in their own neighborhoods. The SLSO Songs of America project, 
a series of videos celebrating the breadth of voices in American music, 
featured SLSO musicians, local guest artists, and St. Louis landmarks 
that showcase the unique spirit of the community. The project reached 
more than 250,000 people online in its first month and aired on the 
local PBS affiliate, reaching another 185,000 people. Federal support, 
including NEA CARES Act funds, enabled the SLSO to be nimble and 
creative, maintain employment for musicians and staff throughout the 
pandemic, and continue making meaningful musical experiences when the 
community needed them most.
    During a season when far too many performing arts organizations 
have been unable to perform, the NEA CARES Act grant facilitated Toledo 
Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA's) return to the stage. The 
funding helped retain their Music Director and plan a season with both 
in-person and virtual audiences. TAPA adjusted its concert repertoire 
to accommodate a limited number of musicians safely on the stage while 
selecting programming that would resonate with the Toledo community 
during these extraordinary times. TAPA's celebratory 80th anniversary 
Nutcracker, the longest running annual production in the entire 
country, was modified and streamed by over 4,000 viewers with a 
recorded score performed by Toledo Symphony musicians, and in December 
PBS Newshour featured this Toledo production. So far this season, 
concerts have been viewed not only locally, but in 46 states and 29 
countries through the new TAPA Streaming service. This spring, TAPA 
celebrates Toledo's Metroparks, with Forces of Nature, a concert 
highlighting the treasure of their nationally acclaimed Metroparks 
system. In gratitude to their audiences, supporters, students, and 
community, their final concert this June will feature Beethoven's 
Symphony No. 6, Pastoral (feelings of gratitude after a storm). Toledo 
Alliance for the Performing Arts is deeply grateful for the NEA's 
investment in its efforts to provide the healing power of the arts 
during these challenging times.
    The South Bend Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) in Indiana was honored to 
be a recipient of CARES Act support administered by the NEA. While the 
2019-20 performance season came to an abrupt end for SBSO--as it did 
for nearly every arts organization in the country--the work of the 
organization had to continue. The operating support allowed the SBSO to 
focus energy on shifting to new projects and platforms during the 
pandemic. During a year spent exploring and redefining new ways in 
which the performing arts could thrive, the SBSO discovered that 
adaptation was equal to innovation. During the height of the pandemic, 
the South Bend Symphony launched an innovative new project entitled 
Octet. Octet was a proof of concept that attempted to add new 
dimensions to the listening experience when musicians and audiences 
were unable to gather in person. To provide musicians work at a time 
when it had become nearly non-existent for performers, eight SBSO 
string players were hired to assemble and perform in a socially 
distanced hall to record chamber music. This recording was mixed to be 
channeled through eight individual speakers, which were later set up in 
a circle in an exhibition hall at the South Bend Museum of Art where 
patrons could safely visit and encounter the sounds of a live octet as 
part an immersive audio experience. The project united several 
community partners and brought ``live'' music into South Bend for 
months. Octet, a fully transportable system, transcends the pandemic 
and will travel indefinitely to area hospitals, libraries, schools, and 
other community venues in the future. It notably traveled to several 
area COVID vaccine clinics, where patients enjoyed a unique musical 
experience during the mandatory observation time following vaccination. 
Without the incredible support of federal agencies like the NEA during 
this time, projects like Octet could never have happened. The SBSO is 
proud to have continued serving its patrons and community during the 
COVID-19 pandemic and is poised to thrive in the seasons to come.
    Thank you for this opportunity to share a sampling of ways in which 
the National Endowment for the Arts has been able to support orchestras 
through the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly translated to supporting 
musicians, staff, and their communities. These dedicated grants and the 
flexibility for FY20 and FY21 grantees to pay down operating costs have 
made a tremendous difference at a financially precarious time. NEA 
CARES Act grants have helped many organizations offer much--needed 
employment and provide ways for children and adults to enjoy music and 
inspiration amid great uncertainty. The NEA has shown consistent strong 
leadership in promoting public engagement with high--quality artistry 
and great empathy and understanding for the urgent needs of arts 
organizations and artists throughout this pandemic, and the agency 
continues to provide valuable leadership as the arts recover and begin 
to reopen. While this year's testimony has focused on the COVID-19 
support provided by the agency in acknowledgment of this anomalous 
time, it is our hope that Congress will support the annual 
appropriations for the National Endowment for the Arts with a 
substantial increase in FY22 so that communities throughout our nation 
can look forward to deeper engagement with and increased access to the 
arts.
                            about the league
    The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions 
America's orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its 
diverse membership of more than 1,800 organizations and individuals 
across North America runs the gamut from world--renowned orchestras to 
community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, 
from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to 
individuals who love symphonic music. A national organization dedicated 
solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge 
and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences 
and events, award--winning Symphony magazine, website, and other 
publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity 
and developments. americanorchestras.org

    [This statement was submitted by Simon Woods, President and CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
             Prepared Statement of the Maniilaq Association
Recommendations:

    1. Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service (IHS)
    2. Increase funding and accepted applications for the Joint Venture 
Program
    3. Fund Critical Infrastructure investments for the Indian health 
system
    4. Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) 
lease payments
    5. Fully fund Village Built Clinic leases
    6. Support increased funding for Sanitation Facilities Construction
    7. Increase funding and authorize a self--governance funding 
mechanism option for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians
    8. Increase funding for Preventive Health programs.
    9. Reduce dependence on competitive grants for Indian Country

Introduction

    Thank you Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities 
for the FY 2022 federal budget. My name is Tim Gilbert and I serve as 
President/CEO of the Maniilaq Association. The Maniilaq Association is 
an Alaska Native regional non-profit organization representing twelve 
tribes in Northwest Alaska. We provide health services through a self--
governance agreement with the Indian Health Service (IHS).
    We have been grateful that IHS has received significant 
supplementary appropriations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Those 
dollars have been critical in ensuring that we had the means to serve 
our patients and fight this deadly disease. The historic funding 
provided to IHS will translate into real lives saved. It is critical 
that we use this crisis as an opportunity to make real, sustained 
investments in the Indian health system. As we have seen with the 
remarkable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indian Country, when 
given adequate resources and when tribal sovereignty is honored, tribal 
communities can rise to the challenge. It is now time to take the 
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic--both positive and 
negative--to renew the Indian health system. Annual appropriations are 
essential to this effort and in fulfilling the federal government's 
trust and treaty obligations by ensuring critical programs and services 
receive adequate funding to fulfill their intended purpose. To further 
these goals, I offer the following recommendations for your 
consideration for FY 2022 appropriations for the IHS.
    Provide Full Funding for the Indian Health Service.--The IHS and 
its tribal partners under the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act strive to provide tribal people with access to high 
quality and comprehensive medical services, no more so than during the 
ongoing pandemic. It has navigated unimaginable hardships related to 
supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, and high 
rates of underlying conditions in serving our people at this time.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $48 billion for full funding. While this represents a dramatic 
increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address the true 
needs of the Indian health system. In FY 2022, the Workgroup requests 
$12.759 billion for IHS. We support their full request and reiterate 
the top 5 priorities for program expansion as follows:

    1) Hospitals and Clinics: $4.2 billion
    2) Purchased/Referred Care: $2 billion
    3) Mental Health: $715 million
    4) Alcohol and substance Abuse: $778.5 million
    5) Dental Services: $649.7 million

    Support Expansion of the IHS Joint Venture Program.--As you are 
aware, the IHS Joint Venture (JV) program provides tribes with a 
critical opportunity to build new facilities and to enhance health 
services for their patients. Under this project, tribes and tribal 
organizations build or acquire the facility with their own or other 
non-IHS funds, and IHS commits to fund the additional staffing and 
operations costs associated with the new or expanded facility. The 
program has been a major success, with close to 40 facilities built, 
acquired, or renovated since 1992. It has been a critical, cost-
effective mechanism to address the health care facilities shortage, 
since funds continue to be limited for the IHS Facilities Construction 
Priority List. Yet, despite the remarkable success of this program, 
projects like ours remain unfunded by IHS. In the last round, we--along 
with 2 other Tribal health organizations in Alaska--received a high 
score, but were not funded, as IHS only funded the top 5 applicants. We 
were in the top 10. We request that the Committee direct IHS to fund 
all high-scoring applicants for JV construction projects.
    Additionally, there remains a significant flaw in the program that 
leaves tribal facilities without necessary maintenance and replacement 
funds. The IHCIA requires that the tribe lease the facility to IHS for 
20 years at no cost. The JV facility is eligible to receive a share of 
IHS's perennially insufficient Maintenance and Improvement (M&I) 
funding, but is not eligible for a lease under section 105(l) of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA).\1\ 
This leads to the anomaly that non-JV facilities can be fully funded 
under 105(l), receiving either fair market rental or the cost elements 
set out in the regulations, while JV facilities are stuck with nothing 
but M&I. We request that Congress amend the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act to correct this issue. We are happy to provide any 
technical assistance you may need.
    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For many years, tribes 
have requested that IHS appropriations be funded on an advance 
appropriations cycle. It has unfortunately become the norm that IHS 
does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several months 
(sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. In the recent 
past, IHS, Tribal and Urban health programs have even had to deal with 
government shutdowns, when no funding was provided for weeks on end. 
These funding delays make it impossible for IHS and Tribal health 
programs to plan and manage their annual budgets. As you know, health 
systems cannot practically operate on a day to day or week to week 
basis without knowing what funding will be provided in the future. 
Unrelated political disagreements in Washington, DC should not impede 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) from receiving the health 
care they deserve. Full advance appropriations for the IHS would 
promote greater stability in services, medical personnel recruitment 
and retention, and facilities management.
    We thank the leadership of this subcommittee for supporting this 
important change in previous Congresses. We were also grateful to see 
President Biden support IHS advance appropriations in his FY 2022 
budget request to Congress which was released on April 9, 2021. We urge 
the Committee to take the necessary steps in the FY 2022 appropriations 
bill to move IHS to an advance appropriation for FY 2023 and beyond.
    Fully fund critical infrastructure investments.--As Congress 
considers making dramatic investments in the country's infrastructure, 
it is critical that the Indian health system not be left behind. 
Therefore, we request that the subcommittee allocate funding for full 
implementation of interoperable Electronic Health Records (EHR) and 
tele-health. This will ensure that IHS can provide services that are 
similar to other health providers. As you are aware, this investment is 
especially critical as the Veterans' Administration and Department of 
Defense move to modernize their systems. For tribes and Tribal health 
organizations who have committed their own resources to move away from 
RPMS and make their systems functional, IHS should take this into 
consideration with any new resources and ensure these programs are not 
only interoperable, but compensated accordingly.
    It is also critical that Congress make significant investments in 
Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and tribal facilities are 
some of the oldest in the nation, with an average age of 10.6 years. 
This creates situations where facilities are out of date, or not 
appropriate for the size of the patient populations they serve. 
Therefore, consistent with the Budget formulation Workgroup's request, 
we recommend $15 billion for Health Facilities Construction Funding & 
Equipment.
    Sanitation Facilities Construction.--During the pandemic, we were 
told to socially distance and wash our hands to keep COVID-19 from 
spreading. Yet for many homes in Alaska Native villages, without access 
to clean running water or sewer, this was impossible. Roughly 20 
percent of rural Alaska Native homes still lack in-home piped water. 
This creates significant health risks for Alaska Natives living in 
these communities. Yet, with a backlog of almost $3 billion ($1.8 
billion of that in Alaska), the IHS Sanitation Deficiency list cannot 
keep pace with need. We urge Congress to prioritize Sanitation 
Facilities Construction funding in FY 2022 and any infrastructure 
package moving through Congress. Furthermore, cost caps imposed by the 
IHS decrease project priority and limit the amount of funding going to 
those projects. IHS should eliminate cost caps that would provide piped 
water and sewer for these communities.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) lease 
payments.--We appreciate the subcommittee's commitment to ensuring that 
Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by 
including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in FY 2021 for both 
of these accounts. However, these line items continue to take up a 
larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary budget, thereby 
leaving little room to expand other services given tight discretionary 
appropriations caps. We strongly agree with the subcommittee's words in 
the explanatory statement for the Further Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) regarding 105(l) costs which said, in part: 
``Obligations of this nature are typically addressed through mandatory 
spending, but in this case since they fall under discretionary 
spending, they are impacting all other programs funded under the 
Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, including other equally 
important Tribal programs . . . ''
    Therefore, we ask you to continue to advocate with your colleagues 
on authorizing committees to enact mandatory appropriations for CSC and 
105(l) lease costs. Doing so, will ensure that other areas of the IHS 
budget are held harmless by these costs and true increases in critical 
services line items can move forward. This will enhance care for AI/AN 
patients and reduce health disparities.
    Fully Fund the Village Built Clinic Lease Program.--Village health 
clinics supported by the IHS Village Built Clinic (VBC) Lease Program 
have a long and unique history in Alaska, and provide the only local 
source of health care in many rural areas. VBC leases, which are vital 
to the provision of services by Community Health Aides/practitioners, 
who provide primary health care services and coordinate patient care 
through referral relationships with midlevel providers, physicians, and 
regional hospitals, remain severely underfunded. We ask that Congress 
fully fund all VBC leases in FY 2022 and thereafter.
    Extend Self-Governance Funding Options to the Special Diabetes 
Program for Indians (SDPI) and increase funding to $250 million/year.--
While we understand that SDPI is not under the jurisdiction of the 
subcommittee, we appreciate that Congress included a three-year 
reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(P.L. 116-260). Communities like ours across Indian Country rely on 
SDPI resources to address the alarming rates of diabetes and diabetes--
related health complications among our people. SDPI's success rests in 
the flexibility of its program structure that allows for the 
incorporation of culture and local needs into its services. Consistent 
with this model, Congress should authorize SDPI participants the option 
of receiving their federal funds through either a grant (as currently 
used) or self--governance funding mechanisms under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. This would be a natural and 
just extension of SDPI in respecting tribal sovereignty. Additionally, 
SDPI has not had an increase in funding since FY 2004. Short term 
reauthorizations also destabilize this health program and make staffing 
and program continuity difficult. For this reason, we recommend 
permanent reauthorization for SDPI at a minimum base of $250 million 
per year with annual adjustments for inflationary increases. Therefore, 
we urge you to work with your Congressional colleagues to ensure that 
SDPI receives a funding increase of at least $250 million per year.
    Plan for the Future with Dedicated Funding for Preventative Health 
Services.--Among the many things we have learned from the COVID-19 
pandemic is that basic public health functions are critical to 
preserving life and overall health of Americans, yet public health 
systems in most tribal communities lag far behind systems in other 
jurisdictions. Without robust public health systems in place, 
responding to public health threats means that tribal communities will 
continue to be a challenge. Like other governments, Tribes have the 
responsibility to provide public health services for their people. Yet 
the federal government provides few resources to tribal communities for 
this purpose. AI/ANs experience health disparities for a variety of 
health conditions such as such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, 
cancer and other largely preventable chronic conditions. Treating these 
chronic health conditions imposes unnecessary challenges on Tribal 
health systems and IHS. We support long-term, sustained, full 
investment in tribal public health infrastructure so that tribal 
communities have the resources available to respond quickly when the 
next crisis hits.
    Reduce Dependence on Federal Grants.--In addition to the critical 
funding needs that are outlined above, we also support moving away from 
competitive grants for federal funding mechanisms. The federal trust 
responsibility does not require that we jump through a myriad of hoops 
and onerous applications to see that services are provided to our 
people. Grants also unfairly pit tribes against tribes, when all are 
deserving of critical resources. Therefore, we agree with other tribal 
leaders and continue to support broad based funding for our health 
systems across all federal agencies. Too often, tribes are under 
resourced to apply for federal grants, and to comply with the 
associated burdensome reporting requirements which vary from grant to 
grant. Applications and reporting requirements force our health system 
to divert staff time to apply and report thereby diluting the 
usefulness of the resources. Instead, we request wide-spread, formula-
based funding across all programs. Tribes must also be granted the 
flexibility needed to respond to the specific needs of their own 
communities, not those prescribed by federal grants. This also means 
providing enough resources so funds are provided in meaningful amounts 
across all tribes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ 25 U.S.C. Sec. 5324(l); 25 C.F.R. Part 900, Subpart H.

    [This statement was submitted by Tim Gilbert, President/CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of Methane Action and Remineralize the Earth
    Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, Methane Action and 
Remineralize the Earth (remineralize.org) are providing a summary of 
our more detailed recommendations, which you may find on the website of 
Methane Action (MethaneAction.org). These are based on the 
recommendations of scientists, lawyers, economists and businessmen and 
women in the U.S. and overseas with many decades of expertise in 
climate change mitigation. (See, e.g., scientists' letter of April 2021 
at MethaneAction.org). The world must rapidly reduce anthropogenic 
emissions, and develop and deploy greenhouse gas (GHG) destruction and 
removal methods, and through domestic and global governance, ensure 
that both are done safely and effectively. This Subcommittee has the 
power to take the lead in all three. Some of what we set out here may 
require authorizing in an appropriations bill. We focus primarily on 
the emerging, safe, efficient, nature-based methods of removing methane 
and other GHGs. We include recommended bill language below.
                   a greenhouse gas drawdown program
    Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to expedite the deployment 
of new GHG removal methods and the restoration of the earth's climate 
to a healthy state of below 300 parts per million CO2 as soon as 
possible, to return ambient methane to safe levels of less than .8 
parts per million by 2028 from the current 1.9 ppm and reduce other 
greenhouse gases and climate--forcing agents as rapidly as possible, 
and to thereby reverse the harms caused by climate change and protect 
the stratospheric ozone layer especially near the arctic as well. (See, 
latest IPCC draft report on impacts on humans and nature:https://
phys.org/news/2021-06-climate-impacts-people.html; https://phys.org/
news/2021-06-climate-impacts-nature.html; https://phys.org/news/2021-
06-hunger-drought-disease-climate-reveals.html and https://phys.org/
news/2021-06-greenhouse-gases-pose-threat-arctic.html)
    Establishing a Greenhouse Gas Drawdown Program.--Within ninety days 
of enactment, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 
in consultation with other relevant agencies, shall publish one or more 
regulations establishing a Greenhouse Gas Drawdown Program (the 
Program). The technologies he shall require as options for destroying 
or converting GHGs shall include, but not be limited to, those 
described below unless the Administrator of the E.P.A. and the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget agree that any would not be cost 
effective at a given time. The goal of the Program is to expedite the 
restoration of the earth's climate to a healthy state as described in 
the Purpose section above. It shall include the following steps 
undertaken simultaneously:
    a) Environmental and Biological Assessment.--The Administrator and 
the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture shall commence within 
sixty days a program to study the climate restoration potential of 
practices under their jurisdiction, and the methods listed below, 
initially in controlled environments prior to the completion of their 
assessment duties under the National Environmental Policy Act and the 
Endangered Species Act. They shall ensure by regulation that the full 
assessment, and interagency consultation concerning any action that may 
affect any listed species, regardless of the location of the decision, 
the action or its effects.
    b) Research, Development and Deployment.--The Secretaries of 
Agriculture and Interior and the Administrator of EPA, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Energy and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 
Management and the Advanced Research Projects Agency, shall within 
sixty days of enactment begin to study, develop and to require the use 
of practicable greenhouse gas drawdown methods in such activities as 
they conduct, permit, subsidize or purchase from, including but not 
limited to:

    1. the conversion or sequestration in agricultural, silvicultural 
and other forest soils, and open or closed aquatic environments, 
biochar, soil remineralization with rock dust and sea minerals and 
enhancement (enhanced rock weathering (ERW)) and the use of other 
natural sequestrates;
    2. the conservation, restoration, remineralization and de-
acidification of mature terrestrial forests, kelp forests, coral reefs, 
deltas, estuaries, and other aquatic ecosystems and marine life, 
including alterations in trawling and the designation of and 
implementation of expedited recovery programs for ``Climate Keystone 
Species'' that play particularly important roles in sequestering GHGs, 
including but not limited to the great whales, all bears and for 
foreign aid purposes, forest elephants;
    3. the atmospheric oxidation, catalysis and other methods for the 
conversion of methane and other greenhouse gases and climate forcing 
agents by means of exposing them to minerals, including but not limited 
to photocatalysis with iron salt aerosols, tower or chimney aided 
catalysis, zeolite sorbents followed by catalytic destruction, minerals 
or compounds in filters, waters and the atmosphere both near and 
removed from sources of methane;
    4. natural and enhanced weathering of the alkaline silicate rock 
dusts in soils to increase photosynthesis of growing plants, increase 
the intake or uptake of CO2 and N2O (nitrous oxide), improve the 
fertility of soils, and buffer downstream oceans from the effects of 
ocean acidification while addressing climate change; and
    5. changing or amending tillage and cover crop combinations, 
altering animal grazing, fodder or feed for example, with rotational 
grazing, the addition of red and other seaweed, and other methods of 
reducing the amount or nature of GHGs emitted and escaping from and 
around livestock.

    For the GHG Drawdown Program and (a) and (b) we appropriate 
$9,000,000, and provide additional appropriations as follows:

    (i) Field test methane oxidation effects of iron in ships' fuel to 
assess the feasibility of removing methane from the atmosphere in order 
to reduce its presence as a pollutant with climate forcing and other 
dangerous effects by increasing the oxidative power of the atmosphere 
using chlorine atoms generated by iron--containing sea salt aerosols. 
This technique is called Enhanced Atmospheric Methane Oxidation (EAMO), 
employing iron salt aerosol to catalyze the oxidation. EAMO mimics the 
natural methane oxidation processes, for which is appropriated for 
contracting for Field Tests from FY22-24, $2,156,866, and an 
Environmental Impact Statement in advance of expanded EAMO deployment, 
$348,000.
    (ii) Enhanced Atmospheric Methane Oxidation (EAMO) via Retired Oil 
Drilling Platform or Remote Island Tower.--The Administrator is 
directed to contract for an initial test project to disperse Iron Salts 
Aerosols (``ISA'' in the form of FeCl3) into the atmosphere allowing 
ISA to work as a photocatalyst that in the presence of sunshine 
accelerates methane oxidation to CO2 and water. The Administrator shall 
contract in FY22 with a qualified provider for a trial of EAMO via a 
retired oil--drilling platform or island tower for which is 
appropriated $1,207,000.
    (iii) Methane Oxidation Monitoring System (MOMS).--The 
Administrator shall complete a two-year contract for a Methane 
Oxidation Monitoring System (MOMS) using data from multiple existing 
satellites and from newly installed surface detection equipment, to be 
deployed on at least twenty ships by July 1, 2023. Ship Deployment and 
operations budget to be appropriated for FY2023. For development of 
MOMS in FY2022: $2,010,000
    (iv) Agricultural and silvicultural methane removal.--In 
cooperation with USDA and its agencies, such as the USDA Office of 
International Research, Engagement and Cooperation, by July 1, 2022, 
and the Administrators of EPA and USAID, the Secretary shall contract 
for an evaluation of GHG sequestration, uptake, oxidation and other 
long term removal methods in agricultural and silvicultural practice, 
including but not limited to the methods described in paragraphs 4)(I) 
and (II) below.

    I) With a goal of cutting methane emissions from rice cultivation, 
in cooperation with the Administrators of EPA and USAID, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall contract in FY 2022 for a three year test of the 
impact of various potential additives to rice farming, including but 
not limited to iron sulfates, approved for organic farming to enhance 
yields, fight plant chlorosis, and improve the nutritional value of 
rice crops by enhancing their iron levels in order to fight anemia, in 
conjunction with other changes in rice farming practice such as 
targeting the flooding of fields more efficiently for which is 
appropriated $3,000,000.
    II) The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the 
Administrators of USAID and EPA, shall contract with one or more 
qualified and successful organizations, such as Hope for Haiti, in FY22 
to complete over a period of 18 months an agricultural GHG 
sequestration program that includes restoring minerals to the soil and 
provides multiple development benefits for which is appropriated 
$300,000.
    (v) Achieving methane and other GHG emissions reductions, and 
potential sequestration and other removal via wetlands management.--The 
Administrator shall contract in FY22 for one or more investigations of 
relative wetland emissions of greenhouse gases, to determine if 
alternative practices could reduce greenhouse gas emission, without 
significantly changing the ecosystem of important wetland and other 
land preserves, recommend such wetland management practices, and 
evaluate proposals for changing land status, e.g., rewetting drained 
wetlands. $500,000 per year for 3 years for which is appropriated 
$1,500,000
    (vi) Restoring Climate Keystone Species.--The Secretaries of the 
Interior and Agriculture in carrying out their duties under Section 
7(a)(1) and (2) of the Endangered Species Act shall assist the 
Secretary of Commerce, and competent non-government organizations, in 
establishing a program to enhance the recovery of salmon, whales, 
elephants and other climate keystone species in the U.S. and other 
countries which shall include taking steps to reduce the carbon 
footprint of trawling and to protect whales and other climate keystone 
and water cleansing species such as kelp forests and oysters for which 
is appropriated $10,000,000 for Interior including a pass--through for 
Commerce and $5,000,000 for Agriculture.
    (vii) Surface-Based Photocatalytic Enhanced Methane Oxidation 
(SPEMO).--The Administrator shall contract for three years of research 
and development of surface--based photocatalytic enhanced methane 
oxidation (SPEMO) to lower methane emissions from coal mines, oil wells 
and animal farms, to ensure that the CH4 concentration from ventilated 
air is less than 1.7 ppm by volume; and apply photocatalytic paint to 
buildings, rooftops, photovoltaic panels, or in a ventilated conduit to 
reduce methane in the general atmosphere as a complement to commercial 
photocatalytic paints and coatings already being used because of their 
ability to reduce urban pollution such as nitrogen oxides and volatile 
organic compounds for which is appropriated $3,000,000.
    (viii) Accelerating the recovery of the stratospheric ozone 
layer.--The Administrator shall contract in FY22 for a three year study 
of technologies for eliminating Ozone Depleting Substances at the 
source or in the general atmosphere, to promote the use of those found 
feasible and to develop and publish a comprehensive mitigation plan for 
reducing emissions and eliminating ozone depleting substances from the 
atmosphere for which is appropriated $1,500,000.
    c) Comprehensive assessment of atmospheric methane sources, sinks 
and solutions, and development of a plan for atmospheric methane 
reduction. The Administrator shall by June 1, 2022 and annually 
thereafter issue a report providing (1) a review of each major methane 
emission source and sink and options to affect their impact on 
atmospheric methane levels; (2) a review of all possible, and all 
currently practicable, technologies, programs, policy and regulatory 
changes that could help reduce atmospheric methane levels and for each 
proposed technology or policy change, their technological readiness, 
likelihood of success, barriers to implementation, cost-effectiveness 
and cost-benefit analysis, and likely impact on atmospheric methane 
levels, and (3) national and global plans and related proposed 
agreements for atmospheric methane and other GHG reduction, including 
goals, recommendations, governance of the development and deployment of 
methods, options for investment in new technologies, regulatory and 
land management changes, and the potential use of emergency powers, for 
which is appropriated $6,000,000.
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Metlakatla Indian Community
Recommendations:

    1. Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service (IHS).
    2. Ensure that mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 
105(l) lease payments
    3. Fund Critical Infrastructure investments for the Indian health 
system
    4. Increase funding and authorize a self-governance funding 
mechanism option for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians
    5. Support for Tribal Hatcheries at the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA)
    6. Support for U.S. Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty
    7. Support for Tribal Court Assistance for Tribes Subject to PL 83-
280
    8. Support Funding to Address the Impacts of Climate Change
    9. Reduce dependence on competitive grants for Indian Country

                              introduction
    Thank you Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities 
for the FY 2022 federal budget is Reginald Atkinson and I am the mayor 
of the Metlakatla Indian Community. The Metlakatla Indian Community 
(MIC) is located on the Annette Island Reserve in southeast Alaska, a 
land base of 87,000 acres which includes significant fish and forestry 
resources. Through our Annette Island Service Unit we provide primary 
health services at our outpatient facility through funding from the IHS 
as a co-signer to the Alaska Tribal Health Compact under the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The following 
testimony will provide recommendations on the IHS and BIA priorities.
                   improving the indian health system
    We have been grateful that IHS has received significant 
supplementary appropriations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Those 
dollars have been critical in ensuring that we had the means to serve 
our patients and fight this deadly disease. The historic funding 
provided to IHS will translate into real lives saved. It is critical 
that we use this crisis as an opportunity to make real, sustained 
investments in the Indian health system. As we have seen with the 
remarkable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indian Country, when 
given adequate resources and when tribal sovereignty is honored, tribal 
communities can rise to the challenge. It is now time to take the 
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic--both positive and 
negative--to renew the Indian health system. Annual appropriations are 
essential to this effort and in fulfilling the federal government's 
trust and treaty obligations by ensuring critical programs and services 
receive adequate funding to fulfill their intended purpose. To further 
these goals, I offer the following recommendations for your 
consideration for FY 2022 appropriations for the IHS.
    Provide Full Funding for the Indian Health Service.--The IHS and 
its tribal partners under the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act strive to provide tribal people with access to high 
quality and comprehensive medical services, no more so than during the 
ongoing pandemic. It has navigated unimaginable hardships related to 
supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, and high 
rates of underlying conditions in serving our people at this time.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $48 billion for full funding. While this represents a dramatic 
increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address the true 
needs of the Indian health system. In FY 2022, the Workgroup requests 
$12.759 billion for IHS. We support their full request and reiterate 
the top 5 priorities for program expansion as follows:

    1) Hospitals and Clinics: $4.2 billion
    2) Purchased/Referred Care: $2 billion
    3) Mental Health: $715 million
    4) Alcohol and substance Abuse: $778.5 million
    5) Dental Services: $649.7 million

    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For many years, tribes 
have requested that IHS appropriations be funded on an advance 
appropriations cycle. It has unfortunately become the norm that IHS 
does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several months 
(sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. In the recent 
past, IHS, Tribal and Urban health programs have even had to deal with 
government shutdowns, when no funding was provided for weeks on end. 
These funding delays make it impossible for IHS and Tribal health 
programs to plan and manage their annual budgets. As you know, health 
systems cannot practically operate on a day to day or week to week 
basis without knowing what funding will be provided in the future. 
Unrelated political disagreements in Washington, DC should not impede 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) from receiving the health 
care they deserve. Full advance appropriations for the IHS would 
promote greater stability in services, medical personnel recruitment 
and retention, and facilities management.
    We thank the leadership of this subcommittee for supporting this 
important change in previous Congresses. We were also grateful to see 
President Biden support IHS advance appropriations in his FY 2022 
budget request to Congress which was released on April 9, 2021. We urge 
the Committee to take the necessary steps in the FY 2022 appropriations 
bill to move IHS to an advance appropriation for FY 2023 and beyond.
    Fully fund critical infrastructure investments.--As Congress 
considers making dramatic investments in the country's infrastructure, 
it is critical that the Indian health system not get left behind. 
Therefore, we request that the subcommittee allocate funding for full 
implementation of interoperable Electronic Health Records (EHR) and 
tele-health. This will ensure that IHS can provide services that are 
similar to other health providers. As you are aware, this investment is 
especially critical as the Veterans' Administration and Department of 
Defense move to modernize their systems. For tribes and Tribal health 
organizations who have committed their own resources to move away from 
RPMS and making their systems functional, IHS should take this into 
consideration with any new resources and ensure these programs are not 
only interoperable, but compensated accordingly.
    It is also critical that Congress make significant investments in 
Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and tribal facilities are 
some of the oldest in the nation, with an average age of 10.6 years. 
This creates situations where facilities are out of date, or not 
appropriate for the size of the patient populations they serve. 
Therefore, consistent with the Budget formulation Workgroup's request, 
we recommend $15 billion for Health Facilities Construction Funding & 
Equipment.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) lease 
payments.--We appreciate the subcommittee's commitment to ensuring that 
Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by 
including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in FY 2021 for both 
of these accounts. However, these line items continue to take up a 
larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary budget, thereby 
leaving little room to expand other services given tight discretionary 
appropriations caps. We strongly agree with the subcommittee's words in 
the explanatory statement for the Further Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) regarding 105(l) costs which said, in part: 
``Obligations of this nature are typically addressed through mandatory 
spending, but in this case since they fall under discretionary 
spending, they are impacting all other programs funded under the 
Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, including other equally 
important Tribal programs . . . ''
    Therefore, we ask you to continue to advocate with your colleagues 
on authorizing committees to enact mandatory appropriations for CSC and 
105(l) lease costs. Doing so, will ensure that other areas of the IHS 
budget are held harmless by these costs and true increases in critical 
services line items can move forward. This will enhance care for AI/AN 
patients and reduce health disparities.
    Extend Self-Governance Funding Options to the Special Diabetes 
Program for Indians (SDPI) and increase funding to $250 million/year.--
While we understand that SDPI is not under the jurisdiction of the 
subcommittee, we appreciate that Congress included a three-year 
reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(P.L. 116-260). Communities like ours across Indian Country rely on 
SDPI resources to address the alarming rates of diabetes and diabetes--
related health complications among our people. SDPI's success rests in 
the flexibility of its program structure that allows for the 
incorporation of culture and local needs into its services. Consistent 
with this model, Congress should authorize SDPI participants the option 
of receiving their federal funds through either a grant (as currently 
used) or self-governance funding mechanisms under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. This would be a natural and 
just extension of SDPI in respecting tribal sovereignty.
    Additionally, SDPI has not had an increase in funding since FY 
2004. Short term reauthorizations also destabilize this health program 
and make staffing and program continuity difficult. We recommend 
permanent reauthorization for SDPI at a minimum of $250 million per 
year with annual adjustments for inflationary increases. Therefore, we 
urge you to work with your Congressional colleagues to ensure that SDPI 
receives a funding increase of at least $250 million per year.
    Plan for the Future with Dedicated Funding for Preventative Health 
Services.--Among the many things we have learned from the COVID-19 
pandemic is that public health functions are critical to preserving 
life and overall health of Americans, yet public health systems in most 
tribal communities lag far behind systems in other jurisdictions. 
Without robust public health systems in place, responding to public 
health threats means that tribal communities will continue to be a 
challenge. Like other governments, Tribes have the responsibility to 
provide public health services for their people. Yet the federal 
government provides few resources to tribal communities for this 
purpose.
    AI/ANs experience health disparities for a variety of health 
conditions such as such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and 
other largely preventable chronic conditions. Treating these chronic 
health conditions imposes unnecessary challenges on Tribal health 
systems and IHS. We support long-term, sustained, full investment in 
tribal public health infrastructure so that tribal communities have the 
resources available to respond quickly when the next crisis hits.
                  support for bureau of indian affairs
    Tribal Hatcheries.--We deeply appreciate the increase for the Fish, 
Wildlife, and Parks sub-activity within the BIA Trust-Natural Resources 
Management budget in FY 2021 and are asking the Subcommittees to 
continue increased funding levels FY 2022.
    U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty.--Pacific salmon migrate through 
a broad geographic range that includes rivers, streams and the coastal 
waters of both the United States and Canada. Recognizing this reality, 
the Pacific Salmon Treaty was negotiated between the U.S. and Canada in 
1985 to prevent overfishing and provide optimum production and fair 
sharing of the salmon harvest. In the U.S., salmon fisheries governed 
by the Treaty provide nearly 27,000 full time jobs and add nearly $2 
billion annually to the gross domestic product. Funding to carry out 
different elements of the Treaty is appropriated through the 
Departments of Interior, State and Commerce. In the Department of 
Interior's budget, this funding is appropriated through the BIA Trust-
Natural Resources Rights Protection Implementation sub-activity and the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission. 
We thank you for the Subcommittee's continued support for this program 
in FY 2021, and encourage further investments to in FY 2022.
    Tribal Court Assistance for Tribes Subject to PL 83-280.--We deeply 
appreciate the much--needed support for tribes who are affected by 
Public Law 83-280 and who are striving to serve their communities with 
competent and appropriate judiciary systems. We are grateful for both 
the increased appropriations directed to the BIA Public Safety and 
Justice Law Enforcement-Tribal Justice Support program element and the 
helpful report language provided in FY 2021 Senate Appropriations 
Committee report (116-123) that outlined additional support for BIA to 
work with ``Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to consider options 
that promote, design, or pilot Tribal court systems for Tribal 
communities subject to full or partial State jurisdiction under Public 
Law 83-280.'' We ask that the Subcommittees continue to include PL 280-
specific funding under this program element and continue to direct the 
BIA in FY 2022.
    Increased Funding to Address the Impacts of Climate Change.--Like 
many tribal communities we continue to be impacted by the growing 
challenge of climate change on our environment. Threats such as 
flooding, erosion, ocean acidification, increased wildfires, extended 
drought, and changes in seasons all contribute to the serious 
challenges that tribal communities currently face. We are forced to 
reduce emissions, mitigate and adapt, but we need additional support. 
We appreciate language in the FY 2021 Appropriations Explanatory 
Statement that acknowledged the challenges Alaska Native communities 
face when it comes to climate change. We encourage the committee to 
provide increased funding for climate change activities targeted at 
tribal communities in FY 2022.
    Reduce Dependence on Federal Grants.--In addition to the critical 
funding needs that are outlined above, we also support moving away from 
competitive grants for federal funding mechanisms across all 
departments. The federal trust responsibility does not require that we 
jump through a myriad of hoops and onerous applications to see that 
services are provided to our people. Grants also unfairly pit tribes 
against tribes, when all are deserving of critical resources. 
Therefore, we agree with other tribal leaders and continue to support 
broad based funding across all federal agencies. Too often, tribes are 
under resourced to apply for federal grants, and to comply with the 
associated burdensome reporting requirements which vary from grant to 
grant. Tribes must also be granted the flexibility needed to respond to 
the specific needs of their own communities, not those prescribed by 
federal grants. This also means providing enough resources so funds are 
provided in meaningful amounts across all tribes.

    [This statement was submitted by Reginald Atkinson, Mayor.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern 
                               California
Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 
(Metropolitan) encourages the Subcommittee's support for fiscal year 
2022 federal funding of $2.0 million in financial assistance from the 
Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Aquatic Habitat Management sub-
activity for the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program 
(Salinity Control Program) to prevent further degradation of Colorado 
River water quality and increased economic damages.
    The salt concentration in the Colorado River causes an estimated 
$354 million in quantifiable damages to water users each year. While 
this figure is significant, had it not been for the efforts of the 
Salinity Control Program, damages would be much higher. Salinity 
Control Program actions have reduced the salinity of Colorado River 
water at key locations over 90 milligrams per liter (mg/L) from what 
they would have been without the actions. Modeling by the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation (Reclamation) indicates that quantifiable economic 
damages will rise to approximately $671 million by the year 2040 
without continuation of the program.
    Metropolitan is the regional water supplier for most of urban 
Southern California, providing supplemental water to retail agencies 
that serve approximately 19 million people. Water imported via the 
Colorado River Aqueduct has the highest level of salinity of all of 
Metropolitan's sources of supply, averaging around 630 mg/L since 1976. 
This salinity level causes economic damages to all sectors. For 
example, high salinity has the following impacts:

  --It reduces the useful life of water heaters, faucets, garbage 
        disposals, clothes washers, and dishwashers, and increases use 
        of water softeners in the household sector;
  --It increases the cost of cooling operations, the need for and cost 
        of water softening, and decreases equipment service life in the 
        commercial sector;
  --It increases water use, the cost of water treatment, and sewer fees 
        in the industrial sector;
  --It decreases the life of treatment facilities and pipelines in the 
        utility sector;
  --It increases the cost of desalination and brine disposal for 
        recycled water in the municipal sector;
  --It reduces the yield of salt sensitive crops and increases water 
        use for leaching in the agricultural sector;
  --It increases desalination and brine disposal costs due to 
        accumulation of salts in groundwater basins, and reduces 
        opportunities for water recycling due to groundwater quality 
        deterioration;
  --It reduces the ability to replenish groundwater in basins with 
        relatively low salinity standards;
  --It reduces the ability to reclaim and reuse water due to high 
        salinities in the water delivered to water treatment and 
        reclamation facilities; and
  --It makes it more difficult to meet wastewater discharge 
        requirements to comply with National Pollutant Discharge 
        Elimination System permit terms and conditions.

    There has been concern over salinity levels in the Colorado River 
for many years. To address the concern, the International Boundary and 
Water Commission signed Minute No. 242, Permanent and Definitive 
Solution to the International Problem of the Salinity of the Colorado 
River in 1973, and the President signed the Colorado River Basin 
Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Act) into law. Title I of the Act deals 
with the U.S. commitment to the quality of waters being delivered to 
Mexico. Title II of the Act deals with improving the quality of the 
water delivered to users in the United States. This testimony deals 
specifically with Title II efforts. To further foster interstate 
cooperation and coordinate the Colorado River Basin states' efforts on 
salinity control, the seven Basin states formed the Colorado River 
Basin Salinity Control Forum.
    The Forum is charged with reviewing the Colorado River's water 
quality standards for salinity every three years. In so doing, it 
adopts a Plan of Implementation consistent with these standards. The 
level of appropriation requested in this testimony is in keeping with 
the adopted Plan of Implementation, which is to be implemented by 
Reclamation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the 
BLM.
    EPA has concluded that more than 60 percent of the salt load of the 
Colorado River comes from natural sources. The majority of land within 
the Colorado River Basin is federally owned, and much of this federal 
land is administered by BLM. In implementing the Colorado River Basin 
Salinity Control Act in 1974, Congress recognized that most of the 
salts in the Colorado River originate from these federally owned lands.
    In 1984, Congress amended the Salinity Control Act and directed 
that the Secretary of the Interior develop a comprehensive program for 
minimizing salt contributions to the Colorado River from lands 
administered by BLM. In 2000, Congress reiterated its directive to the 
Secretary and requested a report on the implementation of BLM's program 
(Public Law 106-459). In 2003, BLM employed a Salinity Coordinator to 
increase BLM efforts in the Colorado River Basin, to pursue salinity 
control studies, and to implement specific salinity control practices. 
BLM is now working on creating a comprehensive Colorado River Basin 
salinity control program as directed by Congress. In January 2018 BLM 
issued A Framework for Improving the Effectiveness of the Colorado 
River Basin Salinity Control Program, 2018-2023. This document lays out 
BLM's plan to implement Colorado River Basin salinity control 
activities over a five-year period.
    Meaningful resources have been expended by BLM in the past few 
years to better understand salt mobilization on rangelands. With a 
significant portion of the salt load of the Colorado River coming from 
BLM administered lands, the BLM portion of the overall program is 
essential to the success of the effort. Inadequate BLM salinity control 
efforts will result in additional economic damages to water users 
downstream.
    Implementation of salinity control practices through BLM is a cost-
effective method of controlling the salinity of the Colorado River and 
is an essential component to the overall Colorado River Basin Salinity 
Control Program. Continuation of adequate funding levels for salinity 
control within the Aquatic Habitat Management sub-activity will help to 
prevent further degradation of Colorado River water quality and 
significant increases in economic damages to municipal, industrial, and 
irrigation users. A modest investment in source control pays huge 
dividends in improved drinking water quality to nearly 40 million 
Americans.
    Metropolitan urges the Subcommittee to support funding for fiscal 
year 2022 of $2.0 million from BLM's Aquatic Habitat Management sub-
activity for the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program.

    [This statement was submitted by Jeffrey Kightlinger, General 
Manager.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of Michael Chavarria, Governor of the Pueblo of 
                        Santa Clara, New Mexico
Recommendations:

    1. IHS--Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the 
Indian Health Service.
    2. IHS--Authorize a self-governance funding mechanism option for 
SDPI.
    3. DOI--$200 million increase for BIA tribal law enforcement and 
detention services.
    4. DOI--$620,000 for juvenile education in BIA detention 
facilities.
    5. BIA--Increase funding for BIA disaster recovery and prevention 
programs.
    6. BIA--$5 million to establish a BIA Emergency Response Fund.
    7. USFS--$6 million in priority funding for Tribal Forest 
Protection Act implementation.
    8. EPA--$100 million for the EPA Indian General Assistance Program.
    9. BIA--$6.2 million for the BIA Endangered Species Program.
    10. BIA--$60.9 million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program.
    11. BIA--$20 million for THPOs and maintain $1.5 million for NAGPRA 
enforcement.
    12. DOI--Maintain the funding moratorium for energy leasing in the 
Greater Chaco Region with additional funding for completion of the 
Tribal Cultural Resources Study.
    13. BIE--Maintain Tribal Education Department and Sovereignty in 
Education grant funding.
    14. BIE--$109 million for Facilities Operations and $725 million 
for Facilities Maintenance.
    15. BIE--$473 million for Indian School Equalization Program.

                              introduction
    Thank you for this opportunity to share our funding priorities for 
the FY 2022 federal budget. My name is J. Michael Chavarria and I am 
the Governor of the Pueblo of Santa Clara in New Mexico. On behalf of 
my Pueblo, we thank you and your staff for your hard work on behalf of 
Pueblo Country throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The relief 
dollars provided by Congress are critical to our short- and long-term 
recovery from this dire crisis. Annual appropriations are also 
essential to this effort in fulfilling the federal government's trust 
and treaty obligations by ensuring critical programs and services 
receive adequate funding to fulfill their intended purpose. To further 
these goals, I offer the following recommendations for your 
consideration for FY 2022.
               i. advancing healthcare in indian country
    Provide Full Funding and Advance Appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service. The IHS strives to provide tribal citizens with access 
to high quality and comprehensive medical services, no more so than 
during the ongoing pandemic. It has navigated unimaginable hardships 
related to supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, 
and high rates of underlying conditions in serving our people at this 
time. Yet, despite its irreplaceable importance to Indian health, it 
must still contend with annual uncertainties related to federal 
funding. This is unacceptable. The time to change is now. The IHS 
should be given parity with the Veterans Health Administration and 
receive full advance appropriations on at least a two-year cycle. Full 
advance appropriations for the IHS would promote greater stability in 
services, medical personnel recruitment and retention, and facilities 
management.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $48 billion for full funding. While this represents a dramatic 
increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address the true 
needs of the Indian health system. We strongly urge Congress to fully 
fund advance IHS appropriations beginning in FY 2022 to provide 
consistency and parity in the administration of Indian healthcare.
    Extend Self-Governance Funding Options to the Special Diabetes 
Program for Indians (SDPI). Thank you for including a three-year 
reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. 
Communities like ours across Indian Country rely on SDPI resources to 
address the alarming rates of diabetes and diabetes-related health 
complications among our people. SDPI's success rests in the flexibility 
of its program structure that allows for the incorporation of culture 
and local needs into its services. Consistent with this model, Congress 
should authorize SDPI participants the option of receiving their 
federal funds through either a grant (as currently used) or self-
governance funding mechanisms under the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act. This would be a natural and just extension of 
SDPI in respecting tribal sovereignty.
                    ii. support for justice services
    $200 Million Increase for Tribal Law Enforcement; Increase BIA 
Detention Facility Funding; and $620,000 for Juvenile Detention 
Education. Tribal law enforcement and emergency services personnel 
strive to provide high-quality and responsive public safety services. 
They must often do this notwithstanding the effects of serious 
understaffing and insufficient resources. If given the proper levels of 
support, tribal law enforcement would be able to better protect their 
communities. At Santa Clara Pueblo, for example, we would like to 
upgrade our radio system so the police department, fire/EMS, forestry, 
and conservation officers can all utilize the same network. This would 
greatly enhance our ability to serve the community. We urge Congress to 
provide a minimum $200 million increase for BIA and tribal law 
enforcement, including tribal courts and special services, in FY 2022 
for officer resources, personnel, and supplies and equipment.
    Public safety facilities and housing construction programs have 
been critically needed for many years. It has been four years since the 
Turning Point Program in Yuma, Arizona, that provided Native offenders 
with a substance abuse behavioral modification program with traditional 
healing practices unexpectedly closed. Today, we still do not have 
access to a comparable program or rehabilitation facility within our 
vicinity. BIA detention facilities and the services they provide are in 
need of increased support, particularly in regards to ensuring 
vulnerable youth have access to quality educational services. We 
request Congress increase funding for BIA detention services and 
provide $620,000 for juvenile education in BIA detention facilities.
              iii. effective natural resources management
    Increase Funding for BIA Disaster Recovery and Prevention 
Programs.--The stewardship of natural resources is key to both the 
economic and cultural well-being of Pueblo People, particularly in this 
era of increasing climate uncertainty. Santa Clara has been devastated 
by three catastrophic wildfires with the threat of new fires and floods 
always on the horizon. We have invested heavily in the development of 
fire preparedness and suppression resources to protect life and 
property. We understand the fundamental importance of beneficial 
partnerships with the BIA and other agencies in this effort. Because of 
this work, we are proud to say that Santa Clara is home to award--
winning tribal forestry and land management departments. Expanding 
tribal access to BIA disaster programs and deepening the resources 
available therein is critical. We urge Congress to provide increased 
funding for BIA natural disaster recovery and prevention programs in FY 
2022.
    $5 Million to Establish a BIA Emergency Response Fund.--Many tribal 
governments are hindered by the upfront investment costs and cost--
sharing requirements of certain federal emergency response programs. 
When coupled with bureaucratic delays in distributing funds, it often 
takes an unacceptable amount of time to receive disaster relief 
precisely when time is of the essence. We anticipate the need for these 
resources will only continue to grow and with quick access to funding 
becoming a top response need. We recommend an initial amount of $5 
million be allocated to establish a BIA Emergency Response Fund within 
the Office of Trust Services.
    $5 Million in Priority Funding for Tribal Forest Protection Act 
(TFPA) Implementation with Report Language on Expanding TPFA-Eligible 
Lands to the National Park Service.--The TFPA (Pub. L. 108-278) 
authorizes the Interior Secretary to give special consideration to 
tribally--proposed Stewardship Contracting or other projects on Forest 
Service or BLM land bordering or adjacent to tribal lands to protect 
trust and federal resources from fire, disease, and other threats. This 
is a smart policy. The TFPA was authorized, however, without a 
designated funding mechanism or with an accounting for Park Service 
land. As a result, efforts to the implement its beneficial provisions 
have been impeded. While we are encouraged to see the President's 
proposed general increase in Forestry Projects funding, dedicated TFPA 
dollars are needed. We request $5 million for TFPA implementation with 
report language encouraging agencies to prioritize this process to the 
greatest extent possible; and we request report language on the 
expanding TFPA--eligible lands to include the U.S. Park Service.
    $100 Million for the EPA Indian General Assistance Program.--EPA 
resources enable our Pueblo to support an array of projects that 
improve the quality of life for our people and safeguard the natural 
resources that provide us with physical and spiritual sustenance. 
Without these funds, we would face tremendous hurdles in operating 
environmental programs such as water quality monitoring and hazardous 
waste management. We strongly support the Indian GAP's goals of 
advancing greater local control, cooperative federalism, and tribal 
self-determination. We are encouraged to see the President's proposal 
to increase funding for this vital program in FY 2022, and we urge 
Congress to go even further by providing $100 million for EPA Indian 
GAP funding to advance sustainable environmental protection measures in 
Indian Country.
    $6.2 Million in Funding for the BIA Endangered Species Program.--We 
must account and appropriately care for the diversity of wildlife that 
are essential to maintaining our ecosystems' equilibrium and are 
culturally meaningful as part of our natural resources management and 
conservation. Further, each species possesses its own inherent value 
and should, thus, be protected by the federal government. The BIA 
Endangered Species Program is the only program that provides tribal 
nations with technical and financial assistance to protect wildlife on 
tribal lands through natural resources restoration, management, and 
economic development. We highly recommend Congress support the 
President's $6.2 million request for the BIA Endangered Species Program 
in FY 22.
    $60.9 Million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program and 
Maintain Cooperative Landscape Conservation Programs.--Across America, 
communities are facing mounting challenges related to our progressively 
unstable natural environment. Invasive species, disappearing tree 
lines, and accelerated rates of erosion are also taking an increasing 
toll on our agricultural and natural resources. These two Interior 
programs equip tribal nations with the tools to manage resource 
stressors, develop adaptive management plans, and engage in 
intergovernmental coordination. We request Congress fund the 
President's $60.9 million request for the BIA Tribal Climate Resilience 
Program and maintain the Interior Cooperative Landscape Conservation 
Program.
                iv. protecting tribal cultural patrimony
    $20 Million to Support the Vital Work of THPOs and Maintain $1.5 
Million for NAGPRA Enforcement.--The preservation of tribal sacred and 
cultural sites is a priority for all Indian Country. Damage of these 
sites is often irreversible, forever altering the way in which we can 
express ourselves as indigenous people. More tribal nations are 
establishing THPOs under the National Historic Preservation Act to 
protect this heritage. Our expert officers identify sites and 
coordinate with appropriate officials and third parties on their 
protection. They also support the work of museum and research centers 
that house tribal material culture and repatriated items. We request 
$20 million in THPO support and maintain $1.5 million in BIA NAGPRA 
enforcement funding for FY 22.
    Maintain the Funding Moratorium Related to Energy Leasing in the 
Greater Chaco Region and Provide Additional Funding for Completion of 
Tribal Cultural Resources Study.--As requested by the President is his 
FY 2022 Budget, we urge Congress to maintain the moratorium on oil and 
gas leasing on federal land in the withdrawal area of the Greater Chaco 
Region. We request this moratorium span the lifetime of the legislation 
rather than becoming ineffective upon completion of the ongoing 
tribally--led cultural resource studies. However, if a temporal 
requirement must be included, we ask that the moratorium stay in place 
until completion of the studies as well as the Resource Management Plan 
Amendment. Further, we ask that additional funding be provided to 
complete the Region's Tribally-Led Cultural Resources Study, as 
instructed in the in the explanatory statement accompanying the Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94).
   v. invest in native student achievement with increased bie funding
    Maintain Funding for BIE Tribal Education Department and 
Sovereignty in Education Grants.--These grants have and continue to be 
greatly beneficial to the Pueblo of Santa Clara. The funds support the 
development of TEDs to improve educational outcomes for students and 
efficiencies and effectiveness in the operation of BIE--funded schools. 
The goal of the grants is to promote tribal educational capacity 
building, which it has achieved in our community through the Department 
of Youth and Learning and our Pueblo-Operated Kha'p'o Community School. 
Maintaining this BIE line item will strengthen the exercise of 
sovereignty in tribal education.
    $109 Million for BIE Facilities Operations and $725 Million for BIE 
Facilities Maintenance.--To flourish academically and personally, we 
must provide our children with safe and vibrant classrooms and engaging 
areas to play, as well as with after--hours wraparound services. Too 
many tribal school facilities are in various states of disrepair. These 
unsafe conditions pose unacceptable human and environmental health 
risks that harm our students physically and psychologically. The 
backlog of unmet needs for these accounts has grown exponentially with 
Interior leadership testifying in July 2019 to a total identified 
deferred need of $725 million. We urge Congress to fully fund this 
unmet need amount at $725 for BIE Facilities Maintenance and $109 for 
BIE Facilities Operations.
    $473 Million for the Indian School Equalization Program (ISEP).--
These funds provide the core budget account for BIE elementary and 
secondary schools by covering teacher salaries, aides, principals, and 
other personnel. ISEP funds are often reallocated to cover the program 
cuts in other areas of education. ISEP must have adequate funding to 
ensure all program needs are fulfilled and must not be reduced to 
provide funds for new initiatives that have not been vetted by tribal 
nations. We strongly support an influx of investment in the ISEP in FY 
2022.
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
    The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to submit this request for 
increased funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the FY 
2022 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act. The following testimony 
outlines several specific requests that are critical to support 
priority wildlife rescue, research, and recovery programs for 
Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act species 
important to California, the West Coast and nationwide, particularly as 
the nation looks to recover from the devastating COVID-19 global 
pandemic.
    In a typical year, the Monterey Bay Aquarium welcomes over two 
million visitors, provides more than 91,000 students and 5,000 teachers 
with award--winning education programs at no cost, and provides 
valuable data, tools and approaches for conservation and science at 
local to global scales.
    The COVID-19 global pandemic dramatically impacted our institution. 
The Aquarium suffered the loss of approximately $70 million in revenue 
and 40 percent of our staff over the 14 months during which we were 
fully closed to the public. We continued to spend over $1 million every 
month on animal care and life--supporting core operations--including 
for endangered, threatened, and protected species care and stranding 
response and rehabilitation. In addition, we provided enhanced and free 
digital and livestreamed educational content for schools and the wider 
public. The Aquarium has taken extraordinary measures to ensure the 
health and safety of our animals, staff and the public during this 
challenging time, and we are hopeful that emergency grant funds 
appropriated in the past two COVID-19 bills will provide some economic 
relief soon. We are grateful to Congress and to the Committee for its 
role in COVID-19 relief and recovery.
    Monterey County has only recently achieved the public health 
metrics that would allow us to reopen, so the Aquarium reopened to the 
public May 15 at 25 percent capacity. As we gradually increase the 
number of admitted guests, we can also more fully return to our 
mission- to inspire conservation of the ocean.
                 wildlife recovery and rescue requests
    The Aquarium recognizes the critical role that the Department of 
the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) plays in 
scientific information and managing the nation's public lands, natural 
resources, and wildlife species. For decades, we have worked in 
partnership with USFWS to help recover the threatened southern sea 
otter, and we urge you to support these priority requests for FY 2022 
so that we may accelerate that work.
    As scientists continue to document the impacts of rapid climate 
change and the significant loss of biodiversity, the USFWS leads the 
recovery of keystone endangered and threatened species that play an 
important role in maintaining resilient ecosystems. Sea otters, listed 
as threatened, are a prime example of a keystone species and have 
earned the title of ``ecosystem engineers'' because they can deliver 
outsized benefits to degraded stretches of coastline. Thanks to federal 
protection and the work done by federal and state agencies as well as 
concerted recovery efforts led by the Aquarium, the population in 
California has slowly begun to recover in recent decades. Healthy 
populations of sea otters can preserve and enhance the growth of 
seagrass and kelp, and offer benefits like improving water quality, 
nurturing valuable fisheries, protecting coastal communities from 
rising tides and storms, reducing invasive species, and sequestering 
carbon.
    The Aquarium helps to lead a science and conservation alliance in 
California that conducts important cross--disciplinary research in 
collaboration with the USFWS, U.S. Geological Survey, and the 
California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The Aquarium pioneered the use 
of female exhibit otters as surrogate mothers who rear stranded sea 
otter pups for successful release to the wild (``surrogacy method'') 
and holds the only federal permit for sea otter surrogacy. Population 
estimates and research together show that use of the surrogacy method 
for wild sea otter recovery has been effective in increasing sea otter 
population numbers along California's Central Coast, as well as 
improving the ecological health of a National Estuarine Research 
Reserve.
    Greater investment for species protected by the Endangered Species 
Act and safeguarded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act can play a 
central role in the collaborative effort to protect and enhance sea 
otter population gains, as well as bring associated habitat benefits, 
on the Central Coast of California. Over the long term, public--private 
leveraged funding may make it possible to accelerate recovery efforts 
and provide measurable environmental and economic benefits.
    Given the importance of public--private collaboration with the 
USFWS, the Aquarium requests additional funding and prioritization for 
the following competitive grant programs:

    Recovery Challenge Grants.--The USFWS Recovery Challenge Grant 
program leverages cost-effective models that bring together the 
resources needed to recover some of our most vulnerable species. This 
program recognizes the critically important role of nonprofit partners 
to the USFWS's endangered species recovery efforts and provides merit-
based matching grants to support them. Although recovery efforts are on 
an upward or stable trajectory for many species supported by USFWS 
recovery programs, continued support and increased funding is needed to 
sustain these gains and to mitigate threats to populations, food webs, 
and environmental sustainability. Access to funds is currently highly 
competitive.
    We request $11 million over FY21 ($20 million total) for the 
Recovery Challenge Grant program to support and implement critical 
recovery efforts in collaboration with the USFWS. In addition, we 
strongly support funding for Endangered Species Act recovery actions 
generally and request an increase of $15 million over FY21 ($120 
million total) for this important program.
    John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program.--
The USFWS Recovery Challenge Grant program leverages cost-effective 
models tThe Aquarium was recently awarded its first Prescott Grant 
awards ($100,000 for 2019, $100,000 for 2020) to help improve southern 
sea otter populations through stranding response projects. This 
opportunity for grants comes at a critical time for the Aquarium, which 
continues to lead California's emergency live stranding response of 
southern sea otters throughout their entire range alongside network 
partners. Increased funding for the Prescott grant program also 
supports additional stranding network organizations that join the 
Aquarium in this challenging work.
    We request an increase of $1.2 million over FY21 levels (total of 
$2.4 million) for the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant 
Program.
    Thank you for your consideration of these requests.

    [This statement was submitted by Margaret Spring, Chief 
Conservation & Science Officer.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the National American Indian Court Judges 
                              Association
    On behalf of the National American Indian Court Judges Association 
(NAICJA), this testimony addresses important programs in the Department 
of Interior (DOI). First, NAICJA joins the American Bar Association 
(see attached letter) in requesting substantially increased funding for 
tribal courts in response to the $1.2 billion annual shortfall for 
tribal courts as identified in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 2020 
report to Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and 
Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice Programs in 
Indian Country, 2018.
    Secondly, NAICJA joins the National Congress of American Indians 
(NCAI) in requesting:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Program                       NCAI FY 2021 Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOI: Base funding for tribal courts and     $123,000,000
 the Indian Tribal Justice Act, including
 courts in Public Law 280 jurisdictions.
DOI: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Law     $527,400,000
 Enforcement and Detention.
DOI: BIA Funding to Tribal Governments....  Provide increases via tribal
                                             base funding instead of
                                             through grants.
DOI: BIA Indian Child Protection and        $93,000,000
 Family Violence Prevention Act.
DOI: BIA Welfare Assistance...............  $100,000,000
DOI: Indian Child Welfare Act Program.....  $30,000,000
DOI: BIA Social Services Program..........  $70,000,000
DOI/Indian Health Service.................  $12.75 billion
DOI/Indian Health Service: ISDEAA Section   Provide such sums as may be
 105(l) Lease Agreements.                    necessary through mandatory
                                             spending.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    NAICJA is a non-profit organization devoted to the support of 
American Indian and Alaska Native justice systems through education, 
information sharing, and advocacy. Its membership is primarily judges, 
justices, and peacemakers serving in tribal justice systems. As a 
national representative organization, NAICJA's mission is to strengthen 
and enhance tribal justice systems, including juvenile justice systems.
    The federal government's trust responsibility to Tribal nations is 
at the heart of NAICJA's recommendation to follow NCAI's FY 2022 Indian 
Country Budget Request. Like all other governments, Tribal nations are 
responsible for the protection and care of their citizens, residents, 
and visitors on their lands. Through treaties and other agreements, 
tribal lands were ceded in exchange for the promise of protected self-
governance and adequate resources from the United States. Those 
promises are the foundation of the government-to-government 
relationship that exists today.
    Core to Tribes exercising those responsibilities of protection and 
care is sufficient federal government funding resources provided in 
fulfillment of its trust responsibility. The primary DOI agencies 
through which the federal government can provide funds critical to the 
health and safety of tribal citizens and residents of tribal lands are 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS). The 
BIA and IHS provide essential services including hospitals, schools, 
law enforcement, and social services among others. Programs and 
services through these agencies affect the lives of around two million 
people across the country.
    Unfortunately, both agencies have been drastically underfunded for 
decades. Chronic underfunding allows systemic harm to be perpetuated 
against tribal citizens and residents of tribal lands. The inability of 
the federal government to live up to its trust responsibility is long-
documented, most notably by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (the 
Commission). The Commission has released three reports since the 1990s 
chronicling the continued underfunding of Indian country. Most 
recently, in 2018, the Commission in Broken Promises: Continuing 
Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans found that ``Federal 
funding for Native American programs across the government remains 
grossly inadequate to meet the most basic needs the federal government 
is obligated to provide . . . Since 2003, funding for Native American 
programs has mostly remained flat, and in the few cases where there 
have been increases, they have barely kept up with inflation or have 
actually resulted in decreased spending power.'' \1\
    Chronic underfunding also affects tribal justice systems. Tribal 
courts in particular need resources to protect women, children, and 
families, address substance abuse, and rehabilitate offenders. In 1991, 
the Commission found that ``the failure of the United States Government 
to provide proper funding for the operation of tribal judicial systems  
. . .  has continued for more than 20 years.'' \2\ In 2018, the 
Commission in Broken Promises found that there continues to be 
``systemic underfunding of tribal law enforcement and criminal justice 
systems, as well as structural barriers in the funding and operation of 
criminal justice systems in Indian Country.'' \3\ Finally in 2020, the 
BIA submitted a report to Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, 
Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice 
Programs in Indian Country, 2018. The total annual estimated need for 
tribal public safety and justice programs included $1.3 billion for 
tribal law enforcement, $1.2 billion for tribal courts, and $240.6 
million for existing detention centers. According to the same report, 
BIA funding only meets 14.7 percent of estimated need. Leaving tribes 
to fight for short-term funds via competitive grant processes.
    It is time for this history of underfunding to change, especially 
as the world continues to battle a global pandemic. NAICJA urges this 
committee to support the requests outlined in this testimony and 
included in the NCAI's FY 2022 Indian Country Budget Request.
    Increase base funding for tribal courts and the Indian Tribal 
Justice Act, including courts in Public Law 280 jurisdictions.--Along 
with the IHS, the BIA is one of the primary agencies responsible for 
providing services throughout Indian Country, either directly or 
through compacts or contracts with tribal governments. One of the most 
fundamental aspects of the federal government's trust responsibility is 
the obligation to protect public safety on tribal lands. Congress and 
the United States Supreme Court have long acknowledged this obligation, 
which Congress reaffirmed in the Tribal Law and Order Act expressly 
``acknowledging the federal nexus and distinct federal responsibility 
to address and prevent crime in Indian Country.''
    According to the BIA, the minimum base level of funding needed for 
tribal courts is $1.2 billion.\4\ For FY 2021, funding for tribal 
courts (generally) was $38.9 million and $15 million for tribal courts 
in PL 280 jurisdictions. This gap between identified need and recent 
appropriations calls for an increase in base funding for tribal courts, 
including courts in PL 280 jurisdictions.
    Fund BIA Law Enforcement and Detention efforts.--The BIA has also 
reported on the minimum base level of service needs in the areas of law 
enforcement and maintaining existing detention centers. The report 
found that $1.3 billion is needed for tribal law enforcement, and 
$240.6 million is needed to adequately fund existing detention 
centers.\5\ Again, the same report found that Congress is funding 
tribal law enforcement, detention/corrections, and tribal courts at a 
mere 14.7 percent of estimated need.
    Again, the gap between identified need and level of appropriation 
is wide. Further, recent experience demonstrates that addressing the 
lack of justice funding can make rapid and dramatic strides toward 
improving public safety.\6\ Tribal justice systems simply need the 
resources to put their tools to work to protect tribal citizens, 
residents, and visitors on tribal lands.
    Fund BIA Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention 
Act.--The ICPFVPA authorizes funding for two tribal programs: (1) the 
Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program, which 
funds prevention programming, investigations, and emergency shelter 
services for victims of family violence; and (2) the Treatment of 
Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect program, which funds treatment 
programs for victims of child abuse. The ICPFVPA also authorizes 
funding for the creation of Indian Child Resource and Family Service 
Centers in BIA regions. Child abuse prevention funding will assist 
Tribal nations in protecting one of their most vulnerable and most 
sacred populations. Tribes, like states, need adequate resources to 
effectively prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect in their 
communities. However, unlike states, Tribes do not have meaningful 
access to HHS Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Program (CAPTA) 
grant programs. The ICPFVPA was enacted to fill this gap, but without 
appropriations for ICPFVPA programs, Tribes are left without funding 
for child protection and child abuse prevention services.
    Fund BIA Welfare Assistance and Social Services.--The Welfare 
Assistance line item provides five important forms of funding to AI/AN 
families: (1) general assistance, (2) child assistance, (3) non-medical 
institution or custodial care of adults, (4) burial assistance, and (5) 
emergency assistance. The Social Services Program provides a wide array 
of family support services filling many funding gaps for tribal 
programs and ensuring federal staff and support for these programs. 
Importantly, the Social Services Program provides the only BIA and 
tribal specific funding available for child protective services for 
both children and adults in Indian Country. NAICJA supports NCAI's 
recommended appropriations for both programs.
    Fund the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Program.--ICWA funding is 
the foundation of most tribal child welfare programs. Current funding 
levels fall far short of estimates made in 1978 when ICWA was passed, 
which with inflation would be $193 to $459 million in today's dollars. 
Funding for off-reservation programs has completely stopped since 1996. 
NAICJA supports NCAI's recommendation to increase the ICWA Program 
appropriation to $30 million.
    Fund the Indian Health Service.--In permanently authorizing the 
Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), Congress reaffirmed the 
duty of the federal government to provide all the necessary resources 
to ensure the highest possible health status for AI/ANs, declaring that 
``it is the policy of this Nation, in fulfillment of its special trust 
responsibilities and legal obligations to Indians.'' \7\ Unfortunately, 
IHS has never received sufficient funding to fully honor its 
obligations. ``Funding for the IHS and Native American health care is 
inequitable and unequal. IHS expenditures per capita remain well below 
other federal health care programs, and overall IHS funding covers only 
a fraction of Native American health care needs, including behavioral 
health needs to address the suicide epidemic in Indian Country.'' \8\
    In accordance with National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup 
recommendations, representing all twelve IHS Areas, NAICJA supports a 
total appropriation of $12.75 billion. Further, NAICJA supports 
American Bar Association policy calling for IHS to be exempt from 
government shutdowns and federal budget sequestrations.\9\
    Fund Indian Self Determination Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) 
Section 105(l) Lease Agreements.--Ensuring tribal nations have the 
tools and resources for effective governance is critical to fulfilling 
the promise of the ISDEAA (P.L. 93-638) ISDEAA promotes self-
determination and self-governance, and this nation's trust and treaty 
obligations, by enabling tribal nations to enter into contracts and 
compacts with the federal government to operate certain federal 
programs. Those tribal shares of federal programs make up the ``base 
funding'' for tribal governments and provide certainty and security to 
those governments. Congress must support tribal self-determination by 
increasing tribal base funding, providing funding directly to tribal 
nations as opposed to passing funds through states, providing formula 
based funding rather than difficult to navigate competitive grant 
programs, and promoting accurate data collection so that funding can 
better target the needs of Indian Country. Additionally, funding for 
Section 105(l) lease agreements must be provided through mandatory 
spending that does not affect discretionary spending caps on tribal 
programs.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for your consideration of this testimony. For more 
information, please contact A. Nikki Borchardt Campbell at 
[email protected].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises: 
Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 4 (December 
2018).
    \2\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, The Indian Civil 
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights 71 
(June 1991).
    \3\ Supra note 1, at 32.
    \4\ Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. ``Report 
to Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for 
Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2018,'' July 
2020.
    \5\ Id.
    \6\ Michael S. Black, Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, 
U.S. Department of the Interior, Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p. 
136; see also Dep't of the Interior, press release, March 4, 2014.
    \7\ Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1602.
    \8\ Supra note 1, at 8.
    \9\ 2019A115A.
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                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of National Association of Clean Air Agencies 
                                (NACAA)
    On behalf of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies 
(NACAA), thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony on the FY 
2022 budget for the United States Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA), particularly grants to state and local air pollution control 
agencies under Sections 103 and 105 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), which 
are part of the State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) program. NACAA 
has three recommendations with respect to FY 2022 appropriations. The 
association urges Congress to 1) increase federal grants to state and 
local air quality agencies by $92 million above FY 2021 levels, for a 
total of $321.5 million (equal to the Administration's request); 2) 
provide flexibility to state and local air quality agencies to use any 
additional grants to address the highest priority programs in their 
areas; and 3) retain grants for monitoring fine particulate matter 
(PM2.5) under the authority of Section 103 of the Clean Air 
Act, rather than shifting it to Section 105.
    NACAA is the national, non-partisan, non-profit association of air 
pollution control agencies in 41 states, including 115 local air 
agencies, the District of Columbia and four territories. NACAA exists 
to advance the equitable protection of clean air and public health for 
all, and to improve the capability and effectiveness of state and local 
air agencies. These agencies have the ``primary responsibility'' under 
the CAA for implementing our nation's clean air programs. As such, they 
carry out an array of critical activities intended to improve and 
maintain air quality and protect public health.
    NACAA is grateful to the Subcommittee for your continuing 
commitment to air quality and your recognition of its importance to 
public health. While NACAA appreciates this commitment, it is important 
to emphasize how essential it is that these critical clean air programs 
receive additional funding going forward.
           air pollution poses serious public health problems
    Many areas of the United States have enjoyed enormous improvements 
to air quality while experiencing strong economic growth. Overall, 
federal, state and local programs to address air pollution under the 
Clean Air Act have been hugely successful over the years. However, 
there are still significant air quality problems, posing threats to 
public health and welfare, including disparities that persist in 
overburdened communities despite progress overall. Every year tens of 
thousands of people in this country die prematurely from air pollution. 
Millions are exposed to unhealthful levels of air contaminants, 
resulting in health problems such as cancer and damage to respiratory, 
cardiovascular, neurological and reproductive systems.\1\ EPA's own 
data show that in 2019 about 82 million people in this country lived in 
counties that exceeded one or more of the federal health--based air 
pollution standards.\2\ EPA's most recent data on hazardous air 
pollutants indicate that in 2014 ``millions of people live in areas 
where air toxics pose health concerns.'' \3\
    State and local agencies still lead the nation in responding to 
climate change. As emissions continue upward, wildfires worsen, ozone 
seasons lengthen, global temperatures trend steadily upward and global 
atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations now exceed 420 parts per 
million. State and local agencies in NACAA have implemented programs 
that made meaningful progress towards reducing greenhouse gases and 
many maintained efforts to respond to the Paris Climate Agreement, even 
as the U.S. withdrew.
    There are few problems that this Subcommittee addresses that pose a 
greater threat to public health than air pollution. We ask that you 
provide adequate resources to ameliorate this problem.
      state and local air agencies have been underfunded for years
    The responsibilities that state and local air quality agencies face 
continue to increase, while at the same time federal funding has not 
kept pace with the need for resources. Federal grants to state and 
local air quality agencies (under Sections 103 and 105 of the CAA) were 
$229 million in FY 2021, which is approximately the amount they 
received over 15 years ago, in FY 2004. If the FY 2004 figure is 
adjusted for inflation, level funding is approximately the amount the 
Administration has requested--$321.5 million in FY 2022 ($92 million 
more than the current grant amount). Although the need for increases is 
far greater, NACAA recommends that Section 103 and 105 grants receive 
merely level funding adjusted for inflation ($321.5 million) in FY 
2022.
    State and local air agencies have done more than their fair share 
to provide resources. The Clean Air Act (Section 105) envisioned that 
the federal government would support up to 60 percent of the cost of 
state and local air programs. However, the reality is that it provides 
only about 25 percent and in some cases much less, while state and 
local agencies provide the remaining 75 percent.
    Air quality agencies were already doing their best with inadequate 
resources. Now, state and local governments will face only steeper 
challenges trying to backfill the deficit in federal funding as the 
worst of the economic damage of the COVID--caused recession is likely 
still to come. The resource shortfalls for state and local clean air 
programs could stretch for years. Additionally, many clean air agencies 
are located within state and local public health departments and have 
had extra demands placed on them in serving immediate public health 
crises caused by the pandemic, further straining their budgets and 
competing for available resources. Without federal funding increases, 
many state and local air agencies will have difficulty keeping pace 
with existing requirements and addressing new responsibilities. These 
problems exist even before one considers a more active partnership 
between state and local agencies and the federal government, should it 
seek to expand its efforts to address the climate crisis. Such a 
partnership would require state and local involvement and leadership 
and the resources to make that possible.
                 how would additional funding be used?
    State and local air quality agencies regularly carry out many 
essential resource--intensive activities, such as monitoring, compiling 
emission inventories, planning, conducting sophisticated modeling, 
permitting, inspecting sources and adopting and enforcing regulations. 
Continuing these existing responsibilities requires tremendous effort. 
In addition to ongoing day-to-day operations, state and local air 
quality agencies also face emerging issues, including new regulations, 
technologies, monitoring, controls and other elements of the program 
that become ever more sophisticated. Additionally, the public 
increasingly calls for more (and timelier) information and assistance 
from state and local agencies, including during out-of-the-ordinary 
events, such as wildfires and natural disasters.
    Advances in technology, including monitoring and sensor equipment, 
and their accessibility to the public require state and local agencies 
to respond to this data more and more quickly. Unfortunately, many 
agencies still have older technology and must expend scarce resources 
struggling to respond to the public's need for information. These 
agencies are increasingly called upon to manage and share the air 
quality data generated by government and the public, and to develop 
programs to address air quality issues as they become known. 
Additionally, in light of technological and other advances and the need 
to provide the public and regulated community the efficiency and 
services they deserve, it is essential that state and local agency 
staff be well trained and provided with the tools necessary to keep 
pace with changing requirements.
    Despite broad improvements in most national and regional trends, 
air pollution and climate change continue to inflict disproportionate 
harm on black people, indigenous people and people of color. All clean 
air agencies have an obligation to focus regulatory attention on the 
communities that historically have borne the greatest burdens from air 
pollution and a changing climate, and who continue to do so today. The 
members of NACAA aspire to address the systems that produce inequitable 
outcomes and believe EPA should do so as well. Accordingly, among the 
programs for which additional resources are needed are state and local 
air agency efforts to address these disproportionate harms, including 
funding for staffing, tools and technical assistance. We also believe 
EPA should have adequate funding for its own efforts in this arena.
    To address the many challenges we face, including those identified 
above and others, there are many activities requiring additional 
funding, and they vary from area to area, since different parts of the 
country have unique problems and priorities. However, there are 
important efforts for which many agencies need additional resources. 
These include, among others:

  --expanding greenhouse gas--focused programs and taking on new 
        responsibilities as federal climate mitigation programs expand;
  --developing new strategies to meet our health--based air quality 
        standards and to reduce hazardous air pollutants;
  --improving programs to address environmental justice and 
        disproportionate harm;
  --enhancing our monitoring systems, equipment and procedures;
  --modernizing modeling and other estimation tools;
  --improving emission inventories of air pollutants;
  --improving risk assessment capabilities;
  --improving small business compliance assistance;
  --helping the public better understand air pollution and how to 
        protect their health; and
  --training staff so they can keep pace with changing requirements.

    These and other efforts are essential if we hope to further reduce 
air pollution, maintain the improvements we have made and continue to 
protect public health and welfare. Additionally, a well--funded and 
well--functioning national air program will support the economy through 
timely, well--reasoned permitting, planning and actions that support 
the private sector.
    While the grants requested in this testimony would not fully meet 
the needs of state and local clean air programs, even such a modest 
increase will help.
              flexibility in the use of funds is necessary
    Each state or local area in the country faces a unique set of air 
quality circumstances. For example, while one area may face tremendous 
impacts from wildfires, another may find ozone--related problems or 
hazardous air pollutants to be a greater challenge. A one-size-fits-all 
strategy for grants that is applied to all areas of the country would 
not recognize the need to focus resources effectively. Therefore, NACAA 
recommends that Congress provide state and local air agencies with the 
flexibility to use increased grant funds on the highest priority 
programs in their areas.
   nacaa recommends that monitoring grants remain under section 103 
                               authority
    EPA's budget proposes shifting the PM2.5 monitoring grant program 
from Section 103 authority to Section 105 authority. However, we 
request that these funds remain under Section 103 authority. Grants 
under Section 103 do not require state or local matching funds, while 
Section 105 grants call for a match. There are some state and local 
agencies that are unable to provide additional matching funds. If the 
program is shifted to Section 105 authority, these agencies may be 
forced to refuse critical monitoring grants due to their inability to 
afford the required match. NACAA has made this recommendation in 
previous years and state and local air quality agencies are very 
appreciative that Congress has been agreeable to this request in the 
past.
                               conclusion
    State and local air quality agencies' efforts to protect and 
improve air quality are critically important for public health and a 
sound economy. NACAA recommends that for FY 2022 Congress 1) increase 
federal grants to state and local air agencies by $92 million above FY 
2021 levels, for a total of $321.5 million (equal to the 
Administration's request); 2) provide flexibility to state and local 
air agencies to use any additional grants for the highest priority 
programs in their areas; and 3) retain grants for monitoring fine 
particulate matter under Section 103 authority.
    Thank you very much for this opportunity to provide testimony. If 
you require additional information, please contact Miles Keogh 
([email protected]) or Mary Sullivan Douglas 
([email protected]) of NACAA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-
current-and-future-challenges
    \2\ https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary
    \3\ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/
2014_nata_technical_
support_document.pdf, p. 138
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                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies 
                                (NACWA)
    The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) represents 
nearly 330 public wastewater and stormwater utilities nationwide, both 
large and small, that collectively provide essential clean water 
services to more than 150 million Americans daily. These essential 
public services protect public health and the environment and are vital 
for local economic growth.
    NACWA firmly believes it is past time for the federal government to 
re-engage as a strong funding partner in water infrastructure 
investment. Our nation's water infrastructure is at a key juncture, 
with costs rising both for traditional investment needs like 
maintaining aging infrastructure and meeting compliance obligations, as 
well as for newer challenges such as addressing emerging contaminants 
and managing increasingly complex water quality issues and ensuring 
system resilience in the face of climate change and cyber risks. And 
these costs do not include the additional expenditures related to 
needed new capital investments.
    The challenges of COVID-19 over the past year have only heightened 
the financial and infrastructure needs of the public clean water 
sector. In the face of these rising costs, utilities struggle to 
maintain rates that are affordable for all customers. In fact, the 
inability of poorer households to afford ever--increasing rates for 
clean water services has become the single greatest problem for many 
clean water utilities around the country. This affordability challenge 
has existed for many years due to shrinking federal government 
investment but has been particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 
pandemic.
    According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the current 
federal cost--share of water infrastructure has fallen to less than 5 
percent of total drinking water and wastewater infrastructure 
investment, forcing the vast majority of the cost of providing clean 
and safe water, onto local ratepayers and states. Paying for water 
infrastructure investment must be a shared effort between local 
governments and the federal government. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 
has heightened the importance of safe and reliable clean water for all 
Americans, while also underscoring the growing gap between federal and 
local investment in water systems and the vital need for more robust 
federal funding.
    Last month, the U.S. Senate took a major first step towards 
bridging this gap with overwhelming bipartisan passage of the Drinking 
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 (DWWIA), S. 914, which 
authorizes tens of billions in funding for clean water and drinking 
water infrastructure and programs beginning with FY22. While the timing 
and bicameral path forward on this legislation remains unclear, NACWA 
hopes the Subcommittee continues building on this strong bipartisan 
momentum during the FY22 appropriations process and provides funding at 
levels at least as high as those authorized in DWWIA.
    NACWA also requests that the Appropriations Committee provide as 
much funding as possible for clean water in any comprehensive 
infrastructure and investment package, especially in the form of direct 
grants.
    Below are NACWA's FY22 EPA Appropriations priorities. As always, 
NACWA appreciates the Subcommittee's strong engagement and 
collaboration with the Association and our members and appreciates your 
consideration of these clean water priorities.
                clean water state revolving fund (cwsrf)
    The CWSRF is the primary federal clean water financing tool that 
communities and public clean water utilities, both large and small, 
utilize to help meet their Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations and 
infrastructure needs. The CWSRF has been instrumental to communities' 
success in complying with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) permits, reducing the frequency and size of sewer 
overflows during wet weather events, and upgrading aging infrastructure 
and improving overall local water quality. NACWA strongly supports the 
higher authorization levels being advanced in Congress through DWWIA 
and requests as robust funding as possible in FY22 for the CWSRF.
          sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants
    Reducing sewer overflows can be very costly, placing financial 
strain on many communities and their ratepayers, especially in 
communities under federal consent decrees, dealing with aging 
infrastructure, and adjusting to population and economic shifts. 
Meanwhile, stormwater management presents significant opportunity for 
continued improvement in water quality and water reuse, but this comes 
with rising costs around the country.
    Originally authorized under the America's Water Infrastructure Act 
(AWIA) (P.L.115-270) at $225 million per fiscal year and recently 
reauthorized at $280 million per fiscal year under DWWIA, this program 
provides grants to municipal entities for treatment works to intercept, 
transport, control, treat, or reuse municipal combined CSO, SSO, and/or 
stormwater.
    In FY20, Congress took a major step forward by funding these sewer 
overflow grants--originally proposed in conjunction with the 1994 CSO 
Policy--for the first time ever. NACWA appreciates Congress' FY20 
appropriation of $28 million and FY21 appropriation of $40 million for 
the program. However, as the main grant program available to 
communities for sewer controls and stormwater we urge continued growth 
in appropriations for this program at the level authorized in DWWIA.
       integrated planning and epa office of municipal ombudsman
    At the end of 2018, Congress passed the bipartisan Water 
Infrastructure Improvement Act (Public Law No: 115-436) which codified 
EPA's Integrated Planning (IP) Framework to provide local communities 
with critical flexibilities in meeting their CWA obligations and ensure 
residents continue receiving safe, reliable, and affordable clean water 
services. The IP approach helps local communities sequence and 
prioritize how they meet their specific clean water obligations and 
long-term infrastructure needs and better manage costs over time. IP 
presents a significant opportunity to help communities stay on track 
with their clean water obligations and best manage costs, especially at 
a time of rapid innovation and changing environmental conditions.
    EPA will soon be providing an update to Congress on IP via a report 
that was required as part of the 2018 legislation. However, it takes 
significant work by the community, state regulatory agency, and EPA to 
understand and pursue an integrated planning approach. We urge Congress 
to provide EPA with additional resources to help communities consider 
IP, including providing states with needed guidance on how to 
incorporate integrated planning concepts in CWA municipal permits. 
Specific funding for this effort in FY22 would be particularly helpful 
in advancing IP efforts at the local level, as well as signaling to EPA 
that Congress continues to view expanding IP as a priority.
    EPA has recently begun to ramp up its IP efforts with its Technical 
Assistance Program for states and municipalities, which ends in August 
2022, to receive free IP reviews from the Environmental Finance Centers 
at the University of Maryland and University of North Carolina. While 
this assistance is helpful, the Agency has yet to fully provide states 
and communities, both large and small, with more information and 
guidance on the initial steps, knowledge, and resources needed to begin 
the IP process and how to best utilize it to meet CWA obligations.
    NACWA appreciates the subcommittee including IP report language in 
the final FY21 omnibus bill that supports IP activities at the Agency. 
Dedicated Congressional funding for IP is essential however to ensure 
EPA has the resources to fully and properly implement the law and help 
communities fully utilize this clean water tool. NACWA requests funding 
at a level of at least $2 million in FY22 to provide EPA and the 
Agency's regional offices with dedicated resources to fully and 
properly implement IP activities.
    The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act also included a provision 
establishing a Municipal Ombudsman's office within EPA to provide 
municipalities with a dedicated point of contact within the Agency to 
ensure Agency policies are being implemented appropriately and 
consistently at the local level, as well as lead the EPA's efforts on 
IP. Last year, EPA hired the Agency's first Municipal Ombudsman, and 
the water sector looks forward to increased collaboration. NACWA 
requests FY22 report language similar to that in the FY21 Omnibus that 
directs funding for the Office of Municipal Ombudsman to be funded at 
no less than the previous fiscal year level, with a request that this 
funding level be increased.
             water workforce infrastructure grants program
    Jobs in the water sector provide a good career with competitive 
wages. Over the next decade however, the water utility workforce is 
expected to incur a retirement rate of over one-third. This number is 
not only alarming given the important daily work of these professionals 
but is also problematic given the education and on-the-job training 
these jobs require.
    Congress authorized the Water Workforce Infrastructure Grants 
Program through AWIA 2018 to facilitate innovative workforce training 
programs that help address the workforce need. NACWA requests funding 
at a level of at least $5 million in FY22 for the program to train and 
develop the utility workforce of the future and ensure the long-term 
stability in the sector. NACWA also requests that the Subcommittee 
clarify that public clean water and drinking water utilities are 
eligible to receive these grants in partnership with training and 
educational institutions.
    water infrastructure finance and innovation act (wifia) program
    The WIFIA program is a compliment to the SRFs, providing an 
additional financing option for water infrastructure investment by 
leveraging limited federal resources. Since being authorized in 2014, 
NACWA has been pleased with the success of the WIFIA program in 
financing critical infrastructure projects. NACWA requests funding at a 
level of $68 million in FY22 for WIFIA.
    NACWA also supports an additional $5 million be provided for SWIFIA 
which allows state financing authorities that administer the SRFs to 
apply for WIFIA loans directly through EPA, applying with a single 
application in which the state would bundle multiple projects on the 
state's approved intended use plan.
         low income household water assistance program (lihwap)
    NACWA has long supported the creation of a federal low-income water 
assistance program at U.S. EPA to assist low-income households in 
maintaining access to affordable and reliable public clean and drinking 
water services. A robust and permanent federal water assistance program 
is key to helping communities and public utilities provide service to 
all customers while continuing to invest in and maintain safe, reliable 
water and wastewater systems. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further 
highlighted this important need.
    DWWIA takes an important step by directing EPA to assess low-income 
water needs around the country and authorizing a low-income household 
water assistance pilot program. NACWA continues to work with Congress 
on the establishment of a permanent low-income household water 
assistance program, and as a step in that direction we strongly support 
the low-income provisions in DWWIA.
    NACWA looks forward to further discussions with the Subcommittee 
and both the Senate and House authorizing committees on this important 
issue and requests that as much funding as possible be appropriated in 
FY22 for low-income household water assistance.
    In addition to the core clean water programs outlined above, NACWA 
also supports increased FY22 funding for EPA's Geographic Programs, 
such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), Chesapeake Bay 
Program, and Long Island Sound among others, which support critical 
watershed--based investments; Section 319 Nonpoint Source grants that 
are instrumental in pursuing holistic watershed solutions to 
impairments driven by nonpoint sources, which remain the largest 
outstanding driver of water quality impairments; and $20 million for 
EPA's National Priorities Water Research grant program that serves as 
an important source of federal funding to directly support water 
research projects.
    Lastly, NACWA supports strong FY22 appropriations for EPA to 
complete an updated Clean Water Infrastructure Needs Survey to ensure 
there is accurate, updated, and complete understanding of clean water 
needs across the country. It is critical that EPA receive Congressional 
funding support to complete this vital survey, but also that EPA be 
directed to move expeditiously in issuing the next updated report which 
is already behind schedule.

    [This statement was submitted by Jason Isakovic, Director of 
Legislative Affairs, Kristina Surfus, Managing Director of Government 
Affairs.]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Energy
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the 
Subcommittee, I am David Terry, Executive Director of the National 
Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), which represents the 56 
State and Territory Energy Directors and their Offices. NASEO is 
submitting this testimony in support of funding for the ENERGY STAR 
program (within the Climate Protection Partnership Division of the 
Office of Air and Radiation) at the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA). NASEO supports funding of at least $80 million in FY'22, 
including specific report language directing that the funds be utilized 
only for the ENERGY STAR program. The program received $54 million a 
decade ago and is now down to $39.4 million. The ENERGY STAR program is 
successful, voluntary, and cost-effective. The program has a proven 
track record--it makes sense, it saves energy and money, and Americans 
embrace it. ENERGY STAR helps consumers and businesses control 
expenditures over the long term. The program is strongly supported by 
product manufacturers, utilities, and homebuilders, and ENERGY STAR 
leverages the states' voluntary efficiency actions. Voluntary ENERGY 
STAR activities are occurring in public buildings, such as schools, in 
conjunction with State Energy Offices, in virtually every state, 
including Oregon and Alaska. The states and the public utilize ENERGY 
STAR because it is seen as unbiased and delivers cost--saving benefits 
to businesses, consumers and state and local governments.
    The ENERGY STAR program is focused on voluntary efforts that reduce 
energy waste, promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy, and 
works with states, local governments, communities and business to 
achieve these goals in a cooperative, public--private manner.
    NASEO has worked closely with EPA and approximately 40 states are 
ENERGY STAR Partners. With very limited funding, EPA's ENERGY STAR 
program coordinates with the State Energy Offices to give consumers and 
businesses the opportunity and technical assistance tools to make 
better energy decisions and catalyzes product efficiency improvements 
by manufacturers without regulation or mandates. The program is 
voluntary.
    ENERGY STAR focuses on energy--efficient products as well as 
buildings (e.g., residential, commercial, and industrial). Over 300 
million ENERGY STAR qualified products were sold in 2019 alone, not 
including another 300 million ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs. The 
ENERGY STAR label is recognized across the United States. Approximately 
90 percent of households recognize the ENERGY STAR label and a majority 
of surveyed U.S. households reported having purchased an ENERGY STAR 
product. The manufacturing, installation, design, wholesale 
distribution, and provision of professional services related to ENERGY 
STAR products employed almost 827,000 American workers in 2019. It 
makes the work of the State Energy Offices much easier, by engaging the 
public on easily--recognized products, services, and targets. In order 
to obtain the ENERGY STAR label, a product has to meet established 
guidelines. ENERGY STAR's voluntary partnership programs include ENERGY 
STAR Buildings, ENERGY STAR Homes, ENERGY STAR Small Business, and 
ENERGY STAR Labeled Products. A new ENERGY STAR ``tenant spaces'' 
program should be launched in 2021. The program operates by encouraging 
consumers and working closely with state and local governments to 
purchase these products and services.
    Marketplace barriers are also eradicated through the ENERGY STAR 
program's collaborative approach to consumer education. State Energy 
Offices are working with EPA to promote ENERGY STAR products, ENERGY 
STAR for new construction, ENERGY STAR for public housing, etc. Another 
ENERGY STAR success is in the manufactured housing sector. Some states 
and utilities offer modest rebates for ENERGY STAR manufactured homes 
in order to deliver both energy cost savings to homeowners and lower 
overall electric grid operation costs for all customers.
    In 2019, millions of consumers and thousands of voluntary partners, 
including manufacturers, builders, businesses, communities, and 
utilities, tapped the value of ENERGY STAR and achieved impressive 
financial and environmental results.
    An estimated 70,000 energy efficiency home improvement projects 
were undertaken through the whole house retrofit program, Home 
Performance with ENERGY STAR, in 2020.
    More than 840 utilities, state, and local governments and non-
profits utilize ENERGY STAR in their energy efficiency programs, as do 
1,800 manufacturers.
    The State Energy Offices are very encouraged by progress made at 
EPA, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, and in our 
states to promote programs to make schools more energy--efficient while 
improving indoor air quality and comfort. In fact, there are over 150 
ENERGY STAR--rated schools in states from Arizona to Maine. In 
addition, many states' private sector partners voluntarily utilize 
ENERGY STAR to promote energy efficiency and lower operating costs.
    EPA provides technical assistance to the State Energy Offices in 
such areas as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (how to rate the 
performance of buildings), setting an energy target, and financing 
options for building improvements and building upgrade strategies. 
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is used extensively by State Energy 
Offices to benchmark performance of state and municipal buildings, 
saving taxpayer dollars. Portfolio Manager is the industry--leading 
benchmarking tool which has been used voluntarily in approximately 50% 
of the commercial buildings in the United States. Portfolio Manager is 
used to measure, track, assess, and report energy and water 
consumption.
    Additionally, the industrial sector embraces ENERGY STAR at job--
creating companies such as GM, Eastman Chemical, Nissan, Raytheon, and 
Boeing. Recent ENERGY STAR certified manufacturers include such 
companies as J.R. Simplot, Flowers Foods, Ardagh Glass, and Marathon 
Petroleum Refining. At the close of 2019, more than 750 U.S. industrial 
sites had committed to the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, while 
311 sites met or exceeded their targets by achieving an average 10% 
reduction in industrial energy efficiency within five or fewer years.
    The State Energy Offices are working cooperatively with our peers 
in the state environmental agencies and state public utilities 
commissions to ensure that programs, regulations, projects and policies 
are developed recognizing both energy and environmental concerns. We 
have worked closely with this program at EPA to address these issues. 
We encourage these continued efforts.
    For example, in Oregon, the State is focused on decarbonization 
efforts, and ENERGY STAR is a useful tool to promote sustained 
investments in energy efficiency. In Alaska, the State has worked with 
partners to promote the Village Energy Efficiency Program, and ENERGY 
STAR has been critical.
    Moreover, Oregon and Alaska have significant ENERGY STAR activities 
underway:

  --Oregon is home to 180 businesses and organizations participating in 
        U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR program: 9 manufacturers of ENERGY STAR 
        certified products; and 10 companies supporting independent 
        certification of ENERGY STAR products and homes 49 companies 
        building ENERGY STAR certified homes. ENERGY STAR Partner 
        Activity in Oregon includes 1.9 million customers served by 
        ENERGY STAR utility partners in 2020; 3,607 buildings (255 
        million square feet) benchmarked using EPA's ENERGY STAR 
        Portfolio Manager; 26,522 homes earned the ENERGY STAR to-date; 
        437 buildings earned the ENERGY STAR to-date, including 107 
        schools, 3 hotels, 6 hospitals, 142 office buildings and 5 
        industrial plants.
  --Alaska is home to 20 businesses and organizations participating in 
        U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR program; has 153 thousand customers 
        being served by ENERGY STAR utility partners; 437 buildings 
        that have been benchmarked using EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio 
        Manager; 11,891 homes have earned the ENERGY STAR label; 31 
        schools, and 4 hospitals.

                               conclusion
    The ENERGY STAR program saves consumers billions of dollars every 
year. The payback and job creation benefits are enormous. NASEO 
supports robust program funding of at least $80 million in FY'22. 
Funding for the ENERGY STAR program is justified. It is a solid 
public--private relationship that leverages resources, time and talent 
to produce tangible results by saving energy and money and, in light of 
Administrator Michael Regan's commitment to environmental justice, can 
provide immense benefits to high--need and underserved communities. 
NASEO endorses these activities as well as the constructive 
partnerships that the State Energy Offices have with EPA to 
cooperatively implement a variety of critical national programs without 
mandates.

    [This statement was submitted by David Terry, Executive Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Foresters 
                                 (NASF)
    The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) appreciates the 
opportunity to submit written public testimony to the House Committee 
on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies regarding our fiscal year (FY) 2022 appropriations 
recommendations. Our priorities focus primarily on appropriations for 
the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) State and Private Forestry 
(S&PF) programs, as well as the Research and Development (R&D) Forest 
Inventory and Analysis Program.
    State foresters deliver technical and financial assistance, along 
with forest health, water, and wildfire protection for more than two-
thirds of the Nation's 751 million acres of forests. The Forest Service 
S&PF mission area provides vital support to deliver these services, 
which contribute to the socioeconomic and environmental health of rural 
and urban areas. The comprehensive process for delivering these 
services is articulated in each State's Forest Resource Assessment and 
Strategy (Forest Action Plan), authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill and 
continued in the 2018 Farm Bill. S&PF programs provide a significant 
return on the federal investment by leveraging the boots-on-the-ground 
and financial resources of state agencies to deliver assistance to 
forest landowners, tribes, and communities. As federal and state 
governments continue to face financial challenges, state foresters, in 
partnership with the S&PF mission area of the Forest Service, are best 
positioned to maximize effectiveness of available resources by focusing 
work on priority forest issues where resources are needed most.
    FY21 marked the first year that Congress appropriated the Forest 
Service budget under a modernized structure. To transition to this new 
structure, the historical budget for each program account was broken 
out into three parts: operations (aka cost pools), salaries & expenses, 
and program dollars. Congress determined its FY21 appropriations levels 
based in part on an historical analysis performed by the Forest Service 
that described how FY21 program budgets would have broken out under the 
previous budget structure. While the modernized budget structure has 
resulted in unprecedented levels of transparency--as the FY21 budget 
was implemented, it became clear that elements of Forest Service 
analysis were incorrectly estimated.
    Your support of the following programs is critical to helping 
states address the many and varied challenges outlined in Forest Action 
Plans.
    state fire assistance (sfa) and volunteer fire assistance (vfa)
    More people living in fire--prone landscapes, high fuel loads, 
drought, and deteriorating forest health are among the factors that led 
most state foresters to identify wildland fire as a priority issue in 
their Forest Action Plans. We now grapple with increasingly expensive 
and complex wildland fires--fires that frequently threaten human life 
and property. In 2020, 58,950 wildland fires burned more than 10.1 
million acres.\1\ State and local agencies respond to the majority of 
wildfires across the country; in 2019 state and local agencies were 
responsible for responding to 39,804 (79%) of the 58,477 reported 
wildfires across all jurisdictions.\2\
    SFA and VFA are the fundamental federal mechanism for assisting 
states and local fire departments in responding to wildland fires and 
in conducting management activities that mitigate fire risk on non-
federal lands. SFA also helps train and equip local first responders 
who are often first to arrive at a wildland fire incident and who play 
a crucial role in keeping fires and their costs as minimal as possible. 
Attacking fires when they are small is the key to reducing fatalities, 
injuries, loss of homes, and cutting federal fire--fighting costs. The 
need for increased funding for fire suppression on federal lands has 
broad support. The need to increase fire suppression funding for state 
and private lands, where roughly 80 percent of wildfires occur, and 
where many federal fires begin, is just as urgent. NASF supports 
funding the State Fire Assistance program at $88.5 million including 
$79 million for program dollars, and Volunteer Fire Assistance at $20 
million in FY 2022.
                    forest pests and invasive plants
    Also among the greatest threats identified in the Forest Action 
Plans are native and non-native pests and diseases which have the 
potential to displace native trees, shrubs, and other vegetation types 
in forests; the Forest Service estimates that hundreds of native and 
non-native insects and diseases damage the Nation's forests each year. 
The growing number of damaging pests and diseases are often introduced 
and spread by way of wooden shipping materials, movement of firewood, 
and through various types of recreation. There is an estimated 81 
million acres at risk of attack by insects and disease.\3\ These 
extensive areas of high insect or disease mortality can set the stage 
for large--scale, catastrophic wildfire.
    The Cooperative Forest Health Management program supports 
activities related to prevention, monitoring, suppression, and 
eradication of insects, diseases, and plants through provision of 
technical and financial assistance to states and territories to 
maintain healthy, productive forest ecosystems on non-federal forest 
lands. The Cooperative Forest Health Management program plays a 
critical part in protecting communities already facing outbreaks and in 
preventing exposure of more forests and trees to the devastating and 
costly effects of damaging pests and pathogens. NASF supports funding 
the Forest Health-Cooperative Lands Program at $51 million including 
$39.43 million in program dollars in FY 2022.
     assisting landowners and maintaining healthy forests--forest 
             stewardship program and forest legacy program
    Actively managed healthy forest landscapes are a vital part of 
rural America, providing an estimated 900,000 jobs, clean water, wood 
products, and other essential services to millions of Americans. Over 
50% of U.S. forestland is privately owned and supports an average of 
eight jobs per 1,000 acres.\4\ However, the Forest Service estimates 
that 57 million acres of private forests in the U.S. are at risk of 
conversion to urban development over the next two decades. Programs 
like the Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) and the Forest Legacy Program 
(FLP) are key tools identified in the Forest Action Plans for keeping 
working forests intact and for providing a full suite of benefits to 
society. With the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) signed into law, 
the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will receive permanent 
annual funding at the full authorized level, nearly doubling historical 
appropriations for the LWCF. FLP should receive significant increased 
funding levels commensurate with the increased funding provided to the 
LWCF by the GAOA.
    FSP is the most extensive family forest--owner assistance program 
in the country and is delivered in partnership with state forestry 
agencies, cooperative extension services, certified foresters, 
conservation districts, and other partners. FSP equips private forest 
landowners with the unbiased, science--based information they need to 
sustainably manage their forests now and into the future, helping to 
keep forests as forests. In addition to delivering technical assistance 
directly to forestland owners, the Forest Stewardship Program often 
serves as a gateway to other landowner cost--share assistance 
programming, like the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program, 
state programs, and partner programs, that can help landowners keep 
their forests working and intact. Today there are nearly 24 million 
acres nationwide managed with Forest Stewardship plans. From 2019 to 
2020, the total amount of acres covered by current Forest Stewardship 
plans increased by nearly half a million acres. Forestland owners that 
have management plans are almost three times more likely to meet their 
management objectives compared to those without management plans. The 
FSP leads landowners to reach their management objectives while tying 
those objectives to the state's Forest Action Plan. Increased federal 
funding for FSP will allow state forestry agencies to ramp up outreach 
efforts and provide additional technical assistance to landowners to 
ensure that private forestland acres are maintained. Forest Stewardship 
plans provide guidance for family forest landowners to keep their land 
healthy and productive and often serve as management roadmaps for 
several generations.
    Following congressional direction, NASF has worked closely with the 
Forest Service to modernize the funding allocation formula to state 
agencies for FSP, focused on improving program delivery with greater 
emphasis on performance--based outcomes. Under the new allocation 
formula, priority areas and priority resource concerns have been 
designated in each state and greater emphasis has been placed on 
providing technical assistance and implementing land management plans 
in those priority areas. NASF supports funding for the Forest 
Stewardship Program at $30 million including $22 million for program 
dollars, and the Forest Legacy Program at $128 million in FY 2022.
            urban and community forest management challenges
    Urban forests are important to achieving energy savings, improved 
air quality, neighborhood stability, aesthetic value, reduced noise, 
and improved quality of life in municipalities and communities around 
the country. Urban trees and forests provide a wide array of social, 
economic, and environmental benefits to people living in urban areas; 
today, more than 83 percent of the Nation's population lives in urban 
areas. Yet, urban and community forests face serious threats, such as 
development and urbanization, invasive pests and diseases, and fire in 
the wildland urban interface (WUI).
    The program is delivered in close partnership with state foresters 
and leverages existing local efforts that have helped thousands of 
communities and towns manage, maintain, and improve their tree cover 
and green spaces. In FY 2020, the U&CF program delivered technical, 
financial, educational, and research assistance to nearly 8,000 
communities across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. 
territories and affiliated Pacific Island nations. NASF supports 
funding the Urban and Community Forestry program at $40 million 
including $31.91 million in program dollars in FY 2022.
    importance of forest inventory data in monitoring forest issues
    The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, managed by Forest 
Service, Forest and Rangeland Research, is the only comprehensive 
inventory system in the United States for assessing the health and 
sustainability of the Nation's forests across all ownerships. FIA 
provides essential data related to forest species composition, forest 
growth rates, and forest health data, and it delivers baseline 
inventory estimates used in Forest Action Plans. Further, this data is 
used by academics, researchers, industry, and others to understand 
forest trends and support investments in forest products facilities 
that provide jobs and products to society. The program provides 
unbiased information used in monitoring of wildlife habitat, wildfire 
risk, insect and disease threats, invasive species spread, and response 
to priorities identified in the Forest Action Plans.
    As the key partner in FIA program delivery via state contribution 
of matching funds, state foresters look forward to continued work with 
the Forest Service to improve efficiency in delivery of the program to 
meet the needs of the diverse user groups for FIA data. This will 
ensure that, at a minimum, the historical level of base program 
delivery is accomplished, which should include funding the collection 
of data on a 7-year cycle in the east and 10-year cycle in the west. 
NASF supports funding the FIA program at no less than $93.5 million in 
total funding in FY22 including no less than $32.4 million for program 
dollars. However, we request that this increase not be realized at the 
expense of other critical Forest Service Research & Development or S&PF 
programs. We request you to work with the Forest Service to establish a 
budget line item for FIA for salaries and expenses.
                   landscape scale restoration (lsr)
    The concept of the LSR Program was developed over a decade ago by 
state foresters. They agreed to reallocate 15% of the federal dollars 
their agencies received annually through four core programs (Forest 
Stewardship, Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Health-Cooperative 
Lands, and State Fire Assistance) to a new competitive grant program, 
now called LSR. Given the tremendous toll COVID-19 has had on state 
budgets, now more than ever, S&PF programs are critical to protecting 
our forested landscapes nationwide. To better support private 
forestland owners and the state forestry agencies that provide them 
with wildfire protection and forestry assistance, NASF is recommending 
Congress return LSR funding back to the S&PF core programs it 
originated from for the next two years. This return of support to our 
nation's core cooperative forestry programs is essential to bolstering 
the forestry supply chain in the U.S. and helping Americans weather 
prolonged economic instability. In the absence of COVID-19 stimulus 
funding for state forestry agencies, NASF requests LSR funding be 
returned to the four core S&PF programs it originated from--Forest 
Stewardship, Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Health-Cooperative 
Lands, and State Fire Assistance--for both FY22 and FY23. If 
supplemental funding is provided for state forestry agencies or S&PF 
funding, NASF supports funding LSR at $20 million in FY22.
    NASF appreciates the opportunity to share our FY 2022 
appropriations recommendations for the Forest Service with the 
Subcommittee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ National Interagency Fire Center, Historical Wildland Fire 
Summaries, Last accessed April 15, 2021 at https://www.nifc.gov/fire-
information/statistics/wildfires
    \2\ Id.
    \3\ Tkacz, Bory, et al. 2014. NIDRM 2012 Report Files: Executive 
Summary. 2013-2027 National Insect and Disease Forest Risk Assessment. 
Last accessed on March, 5, 2019 at: http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/
technology/pdfs/2012_RiskMap_Exec_summary.pdf
    \4\ Forest2Market. The Economic Impact of Privately-Owned Forests. 
2009.

    [This statement was submitted by Joe Fox, President.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the National Association of Tribal Historic 
                         Preservation Officers
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, I appreciate this opportunity to present the National 
Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO)'s 
recommendations for Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations. My name is Valerie 
Grussing and I am the Executive Director. First, thank you for the FY 
2021 Interior Appropriations bill--it was the most preservation 
friendly appropriations bill in history. Our FY22 goals in service of 
our members rely on this Subcommittee's continued support for the needs 
of tribal preservation activities. The recommended line item amounts 
are discussed below.
    1. National Park Service, Historic Preservation Fund, Tribal line 
item ($24 million)
    2. National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program:
          a. Exclusively for NAGPRA Grants ($2.331 million)
          b. Program administration ($1 million for Program Use)
    3. Bureau of Indian Affairs--Create line items and support the 
following divisions:
          a. 12 Regional Offices support for Cultural Resource 
        compliance ($3 million)
          b. Central Office cultural resource efforts throughout the 
        bureau ($200,000)
          c. NAGPRA compliance work ($765,000)
          d. To fight ARPA crimes on Indian reservations ($200,000)
    4. Smithsonian Institution: For repatriation activities, including 
Review Committee and repatriation office ($1.25 million)
    5. Bureau of Land Management: Fill vacant Tribal Liaison Positions, 
HQ agency lead and 10 of the 12 State Offices ($1.5 million)
    What are Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs)? THPOs are 
an exercise of tribal sovereignty, appointed by federally recognized 
tribal governments that have an agreement with the Department of the 
Interior to assume the federal compliance role of the State HPO, per 
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Tribal historic 
preservation plans are grounded in self-determination, traditional 
knowledge, and cultural values, and may involve projects to improve 
Indian schools, roads, health clinics, and housing. THPOs are the first 
responders when a sacred site is threatened or when Native ancestors 
are disturbed by development. THPOs are often responsible for their 
tribe's oral history programs, operating museums and cultural centers, 
leading revitalization of Native traditions and languages, and many 
more related functions.
    What is the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation 
Officers? NATHPO is a national non-profit membership association of 
tribal government officials committed to protecting culturally 
important places that perpetuate Native identity, resilience, and 
cultural endurance. NATHPO assists tribes in protecting their historic 
properties, whether they are naturally occurring in the landscape or 
are manmade structures.
1. historic preservation fund (hpf), administered by the national park 
                service--tribal line item ($24 million)
    As of December 31, 2020, there are 200 National Park Service (NPS)-
recognized Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs). Each THPO 
represents an affirmative step by an Indian tribe to assume the 
responsibilities of the State Historic Preservation Officers for their 
respective tribal lands, as authorized by Congress in the 1992 
amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). 
Collectively, these Tribes exercise responsibilities over a land base 
exceeding 50 million acres in 30 states. The HPF is the sole source of 
federal funding for THPOs and the main source of funding to implement 
the nation's historic preservation programs. HPF revenue is generated 
from oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf. We 
recommend $24 million to carry out the requirements of the NHPA. This 
would provide the 200 federally recognized THPOs an average of $120,000 
each to run their programs. Funding THPOs and staff creates jobs, 
generates economic development, and spurs community revitalization. It 
also facilitates required environmental and historic review processes, 
including for energy and infrastructure permitting. Tribes don't want 
to stop this development--they need it more than anyone. But they also 
need to reap the benefits rather than just continue to incur the costs. 
If these review processes are ever to be ``streamlined,'' THPOs must be 
able to do the required work.
    What is at stake? As the number of Indian tribes with THPO programs 
increases, the amount of HPF funding appropriated to THPOs must catch 
up. Native American cultural properties on millions of acres of tribal 
lands are at risk. For the past several years, each THPO program has 
been asked to conduct important federal compliance work with fewer 
financial resources. In the first year of congressional funding support 
for THPOs (FY1996), the original 12 THPOs each received an average of 
$80,000, while in FY2021, 200 THPOs received an average of $75,000. If 
the original $80,000 were adjusted for inflation, the current 
apportionment would be $131,000 per THPO; that is the gap we must begin 
to close. Additionally, the number of tribes with a THPO continues to 
grow; around 10 Tribes successfully establish a THPO program each year. 
The epidemics we see rampant in Indian country are the symptoms of 
historical trauma--of people systematically cut off from their 
families, languages, practices, and lands. Reconnecting Native peoples 
to their cultural heritage, traditions, and places has the power to 
help heal deep generational wounds. Treating the cause: that is the 
work THPOs do. To continue this work in Indian country, it is essential 
that THPO programs receive increased funding to meet the increasing 
need. The chart below demonstrates the program growth and funding need.
    Additional HPF programs administered by the National Park 
Service.--NATHPO appreciates the strong HPF funding levels the 
Committee has provided in recent years. We support the request of the 
National Trust for Historic Preservation that Congress provide a total 
FY 2021 HPF appropriation of $150 million. Within that funding we 
recommend:

  --$60 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs);
  --$24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs);
  --$26 million for competitive grants to preserve the sites and 
        stories Civil Rights;
  --$10 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and 
        Universities;
  --$20 million for Save America's Treasures grants;
  --$9 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants;
  --$1 million for grants related to communities underrepresented on 
        the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic 
        Landmarks.

    We also recommend the Committee encourage the NPS to work with 
states and tribes to improve what has become a burdensome apportionment 
process so that SHPOs and THPOs can more readily and efficiently access 
funding Congress has allocated for their work.


 HPF Tribal appropriation has steadily increased, as has the number of 
                                 THPOs.
  Therefore, the average apportionment per THPO has remained the same.

           2. national park service, national nagpra program
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) 
provides for the disposition of Native American cultural items \1\ 
removed from Federal or tribal lands, or in the possession or control 
of museums or federal agencies, to lineal descendants, Indian tribes, 
or Native Hawaiian organizations based on descent or cultural or 
geographic affiliation. NAGPRA prohibits trafficking of Native American 
cultural items and created a grants program exclusively for Indian 
tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and public museums.
NAGPRA Grants Program:
    a. $2.331 million to be used exclusively for NAGPRA Grants to 
Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and museums. We recommend 
that the Committee restore the amount that the NAGPRA grants program 
received each year for most of its history prior to when the NPS began 
to divert a greater amount of funds for administrative use within the 
cultural resource division. NAGPRA grants have been ``level-funded'' at 
$1.65 million. NATHPO requests that the Congress restore the grants to 
the $2.331 million funding level.
Administration of National NAGPRA Program:
    b. $1 million, additionally, for NAGPRA program administration, 
including the publication of Federal Register notices, grant 
administration, civil penalty investigations, and Review Committee 
costs.
    3. bureau of indian affairs--create line items and support the 
                          following divisions
    The BIA has federally mandated responsibilities to work with Indian 
tribes and comply with the NHPA, the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), NAGPRA, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). 
Currently the BIA does not have any budget line items devoted to 
complying with these federal laws. Funds are not only needed for the 
BIA to comply with their internal development efforts, such as roads 
and forestry, but also to conduct project reviews of outside 
development projects, such as oil and gas development. ARPA crime on 
Indian reservations continues to be a major problem, as looters and 
traffickers continue to steal valuable cultural resources from tribal 
and federal lands. The BIA does not have any special agents or law 
enforcement forces to combat this uniquely destructive crime in Indian 
country and we urge the creation of a dedicated line item within the 
BIA.
NATHPO recommends the BIA create line items and support the following 
        divisions:
    a. Cultural Resource compliance at the 12 Regional BIA Offices ($3 
million);
    b. Central Office cultural resource efforts throughout the bureau 
($200,000);
    c. NAGPRA compliance work ($765,000);
    d. To fight ARPA crimes on Indian reservations ($200,000).
4. smithsonian institution, national museum of the american indian and 
      the national museum of natural history repatriation programs
    NATHPO requests that the Smithsonian Institution receive $1.25 
million for its repatriation activities, including operation costs of 
the Review Committee and repatriation office.
 5. bureau of land management: tribal liaisons and cultural resources 
                               management
    The BLM oversees the largest, most diverse and scientifically 
important collection of historic and cultural resources on our nation's 
public lands, as well as the museum collections and data associated 
with them. We appreciate the Committee's commitment to ongoing 
oversight of the Department's reorganization. NATHPO and many other 
organizations are profoundly concerned with the impact of the 
reorganization and loss of staff within the Cultural Resources 
Division. The cultural resources program also supports NHPA Section 106 
review of land--use proposals, Section 110 inventory and protection of 
cultural resources, compliance with NAGPRA, and consultation with 
Tribes and Alaska Native Governments. We are very appreciative of last 
year's dedicated increase of $1.5 million for the agency to enhance its 
National Cultural Resources Information Management System (NCRIMS). We 
recommend once again providing specific funding of $1.5 million above 
enacted, specifically to fill vacant Tribal Liaison Positions, 
including the Headquarters agency lead and at 10 of the 12 State 
Offices.
    Thank you for considering our testimony. I would be pleased to 
answer any questions you have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Cultural items include human remains, funerary or sacred 
objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of National Conference of State Historic 
                         Preservation Officers
Fiscal Year 2022 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Request

    Funded through withdrawals from the Historic Preservation Fund (54 
USC 3031), U. S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service.

  --$60 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs)
  --$24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs)
  --$19 million for the African American Civil Rights Movement grant 
        program
  --$7 million for the History of Equal Rights grant program
  --$10 million for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
        (HBCUs) grant program
  --$20 million for the Save America's Treasures grant program
  --$1 million for the Underrepresented Community grant program
  --$9 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant program
  --Funding for the Semiquincentennial grant program
            unique and successful federal-state partnership
    Recognizing the importance of our national heritage, in 1966 
Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA, 54 USC 
300101), which established historic preservation as a priority of the 
federal government. Recognizing that State officials have local 
expertise, the Act's authors directed federal entities charged with its 
implementation--the Department of the Interior and the Advisory Council 
on Historic Preservation--to partner with the States. Duties delegated 
to the SHPOs include: 1) locating and recording historic resources; 2) 
nominating significant historic resources to the National Register of 
Historic Places; 3) cultivating historic preservation programs at the 
local government level; 4) providing funds for preservation activities; 
5) commenting on federal rehabilitation tax credit projects; 6) review 
of all federal projects for their impact on historic properties; and 7) 
providing technical assistance to federal agencies, state and local 
governments and the private sector.
    To assist the states in accomplishing this federally--delegated 
work, in 1976, Congress established the Historic Preservation Fund 
(HPF). The HPF is funded from outer--continental shelf lease revenues 
rather than tax dollars, so that the depletion of one non-renewal 
resource can be used to help preserve another non-renewable resource--
our heritage. The states also contribute toward this effort, matching 
at least 40 percent of the HPF funding they receive.
                 finding and saving america's heritage
    The first step in preserving and protecting America's heritage is 
identifying it--which requires the survey, documentation, stewardship 
and sharing of historic site data. These sites represent the many 
peoples, places, and events that have shaped our national identity. 
Adequate funding is essential for SHPOs to meet these goals. Currently, 
due to lack of funding, many states must continue to rely upon outdated 
paper records--a situation that has been brought into sharp relief in 
terms of access and availability by the fact of the remote work 
required during the pandemic. Having accurate, up-to-date, digitally 
accessible information about our Nation's historic resources in all 
states would dramatically increase the efficiency and effectiveness of 
all local, state, and federal projects. From decisions on the design of 
local in-fill development, to state transportation planning projects, 
to federal large--scale infrastructure and energy projects and disaster 
recovery efforts--every single project and by extension the American 
people benefit from enhanced and accessible historic resource 
databases.
    Once identified and documented, America's historic resources are 
primarily recognized at the local, state, and national levels by 
listing on National, State and Local Historic Registers. State Historic 
Preservation Officers, through the authority of the National Historic 
Preservation Act assist, support and encourage communities with their 
preservation efforts and are the gateway to the National Register of 
Historic Places. National Register recognition by the Secretary of the 
Interior confirms citizens' belief in the significance of their 
communities' historic places.
    The National Historic Preservation program is primarily one of 
assistance, not acquisition. The federal government does not own, 
manage, or maintain responsibility for the vast majority of the 
historic assets aided by the National Historic Preservation program. 
Instead, the program, through the SHPOs, provides individuals, 
communities, and local, state, and federal governments with the tools 
they need to identify, preserve, and utilize the historic assets of 
importance to them.
    In addition to $60 million in funding for SHPOs, the NCSHPO 
supports $24 million in funding for the Tribal Historic Preservation 
Offices (THPO). THPOs assume many of the responsibilities of the SHPO 
on their respective Tribal lands and are important leaders in the 
national preservation community. The number of THPOs continues to 
increase annually. With over 200 THPOs in place, funding increases are 
necessary to prevent a decrease in the average THPO grant.
    NCSHPO also supports $19 million for competitive grants to 
identify, recognize and preserve the sites and stories related to the 
Civil Rights movement; $7 million for the History of Equal Rights grant 
program; $10 million for the program to support the preservation and 
rehabilitation of buildings on the campuses of Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities; $20 million for the Save America's 
Treasure's grant program; $9 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic 
Revitalization grant program to support historic preservation in rural 
communities; and, $1 million for the Underrepresented Communities grant 
program.
         jobs, economic development & community revitalization
    Historic preservation has stimulated economic growth, promoted 
community education and pride, and rescued and rehabilitated 
significant historic resources throughout the country. By addressing 
the effects of blight and vacancy with an answer other than demolition 
of the irreplaceable, historic preservation is frequently a catalyst 
for positive community change, resulting in dynamic destinations for 
visitors and residents alike.
    The Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC) program, administered 
by the State Historic Preservation Offices in cooperation with the 
National Park Service, is an important driver for economic development. 
Since inception, the HTC has enabled the rehabilitation of more than 
45,000 buildings, created more than 3 million jobs and leveraged $173 
billion in private investment nationwide. On average, the HTC leverages 
$5 dollars in private investment for every $1 dollar in federal 
funding, creating highly effective public--private partnerships and 
community re-investment. In many states, including my own state of 
North Carolina, the HTC has been expanded through adoption of state tax 
credit programs that complement the HTC.
    Historic preservation also stimulates economic development through 
heritage tourism. SHPOs are essential, ground level partners in working 
with grass roots constituents to identify and interpret the historic 
places that attract these visitors. A modest increase in SHPO funding 
would allow SHPOs to expand their public outreach and assistance 
efforts, enabling communities to take greater advantage of heritage 
tourism opportunities which lead to job creation, new business 
development and enhanced community pride.
          state historic preservation offices' accomplishments
    The HPF has facilitated nearly 2 million listings in the National 
Register and the survey of millions of acres for cultural resources. 
The HPF has also provided SHPOs with the administrative capacity for 
constituent access to the Historic Tax Credit program, which has 
generated more than $38.1 billion in federal tax revenue from historic 
rehabilitation projects. In FY 2020, HPF funding also enabled SHPOs to 
review more than 110,000 federal projects and balance the desire for 
progress with the need to have America's past remain part of its 
future.
    Many SHPOs have also made extensive use of HPF grant programs that 
are intended to make sure that sites associated with the Civil Rights 
Movement and underrepresented communities are recognized and preserved. 
In North Carolina, over the last several years, we have applied for and 
received grants under several of these grant programs. A 2015 
Underrepresented Communities grant yielded National Register 
nominations and listings for eight Rosenwald School nominations, two 
historic African American cemeteries, and the College Heights Historic 
District, which is associated with the HBCU North Carolina Central 
University. A 2020 Civil Rights grant is currently underway with a 
study to gather and document oral histories, background research, and 
places associated with the Civil Right Movement in northeastern North 
Carolina. The North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites has also 
recently received a Civil Rights grant to rehabilitate the home of 
Civil Rights leader Golden Frinks in Edenton and to update the existing 
National Register listing to capture its Civil Rights significance.
                               conclusion
    On behalf of all 59 SHPOs, I'd like to thank you, Chairman Merkley, 
Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the U.S. Senate Committee on 
Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies for the opportunity to submit testimony.
    Historic preservation recognizes that what was common and ordinary 
in the past is often rare and precious today, and what is common and 
ordinary today may be extraordinary, whether it is fifty, one hundred 
or five hundred years from now. State Historic Preservation Offices 
help to ensure that the places associated with the history of all 
Americans are recognized and preserved. To that end, I would like to 
thank the committee sincerely for its commitment to historic 
preservation. The federal government plays an invaluable role in 
preserving our nation's history and our collective sense of place. 
Through our partnership, SHPOs remain committed to working together to 
identify, protect, and maintain our Nation's heritage.

    [This statement was submitted by Ramona Bartos, President and 
Deputy SHPO of the North Carolina Office of Archive.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the National Congress of American Indians
    On behalf of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), 
thank you for this opportunity to submit written testimony. Founded in 
1944, NCAI is the oldest and largest national organization comprised of 
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal Nations. NCAI's 
testimony will discuss certain funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA), Indian Health Service (IHS), and Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA), totaling approximately $13.5 billion.
    Federal funding, as part of the federal government's treaty and 
trust obligations, is critical to ensuring that Tribal Nations are able 
to provide essential government services to tribal citizens. This is 
particularly important during a pandemic, and where federal law and 
policy deny Tribal Nations the same opportunities to develop strong tax 
bases as are available to states and local governments. More 
information on the funding requests that are outlined throughout this 
letter can be found in the FY 2022 Indian Country Budget Request: 
Restoring Promises.\1\
            u.s. department of the interior, indian affairs
    Ensuring Tribal Nations have the tools for effective governance is 
critical to fulfilling the intent of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). Congress must support tribal self-
determination by increasing tribal base (or Tribal Priority Allocation, 
``TPA'') funding and promoting more accurate data collection, so that 
funding can better identify and target the needs of Tribal Nations.
    NCAI conducted a detailed analysis of federal government spending 
on Indian Affairs (IA) programs for FYs 2001 through 2021.\2\ This 
analysis illustrated that the increase in funding for IA programs over 
the past 20 years has marginally kept up with inflation, while many 
programs are comparatively operating with less financial support now 
than in FY 2001.\3\ In addition, detailed spending data revealed that 
significant increases in the budgets for Administrative priorities in 
any given year often comprise most of the total annual increase for 
that year.
    Basic Tribal Governance Programs.--IA distributes funding for the 
``Aid to Tribal Government (TPA)'' (ATG) program provides baseline 
funding for tribal government programs and services.\4\ This includes 
program costs and staffing to execute tribal government activities, 
such as monitoring government compliance and maintaining citizenship 
information.\5\ Additionally, IA provides funding for the ``Small 
Tribes Supplement'' program to provide a minimum base level by which 
eligible Tribal Nations can run viable governments.\6\ IA also provides 
funding for the ``New Tribes'' program that establishes a base level of 
funding to support new federally recognized Tribal Nations.\7\ 
Unfortunately, the funded amount of these tribal governance programs in 
FY 2021 constitutes an effective reduction of $33.4 million in 
purchasing power compared to the amount provided in FY 2001, adjusted 
annually for inflation.\8\ And when controlling for the funded activity 
``Tribal Government,'' which includes programs that allow for moving 
multiple tribal shares into a single program line, the net effect is a 
$42 million loss in purchasing power when comparing the FY 2021 enacted 
amount to the adjusted FY 2001 amount.\9\
    This past year, IA has demonstrated the value of ATG in promoting 
self-determination and the unique needs of Tribal Nations. The majority 
CARES Act Operation of Indian Programs funding was distributed through 
ATG \10\ with the option to reallocate funds received under Division B, 
Title VII of the CARES Act to other TPA accounts.\11\ As part of the 
American Rescue Plan, a majority of the funds were, again, proposed for 
distribution using ATG, expressly allowing Tribal Nations to reprogram 
funds.\12\
    Increasing funding to Tribal Nations through the ATG program is a 
solution to grow Tribal Nations' base funding. The flexibility to 
reprogram or permanently transfer funds also helps to offset a portion 
of the revenue lost to federal tax law and policy that inhibits Tribal 
Nations' exercise of their tax authority.
    Increases intended for ATG should also provide increases to the 
Consolidated Tribal Government Program (CTGP) and Self-Governance 
Compacts program for any shares of ATG that have been moved to these 
consolidated program lines. Only IA has this consolidated information 
and should be able to inform such ratios for Congress. Any amount 
provided to the ATG, CTGP, and Self-Governance Compacts programs should 
have a corresponding increase for the New Tribes program because New 
Tribes program shares eventually move into ATG.
    Public Safety and Justice Programs: TPA funds are not eligible to 
be reprogrammed to most Public Safety and Justice programs.\13\ This 
means that Congress and this Subcommittee must consider public safety 
and justice in tribal communities separate from TPA funds. In 2018, the 
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that there continues to be 
``systematic underfunding of tribal law enforcement and criminal 
justice systems, as well as structural barriers in the funding and 
operation of criminal justice systems in Indian Country'' that 
undermine public safety.\14\
    In 2020, the BIA submitted a report to Congress estimating that to 
provide a minimum base level of service to all federally recognized 
Tribal Nations, $1.3 billion is needed for tribal law enforcement, $1.2 
billion is needed for tribal courts, and $240.6 million is needed for 
existing detention centers.\15\ Based on its latest report, Congress is 
funding tribal law enforcement, detentions/corrections, and tribal 
courts at just 14.7 percent of their estimated need.\16\ Meaningful 
investment in tribal law enforcement and tribal justice systems is 
necessary to ensure the safety and security of residents and visitors 
on tribal lands. NCAI recommends that Congress provide $123 million for 
tribal courts, including courts in P.L. 83-280 jurisdictions, and 
$527.4 million for Criminal Investigations and Police Services and 
Detention/Corrections.
                         indian health service
    In permanently authorizing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(IHCIA), Congress reaffirmed the duty of the federal government to 
provide all necessary resources to ensure the highest possible health 
status for AI/ANs, declaring it as ``the policy of this Nation,'' 
intended to fulfill ``its special trust responsibilities and legal 
obligations to Indians.'' \17\ Unfortunately, the historic underfunding 
of the Indian healthcare system has resulted in a health crisis across 
Indian Country. Additionally, treatment of chronic diseases like 
diabetes, auto-immune deficiencies, cancer, and heart disease quickly 
expend limited tribal resources, leaving few dollars for preventative 
care. Further, failing infrastructure creates unsafe and unsanitary 
conditions and severely compromises the quality of healthcare. Aging 
facilities and the lack of resources to modernize equipment and health 
information technology have created a dire need for large investments 
in basic infrastructure.
    For the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget to grow sufficiently to 
meet the documented needs of Tribal Nations over a 12-year period, and 
based on the FY 2018 estimate of 3.04 million AI/ANs eligible for 
Indian health programs, the federal government would need to invest $48 
million.\18\ New healthcare insurance opportunities and expanded 
Medicaid in some states may increase healthcare resources available to 
AI/ANs. However, other such opportunities cannot substitute for 
fulfillment of the federal government's trust and treaty obligations to 
Tribal Nations. Accordingly, NCAI recommends the amount requested by 
the National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup for FY 2022--a total 
of $12.75 billion in FY 2022.\19\
    Section 105(l) Lease Agreements: Ambiguities in the intent of 
Congress with respect to Section 105(l) lease agreements under the 
ISDEAA impact health delivery and substantially hinder the development 
of healthcare infrastructure throughout Indian Country.\20\ Congress 
should confirm that space used to provide services within the scope of 
an ISDEAA agreement--to any patient--is compensable under Section 
105(l) of the ISDEAA.
                    environmental protection agency
    Tribal communities face direct and often disproportionate impacts 
of environmental degradation. Federal funding to support environmental 
protection for tribal lands was not forthcoming until more than 20 
years after the passage of the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. The 
federal government must ensure Tribal Nations have fair and equal 
opportunities to preserve and enhance the environmental quality of 
Indian Country for present and future generations. NCAI recommends that 
Congress provide the Environmental Protection Agency $100 million for 
the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program; a five percent 
set--aside in the National Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund; a 20 
percent set--aside in Water Pollution Control Grants; $13 million for 
Nonpoint Source Pollutant Control, Clean Water Act Section 319; a 10 
percent set--aside for the Exchange Network; and a $17 million set--
aside as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
           estimate of total obligations for tribal programs
    Congress should require all federal departments or agencies with 
tribal programs to include an annual estimate of the cost to fully fund 
the responsibilities of each tribal program within the department or 
agency. Each program estimate should include a detailed explanation of 
the methodology and underlying data relied on to provide such 
estimates. Each methodology should be developed in consultation and 
collaboration with Tribal Nations. The estimates should also identify 
data deficiencies that limit accuracy and provide a plan for remedying 
those deficiencies.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for this opportunity to provide written testimony and for 
your consideration of the recommendations of NCAI. We look forward to 
working with this subcommittee on a nonpartisan basis to ensure the 
federal government honors its treaty and trust obligations to Tribal 
Nations through the federal budget process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ National Congress of American Indians (2021). Fiscal Year 2022 
Indian Country Budget Request: Restoring Promises. Washington, DC. 
https://www.ncai.org/resources/ncai-publications/
NCAI_IndianCountry_FY2022_BudgetRequest.pdf.
    \2\ Id. Pg. 28
    \3\ Id.
    \4\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Budget Justification and 
Performance Information Fiscal year 2021, IA-ST-6, https://www.bia.gov/
sites/bia.gov/files/assets/as-ia/obpm/BIA_FY2021_
Greenbook-508.pdf.
    \5\ Id. at IA-TG-3.
    \6\ Budget Justification and Performance Information Fiscal year 
2021, supra note 37, at IA-TG-4.
    \7\ Id.
    \8\ NCAI, FY 2022 Indian Country Budget Request, Pg. 35.
    \9\ Id.
    \10\ U.S. Department of the Interior, CARES Act Final Distributions 
for ATG and Welfare Assistance, https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/
files/assets/as-ia/opa/pdf/CARES%20Act%20Final%20
Distributions-ATG--%26_WA_508.pdf.
    \11\ U.S. Department of the Interior, FAQ--Division B, Title VII of 
the CARES Act, July 2020, Pg. 5, https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/
files/assets/as-ia/opa/pdf/FINAL%20-%20FAQs%20for%20
Indian%20Affairs%20Div.%20B%20Title%20VII%20of%20the%20CARES%20Act%20Fun
ds%20-
%2007.02.20_508.pdf.
    \12\ U.S. Department of the Interior, American Rescue Plan 
Consultation Presentation, Pg. 9, https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/
files/assets/as-ia/doc/Consultation_ARP_Final_3-25-2021_
508_Compliant.pdf.
    \13\ Id.
    \14\ U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises: Continued 
Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 32, 2018, https://
www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf.
    \15\ U.S. Department of the Interior, Report to Congress on 
Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and 
Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2018, Pg. 1, (2020), https://
www.ncai.org/initiatives/tibc/Public_Safety_and_Justice_Subcommittee_-
_2018_
TLOA_Report.pdf.
    \16\ Id. at comparing 2018 BIA spending to 2018 Total Estimated 
Costs.
    \17\ Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1602.
    \18\ NCAI FY 2022 Indian Country Budget Request at Pg. 70.
    \19\ IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup, Reclaiming Tribal 
Health: A National Budget Plan to Rise Above Failed Policies and 
Fulfill Trust Obligations to Tribal Nations, Pg. 1, https://
www.nihb.org/docs/05042020/FINAL_FY22%20IHS%20Budget%20Book.pdf.
    \20\ NCAI Resolution #ECWS-2021-002, Support for Legislative Fix to 
Amend Lease Compensation Provisions of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act. https://www.ncai.org/attachments/
Resolution_eontvOcwAgAYphrWlBPWpscJEzItoIqJInPaYgjHtOhHq
ZpSyCL_N CAI%20Resolution%20ECWS-21-002.pdf

    [This statement was submitted by Fawn Sharp, President.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the National Endowment for the Arts
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the 
Committee, thank you for providing the opportunity to submit this 
testimony regarding federal appropriations for the National Endowment 
for the Arts in Fiscal Year 2022. My name is Pamela (Pam) Breaux, and I 
serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Assembly 
of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), the organization that represents and 
serves the nation's 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Today, I 
thank the members for their tremendous support of the National 
Endowment for the Arts and urge the Committee to consider increasing 
funding in FY 2022.
    Over the last year, as the nation has grappled with the COVID-19 
pandemic and resulting economic hardships, this Subcommittee repeatedly 
supported artists and arts organizations, understanding the important 
role they play in our communities. The arts and creative sector 
workforce was especially devastated as a result of the pandemic; for 
this reason, state arts agencies doubled down on providing services and 
resources to the field. This Subcommittee provided funding to assist 
states in this important work, for which NASAA and the states are 
extremely grateful; we especially appreciate that committee members 
worked together in a bipartisan manner to provide funding to the Arts 
Endowment.
    As you look to the next budget, NASAA hopes you will consider 
increasing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts to $201 
million, which continues to make a substantial impact in communities 
throughout the United States. Through its highly effective federal--
state partnership, the Arts Endowment distributes 40% of its 
programmatic funds to state, jurisdictional and regional arts agencies 
each year. The resulting funds helped to empower states and regions to 
priorities and served far more constituents than federal funds alone 
could reach. Unique among federal agencies, the Endowment funds state 
plans; these plans are developed by state arts agencies in response to 
citizens, communities, arts organizations, legislatures and governors. 
This makes the federal--state arts investment incredibly responsive and 
relevant to citizens in every state and jurisdiction. The report 
accompanying last year's Consolidated Appropriations Act affirmed 
Congress's support for this important partnership and its corresponding 
40% allocation. We sincerely thank the Committee for this 
acknowledgement.
    Federal funding for arts and creativity is a high return investment 
in cities, towns and rural communities nationwide. It improves the 
lives of all Americans, equips an innovative workforce and keeps us 
competitive globally. It is a great example of government done right, 
as it fuels public--private partnerships, leverages $9 in additional 
funds for every federal dollar invested and puts tax dollars and 
decision--making authority into the hands of citizens.
    State arts agencies use their share of NEA funds, combined with 
funds from state legislatures, to support almost 23,000 grants to arts 
organizations, civic organizations and schools in more than 4,600 
communities across the United States. Twenty-two percent of state arts 
agency grant awards go to non-metropolitan areas, supporting programs 
that strengthen the civic and economic sustainability of rural America. 
Twenty-six percent of state arts agency grant dollars go to arts 
education, fostering student success in and out of school and building 
the critical thinking, creativity and communications skills needed to 
meet the demands of an increasingly competitive work force.
    Congress's continued support of the 40% formula is essential to 
state arts agencies, boosting their ability to ensure that the arts 
benefit all communities, regardless of wealth or geography. The Maine 
Arts Commission, for example, quickly transformed services to provide 
meaningful benefits to its arts community struggling to deal with 
impacts of the pandemic. The Arts Commission mounted a professional 
development series designed to help arts organizations retool 
development and fundraising practices for difficult times, manage 
crises to help organizations transform their operations during 
turbulent times, and reinvent audience development strategies to help 
organizations engage audiences during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 
These are but a few examples of how the Maine Arts Commission and many 
other state arts agencies are providing needed services to the arts and 
creative community.
    New research tells us that the recovery of the arts and creative 
sector is also inextricably linked to the recovery of the nation's 
broader economy. Arts and Economic Recovery Research shows how the arts 
strengthen the economy following periods of acute economic distress. 
Rigorous quantitative data and case studies show that the arts can 
improve--not merely reflect--broader economic conditions at the state 
and local levels. The findings reveal that the arts are an agile and 
resilient sector with the capacity to ignite job growth, reduce 
economic risk through diversification, stimulate commerce and attract 
tourism. As we work toward arts sector recovery and stability, that 
work not only benefits the arts industry, but it also positions the 
arts to benefit the broader economy. Strengthening the arts provides 
opportunities to help strengthen the nation.
    NASAA and states also applaud the Arts Endowment's many services to 
the country, including its leadership in developing noteworthy programs 
for communities, military personnel, veterans, students, and many 
others. NASAA and state arts agencies proudly partner with the 
Endowment and work collaboratively and in solidarity to benefit all 
communities across the country. Together we accomplish what neither 
side can achieve alone.
    Thank you again for the opportunity to provide testimony. NASAA 
sincerely appreciates Congress's strong bipartisan support for the 
National Endowment for the Arts and federal funding for the arts. We 
look forward to continuing to work productively with this Committee, 
and we stand ready to serve as a resource to you.

            Sincerely,

Pamela (Pam) Breaux
President and Chief Executive Officer National Assembly of State Arts 
Agencies
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Dear Chairman Leahy and Vice Chairman Shelby:

    The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a self-funded, 
global non-profit organization founded in 1896 dedicated to ending 
losses from fire, electrical, and related life safety hazards. With the 
unabating wildfire crisis in the U.S., NFPA recently launched Outthink 
Wildfire(tm), an initiative to advocate for policy change in five key 
areas that will stop the destruction of communities by this hazard. We 
write to ask for your support for key federal programs.
    The five tenets are: 1) all homes and business in areas of wildfire 
risk must be retrofitted to resist ignition; 2) current codes, 
standards, and sound land use planning practices must be used and 
enforced; 3) local fire departments must have adequate resources to 
protect their communities; 4) fuel management on federal and non-
federal lands must be a priority; and 5) the public must be well--
informed and motivated to embrace their role in reducing wildfire risk. 
While action on these fronts is urgently needed at all levels of 
government, Federal programs need to play a key role in ending the 
devastating wildfire losses communities are now experiencing as 
discussed in this letter.
                      mitigating wildfire severity
    NFPA supports the Administration's FY2022 proposal to provide $1.7 
billion in funding for high--priority hazardous fuels and forest--
resilience projects to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), in addition to 
the proposed $340 million to the Department of the Interior (DOI) for 
hazardous fuel treatments on its lands. As identified in the National 
Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy, denser, more continuous fuel on 
landscapes now outside of their natural ecological fire regimes is a 
major contributor to the severe wildfires that threaten communities and 
drain Federal fire suppression resources. The U.S. must increase the 
rate of fuel treatments, including prescribed burning, to address the 
millions of acres now at high or very high risk of wildfire.
    In addition to increased resources for hazardous fuel treatment 
projects, NFPA supports programs that enable collaboration between the 
USFS and its partners, assist state and private land managers in 
restoring forest health, and encourage landscape--scale restoration 
projects. For example, the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration 
program has been successful in reducing fire risk and achieving other 
management objectives through a stakeholder--driven process aimed at 
minimizing conflict.\1\ Given the National Cohesive Strategy's call for 
increased landscape--scale fuel treatment and forest health projects, 
funding this program at its authorized level of $80 million can help 
continue and expand on its success. Similarly, the Landscape Scale 
Restoration Program should receive $20 million.
    Finally, NFPA supports a robust budget for forestry research, 
including programs to better understand wildfire behavior and landscape 
treatment strategies, as well as programs to develop new wood products 
and markets to create more financial incentives for hazardous fuel 
treatment. As part of that funding, the Joint Fire Sciences Research 
program should receive $8 million each for the USFS and DOI. NFPA also 
believes research funding for the built environment aspect of wildfire 
resilience should be increased and thus supports the Administration's 
proposal to increase funding for the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology (NIST), particularly for efforts to improve resiliency 
through building codes.
                assisting state & local fire departments
    State and local fire response resources play a major role in 
preparing for and responding to wildfires on both public and private 
lands, making the USFS funds provided by the State Fire Assistance 
(SFA) and Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) programs critical to public 
safety. According to the National Association of State Foresters, 
members of state and local fire departments are the first to respond to 
80 percent of wildfires. Findings from NFPA's 2016 Fourth Needs 
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service \2\ that the majority of fire 
departments with wildfire response responsibilities lack sufficient 
training and personal protective equipment reveal a significant gap in 
safety, for both the responders and the lives and properties of the 
communities they protect.
    SFA and VFA are critical safety programs for supporting wildland 
urban interface (WUI) communities, funding hazardous fuels treatment in 
the WUI, supporting fire planning projects, and helping to train and 
equip state and local responders. SFA also supports public education 
and community capacity development programs like Firewise USA(r) and 
the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network. These programs teach WUI 
residents how to lower wildfire risk to their homes and support 
community mitigation activities. Therefore, NFPA supports funding the 
State Fire Assistance program at $88.5 million and the Volunteer Fire 
Assistance program at $20 million.
                       mitigation for communities
    The National Cohesive Strategy also identifies the need for fire 
adapted communities--communities where homes and businesses are 
retrofitted to resist ignition and wildfire safety codes, standards, 
and land use planning practices are applied. According to the U.S. Fire 
Administration, the Nation has over 70,000 thousand communities in 
areas at risk from wildfires, home to 46 million housing units. 
Preparing for wildfire through creating defensible space and home 
retrofits can greatly reduce the risk of loss. NFPA supports the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Building Resilient 
Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and the Administration's 
proposal to add $540 million in new resources to programs tasked with 
helping communities undertake pre-disaster planning and make 
investments in resiliency. The USFS' Wildfire Hazard Severity Mapping 
for Communities program also supports community risk assessment and 
hazard mitigation planning and should continue. In addition, NFPA is 
also highly supportive of proposed efforts to improve resiliency and 
safety in HUD--assisted housing with an additional $800 million in new 
investments.
    Thank you for the opportunity to share our views on Federal support 
for reducing wildfire risk to communities. NFPA strongly urges the 
Committee to support a robust budget for wildfire mitigation and we 
stand ready to provide any addition information that would be useful.

            Sincerely,

L. Seth Statler
Director of Government Affairs
National Fire Protection Association
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See e.g., Schultz, Courtney, et al. (2017) Strategies for 
Success Under Forest Service Restoration Initiatives, Ecosystem 
Workforce Working Paper, Number 81 (https://tinyurl.com/38b3cpz4)
    \2\ National Fire Protection Association (2016) Fourth National 
Needs Assessment, https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-
and-tools/Emergency-Responders/Needs-assessment, (Eighty-eight percent 
of U.S. fire departments-some 23,000 departments--provide wildland and/
or WUI firefighting services, but 63 percent of those have not formally 
trained all of their personnel involved in wildland firefighting on 
these skills. Only 32 percent have all of their responders equipped 
with appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), and 26 percent do 
not have any of the necessary PPE at all. Only 27 percent of 
departments have a health and fitness program).
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                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the National Humanities Alliance
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:

    On behalf of the National Humanities Alliance, with our more than 
200 member organizations, I write to express strong support for the 
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
                                overview
    For FY 2022, we respectfully urge the Subcommittee to fund the 
National Endowment for the Humanities at $201 million.
    While we recognize the difficult choices that are before this 
Subcommittee, we believe that expanding the capacity of the NEH is 
essential at this moment in the nation's history when the humanities 
are so needed to 1) renew our civic and democratic culture; 2) advance 
racial equity by helping Americans understand diverse histories and 
cultures; and 3) rebuild the economy and revitalize communities.
    The NEH has a clear track record of supporting programs that work 
towards these ends, and additional capacity is needed to ensure that 
these crucial goals are met around the country. With its current level 
of funding, the NEH is unable to fund many of the highly rated 
proposals it receives--in FY 2020, 1,605 applications with high ratings 
were not funded, amounting to a total of $184,789,512.
               renewing our civic and democratic culture
    The NEH funds programs that can help rebuild our civic 
infrastructure by supporting history and civics education and providing 
opportunities for communities to come together to address difficult 
issues and build bridges across differences.
    The NEH has taken the lead in revitalizing the teaching of civics, 
partnering with the Department of Education to fund The Roadmap to 
Educating for American Democracy. Released in March 2021 by iCivics, 
The Roadmap is the product of a collaboration of over 300 scholars, 
teachers, and parents with different political leanings. Rather than 
promising a national curriculum, the Roadmap proposes robust history 
and civics education structured around seven themes that can be 
integrated into K-12 education.
    In addition, the NEH has long funded professional development 
programs for K-12 teachers that ensure that the U.S.'s diverse history 
is taught in primary and secondary classrooms. Programs such as The 
Most Southern Place on Earth and Stony the Road We Trod take deep dives 
into Civil Rights history and bring teachers into contact with 
activists, while programs like Teaching Native American History and The 
Battle of Little Bighorn and the Great Sioux War introduce teachers to 
Indigenous perspectives and tribal representatives. Muslim American 
History and Life and Religious Worlds of New York help teachers 
understand our nation's religious diversity. And The First Amendment 
and Twenty-First Century America emphasizes the ongoing life of our 
foundational documents. The National Humanities Alliance conducted a 
year--out follow-up survey of participants in 12 NEH funded 
professional development programs that took place in 2019. Respondents 
were asked to reflect on their classroom practices during the 2020 
school year. Eighty-three percent of respondents said they frequently 
or very frequently ``challenge [their] students to think about our 
nation's history from alternative perspectives,'' and 73 percent said 
they ``teach about historical events from the perspective of everyday 
people involved.''
    The NEH also supports National History Day, providing opportunities 
for high school students to engage in nuanced explorations of American 
history that build critical thinking skills and a robust understanding 
of how the past impacts the present. The NEH also supports 
conversation--based programs that help Americans build community and 
come together across differences. Dialogues on the Experience of War 
programs help veterans throughout the country process trauma, 
contextualize their experiences, and build supportive communities. One-
hundred percent of respondents across 5 Dialogues programs surveyed by 
the National Humanities Alliance agreed the groups they took part in 
were ``safe and supportive places for discussion'' and reported a 
desire to ``keep in touch with some of the people [they] met through 
the program.''
    advancing racial equity by helping americans understand diverse 
                         histories and cultures
    NEH funding supports educators and community--based organizations 
in broadening understanding of our diverse histories, grappling with 
legacies of slavery and racism, and building connections and dialogue 
across difference.
    The NEH has funded a wide range of community digitization projects 
that help build more inclusive archives. A Clemson University program 
invited descendants of the enslaved and convicted laborers who helped 
build the school to preserve their heritage, acknowledging these 
stories as foundational to the university's existence. In Seattle, a 
program run by the Korean American Historical Society led to the 
development of much--needed curricular materials on Korean American 
history and culture.
    Research undertaken by the National Humanities Alliance indicates 
that these projects had immediate impacts on those who participated in 
them. In a survey of the Museum of Chinese in America's program (MOCA), 
100 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they felt ``a 
greater sense of belonging as a result of having a project focused on 
preserving my cultural heritage in my community.'' Participants from 
Georgia College and MOCA felt the workshop ``[showed their community 
that they] have more in common.''
    NEH funding supports public programs that help communities grapple 
with and celebrate their complicated and diverse histories. The 
Mastheads, a humanities organization in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 
offered a series of community conversations on the region's rich and 
diverse past, including a lecture from local historian Dr. Frances 
Jones-Sneed titled ``Black Artists Who Found Their Voices in the 
Berkshires.'' In survey responses, 95 percent of respondents agreed or 
strongly agreed ``the program enhanced [their] appreciation of 
Pittsfield's history.'' The International Storytelling Center in 
Jonesborough, Tennessee, hosted Freedom Stories: Unearthing the Black 
Heritage of Appalachia, a year-long virtual celebration of Appalachia's 
understudied Black history. In a preliminary report on the program, 90 
percent of survey respondents agreed the program ``helped [them] better 
understand the diversity of the Appalachian region,'' and 83 percent 
were motivated to ``learn more about racial justice in Appalachia.''
    The NEH also offers essential support for minority--serving higher 
education institutions, providing humanities faculty powerful and 
much--needed opportunities to undertake research and develop new 
curricula, ultimately serving both students and the local community. 
The NEH's HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship program provides HBCUs 
with resources to protect, preserve, and leverage their historic 
campuses, buildings, and landscapes, ensuring these symbols of African 
American excellence and American achievement are preserved to inspire 
and educate future generations.
    Additionally, an NEH grant to Tuskegee University is helping 
faculty integrate local literary history--including writing by Zora 
Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Albert Murray--into their classrooms. 
After taking courses that integrated faculty workshop content, 86 
percent of student respondents to a National Humanities Alliance survey 
reported learning more about Tuskegee's local culture and/or literary 
history. One student wrote: ``I gained a greater appreciation for the 
school I attend and the city it's in.[ . . . ] Great minds grew from 
this soil.'' NEH funding helped Vanguard University, a Hispanic Serving 
Institution, develop a summer bridge program themed around American 
history and culture. A survey of the program conducted by the National 
Humanities Alliance demonstrated that it prepares students for success 
in their college career. At the end of the fall 2020 semester, 100 
percent of respondents again agreed or strongly agreed they ``know 
where to go to find resources on campus that will help [them] succeed 
(e.g., writing center).'' Ninety percent of respondents agreed or 
strongly agreed they are ``confident reaching out to [their] professors 
for assistance/questions/advice when needed'' and ``feel comfortable 
going to [their] professors' office hours.''
    Finally, funding for documenting traditional cultures and 
endangered languages supports Indigenous people throughout the United 
States. Through the Dynamic Language Infrastructure-Documenting 
Endangered Languages program, a partnership with the National Science 
Foundation, NEH funding has preserved and made accessible languages 
spoken by Indigenous tribes, having a profound impact on their way of 
life. On the Olympic Peninsula, the creation of the Klallam Dictionary 
has made it possible for children to study the language in their 
schools. Most local Native American students take Klallam courses, and 
their collective GPA has risen since the dictionary was published in 
2012. Preservation funding has helped Calista Education and Culture, a 
Native Alaskan organization, collect and publish historical narratives 
and traditional tales, at the same time preserving the voices of fluent 
Yup'ik speakers. Similarly, funding to Sealaska Heritage Institute 
helped the organization collect and publish Tlingit oral literature. 
Originally published in the 1990s, these collections are still being 
used in Tlingit language classrooms.
          rebuilding the economy and revitalizing communities
    NEH funding catalyzes growth in local economies and connections 
within communities--exactly the work that is needed as we look to 
rebuild from the pandemic. Communities throughout the U.S. benefit 
today from past NEH investments that have built strong community 
institutions and stimulated local economies. NEH funding to the Dubuque 
County Historical Society in Iowa helped transform the institution into 
the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, which contributed 
about $10.5 million per year to the local economy prior to the 
pandemic. In Rabun Gap, Georgia, the NEH helped establish the Foxfire 
Museum & Heritage Center, an Appalachian cultural institution renowned 
for its New York Times bestselling anthologies that today serves as a 
local cultural hub and tourist site while providing educational 
opportunities for students in the rural area. A more recent NEH grant 
to the Community Library Association in Ketchum, Idaho, is helping 
build community around Ernest Hemingway's legacy, encouraging locals to 
reflect on their heritage and providing internships for students, in 
addition to preserving Hemingway's home. And in Pittsfield, 
Massachusetts, NEH funding is similarly building community around local 
cultural heritage by supporting The Mastheads' summer programs. In a 
2019 survey of these programs conducted by the National Humanities 
Alliance, 97 percent of respondents felt that participating in them 
enhanced their sense of connection to Pittsfield.
                               conclusion
    We recognize that Congress faces difficult choices in allocating 
funds in this and coming years. Humanities educators and organizations 
have so much to offer communities across the country at this pivotal 
moment in our history, and robust investment in the NEH is essential to 
ensure that they have the capacity to do so. Thank you for your 
consideration of our request and for your past and continued support 
for the humanities.

Founded in 1981, the National Humanities Alliance advances national 
humanities policy in the areas of research, preservation, public 
programming, and teaching. More than 200 organizations are members of 
NHA, including scholarly associations, humanities research centers, 
colleges, universities, and organizations of museums, libraries, 
historical societies, humanities councils, and higher education 
institutions.

    [This statement was submitted by Stephen Kidd, Executive Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the National Parks Conservation Association
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on 
behalf of National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Founded in 
1919, NPCA is the leading national, independent voice for protecting 
and enhancing America's National Park System for present and future 
generations. We appreciate the opportunity to provide our views 
regarding the FY22 National Park Service (NPS) budget. Our requests 
this fiscal year are:

    1. $2,974,029,000 for the Operation of the National Park System 
($295,042,000 above FY21 and equal to the president's budget request);
    2. $32,200,000 for Cultural Resource Project funds and support 
($5,000,000 above FY21 and above the president's budget request; and
    3. $32,889,000 for the Heritage Partnership Program ($9,000,000 
above FY21 and $10,641,000 above the president's request)

    NPCA's highest priority remains funding for the Operation of the 
National Park System (ONPS). We commend the appropriated increases in 
this account in recent years, including the $111 million increase the 
subcommittees provided in FY21. These funds are critical to help parks 
recover from years of underfunding. Unfortunately, NPS is still 
struggling with insufficient staff and other operating needs due to the 
impact of uncontrollable fixed costs compounded by record visitation 
increases. Between 2011 and 2019, the park service lost 16% of its 
staff while at the same time struggling to accommodate a 17% increase 
in visitation. The FY21 increase helped restore staffing, but as the 
president's budget notes, much work remains to be done to bring these 
levels up further. Staffing for our national parks is creating major 
challenges for park superintendents who are struggling with reduced 
spending power and who are unable to fill lapsed positions.
    Park superintendents regularly report challenges resulting from 
understaffing and that these constraints are compounded by often 
double---digit percentage increases in visitation. Staff commonly cover 
multiple corollary duties. It is not uncommon to have, for example, 
interpretive staff addressing increased restroom use or law enforcement 
assisting with parking cars. As a result, other needs go unaddressed. 
Natural and cultural resource protection, research and monitoring, 
programming, and other services central to parks meeting their mission 
go unaddressed or are delayed indefinitely.
    Unfortunately, the surge in visitation we are already witnessing 
this summer may be a bellwether of times to come as superintendents 
scramble to cover basic needs while ensuring the safety and basic needs 
of long lines of visitors. A robust FY22 increase in operations funding 
is needed to help with these and other pressing needs.
    We commend the administration's recognition of parks' operating 
needs in its budget, as well as the focus on racial justice and climate 
change. Additional operations funding are needed to help with these 
issues.
    Restoring thousands of lapsed positions is an opportunity to 
diversify NPS staffing. The vast majority of NPS staff, 83%, are white, 
a percentage significantly higher than other federal agencies, while 
more than three in five are men. The lack of ethnic and racial 
diversity among park staff is cited as one reason that people of color 
comprise a disproportionately low percentage of park visitors. For 
example, only 2% of national park visitors are African American. 
Bringing rangers back to our parks, and ensuring a diverse and 
inclusive workforce while doing so, can help make all Americans feel 
welcome in their parks.
    Funding can also help increase HR capacity to address diversity 
issues, from connecting with academia and other sources to cultivate a 
pipeline of talented career recruits, to ensuring the ubiquity of 
diversity training and related resources that are needed to enhance 
retention. An infusion of operations funding can also expand community 
outreach and improve the relevance of park programming. Investments can 
support outreach to underrepresented communities; field trips and 
ranger programs, including virtually; and IT needs such as distance 
learning. These can be complimented by multilingual signage and 
programming and other culturally relevant efforts that make parks 
accessible and relevant to all. We encourage report language 
encouraging NPS to use a robust operations increase to diversify its 
personnel.
    Investing in park operations can also assist NPS with needs related 
to climate change adaptation, resiliency and mitigation. Our national 
parks are on the front lines of climate change, between storm surges, 
wildfire risks, and threatened wildlife habitat and irreplaceable 
cultural sites. Helping our parks adapt to a changing climate requires 
funding. These investments can be made across diverse subaccounts 
within park operations, including Cultural and Natural Resource 
Stewardship. Accordingly, we are enthusiastic supporters of and urge 
support for the proposed $211.3 million increase for Resource 
Stewardship. We recognize the urgent need for these natural resource 
stewardship investments as outlined below. However, we also 
respectfully encourage the subcommittee to consider providing increases 
for cultural resource stewardship and to examine those needs more 
carefully in FY23.
    Among other climate--related needs, funding is vital to relocate 
facilities threatened by erosion and storm surges, combat invasive 
species, address catastrophic wildfires, provide critical air and water 
quality monitoring and otherwise inventory and monitor cultural and 
natural resources to identify threats and develop adaptive management 
strategies. NPCA is particularly invested in the need for improved air 
monitoring and staffing. An investment of $3.3 million is needed for 
NPS monitoring repair, replacement, or upgrades, and $2.6 million is 
needed annually for operation/maintenance and personnel. We note that 
the Climate Conservation Corps concept offers an opportunity to address 
many needed repair, resiliency, and mitigation projects on park lands 
and importantly, adjacent landscapes that share wildlife habitat and 
watersheds. We commend and support the administration's proposal for 
$45 million for this program in FY22. NPCA is an enthusiast of this 
concept, which, in addition to supporting these climate--related needs, 
offers to train a diverse workforce that can steward our parks and 
public lands in the future.
    Increased park operations can also support infrastructure 
investments that take into consideration adaptation, resiliency and 
mitigation. Park maintenance increases should not just be limited to 
those through the Great American Outdoors Act. Supporting cyclic 
maintenance, repair and rehabilitation can help keep the deferred 
maintenance backlog from growing.
    Secondly, Cultural Resource Projects and support funds need support 
with a $5 million increase, a modest sum with the potential for large 
rewards in protecting our heritage. Within the Cultural Resources 
Stewardship program, Cultural Resource Project funds are used to 
complete the National Park System's highest priority cultural resource 
management projects. These projects are beyond the funding capabilities 
of the parks themselves, and are designed to preserve, protect and 
provide information about the diverse array of NPS's cultural 
resources. Funds from this program is used by the National Park Service 
to fulfill its Section 110 (National Historic Preservation Act) 
obligations. Those obligations include 1) ensuring historic 
preservation responsibilities are fully integrated into all federal 
agencies; 2) supporting programs and initiatives that advance the goals 
of the NHPA; 3) Engaging more diverse communities in historic 
preservation; and 4) ensuring that historic properties are protected 
and that new projects do not unnecessarily damage historic properties.
    Cultural Resource Project Funds have been used in seven NPS regions 
(including Alaska) to document, preserve, and interpret African 
American history. An increase of $5 million within the Cultural 
Resources Stewardship program directed towards Cultural Resources 
Project Funding would allow for that critical work to continue and to 
be expanded to other traditionally underrepresented groups including 
Asian Pacific Americans, Latinos, and American Indians. The project 
funds and support have been flat funded at $27.5 million since 2016 and 
warrant a modest $5 million increase to $32,200,000.
    A third NPCA priority is our request $32.9 million for the Heritage 
Partnership Program, which supports National Heritage Areas (NHAs) in 
dozens of communities throughout the country. The 55 National Heritage 
Areas are strong examples of truly effective public--private 
partnerships established in support of conservation and preservation 
values. Heritage areas allow local experts to better protect and 
interpret stories and resources that are both regionally distinct and 
nationally significant. The federal funding NHAs receive must be 
matched dollar for dollar with money from a non-federal source. On 
average most heritage areas are generating a five to one return on 
their federal investment making them one of the most cost-effective 
programs ever managed by NPS. That money is used to provide grants to 
local partners who manage a variety of local and regional programming.
    The funding level for the Heritage Partnership Program in FY21 was 
$23 million. We are disappointed with the president's budget request 
for a cut to this important program. Members of the Alliance of 
National Heritage Areas, a coalition of NHA managers and executive 
directors, have concluded their program should be funded at a level 
where each heritage area receives $500,000 in federal funding per year. 
With 55 NHAs currently designated a budget of $32 million would allow 
for each to receive $500,000 (after meeting NPS guidelines and 
performance benchmarks) while providing additional funds to support new 
heritage areas as well as NPS management and staffing needs.
    NPCA worked for years with partners and park champions in Congress 
to secure introduction of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and 
its predecessor bills, and final passage. It was an historic victory 
for our national parks. Therefore, we were alarmed that the previous 
administration sought to undermine the program in numerous ways, in 
particular undermining the Land and Water Conservation Fund and related 
programs. We were relieved that this subcommittee and its House 
counterpart rejected those efforts and provided extensive 
implementation instructions to NPS to ensure transparency and 
accountability, and to provide a broader sense of federal land 
acquisition opportunities. We were also pleased that both the Land and 
Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) 
were eligible for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and encourage 
these accounts to be eligible in FY23 and future years.
    We encourage the committee to continue engaging with the new 
administration to ensure transparency and accountability in GAOA 
implementation. We hope that you can work with them to ensure next 
year's budget provides supplemental lists for both the LWCF and LRF, 
which would offer numerous benefits including allowing members of 
Congress, public interest groups, and the broader public to see the 
many park units that can benefit from these investments in future years 
as well as enable rank and file members to pursue CDS for both LWCF and 
LRF projects.
    As members of the committee know, investing in our national parks 
is a wise investment. National parks deliver robust economic returns, 
with $10 in economic benefits for every dollar invested in the NPS. In 
2019, 328 million park visitors spent an estimated $21.0 billion in 
local gateway communities when visiting NPS sites. This spending 
supported a total of 341 thousand jobs, $14.1 billion in labor income, 
$24.3 billion in value added, and $41.7 billion in economic output in 
the national economy.
    We should briefly note our commitment to other programs and 
agencies. Endangered Species Act funding is also needed, and we 
appreciate recent investments to provide for these needs. We urge the 
committee to continue to make significant investments in the protection 
and recovery of our most vulnerable species, including fish, wildlife 
and plants in our national parks. The health and long-term protection 
of our national parks is also contingent on continuing strong 
investments in critical watershed protection and restoration programs. 
NPCA strongly supports Environmental Protection Agency and USFWS 
programs that restore watersheds essential to the wetlands, rivers, 
streams, and bays that flow in and around our parks. We applaud the 
committee for its past commitment and urge its continued support for 
the efforts of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Chesapeake 
Bay Program, Delaware River Restoration Program and the South Florida 
Program.
    In conclusion, we hope that the committee's new leadership and 
membership and the administration's commitment to our national parks, 
communities and the broader environment, coupled with the expiration of 
the Budget Control Act of 2011, can be an opportunity for increased 
investments. We look forward to communicating with you as the FY22 
process moves forward. We appreciate your attention to our views and 
thank you again for the opportunity to submit testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by John Garder, Senior Director of 
Budget and Appropriations.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the National Tribal Contract Support Cost 
                               Coalition
    My name is Lloyd Miller and I serve as legal counsel to the 
National Tribal Contract Support Cost Coalition. The Coalition is a 
voluntary organization of 20 Tribes and inter--tribal organizations 
across 11 States. Collectively, these tribal organizations operate over 
$500 million in IHS and BIA contracted programs on behalf of over 250 
Native American Tribes. I am pleased to submit this written testimony 
for the Coalition to address fiscal year 2022 contract support cost 
issues in the Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs 
budgets.\1\
    The Coalition was launched in 1996 to press Congress and the 
agencies to honor the Government's legal obligation to add contract 
support cost funding to every contract and compact awarded under the 
Indian Self-Determination Act. During the same period, tribal members 
of the Coalition carried on massive litigation--pressing multiple cases 
that eventually resulted in two Supreme Court decisions cementing the 
federal government's duty to pay these costs in full.\2\
    Ultimately, Treasury ended up paying some $2 billion in damages to 
the Tribes for broken contract promises, some stretching back 20 years.
    Adjusting to the legal regime in the wake of the Cherokee and Ramah 
cases wasn't easy. Initially the agencies tried to roll back the 
Tribes' courtroom victories by pushing for destructive appropriations 
riders. In FY 2014, their failure to work with this Committee led IHS 
to undertake a massive reprogramming of agency funds to meet current 
year contract obligations. But after that unfortunate experience, the 
House and Senate appropriations committees worked closely and 
creatively with the Tribes and OMB to develop and later refine a new 
and uncapped appropriation to address contract support cost 
requirements. Today, the risk of insufficient appropriations to pay the 
Tribes is gone, and for that we thank this Committee.
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    \1\ The Coalition members are the Alaska Native Tribal Health 
Consortium (AK), Arctic Slope Native Association (AK), Central Council 
of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes (AK), Cherokee Nation (OK), Chickasaw 
Nation (OK), Choctaw Nation (OK), Citizen Potawatomi Nation (OK), 
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (MT), Copper River Native 
Association (AK), Forest County Potawatomi Community (WI), Kodiak Area 
Native Association (AK), Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (MI), 
Muscogee (Creek) Nation (OK), Pueblo of Zuni (NM), Riverside-San 
Bernardino County Indian Health (CA), Shoshone Bannock Tribes (ID), 
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes (ID, NV), Southeast Alaska Regional Health 
Consortium (AK), Spirit Lake Tribe (ND), Tanana Chiefs Conference (AK), 
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (AK), and Northwest Portland Area 
Indian Health Board (43 Tribes in ID, WA, OR).
    \2\ See Cherokee Nation v. Leavitt (2005) and Salazar v. Ramah 
Navajo Chapter (2012).
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                       mandatory appropriations.
    The Committee's solution in FY 2015 was creative: it included an 
indefinite and mandatory appropriation within a fixed discretionary 
appropriation to cover a legal obligation of unknown amount. The more 
natural solution would have been to move contact support cost payments 
to the mandatory side of the budget. But, doing so was deemed a 
potentially insurmountable undertaking as compared to the solution we 
have today. That said, the presence within the IHS and BIA 
appropriations of an indefinite appropriation to pay a mandatory 
obligation of unknown amount has produced its own challenges for the 
Administration and for this Committee.
    Given these realities (and as we first proposed to this Committee 
in 2013), today we renew our request that mandatory IHS and BIA 
contract support cost payments be moved to the mandatory side of the 
budget. Among other means of accomplishing this goal, the Coalition 
continues to support the enactment of legislation establishing a 
permanent and indefinite appropriation for contract support cost 
payments.
    And since 105(l) leasing obligations are similarly mandatory 
obligations, we further recommend that IHS and BIA section 105(l) 
leasing obligations likewise be moved to the mandatory side of the 
budget.
                   payment delays and underpayments.
    The BIA and the Office of Self-Governance seem structurally 
incapable of making timely payments to the Tribes. Although delays in 
regular contract payments are rampant, delays are especially severe 
when it comes to contract support costs. Government contractors are 
routinely paid on a timely basis. Yet, tribal governments are left to 
wait months, even years, before they receive their payments. Today, 
almost seven months into the new fiscal year, the BIA and OSG have 
still not paid many Tribes--and possibly not paid most Tribes--any 
contract support cost amounts to operate their FY 2021 contracts and 
compacts.
    This is unacceptable.
    Worse yet, the BIA and OSG have still not paid many Tribes in full 
for FY 2020, and in some cases for FY 2019-even though indefinite 
appropriations are legally available to pay these obligations. At issue 
are substantial portions of the Tribes' CSC obligations, and not mere 
post-year reconciliations.
    The Coalition respectfully asks this Committee to charter a task 
force to develop regulatory and legislative solutions to these 
persistent BIA and OSG payment problems. Interior should also be 
required to promptly report in writing to this Committee (and to the 
Tribes) on the status of the BIA's and OSG's FY 2020 and FY 2021 
payment obligations to the Tribes.
                 agency failures to report to congress
    It has been years since the BIA honored Congress's directive for an 
annual written report on contract support cost obligations. This is so, 
even though the annual reporting mandate is unmistakable in Section 
105(c) of the Act: ``Not later than May 15 of each year, the Secretary 
shall prepare and submit to Congress an annual report . . . . '' See 25 
U.S.C. Sec. 5325(c).
    For IHS, the problem is delay. Although annual reporting is 
mandatory, not until May 2019 did IHS submit its reports to Congress 
for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (posting them that month on its 
website). The IHS report for fiscal year 2018 was more timely, but 
still posted 19 months after the May 2018 statutory deadline (in 
November 2019). IHS has still to release its FY 2019 shortfall report.
    Annual contract support cost reports are vital not just for 
Congress but for the Tribes too. After all, CSC dollars are obligations 
to the Tribes--they are not appropriated for agency programs. Only by 
seeing these reports can the Tribes learn how each agency is managing 
this important account. In the past, reports have often disclosed 
errors in tribal payments (sometimes also leading to corrective 
action). These reports have also revealed systemic agency shortcomings, 
such as inconsistent practices across Areas or Regions, as well as 
inconsistent practices between contracting and compacting Tribes. 
Transparency and regular reporting are essential for self-governance to 
succeed and to honor the agencies' government-to-government obligations 
to the Tribes. If Congress and the Tribes are to have effective 
oversight over one billion dollars in contract support cost 
appropriations, timely reports are essential.
    The Coalition respectfully requests that the Committee direct the 
BIA to promptly provide FY 2017 and FY 2018 reports to Congress and the 
Tribes; that the Committee direct that IHS and the BIA expedite the 
preparation of their FY 2019 reports (due last May) and provide a 
written explanation of any systemic obstacles that prevent timely 
reporting to Congress and the Tribes; and that the agencies timely 
honor their statutory reporting duties for FY 2020 and future years.
    The Coalition also respectfully requests that the agencies be 
required on a semi-annual basis to update their reports for specific 
fiscal years, because both agencies continue making payment adjustments 
for up to 5 years.
Indian Health Service CSC Payments on Substance Abuse and Suicide 
        Prevention (SASP), Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative 
        (DVPI) and Related Appropriations Accounts.

    Prior to FY 2012, IHS transferred these accounts to Tribes through 
their compacts and contracts. CSC requirements were calculated and 
reported to Congress (though for the most part IHS failed to pay them). 
But ironically, just months after the Supreme Court Ramah decision in 
2012 confirmed that payment was mandatory, IHS reversed course and 
demanded new grant instruments for these funds.
    Today, Tribes must cut into very limited program accounts to cover 
program administration costs (such as accounting, hiring, facility and 
auditing costs). Tribes continue to struggle with the Nation's highest 
rates of substance abuse, domestic violence, opioid addiction, 
methamphetamine addiction and suicide than the general population, so 
it is essential that they receive necessary CSC funding so that scarce 
program funds are not diminished to cover unavoidable administrative 
costs.
    Further, employing unnecessary grant instruments and grant 
reporting conditions and the like simply perpetuates a whole agency 
grant administration bureaucracy. This can be avoided (or at least 
diminished) by placing these accounts into tribal contracts and 
compacts.
    Three years ago, the Committees pressed IHS to return to the prior 
practice of transferring these and similar funds through compacts and 
contracts.\3\ IHS eventually launched--but then stalled--a tribal 
consultation process to explore the issue. In December 2019, the 
Committees directed IHS to complete the process by the end of March 
2020.\4\ Yet despite all the consultation, nothing ever happened. 
Nothing ever changed.
    Since IHS has failed to act and to reform the process for awarding 
these accounts, the Coalition respectfully requests that the Committee 
add bill language for 2022 mandating the transfer of these accounts to 
Tribes though their contracts and compacts.
                   tribal consultation and engagement
    Both agencies are required to meet annually with the Tribes under 
the auspices of each agency's Contract Support Cost Work Group. The BIA 
recently convened a very brief meeting, while the IHS has failed to 
reconvene its workgroup for a full agenda since March 2018.
    As with reporting, active engagement and consultation is essential 
for an effective and open government-to-government relationship. It is 
also essential for identifying problems and developing collaborative 
tribal--federal solutions.
    The Coalition therefore respectfully requests that the Committee 
direct IHS and the BIA to convene their respective CSC Work Groups on 
an annual basis, as mandated by each agency's Manual.
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer this testimony on behalf of 
the National Tribal Contract Support Cost Coalition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ See 164 Cong. Rec. at H2629 (daily ed.) (Mar. 22, 2018) (Joint 
Explanatory Statement to the FY 2018 Appropriations Act) (``ISDEAA 
Contracts.-The Committees encourage the transfer of amounts provided to 
tribal organizations for the Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention 
Program, for the Domestic Violence Prevention Program, for the Zero 
Suicide Initiative, for aftercare pilots at Youth Regional Treatment 
Centers, and to improve collections from public and private insurance 
at tribally--operated facilities to such organizations through Indian 
Self-Determination Act compacts and contracts, and not through separate 
grant instruments. This will ensure that associated administrative 
costs will be covered through the contract support cost process.'')
    \4\ 165 Cong. Rec. H10316, H11295 (daily ed. Dec 17, 2019) 
(Managers' Explanatory Report on H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2020) (``IHS is finishing Tribal consultation for 
the substance abuse, suicide prevention, and domestic violence funding 
and the Service is urged to complete this phase of the process within 
90 days of the date of enactment of this Act so that funds can be 
distributed expeditiously.'')
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, I appreciate this opportunity to present the National 
Trust for Historic Preservation's recommendations for Fiscal Year 2022 
appropriations. My name is Shaw Sprague, and I am the Vice President of 
Government Relations. The National Trust is a privately funded 
nonprofit organization chartered by Congress in 1949. We work to save 
America's historic places to enrich our future.
    Thank you for the FY 2021 Interior Appropriations bill--it 
surpassed the FY 2021 bill to become the most preservation friendly 
appropriations bill to date. We look forward to continuing our work 
with this Subcommittee as you address the ongoing need for investment 
to sustain our nation's rich heritage of cultural and historic 
resources that generates lasting economic and civic vitality for 
communities throughout the nation. In addition to this testimony, we 
encourage you to review our report, ``The Preservation Budget: Select 
Preservation Priorities for FY 2022 Appropriations,'' which includes 
more detailed information about the programs identified below, 
including funding levels over time and examples of program successes.
    National Park Service.--Historic Preservation Fund. The Historic 
Preservation Fund (HPF) is the principal source of funding to implement 
the nation's preservation programs. The National Trust is enormously 
appreciative of the four successive, increased funding levels the 
Committee has provided to the HPF. We are encouraged also by President 
Biden's request of $151.8 million, the largest request ever by any 
Administration. HPF funding supports fundamental preservation 
activities such as survey, nomination of properties to the National 
Register of Historic Places, public education, and project reviews 
required for federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) projects. The 
competitive grant programs within the HPF have seen remarkable growth 
and success over the last several appropriations cycles. We also 
appreciate the increases provided to state and tribal historic offices 
and note they continue to face significant unmet financial needs.
    We respectfully request that Congress approve a total FY 2022 HPF 
appropriation equal to the President's request. We are challenged by 
supporting the President's budget, which was released after our 
preservation coalition agreed to funding requests totaling the 
authorized amount of $150 million. Accordingly, within the HPF we 
recommend:

  --The President's request of $55.675 for State Historic Preservation 
        Officers (SHPOs) exceeds by $2 million the enacted level but is 
        less than the $60 million we recommend;
  --The President's historic request of $23 million for Tribal Historic 
        Preservation Officers (THPO) less than the $24 million we 
        aspire to;
  --The President's request of $21.75 million is a historic request for 
        African American Civil Rights grants, a program the Committee 
        has consistently supported and enhanced with strong 
        encouragement by the National Trust. Earlier our coalition had 
        settled on a request of $19 million, which also exceeded 
        enacted levels;
  --We are gratified by the President's request of $3.375 million for 
        the newly established ``Equal Rights Grants,'' which confirms 
        the Administration's support of the Committee's funding of 
        grants for Civil Rights for All Americans in the past two 
        appropriations bills. While we had hoped to see a $7 million 
        appropriation for this well--received and impactful program, we 
        appreciate the Committee's sustained commitment to ensuring the 
        stories of all Americans are told and preserved;
  --$10 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and 
        Universities to preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings;
  --We were pleased to see the President's request of $25 million for 
        Save America's Treasures grants, equal to enacted. The National 
        Trust has a long supported this program, and we are gratified 
        by the President's strong request. Working within the 
        constraints of the authorized level of funding, our coalition 
        has requested $20 million;
  --The National Trust is also a strong supporter of the Paul Bruhn 
        Historic Revitalization grants and appreciates Senator Leahy's 
        leadership in creating this impactful program, which has 
        demonstrated a national reach for main street revitalization. 
        Again, we are gratified by the President's request of $10 
        million which exceeds our coalition request of $9 million; and
  --$1 million for grants for the survey and nomination of properties 
        associated with communities currently underrepresented on the 
        National Register of Historic Places and National Historic 
        Landmarks; an important start to diversifying our historic 
        record.

    National Park Service: Operation of the National Park System.--The 
National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for 423 units of the 
National Park System ranging from the battlefields where our ancestors 
fought and died to recent additions like the Birmingham Civil Rights 
National Monument, the Reconstruction Era National Monument and the 
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. We encourage the 
Committee to provide funding above the $2.688 billion from FY 2021 to 
maintain NPS operations, ensure stewardship of historic and cultural 
resources, and prevent reductions in visitor services. Within this 
funding, we strongly support the Administration's request of $5.375 
million for the African American Civil Rights Network and $1.243 
million for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. We 
recommend $1 million for the Reconstruction Era National Historic 
Network and that some of these funds be made available for grants to 
Network sites.
    National Park Service: Deferred Maintenance.--The NPS is 
responsible for maintaining a system comprised of more than 85 million 
acres that tells the stories of remarkable people and events in our 
country's history. Unfortunately, after over 100 years of operation and 
inconsistent public funding, the National Park System faces a deferred 
maintenance backlog estimated at nearly $12 billion, of which 47% is 
attributed to historic assets. Deferred maintenance in our national 
parks puts historic and cultural sites at risk of permanent damage or 
loss, and in the absence of funding, the condition of these assets will 
continue to deteriorate and become more expensive to repair and 
preserve in the future. The National Trust was deeply engaged in 
advocacy for the Great American Outdoors Act, and we look forward to 
the historic levels of dedicated funding Congress has committed to 
address these issues. We also recommend sustained increases for 
specific line items to ensure the maintenance backlog continues to 
decrease.

  --Construction. We support the President's request of $146.7 million 
        for Line Item Construction, an increase over FY 21 enacted 
        levels.
  --Repair and Rehabilitation; Cyclic Maintenance. We are enormously 
        appreciative of the Committee's sustained commitment to 
        enhancing these accounts with significant investments since FY 
        2016. We recommend an increase to $150 million for Repair and 
        Rehabilitation, an increase of $14 million above FY 2021 
        enacted and $205 million for Cyclic Maintenance, an increase of 
        $11.8 million above 2021 enacted. The Administration has 
        requested level funding for these programs.
  --Leasing Historic Structures in National Parks. We appreciate the 
        Committee's long--standing and strong support of expanded use 
        of historic leasing authorities by the NPS. Leasing is a well--
        established tool that can bring non-federal resources to the 
        rehabilitation and more active use of under--utilized or 
        abandoned buildings within the parks. The NPS continues to be 
        slow to advance a successful national leasing program. We are 
        hopeful that will change and would like to work with the 
        Committee to avoid missing future opportunities to bring unused 
        or underperforming buildings into greater public use.

    National Park Service: Cultural Programs.--Within its cultural 
programs, the NPS manages the National Register of Historic Places and 
National Historic Landmarks, certifies federal HTC projects, 
coordinates federal archaeology programs, and provides funding through 
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Grants, 
Japanese American Confinement Sites Grants, and American Battlefield 
Protection Program Assistance Grants. The National Trust recommends $35 
million in FY 2022, an increase of $3.06 million from FY 2021 and 
roughly $1.6 million more than the request. Additional increases in 
this account will enhance modernization of the National Register and 
support sustained demands to review and approve federal HTC projects. 
We also want to express our enormous appreciation of this Committee's 
strong objections to the Trump Administration's proposal to drastically 
change NPS regulations guiding the National Register process.
    National Park Service: International Park Affairs, Office of 
International Affairs.--The National Trust recommends $2.1 million for 
the Office of International Affairs to ensure engagement in the World 
Heritage Program and support for the dozens of communities and sites 
across the country seeking nomination to the World Heritage List. Our 
request exceeds enacted by $176K, and the Administration's request by 
$175K. This office is responsible for selecting sites for the World 
Heritage Tentative List and shepherding them through the detailed 
nomination process. Examples of pending sites include Hopewell 
Ceremonial Earthworks (Ohio) and Civil Rights Movement Sites (Alabama, 
Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi).
    National Park Service: National Heritage Areas.--We recommend $32 
million for the Heritage Partnership Program and National Heritage 
Areas (NHAs). This funding would provide $500,000 for each of the 55 
individual NHAs in 34 states, as well as NPS administrative support for 
coordination, guidance, assistance, and training. It represents an 
increase of $8.1 million over enacted and roughly $9.75 million more 
than the Administration's request.
    Bureau of Land Management: Cultural Resources Management.--The 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees the largest, most diverse and 
scientifically important collection of historic and cultural resources 
on our nation's public lands. We deeply appreciate the Committee's 
commitment to oversight of the Trump Administration's reorganization of 
the agency. The National Trust and many other organizations are very 
concerned with the impact of the reorganization and loss of staff 
within the Cultural Resources Division.
    We are very appreciative of the Committee's support in FY 2020 of a 
dedicated increase of $1.5 million, and $1 million in FY 2021, for the 
agency to enhance its National Cultural Resources Information 
Management System (NCRIMS). This collaboration with state historic 
preservation offices is one of the nation's most innovative programs to 
support predictive modeling and data analysis to enhance planning for 
large--scale, cross--jurisdictional land--use projects. We 
enthusiastically support the Administration's request of $21.693 
million. This is a significant and too 0ften overlooked preservation 
success story.
    Bureau of Land Management: National Landscape Conservation 
System.--The BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (National 
Conservation Lands) includes approximately 37 million acres of 
congressionally and presidentially designated lands. In 2019, new 
congressional designations added approximately 1.25 million acres to 
the system. We encourage the Committee to support the Administration's 
proposal of $67.674 million to sharply increase the system's base 
program. This would provide a slight increase of funding for this 
program over its FY 2006 level. An increase in funding will allow for 
greater inventory and monitoring of cultural resources in this growing 
system, prevent damage to the resources found in these areas, ensure 
proper management, and provide for a quality visitor experience.
    Department-Wide: Land and Water Conservation Fund.--The National 
Trust has long supported robust funding for the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund (LWCF), and we look forward to the Committee's role 
in implementing full dedicated funding for the LWCF. Many of the 
nation's most significant historic and cultural places have been 
permanently protected through LWCF investments, including Martin Luther 
King Jr. National Historical Park, Canyons of the Ancients National 
Monument, and Dayton Aviation National Historical Park. Recent LWCF 
funding will benefit historic parks including Ocmuglee Mounds National 
Historical Park, River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Lewis and 
Clark National Historical Park and William Howard Taft National 
Historic Site. In total, more than $550 million has been invested to 
acquire historic sites and 137,000 acres in 162 NPS units.
    Independent Agencies: National Endowment for the Arts and National 
Endowment for the Humanities.--We urge the Committee to approve the 
President's request of $201 million for the National Endowment for the 
Arts (NEA) and request consideration of $225 million for the National 
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEA and NEH funding is critical to 
communities around the country. It has also supported efforts by the 
National Trust's Historic Sites and others to tell a fuller American 
story and engage visitors with history in compelling ways. For example, 
support from the NEA has created programs like Art and Shadows at the 
Shadows-on-the-Teche in Louisiana, which put regionally--based artists 
in residence at the site, resulting in programming that attracted new 
audiences and brought people from around the country to the town's 
downtown commercial district. NEH support has brought teachers from 
around the country to learn about history in the places that it was 
made and to carry those experiences back to their classrooms, including 
exploring the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and 
discovering the rich, but largely unknown, African American history in 
the President's neighborhood at Decatur House.
    Independent Agencies: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.--
We recommend $8 million million for the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation (ACHP), an increase of $825,000 over enacted. The increase 
would enhance the ACHP's performance of its essential roles in ensuring 
that the nation's historic and cultural resources are protected while 
also advancing timely delivery of major infrastructure projects and 
improving consultation with Indian Tribes. The increase would also 
support the ACHPs efforts to promote enhanced mapping and digitization 
of cultural resources.
    Thank you for considering our testimony. We stand ready to assist 
the Committee in support of our recommendations.
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the National Wildlife Refuge Association
Chairwoman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    I am pleased to submit testimony on behalf of the National Wildlife 
Refuge Association. The Refuge Association and its coalition of 
representatives from Refuge Friends organizations and concerned 
citizens thank you for your support for the National Wildlife Refuge 
System, and we request an increase in funding for Refuge System 
Operations and Maintenance to $600 million in FY2022.
    The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Association is to 
protect, promote, and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System. We 
work closely with System staff in Headquarters, regional offices, and 
on refuges themselves. We talk to them about their projects, and what 
they need to do their jobs. And the overwhelming response is: we need 
more staff, and we need more funding.
    Wildlife refuges are economic engines for their communities, yet 
the biggest challenge facing the Refuge System is a lack of funding. 
Each refuge requires tailored management to protect its rich and 
diverse wildlife habitat but faces a stark lack of staff. Since FY2010, 
when the budget was the same ($503m) as it is today in FY2021, 3,500 
staffers worked to maintain and protect the Refuge System. Today, that 
number is under 2,500, an enormous 30% loss in capacity.
    Due to years of low budget allocations, the funding gap has 
degraded critical wildlife habitat and imperiled important species. The 
number of wage grade staff have declined by 50% in the last 20 years to 
a level of just 500. These folks move the water, maintain the roads, 
and support all the infrastructure involved in refuge management. 
Without them, roads are not repaired, wetlands do not receive the 
necessary water to grow food for migratory birds, weed management is 
neglected, buildings fall into disrepair. The nuts and bolts for refuge 
management are lacking.
    For years, the Refuge Association has advocated for increases to 
various pots of money within the Refuge System budget: law enforcement, 
invasive species, urban funding, etc. This year, however, as we speak 
with regional staff, we hear an escalating urgency to their cries for 
help.
    It's not just that law enforcement staff levels are low--entire 
species are declining because there are not enough LE staffers present 
on refuges to prevent human disturbances.
  --250 law enforcement officers cover 850 million acres of land and 
        water. Even excluding the water acres, each federal wildlife 
        officer covers, on average, 400,000 acres. In many cases, one 
        officer alone is responsible for an entire state, with their 
        refuge units hours away from each other.
    It's not just that wage--grade staffing levels are low--it is 
impossible to keep up with the work. At the Mid-Columbia Refuge Complex 
in central Oregon, invasive species have hammered the sagebrush habitat 
that sagebrush lizards depend on. The refuge complex was able to get 
help to clear invasive species from a small section of the refuge, 
resulting in a return of the lizards. But without additional staff, 
they cannot replicate this work anywhere else. For example, one of the 
refuges in the complex, Columbia NWR, previously had 13 staff, and they 
now have one.
  --500 wage grade staffers across the System are responsible for 
        200,000 acres on average. But this doesn't tell the entire 
        story. Desert NWR in southern Nevada, for example, is 1.6 
        million acres, and has zero wage grade staff. Invasive species 
        projects are huge undertakings, and require multiple staff 
        working together.
    And it's not just that invasives funding is inadequate--current 
funding of $11 million is just a drop in the bucket. Kudzu is taking 
over the southeast, phragmites are everywhere on refuges, mice are 
decimating seabirds at Midway Atoll, feral hogs are destroying habitat 
on a number of refuges, and cheatgrass dominates 100 million acres in 
the Great Basin (not all of these acres are refuge lands).
  --2.4 million Refuge System acres are infested with invasive plants, 
        and current funding and capacity only allows treatment of 10% 
        of those acres. Similarly, the Refuge System has 1,749 invasive 
        animal populations and currently controls 5.3% of those.
    The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest system of public 
lands set aside for wildlife conservation in the entire world. Nothing 
like the System exists anywhere else. The United States has a 
professional workforce of biologists, wetlands managers, foresters, 
wildlife officers, and many others who are trained to manage these 
lands. We are squandering this opportunity to manage this System of 
biologically critical habitat for the future while allowing a lack of 
management to overwhelm the staff, who care deeply about their jobs and 
this land.
    So what have we lost? 1,000 professional staff members in 10 years. 
$100 million in capacity in 11 years. Shorebird populations are down 
40% in 40 years. There are 715 listed animal species under the 
Endangered Species Act, and 942 listed plant species. Pronghorn habitat 
has been bisected in the southwest from border wall construction. Law 
enforcement capacity is so low that officers can be 1.5-2 hours away 
when an issue arises on a refuge, leaving refuges wide open to the 
tragedy of the commons.
    We are past the point of needing incremental funding increases for 
the Refuge System. A dramatic increase to $600 million is essential in 
FY2022. We realize that funding caps are lower than ideal, but the 
System is desperately in need and the Fish and Wildlife Service has 
been decimated through years of under funding.
    And in the words of one refuge supervisor: ``We are going down with 
the ship.''
    There are, of course, huge success stories as well. The urban 
program is incredibly promising and a huge priority for the Refuge 
Association and the Refuge System. With six designated priority urban 
refuges (San Diego, Tualatin, John Heinz, Valle de Oro, Minnesota 
Valley, and Detroit River), staff at these refuges have the resources 
to build community partnerships, bring local kids and families out to 
see wildlife habitat and watch the critters who live there, and teach 
the community about nature not far from their own homes.
    Although the mouse eradication project at Midway Atoll has been 
sidelined due to COVID-19, that project promises to eliminate the mice 
infestation that is decimating the seabird populations on the atoll. 
Partnerships are ready to go when it is safe, and we anticipate the 
success of this project, due to the isolation of the atoll and the 
limited geographic scope. Invasives projects in the Lower 48 are not so 
lucky, with invasive plants (salt cedar, phragmites, reed canary, 
cheatgrass, etc.) so entrenched that they are almost impossible to 
fully eradicate. Ongoing funding and staff to keep pace with invasives 
is desperately needed.
                   fy2022 funding versus full funding
    The Refuge Association is asking for funding of $600 million in 
FY2022, but the real need long term is closer to $1 billion. Current 
funding is roughly half that. Refuges have traditionally been havens 
for wildlife, and closed off to most visitors. But times have changed, 
and people are flocking to the Refuge System-59 million in FY2019, and 
we know there was a huge boom in visitors during COVID-19 lockdowns. 
Friends Group membership is up, and they are more engaged than ever and 
advocating on behalf of their local refuge. Urban partnerships are 
exploding, and the demand for visitor services is intense. All refuges 
should be staffed with a refuge manager, biologists, wage grade staff, 
and visitor services staff, plus any specialists needed, such as 
foresters at Umbagog NWR in Maine.
    We know that a mere $503 million in O&M funding leads to a Refuge 
System that is quickly eroding in habitat maintenance, but also losing 
the ability to even keep refuges open. No refuge is fully staffed. More 
than half of refuges have zero staff on site. Many refuges are closed 
to the public and are completely unmanaged. Lewis and Clark NWR in 
Oregon, for example, is closed and unmanaged, despite thousands of 
scaup migrating through and an overall decline in the scaup population.
    Looking to the future, it is critical that we invest in the Refuge 
System today. If this funding shortage continues for much longer, we 
will start to see a brain drain in professional capacity and refuges 
requiring millions of dollars in restoration work to restore lands that 
eroded during these times of lack of management.
    The National Wildlife Refuge Association requests funding for 
Refuge System O&M at $600 million in FY2022. Room must be made in the 
budget for this expense, because without it, wildlife populations will 
continue to decline and habitat will erode.
 everglades headwaters nwr & klamath nwrs-land and water conservation 
                                  fund
    EHWNR goals include the protection of 100,000 acres with 
conservation easements, which protect the land from development and 
conserve its wildlife and water values while keeping the land in 
private ownership, privately managed (which reduces public costs), and 
on the tax rolls. An additional 50,000 acres will become (if protected) 
public conservation lands open to public recreational access, supported 
by the sportsmen's community.
    EHWNR has 38 federally listed endangered species and is one of 
those rare refuges that can hit all of these refuge priorities: 
conserves or protects against threats to resources, protects ESA 
habitat, ecosystems, water, biodiversity, and cultural and historic 
resources, strengthens resilience to climate change impacts, has 
recreational access, benefits underserved or at-risk communities, and 
demonstrates strong local partner engagement and support.
    The National Wildlife Refuge Association requests $20 million in 
LWCF funding for the Everglades Headwaters NWR in FY2022.
    We also recommend an appropriation of $5 million in LWCF funding to 
move water to the six Klamath refuges in northern California and 
southern Oregon, to alleviate long-term water shortages on these 
refuges.
                              refuge fund
    The Refuge System uses net income derived from permits and timber 
harvests to make payments to local communities to offset property tax 
revenue lost when the federally--acquired lands are removed from local 
tax rolls. The System relies on Congressional appropriations to the 
Refuge Fund to compensate for the shortfall between revenues and tax 
replacement obligations. However, declining revenues and lack of 
appropriations have resulted in the Service paying less than 50% of its 
tax--offset obligations since 2001.
    Reduced funding threatens the partnerships that are so important 
for successful conservation, and the negative impact on local 
communities is felt even more starkly in difficult economic times. We 
also ask that this Committee consider converting or rolling the Refuge 
Fund into the PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program. Some refuge 
lands are included in PILT and others are included in the Refuge Fund. 
One funding mechanism for all refuge lands makes sense and would 
streamline the process of returning funds to local communities.
    The Refuge Association requests $50 million for the Refuge Fund in 
FY2022.
          partnerships--partners for fish and wildlife program
    With 75% of all fish and wildlife species dependent upon private 
lands for their survival, the Partners Program is one of the most 
powerful tools for protecting wildlife where it lives. By building 
effective partnerships between public agencies and private landowners 
to conserve America's expansive working landscapes, the Partners 
Program has implemented nearly 29,000 restoration projects in the past 
twenty-five years, restoring over one million acres of wetlands, three 
million acres of uplands, and 11,000 miles of streams. The Partners 
Program leverages federal dollars, generating nearly $16 in economic 
return for every $1 appropriated for projects.
    The Refuge Association and the landowner--led Partnerscapes request 
$75 million for FY2022. Such a funding level would be leveraged to 
result in an additional $400 million worth of conservation across the 
nation.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. We look forward 
to working with you to fund these important programs, and to bring the 
Refuge System back to a place where it can protect and grow our natural 
heritage for the 21st century.

    [This statement was submitted by Caroline G. Brouwer, Vice 
President.]
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of the Native Village of Eyak
Recommendations:

    1. Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service
    2. Increase funding and accepted applications for the Joint Venture 
Program
    3. Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) 
lease payments
    4. Fund Critical Infrastructure investments for the Indian health 
system
    5. Increase funding and authorize a self-governance funding 
mechanism option for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians
    6. Increase funding for Preventive Health programs.
    7. Reduce dependence on competitive grants for Indian Country

Introduction

    Thank you Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities 
for the FY 2022 federal budget. My name is Mark Hoover and I serve as 
the Chairman of the Native Village of Eyak. The Native Village of Eyak 
is a federally recognized tribal government located in Cordova, Alaska, 
on the southeast shores of Prince William Sound in the North Gulf 
Coast. The Tribe is a co-signer to the Alaska Tribal Health Compact 
with the Indian Health Service (IHS) and operates a wide range of 
health care programs, including primary care services and behavioral 
health. The Tribe also has a self-governance compact under the ISDEAA 
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Native Village of Eyak focuses 
on self-determination and self-governance as a means of improving the 
lives and health of our tribal citizens. We are not only responsible 
for providing quality, available health care services, but also for 
promoting opportunities and partnerships for our citizens, protecting 
our traditional land and natural resources, and for strengthening our 
culture.
    We are grateful that IHS received over $9 billion supplementary 
appropriations to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Those resources have 
been critical to ensuring that we had the means to serve our patients 
and fight this terrible disease. The pandemic also gives us an 
opportunity to make real, sustained investments in the Indian health 
system. As we have seen with the remarkable distribution of the COVID-
19 vaccine in Alaska and throughout Indian Country, when given adequate 
resources and when tribal sovereignty is honored, tribal communities 
demonstrate remarkable success. We believe now time to take the lessons 
learned from the COVID-19 pandemic--both positive and negative--to 
renew the Indian health system. Annual appropriations are essential to 
fulfilling the federal government's trust and treaty obligations by 
ensuring critical programs and services receive adequate funding to 
fulfill their intended purpose. Therefore, I offer the following 
recommendations for your consideration for FY 2022 appropriations for 
the IHS:
    Provide Full Funding for the Indian Health Service.--We with 
support from the IHS, we strive to provide Alaska Natives and American 
Indians (AI/AN) with access to high quality and comprehensive medical 
services, no more so than during the ongoing pandemic. The Indian 
health system has navigated unimaginable hardships related to supplies, 
staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, and high rates of 
underlying conditions in serving our people at this time.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated the need 
at $48 billion for full funding. To build toward enacting this change, 
in FY 2022, the Workgroup requests $12.759 billion for IHS. We support 
their full request and reiterate the top 5 priorities for program 
expansion as follows:

    1) Hospitals and Clinics: $4.2 billion
    2) Purchased/Referred Care: $2 billion
    3) Mental Health: $715 million
    4) Alcohol and substance Abuse: $778.5 million
    5) Dental Services: $649.7 million

    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For many years, tribes 
have requested that IHS appropriations be funded on an advance 
appropriations cycle. It has unfortunately become the norm that IHS 
does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several months 
(sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. In the recent 
past, IHS, Tribal and Urban health programs have even had to deal with 
government shutdowns, when no funding was provided for weeks on end 
putting the lives of our patients in jeopardy. These funding delays 
make it impossible for IHS and Tribal health programs to plan and 
manage their annual budgets. Congress recognized these challenges will 
it provided the Veterans Administration with advance appropriations 
over a decade ago. Yet, IHS still waits for parity. As you know, health 
systems cannot practically operate on a day-to-day or week-to-week 
basis without a full understanding of their budgets. Unrelated 
political disagreements in Washington, DC should not impede AI/ANs from 
receiving the health care they deserve. Full advance appropriations for 
the IHS would lead to better stability for our health system, improve 
provider recruitment and retention, and improve practices over all.
    We thank the leadership of this subcommittee for supporting 
legislation that would enact advance appropriations in previous 
Congresses. We also appreciate President Biden's support for IHS 
advance appropriations in his FY 2022 budget request to Congress. We 
urge the Committee to take the necessary steps in the FY 2022 
appropriations bill to move IHS to an advance appropriation for FY 2023 
and beyond. The time is now to end the delay of health care for AI/ANs.
    Support Expansion of the IHS Joint Venture Program.--The IHS Joint 
Venture (JV) program provides tribes with a critical opportunity to 
build new facilities and to enhance health services for their patients. 
Under this project, tribes and tribal organizations build or acquire 
the facility with their own or other non-IHS funds, and IHS commits to 
fund the additional staffing and operations costs associated with the 
new or expanded facility. The program has been a major success, with 
close to 40 facilities built, acquired, or renovated since 1992. It has 
been a critical, cost-effective mechanism to address the health care 
facilities shortage, since funds continue to be limited for the IHS 
Facilities Construction Priority List. Yet, despite the remarkable 
success of this program, projects like ours remain unfunded by IHS. In 
the last round, Native Village of Eyak--along with two other Tribal 
health organizations in Alaska--received a high score and were on the 
top 10 list of projects, but were not funded, as IHS only funded the 
top 5. We request that the Committee direct IHS to fund all high-
scoring applicants for JV construction projects.
    Additionally, the JV program currently leaves tribal facilities 
without necessary maintenance and replacement funds. The IHCIA requires 
that the tribe lease the facility to IHS for 20 years at no cost. The 
JV facility is eligible to receive a share of IHS's perennially 
insufficient Maintenance and Improvement (M&I) funding, but is not 
eligible for a lease under section 105(l) of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA).\1\ This leads to 
the anomaly that non-JV facilities can be fully funded under 105(l), 
receiving either fair market rental or the cost elements set out in the 
regulations, while JV facilities are stuck with nothing but M&I. We 
request that Congress amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to 
correct this issue. We are happy to provide any technical assistance 
you may need.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) lease 
payments.--We appreciate the subcommittee's commitment to ensuring that 
Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by 
including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in FY 2021 for both 
of these accounts. However, these line items continue to take up a 
larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary budget, thereby 
leaving little room to expand other services given tight discretionary 
appropriations caps. We strongly agree with the subcommittee's words in 
the explanatory statement for the Further Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) regarding 105(l) costs which said, in part: 
``Obligations of this nature are typically addressed through mandatory 
spending, but in this case since they fall under discretionary 
spending, they are impacting all other programs funded under the 
Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, including other equally 
important Tribal programs . . . ''
    Therefore, we ask you to continue to advocate with your colleagues 
on authorizing committees to enact mandatory appropriations for CSC and 
105(l) lease costs. Doing so, will ensure that other areas of the IHS 
budget are held harmless by these costs and true increases in critical 
services line items can move forward. This will enhance care for AI/AN 
patients and reduce health disparities.
    Fully fund critical infrastructure investments.--As Congress 
considers making dramatic investments in the country's infrastructure, 
it is critical that the Indian health system not be left behind. 
Therefore, we request that the subcommittee allocate funding for full 
implementation of interoperable Electronic Health Records (EHR) and 
tele-health. This will ensure that IHS can provide services that are 
similar to other health providers. IHS recently testified before the 
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that the current EHR ``created 
significant barriers to the rapid response needed for COVID-19.'' For 
tribes and Tribal health organizations who have committed their own 
resources to move away from RPMS and make their systems functional, IHS 
should take this into consideration with any new resources and ensure 
these programs are not only interoperable, but compensated accordingly.
    It is also critical that Congress make significant investments in 
Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and tribal facilities are 
some of the oldest in the nation, with an average age of 10.6 years. 
This creates situations where facilities are out of date, or not 
appropriate for the size of the patient populations they serve. 
Therefore, consistent with the Budget Formulation Workgroup's request, 
we recommend $15 billion for Health Facilities Construction Funding & 
Equipment.
    Staff Housing Quarters.--We continue to experience challenges 
finding adequate housing for staffing for health and other 
professionals to serve our community. As you know, health staffing 
shortages across the Indian health system are dire, and providing 
adequate living spaces for professionals are directly linked with our 
ability to recruit and retain staff. We appreciate the Committee's 
commitment to provide $10 million for staff quarters in the FY 2021 
appropriation. Please continue to provide funding and increase this 
line item in FY 2022.
    Extend Self-Governance Funding Options to the Special Diabetes 
Program for Indians (SDPI) and increase funding to $250 million/year.--
While we understand that SDPI is not under the jurisdiction of the 
subcommittee, we appreciate that Congress included a three-year 
reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(P.L. 116-260). Communities like ours across Indian Country rely on 
SDPI resources to address the alarming rates of diabetes and diabetes--
related health complications among our people. SDPI's success rests in 
the flexibility of its program structure that allows for the 
incorporation of culture and local needs into its services. Consistent 
with this model, Congress should authorize SDPI participants the option 
of receiving their federal funds through either a grant (as currently 
used) or self-governance funding mechanisms under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. This would be a natural and 
just extension of SDPI in respecting tribal sovereignty.
    Additionally, SDPI has not had an increase in funding since FY 
2004. Short term reauthorizations also destabilize this health program 
and make staffing and program continuity difficult. For this reason, we 
recommend permanent reauthorization for SDPI at a minimum base of $250 
million per year with annual adjustments for inflationary increases. 
Therefore, we urge you to work with your Congressional colleagues to 
ensure that SDPI receives a funding increase of at least $250 million 
per year.
    Plan for the Future with Dedicated Funding for Preventative Health 
Services.--Among the many things we have learned from the COVID-19 
pandemic is that basic public health functions are critical to 
preserving life and overall health of Americans, yet public health 
systems in most tribal communities lag far behind systems in other 
jurisdictions. Without robust public health systems in place, 
responding to public health threats means that tribal communities will 
continue to be a challenge. Like other governments, Tribes have the 
responsibility to provide public health services for their people. Yet 
the federal government provides few resources to tribal communities for 
this purpose.
    AI/ANs experience health disparities for a variety of health 
conditions such as such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and 
other largely preventable chronic conditions. Treating these chronic 
health conditions imposes unnecessary challenges on Tribal health 
systems and IHS. We support long-term, sustained, full investment in 
tribal public health infrastructure so that tribal communities have the 
resources available to respond quickly when the next crisis hits.
    Reduce Dependence on Federal Grants.--In addition to the critical 
funding needs that are outlined above, we also support moving away from 
competitive grants for federal funding mechanisms. The federal trust 
responsibility does not require that we jump through a myriad of hoops 
and onerous applications to see that services are provided to our 
people. Grants also unfairly pit tribes against tribes, when all are 
deserving of critical resources. Therefore, we agree with other tribal 
leaders and continue to support broad based funding for our health 
systems across all federal agencies. Too often, tribes are under 
resourced to apply for federal grants, and to comply with the 
associated burdensome reporting requirements which vary from grant to 
grant. Applications and reporting requirements force our health system 
to divert staff time to apply and report thereby diluting the 
usefulness of the resources. Instead, we request wide--spread, 
formula--based funding across all programs. Tribes must also be granted 
the flexibility needed to respond to the specific needs of their own 
communities, not those prescribed by federal grants. This also means 
providing enough resources so funds are provided in meaningful amounts 
across all tribes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ 25 U.S.C. Sec. 5324(l); 25 C.F.R. Part 900, Subpart H.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Natural Science Collections Alliance
    The Natural Science Collections Alliance appreciates the 
opportunity to provide testimony in support of fiscal year (FY) 2022 
appropriations for the Smithsonian Institution and the Department of 
the Interior. We encourage Congress to make new investments that 
address agency backlogs and secure future efforts for the preservation, 
curation, growth and study of scientific and cultural collections 
within the Department of the Interior and the Smithsonian Institution. 
We request that Congress provide the National Museum of Natural History 
with at least $60 million in FY 2022, with new funding to correct for a 
lack of adequate increases in recent years. Please provide the United 
States Geological Survey (USGS) with at least $1.75 billion in FY 2022, 
with increased support for collections related activities.
    The Natural Science Collections Alliance is a non-profit 
association that supports natural science collections, their human 
resources, the institutions that house them, and their research 
activities for the benefit of science and society. Our membership 
consists of institutions that are part of an international network of 
museums, botanical gardens, herbaria, universities, and other 
institutions that contain natural science collections and use them in 
research, exhibitions, academic and informal science education, and 
outreach activities.
    Scientific collections, and the collections professionals and 
scientists who make, care for, and study these resources, are a vital 
component of our nation's research infrastructure. These collections 
and their associated experts contribute to the expansion of our 
bioeconomy. Whether held at a museum, government managed laboratory or 
archive, or in a university science department, these scientific 
resources form a coordinated network of specimens, samples, and data 
(for example, genetic, tissue, organism, and environmental) that are a 
unique and irreplaceable foundation from which scientists are studying 
and explaining past and present life on earth.
    Preservation of specimens and the strategic growth of these 
collections are in the best interest of science and the best interest 
of taxpayers. Existing scientific collections that are properly cared 
for and accessible are a critical component of the US science 
infrastructure and are readily integrated into new research on 
significant questions. Specimens that were collected decades or 
centuries ago are now routinely used in research in diverse fields 
related to genomics, human health, biodiversity sciences, informatics, 
environmental quality, and agriculture.
    According to the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Scientific 
Collections (IWGSC), ``scientific collections are essential to 
supporting agency missions and are thus vital to supporting the global 
research enterprise.'' A 2020 report by the IWGSC presents a framework 
for estimating and documenting the long-term benefits, both monetary 
and non-monetary, generated by federal institutional collections. 
Additional recent reports have highlighted the value of mobilizing 
biodiversity specimens and data in spurring new scientific discoveries 
that grow our economy, improve our public health and wellbeing, and 
increase our national security.
    In 2019, the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) issued a 
community informed call for the development of an Extended Specimen 
Network, or ESN. The report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to 
Promote Research and Education, outlined a national agenda that 
leverages digital data in biodiversity collections for new uses and 
called for building an Extended Specimen Network: ``Science and 
industry rely on physical specimens housed in U.S. biodiversity 
collections. Rapid advances in data generation and analysis have 
transformed understanding of biodiversity collections from singular 
physical specimens, to dynamic suites of interconnected resources 
enriched through study over time. The concept of the `extended 
specimen' conveys the current perspective of the biodiversity specimen 
as extending beyond the singular physical object, to potentially 
limitless additional physical preparations and digital resources.'' 
This endeavor requires robust investments in our nation's scientific 
collections, whether they are owned by a federal or state agency or are 
part of an educational institution or free--standing natural history 
museum or other research centers.
    A 2020 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and 
Medicine (NASEM), Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research 
and Education for the 21st Century, provided guidance to the NSF 
regarding the sustainability of living stock and natural history 
collections. The report argued that collections are a critical part of 
our nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental 
resource for understanding the natural world.
    The NASEM, BCoN, and IWGSC reports, articulate a common vision of 
the future of biological collections and define a need to broaden and 
deepen the collections and associated data to realize the potential for 
biodiversity collections to inform 21st century science. Collections 
are a critical resource for advancing the knowledge needed to address 
current global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, 
and pandemics. The COVID-19 crisis has illustrated how inextricably 
linked humans are to the natural world. Biological collections, their 
extended data, and the experts that build and study them are globally 
important for understanding where viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 exist in 
nature or when they cross from their current hosts to humans.
    The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History 
(NMNH) is the central federal partner in the curation and research on 
scientific specimens. Scientists at the NMNH care for 146 million 
specimens and ensure that the institution remains a global leader in 
scientific research and public engagement. To increase the availability 
of these scientific resources to researchers, educators, other federal 
agencies, and the public, NMNH is working on a multi-year effort to 
digitize its collections. Funding is required to ensure this work is 
completed.
    The National Museum of Natural History is also working to 
strengthen curatorial and research staffing and to backfill positions 
left open by retirements and budget constraints. The current staffing 
level is insufficient to provide optimal care for the collections. 
Future curatorial and collections management staffing levels may be 
further jeopardized given funding cuts at science agencies, such as the 
United States Geological Survey that, until recently, supported staff 
positions at the National Museum of Natural History. We believe these 
changes significantly jeopardize our bioeconomy at a time when there 
are critical issues facing the country, where the network of 
collections and experts working with these collections are needed.
    Interior is an important caretaker of museum collections as well; 
the Department has an estimated 206 million items, comparable in size 
only to the Smithsonian Institution. Although many of the department's 
collections are located in bureau facilities, numerous artifacts and 
specimens are cared for in non-governmental facilities, such as museums 
and universities.
    In addition, the USGS furthers the preservation, inventory, and 
digitization of geological scientific collections, such as rock and ice 
cores, fossils, and samples of oil, gas, and water. The National 
Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation program helps states with 
collections management, improves accessibility of collections data, and 
expands digitization of specimens to ensure their broader use. One 
example of the returns from this program is the potash mineral deposit 
discovered in Michigan that is valued at an estimated $65 billion. Rock 
samples from Michigan were entered into a national database, where 
private companies discovered the deposit's existence and are now 
assessing the potential for mining.
    USGS supports the documentation and conservation of native 
pollinators through its Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab (BIML). 
Pollinators, such as bees, are critical components of ecosystems and 
play an integral role in wildlife and habitat management and 
restoration. Three-fourths of the world's flowering plants and about 35 
percent of the world's food crops rely on pollinators to reproduce. 
Given that pollinator populations are in decline globally, BIML's work 
in developing a nationwide method to inventory and monitor bee 
population trends on public lands is crucial.
    USGS has more than a million specimens of birds, mammals, 
amphibians, and reptiles that are housed at the Smithsonian National 
Museum of Natural History. The Biological Survey Unit (BSU) consisted 
of USGS scientists stationed at the NMNH, where they conducted research 
on USGS--specimens of fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals that are 
curated at the NMNH. This arrangement went back to 1889. These 
specimens, data, and the research they enable are required to inform 
Department of the Interior land and natural resource management 
decisions, and often also support decision--making by State and Tribal 
governments. It is our understanding that the BSU has now been 
eliminated, with the Smithsonian taking over care of these collections. 
The work the BSU supported and conducted at the NMNH was important and 
in the national interest. There is a lack of clarity and understanding 
about how this work is currently being sustained, given the 
Smithsonian's own shrinking staff.
    The Bureau of Land Management has a large backlog of cultural 
resources to inventory on public lands. Currently, only about 11 
percent of public lands have been assessed for heritage resources. Such 
assessments need to be conducted before unique resources are lost to 
looting, vandalism, fire, or environmental change.
    The National Park Service must continue its investments in 
scientific collections into the future, which means cataloging millions 
of museum objects and connecting the resulting databases to national 
and global data portals. The National Park Service curates a wide range 
of specimens and artifacts, from historical and cultural items to 
preserved tissues from protected species and living microorganisms 
collected in our National Parks. Several parks have made progress on 
addressing planning, environmental, storage, security, and fire 
protection deficiencies in museum collections, but much work remains, 
and present and future collections will be fundamental for effective 
management efforts.
                               conclusion
    Scientific collections are critical infrastructure for our nation's 
research enterprise. They are a national treasure that help support the 
nation's bioeconomy. Research specimens connect us to the past and are 
used to document and solve current problems. They allow us to predict 
threats to human health, find successful methods for ensuring food 
security, and address the impact of future environmental changes. 
Sustained investments in scientific collections are in our national 
interest. We also see these investments as critical for our efforts to 
grow diversity and inclusion in the scientific workforce.
    The budget for NMNH has not seen adequate increases in recent 
years. We urge Congress to provide NMNH with at least $60 million in FY 
2022 to allow the museum to undertake critical collections care, make 
needed technology upgrades, and conduct cutting edge research. Please 
support adequate funding for programs within Interior bureaus that 
support the preservation and use of scientific collections--a truly 
irreplaceable resource. We encourage Congress to provide the USGS with 
at least $1.75 billion in FY 2022, with increased support for 
collections related activities.
    Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.

    [This statement was submitted by John Bates, President.]
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of the Nature Conservancy
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit recommendations 
for fiscal year 2022 (FY22) appropriations. The Nature Conservancy 
(TNC) is an international nonprofit conservation organization working 
around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for 
people and nature. Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters upon 
which all life depends.
    As the nation continues to struggle with the challenges of COVID-
19, TNC appreciates the Subcommittee's work to address the pandemic's 
impacts on our citizens and the economy. Investments focused on 
restoring ecosystems and building a low--carbon economy will yield 
immediate relief for communities--particularly overburdened, Indigenous 
and low--income communities--throughout the country. TNC wishes to 
thank this Subcommittee for the final FY21 funding levels for 
conservation programs. TNC's budget recommendations for FY22 reflect a 
balanced approach, with funding levels consistent with those in FY21.
    The effects of climate change require comprehensive policy action, 
including investments in natural climate solutions, clean energy 
development, natural infrastructure and resilience. TNC supports 
funding practical, innovative climate solutions to create an energy 
future that is cleaner, more secure and gives consumers greater energy 
choices. Likewise, investing in nature brings strong returns for our 
security, economy, communities and families. TNC is focused on 
supporting programs and investments that ensure economic and 
environmental benefits are enhanced today and made sustainable for 
tomorrow.
    Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).--The passage of the Great 
American Outdoors Act means that after more than 55 years, LWCF will be 
guaranteed full funding in FY22 and beyond. The legislation carefully 
preserved Congress's discretion in deciding how best to allocate those 
dollars between the many conservation and recreation needs addressed by 
LWCF. TNC supports a healthy balance of LWCF projects and grants across 
the country. TNC urges the Subcommittee to provide vigorous oversight 
of LWCF to ensure smooth implementation and a strong future for this 
incredibly successful program. In addition, TNC asks the Subcommittee 
to avoid rescissions of past--year funds that could be used for LWCF 
project needs.
    Endangered Species.--TNC supports continuing funding of at least 
$60 million for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. 
This funding provides critical matching grants to states and 
territories for conservation and species recovery efforts on non-
federal lands. TNC requests the Subcommittee's continued support for 
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) funding and HCP Land Acquisition 
Grants.
    State and Tribal Wildlife Grants.--TNC supports the president's 
request of $82.4 million for state and tribal wildlife grants. Strong 
federal investments are essential to support strategic actions by 
state, tribal and federal agencies, as well as the conservation 
community, to protect wildlife and their habitats and prevent species 
from being listed as threatened or endangered. TNC urges Congress to 
enact the bipartisan Recovering America's Wildlife Act, which would be 
the most significant investment in wildlife conservation in decades.
    Wildlife Conservation Programs.--The wildlife conservation programs 
at the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) continue a long and successful 
tradition of supporting collaborative conservation in the United States 
and internationally. TNC urges the Subcommittee to continue funding for 
the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Neotropical Migratory 
Bird Conservation Fund, Migratory Bird Joint Ventures, FWS Migratory 
Bird Management Program and FWS Coastal Program at no less than FY21 
funding levels. Likewise, TNC supports continued strong funding for the 
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the Cooperative Landscape 
Conservation and Adaptive Science programs and the National Fish 
Habitat Initiative.
    International Programs.--The international conservation programs 
appropriated annually within the Department of the Interior (DOI) and 
the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) are relatively small but are effective 
and widely respected. They complement U.S. foreign policy and aid goals 
for biodiversity and climate change. They encompass DOI's Office of 
International Affairs, FWS Multinational Species Conservation Funds, 
FWS Wildlife Without Borders regional and global programs, the National 
Park Service's International Program and the USFS International 
Program. TNC requests modest increases over FY21 funding levels for 
these programs.
    National Wildlife Refuge System.--Found in every state and 
territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of America's 
environmentally sensitive and economically vital ecosystems, including 
oceans, coasts, wetlands, deserts, tundra, prairies and forests. TNC 
supports stronger funding for the system's operations and maintenance 
accounts. TNC requests $600 million for FY22. This represents the 
funding necessary to maintain management capabilities for the system.
    Investing in Wildfire Resilience.\1\--Congress took major steps 
toward stabilizing the USFS budget with the 2018 ``fire fix.'' As new 
conversations about the Budget Control Act and disaster funding is 
underway, we request that the fire fix remains durable and 
comprehensive, as intended by the Congress. In addition, the fire fix 
will not be durable and fully successful without substantial 
reinvestments in programs that increase forest resilience. TNC 
recommends investing in the USFS's Hazardous Fuels Program at $700 
million and DOI's Fuels Management Program at $250 million, in addition 
to repeating the Subcommittee's FY21 instructions for allocating funds 
to priority landscapes in both wildland urban interface and wildland 
settings for prescribed burning. TNC also supports fully funding the 
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program at $80 million, 
vegetation and watershed management at $210 million, the Water Source 
Protection Program at $30 million, dedicating $30 million for a new 
ecological reforestation initiative and reinstating and funding the 
Legacy Roads and Trails Program at $100 million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ In the FY2020 appropriations process, Congress directed the 
USFS to modernize their budgeting practices. This resulted in programs 
appearing differently as cost pools, salaries and expenses have been 
removed from programs. TNC is providing funding levels under the old 
budget model for USFS programs as the organization continues to gain a 
better understanding of the new modern structure. TNC looks forward to 
working with the Subcommittee and the agency to develop recommend 
funding levels that reflect budget modernization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Research and Joint Fire Science--Found in every state and 
territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of USFS's 
Forest and Rangeland Research Program offers the scientific basis for 
policies that improve the health and quality of urban and rural 
communities. This program is vital to the long-term health and utility 
of our forests and rivers. TNC requests funding the program at $315 
million. TNC requests the Subcommittee include $8 million for each USFS 
and DOI joint fire science programs, which have successfully supported 
practical science that reduces fire risk and enhances economic, 
ecological and social outcomes.
    Sage Grouse Conservation--Found in every state and territory, 
national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of TNC requests 
continued investment in ongoing efforts to restore and conserve 
sagebrush habitat and the greater sage grouse across federal, state, 
tribal and private lands. These resources are needed to implement on-
the-ground projects and monitor habitat treatments, address rangeland 
fire and noxious and invasive grasses, fund suppression and restoration 
efforts and facilitate the partnership and science necessary for 
effective conservation in western states. To do this, appropriated 
sagebrush resources should specifically support the Bureau of Land 
Management's (BLM) five-year integrated program of work, which 
holistically identifies landscapes with the highest likelihood for 
conservation and restoration. Congress should consider asking for an 
annual report from BLM on acres treated in priority areas for 
conservation and restoration in the sagebrush biome and outcomes of 
partnerships with federal bodies outside of DOI. TNC requests $85 
million to support the implementation of the Greater Sage-Grouse 
Conservation Strategy (BLM: $75 million, FWS: $5 million, U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS): $5 million), which includes funding Greater 
Sage-Grouse friendly projects such as removal of juniper trees, 
eradication of invasive weeds and prescribed burns.
    TNC asks for the Subcommittee's continued support as this process 
moves forward to ensure the final FY22 spending bill does not contain 
the language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 that bars 
FWS from proposing a rule to list the Greater Sage-Grouse under the 
Endangered Species Act. This language undercuts good faith conservation 
efforts by removing the critical backstop of a listing, should 
conditions on the ground warrant such a step.
    BLM Land Management and Renewable Energy Development--Found in 
every state and territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a 
diversity of TNC supports smart planning and management of public lands 
through rapid ecoregional assessments, resource management planning, 
regional mitigation planning, landscape conservation cooperatives and 
the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring Strategy. Many BLM programs 
contribute to these cross--cutting initiatives, including the National 
Landscape Conservation System ($44.8 million), the Resource Management 
Planning Program ($67 million) and the consolidated Wildlife and 
Aquatic Habitat Management budget line ($132.8 million). TNC supports 
continued funding for BLM's renewable energy development program at no 
less than the FY21 level of $30.5 million. Collectively, these efforts 
will help BLM manage its lands efficiently and effectively for energy 
development, species and habitat conservation, recreation and other 
uses.
    Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Geographic Programs--Found 
in every state and territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a 
diversity of EPA's geographic programs, including the Great Lakes 
Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, Long Island 
Sound and Gulf of Mexico programs, make significant contributions to 
protecting habitat, improving water quality and enhancing resilience in 
the large landscapes they encompass. These programs have a proven 
record of supporting the states' voluntary restoration efforts. TNC 
supports the funding for the geographic programs contained in the FY22 
budget request and urges the Subcommittee to continue strong funding in 
FY22 for these programs.
    Colorado River Basin Recovery Programs--Found in every state and 
territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of The Upper 
Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and San Juan River 
Basin Recovery Implementation Program take a balanced approach to 
recovering four endangered fish species in the Colorado River basin. 
These programs are highly successful, collaborative conservation 
partnerships involving New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, in 
addition to tribal nations, federal agencies and water, power and 
environmental interests. These programs provide critically important 
ESA compliance for more than 2,450 federal, tribal, state and private 
water projects across the upper Colorado River basin. Through these 
efforts, water use and development have continued in growing western 
communities in full compliance with the ESA, state water and wildlife 
law and interstate compacts. TNC supports robust funding at FWS for the 
Colorado River basin recovery programs as well as fish hatchery needs 
associated with the recovery plans.
    Federal Priority Streamgage (FPS) Network--Found in every state and 
territory, national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of USGS 
operates the FPS Network to provide continuous streamflow information 
at over 8,400 locations across the country. Water managers, scientists 
and other decision--makers rely on data from the FPS Network to plan 
for floods, droughts and other extreme events, design infrastructure, 
facilitate energy generation, protect aquatic species, restore habitat 
and manage federal lands. Budget constraints led to 29 gages being 
discontinued last year. TNC supports $28.7 million for the FPS Network 
to reinstate lost gages. TNC also requests $33 million in Cooperative 
Matching Funds to leverage USGS funding to expand this program to over 
5,000 sgages. Lastly, TNC supports the FY22 budget request of $30.9 
million for the Next Generation Water Observation System to expand this 
program and allow USGS to modernize water data delivery systems across 
the United States.
    Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program--
Found in every state and territory, national wildlife refuges conserve 
a diversity of WIFIA provides authority for low--cost credit that can 
leverage private investment for water infrastructure. The criteria 
include whether a project protects against extreme weather events or 
helps maintain the environment. TNC supports the FY22 budget request of 
$80 million for WIFIA.
    3D Elevation Program (3DEP)--Found in every state and territory, 
national wildlife refuges conserve a diversity of As sea levels rise 
and extreme weather becomes more frequent, local officials and property 
owners need topographical information to keep communities safe and 
resilient. 3DEP sponsors satellite topographical mapping, providing 
communities high--quality elevation mapping to better understand flood 
risks. This mapping is used for management of flood risk, wildfire, 
water supply and renewable energy siting. 3DEP provides baseline 
mapping at a relatively low cost. Knowledge of flood risks can help 
prevent communities from developing in unsafe areas and allow risk 
mitigation in developed areas. TNC supports robust funding for 3DEP to 
promote resilient communities and environments.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit TNC's recommendations for 
the FY22 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Bill.

    [This statement was submitted by Kameran Onley, Director of North 
American Policy and Government Relations.]
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of the Nature Conservancy
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit recommendations 
for fiscal year 2022 (FY22) appropriations. The Nature Conservancy 
(TNC) is an international, non-profit conservation organization whose 
mission is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life 
depends.
    America's public forests have tremendous national importance, but 
their health puts them at severe risk unless the nation invests in 
proper stewardship and forestry. America's forests store and filter 
more than half of our nation's water supply, provide jobs to nearly one 
million forest product workers, generate $13.6 billion in recreation--
based economic activity from the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands alone, are habitat to thousands of 
forest--dependent wildlife and plant species, offer a million square 
miles to sportsmen and families for outdoor recreation and are a major 
carbon sink that sequester 15 percent of all fossil fuel emissions in 
the United States.
    However, megafires, pests and drought, exacerbated by climate 
change, place forests at risk. An area larger than the state of Oregon 
is in immediate need of restoration, and that is on national forest 
lands alone. Unfortunately, forest restoration is significantly 
obstructed by ballooning fire suppression costs.
    Forests are unique as they are both impacted by climate change and 
are a natural climate solution. The United States must invest in them 
by:

    1. Protecting existing stocks of carbon through the Forest Legacy 
Program and other initiatives.
    2. Maintaining or enhancing the ability of forests to increase 
their carbon storage through improved forest management, reforestation, 
avoided conversion and restoration programs such as the Vegetation & 
Watershed Management program.
    3. Reducing emissions from catastrophic wildfires by increasing the 
use of prescribed fire, working to improve forests' climate resilience 
and increasing community engagement and collaboration through risk--
reduction programs such as the Hazardous Fuels and the Collaborative 
Forest Landscape Restoration programs.

    TNC thanks the Subcommittee for its previous work on wildfire 
suppression funding in 2018, commonly known as the ``fire fix''. 
However, to fully succeed in this effort, TNC encourages the 
Subcommittee to sustain and increase the investments gained by the fire 
fix in forest resilience efforts that protect communities, reduce costs 
and improve habitats and forests.
    In the FY20 appropriations process, Congress directed USFS to 
modernize its budgeting practices. This has resulted in programs 
appearing differently, as cost pool and salary expenses have been 
separated from program costs. TNC recommends funding levels under the 
old budget model for USFS programs, and, where appropriate, provide an 
approximation of that level under the modern structure. TNC looks 
forward to working with the Subcommittee and the agency to develop 
recommended funding levels that reflect this budget modernization.
    Investing in the following USFS and the Department of the 
Interior's (DOI) Office of Wildland Fire programs is critical to 
meeting forest restoration goals. Effective and durable restoration 
requires integrated approaches that address threats and improve forest 
health and habitat values while at the same time support forest--
dependent communities.
    Fund the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) Program 
at no less than $80 million.--The CFLR Program is demonstrating that 
forest restoration plans developed collaboratively can be implemented 
at a large scale with benefits for people and forests. This is an 
approach that brings citizens, local government and federal staff 
together to determine effective management that is locally appropriate 
and provides jobs, sustains rural economies, reduces the risk of 
damaging fires, addresses invasive species, improves wildlife habitat 
and decommissions unused, eroding roads. The funding increase will 
guarantee the existing signature projects covering over 17 million 
acres can continue and additional critical projects across America's 
forests can begin.
    Fund USFS Hazardous Fuels programs at no less than $700 million 
(modern level approximation: $244 million).--Strategic, proactive 
hazardous fuels treatments have proven to be safer and more cost-
effective in reducing risks to communities and forests by removing 
overgrown brush and trees, leaving forests in a more natural condition 
resilient to wildfires. Drought conditions increase the need for 
investment in this program to restore and maintain fire--adapted 
landscapes and habitats. TNC recognizes the Subcommittee's continued 
support for this program through its increased funding levels, 
particularly over the last few years.
    Create and fund the USFS Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) 
initiative at $20 million.--Following on direction from the FY21 
spending bill, continue to direct the agency to create a BAR initiative 
at USFS like the existing program at DOI. This would provide the agency 
with the authority to plan longer term, post-fire reforestation.
    Fund Wildlife & Fisheries Habitat Management at $145 million 
(modern level approximation: $21 million): This would help to restore, 
recover and maintain wildlife and fish and their habitats on all 
national forests and grasslands.
    Fund Vegetation & Watershed Management at $210 million (modern 
level approximation: $33 million).--This would promote forest 
restoration through watershed treatment activities, invasive plant 
species control and reforestation of areas impacted by wildfire and 
other natural events.
    Fund Legacy Road and Trail Remediation at $50 million.--This would 
help restore river and stream water quality by fixing or removing 
eroding roads while providing construction jobs, supporting vital 
sportsmen opportunities and reducing flooding risks from future extreme 
water--flow events.
    Fund Land Management Planning, Inventory and Monitoring at $201 
million (modern level approximation: $18 million).--This would promote 
community and science--based planning when updating forest plans. It 
would also increase efforts to appropriately incorporate climate change 
into land management planning and project--level documentation under 
the National Environmental Policy Act.
    Fund Water Source Protection Program at $30 million (modern level 
approximation: $10 million).--The 2018 Farm Bill established this new 
cost share program authorizing USFS to work with water users to address 
watershed restoration plans for national forests, including wildfire 
risk reduction activities.
    Fund Forest Health at $66 million for Federal (modern level 
approximation: $19 million) and $51 million for Cooperative (modern 
level approximation: $36 million).--Forest health protection programs 
work to protect forests by minimizing the impacts caused by invasive 
species. Across the nation, large-scale, non-native insect, disease and 
invasive plant outbreaks are damaging forest health. These programs 
help reduce invasions of non-native pests that destroy iconic American 
trees such as ash, hemlock and California oaks.
    Fund State Fire Assistance (SFA) at $87 million (modern level 
approximation: $77 million).--SFA provides aid to communities for fuels 
treatments, firefighter capacity building, fire prevention education 
and pre-fire planning. The SFA program is an important complement to 
the Hazardous Fuels program for federal lands.
    Fund Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) at $20 million (modern level 
approximation: $20 million).--Through LSR, non-federal lands have 
access for competitively selected projects that leverage state funding, 
restore forests of national importance and, whenever possible, 
complement CFLR and other landscape-scale restoration efforts.
    Fund Forest Legacy at $128 million (modern level approximation: 
$128 million).--The Forest Legacy Program, in partnership with states, 
supports efforts to acquire conservation easements and fee simple 
interests on privately owned forest lands from willing sellers. These 
acquisitions leverage non-federal dollars and support long-term 
sustainable forestry while protecting other ecological, watershed and 
recreational values for local communities at risk of development or 
conversation to other uses.
    Fund Urban & Community Forestry (U&CF) at $45 million.--Working 
with the state forestry agencies, the U&CF program provides technical, 
financial, research and educational support and services. These 
services support local government, nonprofit organizations, community 
groups, educational institutions and tribal governments that manage and 
steward our nation's urban and community forests. Increased federal 
investment should focus on preventing and addressing outbreaks of 
devastating pests like the emerald ash borer and sudden oak death as 
well as reducing the loss of trees and forests in both urban and rural 
areas.
    Expand and enhance USFS International Programs at $20 million.--
This program promotes sustainable forest management and biodiversity 
conservation globally. This investment also complements domestic 
economic and conservation interests through work on combating illegal 
logging, protecting migratory species' habitats and controlling 
invasive species.
    Fund Forest and Rangeland Research at $315 million (modern level 
approximation: $41 million), with $87 million for Forest Inventory and 
Analysis (modern level approximation: $19 million).--Forest and 
Rangeland Research offers vital scientific basis for policies that 
improve the health and quality of urban and rural communities. This 
program is vital for the long-term health and utility of our American 
forests and rivers, particularly as we face an uncertain climatic 
future.
    Maintain funding for the Joint Fire Science Programs under USFS and 
DOI's Office of Wildland Fire at $8 million each.--These programs have 
proven great success in supporting practical science that reduces fire 
risk and enhances economic, ecological and social outcomes nationwide.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit TNC's recommendations for 
funding for USFS and DOI's Office of Wildland Fire in the FY22 
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

    [This statement was submitted by Cecilia Clavet, Senior Policy 
Advisor.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
                                summary
    This Statement is submitted in support of Fiscal Year 2022 
appropriations for Colorado River Basin salinity control activities of 
the Bureau of Land Management. I urge that $2,000,000 be appropriated 
for salinity specific projects within the Aquatic Habitat Management 
sub-activity of the Bureau of Land Management.
                               statement
    The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) is 
comprised of representatives of the seven Colorado River Basin States 
appointed by the respective governors of the states. The Forum has 
examined the features needed to control the salinity of the Colorado 
River. These include activities by the states, the Bureau of 
Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM). The Salinity Control Program has been adopted by the 
seven Colorado River Basin States and approved by the Environmental 
Protection Agency as a part of each state's water quality standards.
    About 75 percent of the land in the Colorado River Basin is owned, 
administered, or held in trust by the federal government. The BLM is 
the largest land manager in the Colorado River Basin and manages public 
lands that are heavily laden with naturally occurring salt. When salt-
laden soils erode, the salts dissolve and enter the river system, 
affecting the quality of water used from the Colorado River by the 
Lower Basin States and Mexico.
    The water quality standards adopted by the Colorado River Basin 
States contain a plan of implementation that includes BLM participation 
to implement cost effective measures of salinity control. BLM 
participation in the salinity control program is critical and essential 
to actively pursue the identification, implementation, and 
quantification of cost effective salinity control measures on public 
lands.
    Bureau of Reclamation studies show that quantified damages from 
Colorado River salinity to United States water users are about $354 
million per year. Modeling by Reclamation indicates that these 
quantified damages would increase to $671 million per year by 2040 if 
the Salinity Control Program were not continued. Unquantified damages 
already increase the total damages significantly.
    Control of salinity is necessary for the Basin States, including 
New Mexico, to continue to develop their compact--apportioned waters of 
the Colorado River. The Basin States are proceeding with an independent 
program to control salt discharges to the Colorado River, in addition 
to cost sharing with Bureau of Reclamation and Department of 
Agriculture salinity control programs. It is important that the BLM 
pursue salinity control projects within its jurisdiction to maintain 
the cost effectiveness of the program and the timely implementation of 
salinity control projects that will help avoid unnecessary damages in 
the United States and Mexico.
    To continue these efforts in the Colorado River Basin, I request 
the appropriation of $2 million in FY 2022 for salinity specific 
projects within the Aquatic Habitat Management sub-activity of the 
Bureau of Land Management. I appreciate consideration of these 
requests. I fully support the statement of the Colorado River Basin 
Salinity Control Forum submitted by Don Barnett, the Forum's Executive 
Director, in request of appropriations for BLM for Colorado River 
salinity control activities.

    [This statement was submitted by Rolf Schmidt-Petersen, Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Honorable Members of 
the Subcommittee, for the record my name is Lorraine Loomis, and I am 
Chairperson of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC). The 
NWIFC is composed of the twenty tribes in western Washington that are 
party to United States v. Washington, which upheld the tribes' treaty--
reserved right to harvest and manage natural resources on and off-
reservation, including salmon and shellfish. On behalf of the NWIFC, we 
are providing testimony for the record on our natural resources 
management and environmental program funding requests for the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA), Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations. These programs 
support tribes to carry out their natural resource management 
responsibilities including the management of Pacific salmon fisheries, 
which contribute to a robust natural resource--based economy and the 
continued exercise of tribal treaty rights.
       summary of fiscal year 2022 (fy22) appropriations requests
Bureau of Indian Affairs
  --Provide $66.0 million for Rights Protection Implementation 
        (collective request)
    --Provide $17.146 million for Western Washington Fisheries 
            Management
    --Provide $3.438 million for Washington State Timber-Fish-Wildlife
    --Provide $6.279 million for U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty
    --Provide $2.4 million for Salmon Marking
  --Provide $15.0 million for Fish, Wildlife & Parks Projects (non-TPA)
  --Provide $953,000 for the Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and 
        Assessment Program within the Tribal Management/Development 
        Program Subactivity
  --Fully Fund Contract Support Costs
  --Provide $2.0 million within Tribal Management/Development Program 
        Subactivity for Western Washington Treaty Tribes Wildlife 
        Management
  --Provide $60.971 million for Tribal Climate Resilience
Fish & Wildlife Service
  --Provide $8.0 million for Tribal Wildlife Grants
Environmental Protection Agency
  --Provide $96.4 million for General Assistance Program
  --Provide $50.0 million for Puget Sound Geographic Program
                       justification of requests
Bureau of Indian Affairs
  --Provide $66.0 million for BIA Rights Protection Implementation 
        Subactivity. The 41 tribes in the Great Lakes and Pacific 
        Northwest with similar treaty--reserved rights have 
        collectively identified that no less than $66.0 million for the 
        Rights Protection Implementation (RPI) subactivity is necessary 
        to support essential tribal treaty--reserved resource 
        management. This request is a $21.513 million increase over the 
        President's FY22 budget request of $44.487 million. A summary 
        of the accounts of importance to us within RPI are further 
        identified below. Please note the BIA's Budget Justification 
        doesn't provide a breakout of the President's FY22 budget 
        request for these accounts.
    --Provide $17.146 million for BIA Western Washington Fisheries 
            Management. We respectfully request $17.146 million, an 
            increase of $6.42 million over the FY21 enacted level of 
            $10.726 million. Funding for this program supports the 
            tribes to co-manage their treaty--reserved resources with 
            the state of Washington, and to continue to meet court 
            mandates and legal responsibilities. For example, funding 
            supports harvest planning, population assessments, data 
            gathering for finfish, shellfish, groundfish, and other 
            natural resource management needs. This funding is critical 
            to support the day-to-day operations of essential fishery 
            management. Reduced abundance and increased regulatory 
            scrutiny of fisheries, coupled with ongoing salmon habitat 
            loss, increased recreational pressures and climate change 
            are greatly increasing the difficulty (and cost) of co-
            managing salmon and other resources. While we greatly 
            appreciate the modest increase to RPI, funding for Western 
            Washington Fisheries Management account has not kept pace 
            with increasing management obligations and the growing 
            number of threats to treaty--reserved rights and resources, 
            including climate changes.
    --Provide $3.438 million for BIA Washington State Timber-Fish-
            Wildlife (TFW). We respectfully request $3.438 million, 
            which would maintain the FY21 enacted level. Funding for 
            this program is provided to improve forest practices on 
            state and private lands, while providing protection for 
            fish, wildlife and water quality. This funding supports the 
            tribes' participation in the Timber, Fish and Wildlife 
            Agreement--a collaborative intergovernmental and 
            stakeholder process between the state, industry and tribes.
    --Provide $6.279 million for BIA U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty. 
            We respectfully request $6.279 million, which would 
            maintain the FY21 enacted level. This request is consistent 
            with that of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) and is 
            necessary to implement the Annex chapters of the Pacific 
            Salmon Treaty (PST). Tribes assist the U.S. federal 
            government in meeting its obligations to implement the 
            treaty by participating in fisheries management exercises, 
            including cooperative research and data gathering 
            activities. This funding supports our tribes' participation 
            in the bilateral PST process.
    --Provide 2.4 million for BIA Salmon Marking. We respectfully 
            request $2.4 million, an increase of $1.057 million over 
            the FY21 enacted level of $1.343 million. This request 
            would support ongoing coded wire tagging and adipose fin 
            clipping (marking) operations at tribal hatcheries. Marking 
            is used to differentiate hatchery--origin salmon from 
            natural spawning ones. Since 2003, Congress has required 
            that all salmon released from federally funded hatcheries 
            are marked for conservation management purposes. Coded Wire 
            Tags are used to provide a unique identifier to a 
            particular hatchery stock, which is then used in salmonid 
            abundance assessments and catch rates. The NWIFC uses 
            automated trailers to provide efficient centralized tagging 
            and marking services to our 20-member tribes. However, an 
            increasing demand for these important services continues to 
            increase our costs.
  --Provide $15.0 million for BIA Fish, Wildlife & Parks Projects (Non-
        TPA) for Hatchery Operations and Maintenance. We respectfully 
        request $15.0 million for Hatchery Operations and Maintenance 
        within the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Projects account, an 
        increase of $44,000 above the President's FY22 budget request 
        of $14.956 million. More specifically, we request $8.0 million 
        for Hatchery Operations and $7.0 million for Hatchery 
        Maintenance. This funding is provided to tribal hatcheries to 
        support the rearing and releasing of salmon and steelhead for 
        harvest by Indian and non-Indian fisheries in the U.S. and 
        Canada. Without hatcheries, tribes would lose their most basic 
        ceremonial and subsistence fisheries that are central to our 
        tribal culture. For example, we currently estimate that more 
        than 80% of the salmon harvested are hatchery-origin fish. Yet 
        despite the central importance of these facilities, tribes face 
        millions of dollars in deferred maintenance costs and 
        significant funding shortfalls in operations.
  --Provide $953,000 for BIA Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and 
        Assessment Program (SSHIAP) (within the Tribal Management/
        Development Program). We respectfully request $953,000 within 
        the Tribal Management/Development Program for SSHIAP, an 
        increase of $123,000 above the FY21 enacted level of $830,000. 
        We are greatly appreciative of Congress's support for this 
        program in FY20 and FY21 conference reports. SSHIAP is vital to 
        the western Washington tribes because it provides essential 
        environmental data management, analysis, sharing and reporting 
        to support tribal natural resource management. It also supports 
        our tribes' ability to adequately participate in watershed 
        resource assessments and salmon recovery work.
  --Fully Fund BIA Contract Support Costs. We respectfully request that 
        Congress fully fund Contract Support Costs (CSC) and reclassify 
        CSC as mandatory. Funding for CSC ensures tribes and tribal 
        organizations have the capacity to manage federal programs 
        under self-determination contracts and self-governance 
        compacts.
  --Provide $2.0 million within Tribal Management/Development Program 
        Subactivity for Western Washington Treaty Tribes Wildlife 
        Management. We respectfully request $2.0 million for western 
        Washington treaty tribes' wildlife management programs within 
        Tribal Management/Development Program Subactivity. The member 
        tribes reserved the right to fish, hunt and gather natural 
        resources throughout their ceded territories. Part and parcel 
        with the tribes' reserved right to hunt and gather outside of 
        their reservation boundaries is the need to co-manage wildlife 
        resources with the State of Washington. Requested funding will 
        provide capacity to participate in state-tribal co-management 
        forums, develop wildlife management plans, develop and enhance 
        tribal hunting codes, and design and implement applied research 
        projects. These capabilities are fundamental to the protection 
        of our tribes' treaty rights and there is currently no 
        dedicated account or funding to support this critical work.
  --Provide $60.971 million for BIA Tribal Climate Resilience. We 
        request $60.971 million for Tribal Climate Resilience, 
        consistent with the President's FY22 budget request of $60.971 
        million. Climate change is one of the largest threats to tribal 
        rights and resources. Funding from this competitive grant 
        program will support tribal participation in critical issues 
        that impact treaty--reserved resources, adaptation and promote 
        natural climate resiliency. The President's proposal also 
        contains new programs that will greatly benefit the tribes.
Fish & Wildlife Service
  --Provide $8.0 million for FWS Tribal Wildlife Grants. We 
        respectfully request $8.0 million for the nationwide Tribal 
        Wildlife Grants program, consistent with the President's FY22 
        budget request of $8.0 million. Funding from this competitive 
        grant program supports the conservation of wildlife and their 
        habitat, including species that are culturally or traditionally 
        important to tribes.
Environmental Protection Agency
  --Provide $96.4 million for EPA General Assistance Program (GAP). We 
        request $96.4 million for the nationwide GAP, an increase of 
        $18.825 million over the President's FY22 budget request of 
        $77.575 million We also respectfully request: 1) bill or report 
        language that would improve flexibility in the GAP to ensure 
        individual tribal priorities and implementation activities 
        would be eligible; and 2) $5.0 million for a regional pilot 
        project that would demonstrate the flexibility needed to 
        implement individual tribal priorities through a self-
        determination model that can benefit tribes, EPA and the 
        environment. The GAP builds tribal program capacity to address 
        environmental issues that impact tribes' health, safety and 
        treaty--reserved resources.
  --Provide $50.0 million for EPA Puget Sound Geographic Program. We 
        request $50.0 million for Puget Sound, an increase of $15.0 
        million over the President's FY22 budget request of $35.0 
        million. This Geographic Program provides essential funding 
        that will help protect and restore Puget Sound--an estuary of 
        national significance. Funding for this program supports our 
        participation in a broad range of collaborative Puget Sound 
        recovery work, including scientific research, resource recovery 
        planning and policy discussions that affect our treaty rights.
                               conclusion
    We respectfully urge the Subcommittee to continue to support the 
protection and restoration of treaty--reserved resources and the 
communities and economies dependent upon them. We greatly appreciate 
your attention to our requests and thank you for your continued 
commitment to the tribes.
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
    Greetings Chairman Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski, and 
Members of the Subcommittee. My name is Nickolaus Lewis, and I serve as 
Council on the Lummi Indian Business Council, and as Chair of the 
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB or Board). I thank 
the Subcommittee for the opportunity to provide testimony on the FY 
2022 Indian Health Service (IHS) budget. I thank the Subcommittee for 
continuing to support increased funding for IHS every year.
    NPAIHB was established in 1972 and is a tribal organization under 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), 
P.L. 93-638, that advocates on behalf of the 43 federally--recognized 
Indian Tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington on specific health care 
issues. The Board's mission is to eliminate health disparities and 
improve the quality of life of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/
AN) by supporting Northwest Tribes in the delivery of culturally 
appropriate, high quality health programs and services. ``Wellness for 
the seventh generation'' is the Board's vision. In order to achieve 
this vision, I respectfully ask that this Subcommittee consider tribal 
sovereignty, traditional knowledge, and culture in all policy 
initiatives and funding opportunities.
    As NPAIHB Chair, I provide the following testimony to address 
Portland Area/Northwest Tribes' long-standing health care needs, 
including the need for public health infrastructure:

    COVID-19.--Portland Area Tribes appreciate the multiple funding 
packages for Tribal Nations to address this pandemic, especially the 
$6.094 billion to the Indian health system under the American Rescue 
Plan Act of 2021. As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the 
lack of public health infrastructure in the Indian health system and 
highlighted the stark health disparities among AI/AN people. AI/AN 
people had significantly higher rates of COVID-19 cases (3.5x)\1\, 
hospitalizations (5.3x), and deaths (1.8x)\2\ than non-Hispanic whites. 
In the Northwest, AI/AN people were more likely to be hospitalized, and 
account for 2% of COVID-19 deaths while only making up 1% of the 
Northwest population. As this pandemic continues into FY 2022, 
increased funding across all IHS accounts will be critical to ensure 
tribes have the resources they need to address ongoing health care and 
service needs.
    FY 2021 Funding.--For FY 2021, I thank the Subcommittee for the 
first time funding for HIV and Hepatitis C, and continued funding for 
the Community Health Aide Program expansion and IT/EHR Modernization. 
These initiatives are vital to our tribes to build public health 
infrastructure and to expand services.
    Provide Advance Appropriations for IHS.--We are in support of the 
historical request by President Biden for advance appropriations for 
IHS in FY 2023. Previous government shutdowns have caused undue 
hardship to Northwest Tribes--from federal employees not receiving a 
paycheck to clinics cutting down their hours. Some Northwest Tribes 
even considered closing their clinics due to lack of funding. This is 
unconscionable and must be prevented in the future. Continuing 
resolutions are no better and also impact continuity of services and 
create instability. For these reasons, NPAIHB requests that the 
Committee support the President's request for Advance Appropriations in 
recognition of trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.
    Provide Mandatory Appropriation for ISDEAA Section 105(l) Leases 
and Contract Support Costs (CSC).--Portland Area Tribes are 
appreciative of the Committee's support in securing an indefinite 
appropriation for 105(l) leases at $101 million in FY 2021. For FY 
2022, Portland Area Tribes support the request by President Biden to 
move 105(l) leases and CSC appropriations to mandatory funding to 
ensure that these appropriations are funded year after year without 
impacting annual programmatic increases to IHS and Tribal health 
facilities. We also recommend funding 105(l) leases at $337 million for 
FY 2022 to fully fund this growing expense; and funding for CSC at 
$1.142 billion for FY 2022.
    Full Funding for IHS.--President Biden and Vice President Harris 
have acknowledged the chronic underfunding of IHS and pledged to fully 
fund IHS. We request the same pledge from this Committee. Full funding 
for IHS is estimated at $48 billion by the National Tribal Budget 
Formulation Workgroup,\3\ an amount Portland Area Tribes support. For 
FY 2022, funding IHS at $12.8 billion, with a commitment to fund IHS at 
$48 billion in FY 2023, will move us towards ending the growing health 
disparities and urgent health care needs at IHS, tribal, and urban 
Indian facilities (I/T/U).
    Increase Purchased and Referred Care (PRC) by $1.046 billion.--In 
FY 2021, the PRC subaccount only received a 1.1% increase. This was a 
dismal increase given that Portland Area Tribes must purchase all 
specialty and inpatient care because there is no IHS hospital in the 
Area. Since one-third of the Portland Area IHS budget is allocated to 
PRC a more substantial increase is needed to increase PRC services. 
When there is a minimal increase and no consideration of medical 
inflation and population growth, Northwest Tribes are forced to cut PRC 
services.
    In addition, with the unknown long-term health care needs of COVID-
19 long--haulers and future COVID-19 variants, we request that this 
Committee commit to increased PRC funding in FY 2022. Thousands of our 
patients continue to suffer serious, debilitating, and lingering COVID-
19 symptoms many months after their initial bout of infection, with 
major social, health, and economic consequences. Experts say 1 in 10 
COVID-19 patients are still unwell 12 weeks after their acute 
infections, and may suffer for far longer. This is a condition that can 
be extremely debilitating. For FY 2022, we request that PRC be 
increased by $1.046 billion for a total of $2.022 billion.
    Increase Funding for Mental Health by $600 million and Substance 
Use by $527 million.--In our Area and nationwide, there are high rates 
of depression, anxiety, and relapses attributable to prolonged 
isolation during the pandemic. We are particularly concerned about our 
AI/AN adolescents and young adults. Suicide is the second leading cause 
of death for AI/AN adolescents and young adults. AI/AN suicide 
mortality in this age group (10-29) is 2-3 times greater, and in some 
communities 10 times greater, than that for non-Hispanic whites. This 
data supports Portland Area Tribes' requests to this Committee for 
increased funding to address mental health and substance use provider 
shortages, expansion of services--particularly youth services, and 
training needs for I/T/U staff.
    The data also supports funding for new mental health and substance 
use programs that are authorized, but never funded, under the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), including Sections 702, 704, 705 
and 715. These programs would increase prevention and treatment 
services, community mental health workers and behavioral health 
research. In order to address our requests, including funding new IHCIA 
programs, for FY 2022, NPAIHB recommends a $600 million increase for 
mental health and $527 million increase for substance use.
    We also recommend that the Committee include report language 
directing IHS to provide an option for tribes to receive funding for 
IHS Behavioral Health Initiatives, including the new Community Opioid 
Intervention Pilot Project, through ISDEAA Title I and Title V compacts 
and contracts.
    Fund Information Technology Modernization at $1 billion. Health IT 
modernization, including replacement of the Resource and Patient 
Management System (RPMS), must be a priority of IHS with an expedited 
implementation over the next three to five years, not 10 years as 
proposed by IHS. Tribes still using RPMS are ready for a new EHR system 
so implementation must be a priority. In addition, because all 
specialty care is purchased in our Area, some tribes updated their EHR 
systems to better manage patient care and streamline referrals. These 
tribes have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new EHR systems. 
For FY 2022, NPAIHB recommends funding at $1 billion for health IT 
modernization. We also request that the Committee include bill or 
report language that EHR subaccount funds can be used for reimbursing 
tribes that have purchased, or will purchase, commercial off the shelf 
systems, including annual licensing fees, maintenance and training.
    Fund Expansion of Community Health Aide Program at $60 million.--
Although we appreciate President Biden's request for $25 million for 
national expansion of the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) in FY 
2022, we believe this amount is insufficient and must be increased. 
NPAIHB has successfully established the framework for CHAP Expansion in 
the Portland Area with 12 working Dental Health Aide Therapists and 11 
Behavioral Health Aides in training. Portland Area Tribes are also 
currently standing up the Portland Area CHAP Certification Board, the 
first to be established in the lower 48. For FY 2022, we request $60 
million for continuation of the national expansion with $10 million for 
Portland Area to continue to expand CHAP. We also request that any 
funding appropriated for CHAP education programs include the Portland 
Area to support our education programs for Dental Health Aide 
Therapists and Behavioral Health Aides.
    Increase Indian Health Professions Funding by $25 million. COVID-19 
has exacerbated the recruitment and retention issues our Northwest 
Tribal communities face with health care providers. In order to address 
these provider shortages, NPAIHB supports an increase for Indian Health 
Professions to fully fund scholarships for all qualified applicants to 
the IHS Scholarship Program and to support the Loan Repayment Program 
to fund all physicians, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, 
nurses and other direct care practitioners.\4\ For FY 2022, we support 
the request by President Biden to increase the Indian Health 
Professions program by $25 million.
    Increase Funding for Small Ambulatory Program, Joint Venture 
Construction Project and New Innovative Approaches for Health Care 
Facilities Construction by $21 billion. No funds have been allocated to 
Portland Area Tribes for new facility construction for at least 20 
years. For this reason, Portland Area Tribes only support funding for 
specific construction programs and new innovative approaches for health 
care facility construction. We request a program increase of $21 
billion in FY 2022 to support the Small Ambulatory Program (SAP) with 
funding for staffing packages, the Joint Venture Construction Program 
(JVCP), and funding for innovative approaches to address unmet 
construction needs for health care facilities construction under 25 
U.S.C. Sec. 1631(f).
    Fund IHCIA Demonstration Projects Construction at $10 billion. In 
FY 2022, there must be at least $10 billion in facilities construction 
funding that is available outside of the current IHS Healthcare 
Facilities Construction Priority System (HFCPS) as a new, equitable 
source of funding that will provide access to construction funds for 
demonstration projects under 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1637. The Portland Area 
Facilities Advisory Committee (PAFAC) completed a pilot study over 10 
years ago to evaluate the feasibility of regional specialty referral 
centers in the IHS system. This innovative facility would provide 
services such as medical and surgical specialty care, specialty dental 
care, audiology, physical and occupational therapy as well as advanced 
imaging and outpatient surgery for 50,000 users. In FY 2022, $10 
billion for demonstration projects construction under 25 U.S.C. 
Sec. 1637 would realize Northwest Tribes long standing request for a 
regional specialty referral center.
    Fund HIV at $60 million and HCV at $600 million. From 2013 through 
2017 rates of new diagnosis of HIV for AI/AN people increased to 7.8 
per 100,000--although rates of new HIV diagnosis decreased or stayed 
stable for all other racial and ethnic groups. We thank the Committee 
for the $5 million for HIV and Hepatitis C initiatives in FY 2021. For 
FY 2022, NPAIHB requests funding of $60 million for HIV to support 
Ending the HIV Epidemic. According to the IHS National Data Warehouse, 
it is estimated that there are at least 40,000 AI/AN people with a 
current HCV infection being served by IHS, tribal and urban Indian 
facilities. For FY 2022, $600 million is needed for IHS to provide the 
life--saving HCV treatment to the 40,000 AI/ANs with HCV.
    Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI). We request permanent 
reauthorization of SDPI at $250 million per year with medical inflation 
rate increases annually. We also request that an option be created for 
tribes to receive SDPI funds through Title 1 or Title V compacts or 
contracts. Specifically, we recommend that 42. U.S.C. Sec. 254c-3(c) be 
amended with the addition of the following language: ``(2) 
APPROPRIATIONS.--On request from an Indian tribe or tribal 
organization, the Secretary shall award diabetes program funds made 
available to the requesting tribe or tribal organization under this 
section as amounts provided under Subsections 106(a)(1) and Subsection 
508(c) of the Indian Self-Determination Act, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 5325(a)(1) 
and Sec. 5388(c), as appropriate.''
    Thank you for this opportunity to provide recommendations on the FY 
2022 IHS budget. I invite you to visit Portland Area Tribes to learn 
more about the utilization of IHS funding and health care needs in our 
Area. I look forward to working with the Subcommittee on our 
requests.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Hatcher SM, Agnew-Brune C, Anderson M, et al. COVID-19 among 
American Indian and Alaska Native persons-23 states, January 31-July 3, 
2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1166-9.
    \2\ Arrazola J, Masiello MM, Joshi S, et al. COVID-19 Mortality 
Among American Indian and Alaska Native Persons--14 States, January-
June 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1853-1856. DOI: http://
dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6949a3
    \3\ National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup Recommendation, FY 
2022 Summary Recommendations, FINAL_FY22 IHS Budget Book.pdf (nihb.org) 
(last visited Mar. 31, 2021).
    \4\ NPAIHB Resolution18-03-07.
    \5\ For more information, please contact Liz Coronado, NPAIHB, at 
[email protected] or (559) 289-9964.

    [This statement was submitted by Nickolaus Lewis, Chair.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Norton Sound Health Corporation
The requests of the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) for the FY 
2022 Indian Health Service (IHS) budget are as follows:

  --Increase funding for behavioral health social detoxification 
        programs through the Preventing Alcohol Related Deaths (PARD) 
        program under the Snyder Act or through the creation of a 
        Special Behavorial Health Program for Indians, similar to the 
        Special Diabetes Program for Indians
  --Amend the new Indian Health Care Improvement Act to make newly 
        constructed behavioral health centers eligible for staffing 
        package funding
  --Allow behavioral health centers newly constructed during COVID-19, 
        to be eligible for reimbursement through the American Rescue 
        Plan
  --Move CSC and 105(l) lease costs out of the annual discretionary 
        budget and over to mandatory funding and reform the 105(l)lease 
        program to include the leasing of sanitation facilities by 
        Tribal Health Organizations to support and carry out the 
        delivery of quality, compliant water programs
  --Address funding and policy inequities in IHS sanitation funding
  --Increase funding for the small ambulatory clinic fund and expand to 
        include staffing quarters to assist Norton Sound Health 
        Corporation for its Wales replacement clinic and housing 
        triplex for staff
  --Direct IHS to use American Rescue Plan funds to designate funding 
        for a youth treatment facility in Alaska
  --Advance Appropriations for IHS to facilitate efficient budget 
        planning, purchasing, hiring, and innovation for Tribal Health 
        Organizations

    Headquartered in Nome, Alaska, Norton Sound Health Corporation is 
owned and managed by the 20 federally recognized tribes of the Bering 
Strait region. Our tribal system includes a regional hospital and 15 
village--based clinics, which we operate under an Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) agreement.\1\ Our 
rural and remote Arctic region remains unconnected by roads, and we are 
500 air miles from Alaska's economic hub of Anchorage. Our service area 
encompasses 44,000 square miles.
    Recommend the IHS increase funding for behavioral health social 
detoxification programs through the Preventing Alcohol Related Deaths 
(PARD) program under the Snyder Act or through the creation of a 
Special Behavioral Health Program for Indians, similar to the Special 
Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI).
    As the alcohol and opioid abuse problem intensifies with the wider 
availability of heroin, oxycodone, and often--lethal synthuetics such 
as fentanyl, the demand for treatment services has grown exponentially. 
As a result, national and state entities and governments have openly 
recognized and called for the need to arm providers with more resources 
and funding; however, despite the evidence of rampant substance use 
concerns, back--logged psychiatric facilities, and reimbursements 
inadequate to meet the expenses of providing services, there is an 
imbalance between the magnitude of the problem and appropriate funding.
    The Bering Strait region has many of the same concerns as other 
areas of the state and country: high rates of substance use, 
depression, anxiety, and suicide. Because our region is in remote 
Alaska, resources with which to work are fewer than those in urban 
areas; this often results in sending our people to Anchorage or 
Fairbanks for higher levels of care. Individuals have a tough decision 
to make when considering their options for treatment outside of the 
region: leave their families for a facility and community that is not 
reflective of their own cultures and values, or, forego treatment. 
Unfortunately, the latter is often the choice. Uprooting someone from 
their culture and families--two supports used as building blocks in 
recovery--is ineffective treatment and an unfair choice; as a result, 
further spiraling into addiction and relapses becomes expected. We are 
destined to see our people with substance and psychiatric concerns 
repeat those patterns of relapse and crisis without a real choice to 
access localized treatment.
    Amend the new Indian Health Care Improvement Act to make newly 
constructed behavioral health centers eligible for staffing package 
funding & allow behavioral health centers newly constructed during 
COVID-19, to be eligible for reimbursement through the American Rescue 
Plan.
    In May 2021, Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) is opening a 
Wellness and Training Center for behavioral health services. The Center 
will provide additional levels of care locally, addressing substance 
use and behavioral health treatment options in a culturally--sensitive 
manner. The services at the Center will include detoxification, 
Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization, and sober 
housing. Services will address mental and behavioral concerns, often 
co-occurring with substance use disorders. This project is essential in 
the promotion of healing, wellness, and the mitigation of substance 
abuse within our region.
    Despite best efforts over several years to argue for inclusion as 
an eligible project under the Joint Venture Construction Program, 
standalone behavioral health facilities remain unsupported. As a 
result, NSHC has funded 85% of this project without the benefit of 
receiving a staffing package to offset future operational costs. With a 
$5.6 million annual operating budget, NSHC will provide these vital 
services at a significant loss; however, support through designated 
funding from IHS will ensure these services are sustainable and 
patients thrive for years to come.
    Substance abuse and mental health concerns are healthcare crises; 
every opportunity for primary care projects supported through Joint 
Venture partnerships must be extended to these treatment facilities. 
Between March 2020 and March 2021, the number one diagnosis for people 
admitted to the inpatient unit at the NSHC hospital was Suicidal 
Ideation accounting for 25.86% of all diagnoses; Alcohol Abuse and 
Dependence accounted for 16.59% and 14.22%, the 6th and 7th most often 
used diagnoses upon admission. NSHC will continue to ask for a staffing 
package and third-party billing authority for this facility, as is the 
case with facilities constructed under the IHS Health Facilities 
Construction Priority List and its Joint Venture program. We would also 
benefit from the reimbursement of construction costs.
    Unfortunately, there are further gaps in the continuum of care that 
must be developed, none more glaring than the dearth of youth 
psychiatric treatment facilities across the state. With increasing 
frequency, NSHC is admitting children and adolescents to its inpatient 
unit for psychoses, suicidal ideation, and other behavioral concerns. 
From March 2020 through March 2021, 35 adolescents between ages 11 and 
17 were admitted for suicide--related diagnoses. Alarmingly, those 35 
were on the unit for a combined 1,480 days. (Six 17 year-olds were 
present for 364 days, an average of one teenager every day of the 
year.) This is two times the length of stay totals (702) and almost 
three times the total length of stay for any one youth age group (164) 
from the same time period from 2019-2020. These 35 youth also account 
for 25% of the inpatient census and 943 more days than any other age 
group 18 years and older combined.
    Unfortunately, NSHC currently does not have the capacity to provide 
the level of care many of these youth need. As a result, they languish 
on the unit while local staff members try to find a suitable placement 
out of region; however, there are only four Residential Psychiatric 
Treatment Centers (RPTC) with a combined 86 beds in Alaska. Admissions 
to these RPTCs are compromised by bed waits of 30 or more days at 
times, and because the escalating behaviors exhibited by some of these 
youth result in declined applications, forcing local providers to 
search for placements out of state, an unacceptable if not unavoidable 
circumstance. Additional appropriations to IHS can stand--up a new RPTC 
in Alaska for Alaska Native youth with staff members skilled in 
handling a variety of behaviors. This is a priority and a vital need 
that will increase the psychiatric bed census and keep our youth home.
    NSHC expresses gratitude for the availability of small ambulatory 
clinic funding as a source of funding to support replacement clinics in 
villages and recommends it be expanded to include staff quarters, when 
projects are constructed in tandem. A design for a new clinic and staff 
housing quarters for Wales, Alaska is underway at NSHC. There is a 
housing shortage in all the villages in the Bering Strait Region. Staff 
housing is critical for health aides who work at the local clinics as 
well as for traveling providers.
    Funding for Water & Sewer Projects.--In the authorizing statute for 
IHS, Congress reaffirmed the Indian Health Service as the agency with 
``primary responsibility and authority to provide necessary sanitation 
facilities'' and furthermore, ``it is in the interest of the United 
States and it is the policy of the United States, that all Indian 
communities and Indian homes, new and existing, be provided with safe 
and adequate water supply systems and sanitary sewage waste disposal 
systems as soon as possible"(25 USC 1632). We respectfully urge the 
Appropriations Committee to remind and require IHS to recognize and 
treat Alaska Native communities as Native communities and eliminate the 
contribution requirements for critical sanitation public 
infrastructure.
    The health impacts of a lack of sanitation and clean water 
infrastructure, in combination with a shortage of housing in our 
communities remains an ongoing public health crisis. The CDC has noted 
that one in three infants from communities without running water are 
hospitalized for respiratory infections. The communities of Diomede, 
Unalakleet & Wales are on the Environmental Protection Agency's EET 
list of water systems out of compliance with federal regulations for 
arsenic, uranium, and/or THMs (probable human carcinogen)-levels over 
what EPA has deemed to be safe for humans to drink in the long-term.
    There remains a $1 billion sanitation need in Alaska, with 30 
communities or 3300 homes unconnected. In the Bering Strait region we 
face a $261 million sanitation need. Five communities in our region, 
Diomede, Wales, Shishmaref, Stebbins, and Teller remain completely 
unconnected to running water and sewer. Gambell is 70% served, with 43 
homes in the village of Gambell remaining unconnected to Water and 
Sewer. Ongoing sewer and water upgrades and maintenance backlogs remain 
concerns in seven communities. An estimated 520 homes in the Bering 
Strait region have no running water, nor flush toilets.
    We are opposed to the decision of the IHS to implement in the 
FY2018 Sanitation Facilities Construction appropriation using a 
methodology based on the premise that our Alaska Native villages are 
`non-Indian'. Our unserved communities average over 90% Alaska Native. 
The SDS policy places Indian communities in the same category as ``non-
Indian'' communities requiring that tribes find contributions for 
ineligible buildings such as public schools and teacher housing. All 
community buildings are for the benefit of the Native community, 
including schools which serve as in some cases the primary gathering 
place for healthy community activities. Schools and teacher homes are 
also often the only facilities connected to sewer and water, creating 
significant sanitation inequities in a community.
    In order to address the sanitation crisis in our communities, we 
urge that Congress remove the regulatory barriers to our unserved 
communities, and expand Indian Self Determination compacting with USDA 
and EPA sanitation funds to allow tribes and tribal organizations to 
establish pathways to service in response to the increasing 
environmental threats to our public infrastructure. We urge the 
Interior approprations committee to:

  --Remove IHS Sanitation Deficiency System ``Cost Caps''. These 
        arbitrary caps determine a project's feasibility prevents a 
        path to service in unserved communities. The increased cost of 
        doing business in Alaska, makes many projects ineligible for 
        IHS funding.
  --Urge full funding for Sanitation Facilities Construction $2.67 
        billion

    Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For several years, Tribal Health 
Organizations have requested advance appropriations to facilitate 
budget planning, purchasing, hiring, and innovation, similar to the 
Veterans Administration enacted advanced appropriation in 2009. It has 
become unfortunately normal for appropriations to become chronically 
late. We were grateful to see President Biden support IHS advance 
appropriations in his FY 2022 budget request to Congress which was 
released on April 9, 2021. We urge the Committee to take the necessary 
steps in the FY 2022 appropriations bill to move IHS to an advance 
appropriation for FY 2023 and beyond.
    Thank you for your consideration of the concerns and requests of 
the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ We serve the communities of: Brevig Mission, Council, Diomede, 
Elim, Gambell, Golovin, King Island, Koyuk, Mary's Igloo, Nome, St. 
Michael, Savoonga, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Solomon, Stebbins, Teller, 
Unalakleet, Wales, and White Mountain.

    [This statement was submitted by Angela Gorn, President/CEO.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Oceana Offshore Drilling Campaign
    Thank you, Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of 
the Subcommittee for this opportunity to submit testimony. I am the 
Federal Policy Manager on Oceana's Offshore Drilling Campaign. Oceana 
is the largest international advocacy organization devoted solely to 
ocean conservation. I write to urge the Committee to enact moratoria on 
expanded offshore drilling and seismic airgun blasting for oil and gas 
in the fiscal year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations bill.
    Prohibiting funding for new offshore oil and gas leasing activities 
would effectively ensure a one-year moratorium on the expansion of 
offshore drilling. There is longstanding precedent for this, as 
Congress--for nearly three decades--heeded concerns from the 
communities it represents and restricted spending on offshore federal 
oil and gas leasing and drilling activities via the appropriations 
process. More recently, such funding restrictions have been part of the 
House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill 
for the past two years. Oceana asks the Subcommittee to make it a 
priority to include offshore drilling moratoria in your FY2022 bill.
    In January 2018, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management (BOEM) released its 2019-2024 Draft Proposed Program 
(DPP). This was the initial draft of the Trump Administration's plan to 
open more of our coasts to offshore drilling. As proposed, the DPP 
threatened to radically expand oil and gas leasing to the Atlantic, 
Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, as well as off Florida's Gulf Coast. 
Subsequently, President Trump joined Presidents Bush, Clinton, and 
Obama in utilizing his executive authority to protect large areas of 
the OCS from new offshore drilling by establishing a ten-year 
moratorium on leasing for offshore oil and gas off North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. This action further exemplified 
the bipartisan nature of offshore drilling protections.
    Earlier this year, President Biden signed an Executive Order on 
Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which paused all new 
oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, including those 
offshore, pending a review of the nation's fossil fuel leasing program. 
That review is currently underway. Coastal communities up and down our 
shores deserve the peace of mind that drilling protections will bring, 
and Congress has an important role to play.
    There is a long history of involvement by Congress during the 
planning stages of BOEM's five-year programs, regardless of which party 
controls the White House. Reinstating offshore drilling moratoria 
through the appropriations process would prevent BOEM from leasing 
specific areas that Congress wishes to protect from future offshore 
drilling. Without moratoria provisions, Congress relinquishes its power 
to influence the future of offshore drilling to the Executive Branch.
    Offshore drilling threatens the continued prosperity of coastal 
communities and states whose economies are directly tied to clean, oil-
free shorelines and waters. The expansion of oil and gas activities in 
federal ocean waters poses a real threat to every business and industry 
that relies on a healthy marine environment to thrive. A recent Oceana 
analysis found that tourism, fishing, and recreation--all major drivers 
of coastal economies--in the Atlantic, Pacific, and eastern Gulf of 
Mexico support around 3.3 million American jobs and $250 billion in GDP 
each year.\1\ If fisheries are properly managed and coastlines are 
continuously protected, these jobs can be sustained for generations to 
come. This stands in stark contrast to offshore drilling for oil and 
gas, which produces finite resources. When the oil and gas run out, so 
will the jobs. Coastal communities want a reliable source of revenue--
not more dirty drilling for oil and gas. In fact, as of today, 
opposition and concern over offshore drilling activities has been 
expressed by:

  --East and West Coast governors, including Florida, Georgia, South 
        Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New 
        Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
        Maine, California, Oregon, and Washington
  --More than 390 local municipalities
  --Over 2,300 local, state, and federal bipartisan officials
  --East and West Coast alliances representing over 55,000 businesses 
        and 500,000 fishing families
  --Pacific, New England, South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic fishery 
        management councils
  --More than 120 scientists
  --More than 80 former military leaders
  --Commercial and recreational fishing interests including the 
        Southeastern Fisheries Association, Snook and Gamefish 
        Foundation, Fisheries Survival Fund, Billfish Foundation, and 
        International Game Fish Association
  --California Coastal Commission, California Fish and Game Commission 
        and California State Lands Commission
  --Department of Defense, NASA, U.S. Air Force and Florida Defense 
        Support Task Force

    Offshore drilling is also fueling the climate crisis, and 
communities are already facing the devastating impacts of warming 
oceans, rising seas, and increasingly disastrous weather patterns. The 
risks posed by new offshore drilling are too great, especially when its 
climate impacts are considered. A recent Oceana analysis found ending 
new leasing for offshore oil and gas could prevent emissions of more 
than 19 billion tons of greenhouse gas, which is equivalent to taking 
every car in the nation off the road for 15 years--or almost three 
times the entire U.S annual greenhouse gas emissions.\2\ Greenhouse gas 
pollution drives climate change, which harms human health and our 
ocean.\3\
    Climate change is already impacting everyone, including those who 
live along the coasts. As a result of increasingly intense and extreme 
weather, dangerous storm surges push farther inland, expanding their 
deadly and costly impact.\4\ Permanently protecting our coasts from new 
oil development can prevent over $720 billion in damages to people, 
property, and the environment.\5\ Damages on this scale would be like 
losing the entire economy of a major city, like Washington D.C., 
Boston, or Atlanta, for a year.\6\
    Developing oil and gas in new areas would require construction and 
development along much of the coast. Adding large--scale refineries, 
platforms, offshore and onshore pipelines, and other support 
infrastructure would drastically transform the character of coastal 
towns. Heavy industrialization of many coastlines is also likely to 
harm nearby resources and ecosystems.
    In addition to permanently altering the landscape of many towns up 
and down the East and West Coasts, offshore drilling is a dirty 
investment with long-term consequences for the environment. Efforts to 
pursue offshore oil have consistently resulted in spills that are 
incredibly toxic to living organisms, both physically and 
biochemically.\7\ Large--scale catastrophes such as BP's Deepwater 
Horizon disaster in 2010 highlight how a single accident can cause 
enormous and lasting consequences. The Deepwater Horizon tragedy killed 
11 rig workers, spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil, fouled 
thousands of miles of coastline, endangered public health, and killed 
thousands of birds, dolphins, and fish.\8\ Seaside communities on the 
Gulf are still recovering, physically and economically, from the 
estimated $36.9 billion in damages caused by the Deepwater Horizon 
spill.\9\
    Offshore oil development is dirty across the board, beyond the 
catastrophic spills that make headlines. Smaller spills happen on a 
routine basis during day-to-day rig operations, as well as during 
exploration, production, and transportation.\10\ At least 6,500 oil 
spills occurred in U.S. waters between 2007 and 2017, and a recent 
study found that spills are typically far larger than what is 
reported.\11\ During that same time period, hundreds of workers were 
injured every year and on average, a fire or explosion erupted on 
offshore rigs every three days on the Outer Continental Shelf.\12\ 
Expanding offshore drilling to new frontiers when the industry remains 
dirty and dangerous is both ill--advised and out of touch with the 
needs and wishes of those who inhabit the coast.
    It is time for Congress to restore the precedent of enacting 
appropriations moratoria to protect our oceans and coastal communities. 
We ask the Subcommittee and full Committee to protect our coasts from 
dirty and dangerous offshore drilling and prohibit the use of any 
funding provided to the Department of Interior in the FY2022 Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for the purposes 
of any new oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities. The 
threats to coastal economies, the climate, marine wildlife, and your 
own constituents are simply too great to risk expanding the footprint 
of offshore drilling. Thank you again for the opportunity to submit 
this testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Oceana (Jan. 2021) Offshore Drilling Fuels the Climate Crisis 
and Threatens the Economy. Washington, D.C. Available: https://
usa.oceana.org/sites/default/files/2021/01/27/
final_climate_economy_fact_sheet_m1_doi.pdf.
    \2\ Oceana (Jan. 2021) Offshore Drilling Fuels the Climate Crisis 
and Threatens the Economy.
    \3\ IPCC (2014) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and 
vulnerability: Working Group II contribution to the fifth assessment 
report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. New York, NY: 
Cambridge University Press.
    \4\ IPCC (2019) Summary for Policymakers. In: IPCC Special Report 
on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate [H.-O. Poertner, D.C. 
Roberts, V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, M. Tignor, E. Poloczanska, K. 
Mintenbeck, M. Nicolai, A. Okem, J. Petzold, B. Rama, N. Weyer (eds.)]. 
Available: Available : https://report.ipcc.ch/srocc/pdf/
SROCC_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf.
    \5\ TBD Economics (2021) Producing Oil and Gas on the U.S. Outer 
Continental Shelf: CO2e Emissions and the Social Cost of Carbon. 
Available: https://usa.oceana.org/sites/default/files/4046/
final_ghg_emissions_and_scc_from_ocs_development_tbd_economics_final0122
21.pdf.
    \6\ Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2020, Regional Data. https://
www.bea.gov/.
    \7\ 2 NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, The Toxicity of 
Oil: What's the Big Deal? (Aug. 27, 2012), https://
response.restoration.noaa.gov/about/media/toxicity-oil-whats-big-
deal.html.
    \8\ 3National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and 
Offshore Drilling, Deep Water, The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of 
Offshore drilling, (January 2011), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/
GPO-OILCOMMISSION/pdf/GPO-OILCOMMISSION.pdf and Haney, J. C., Geiger, 
H. J., and Short, J. W. (2014). Bird mortality from the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill. Inter-Research Marine Ecology Progress Series, 513.
    \9\ Lawrence. C. Smith et al., Analysis of Environmental and 
Economic Damages from British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 
74 Albany L. Rev. 563, 563-85 (2011).
    \10\ Cheryl McMahon Anderson et al., BOEM, Update of Occurrence 
Rates for Offshore Oil Spills (2012), available: https://www.boem.gov/
uploadedFiles/BOEM/Environmental_
Stewardship/Environmental_Assess ment/Oil_Spill_Modeling/
AndersonMayesLabelle2012.pdf.
    \11\ Oceana. Dirty Drilling: Trump Administration Proposals Weaken 
Key Safety Protections and Radically Expand Offshore Drilling. (2019), 
available: https://usa.oceana.org/sites/default/files/
offshore_drilling_safety_report_final_0.pdf
    \12\ Oceana. Dirty Drilling: Trump Administration Proposals Weaken 
Key Safety Protections and Radically Expand Offshore Drilling. (2019), 
available: https://usa.oceana.org/sites/default/files/
offshore_drilling_safety_report_final_0.pdf

    [This statement was submitted by Michael Messmer, Federal Policy 
Manager.]
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
Recommendations:

    1. BIA--Not less than $75 million for the BIA Road Maintenance 
Program.
    2. BIA--$15 million to establish a targeted BIA roads improvement 
program.
    3. BIA--$200 million increase for BIA tribal law enforcement and 
detention services.
    4. BIA OJS--Prioritize and expand opioid and drug crisis funding in 
Indian Country.
    5. BIA--$23 million for the Housing Improvement Program.
    6. BIA--$30 million funding for ICWA and child protection services.
    7. BIA--Increase support for Welfare Assistance, Social Services, 
and the Tiwahe Initiative with dedicated funding in each of these 
categories for the Great Plains Area.
    8. IHS--Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the 
Indian Health Service.
    9. IHS--Increase funding for IHS Facilities Construction and 
Maintenance with dedicated funding to address outstanding needs in the 
Great Plains Area.
    10. IHS--Increase support for IHS Sanitation Facilities Maintenance 
and Construction.
    11. EPA--Increase support for EPA Revolving Funds to complete the 
Mni Wiconi Project.
    12. BIA--Increase funding for tribal water maintenance departments.
                              introduction
    Thank you Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify on FY 2022 funding 
recommendations for programs under your jurisdiction. My name is Kevin 
Killer and I serve as the President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, a member 
of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires, known as the Great Sioux 
Nation). The chronic underfunding of Indian Country programs and treaty 
obligations over the years has taken an enormous toll on our Tribe and 
our members. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 cemented the United 
States' obligations to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and we look to you to 
fulfill those obligations through the federal budget process.
    We believe that two ways to do this are through reformation of the 
budget process so that Department of Interior funds are distributed 
based on demonstrated need and full funding of Tribal Priority 
Allocations (TPA) identified in Interior programs. Needs--based funding 
would more efficiently and effectively make use of federal resources, 
while also respecting the diverse needs of Tribal Nations. Together, 
needs--based funding and TPA make for a stronger and more responsive 
federal budget. In the spirit of advancing the welfare of my Tribe and 
other Tribal Nations, I offer the following budget recommendations for 
FY 2022.
                  i. tribal government sub-activities
    Not Less Than $75 Million for the BIA Road Maintenance Program; $15 
Million for a New Targeted BIA Roads Improvement Program.--Funding for 
the BIA Road Maintenance program has been under-resourced for several 
fiscal year cycles. In FY 2021, for example, the BIA received only 
$36.79 million despite a deferred maintenance backlog exceeding $60 
million in the Great Plains Region and almost $300 million nationwide. 
Our Tribe is often forced to expend limited tribal funds to cover the 
difference in roads maintenance needs--a financial strain that is 
compounded by the costs of the ongoing pandemic response and the annual 
occurrence of snow and ice control that can consume up to 65% of our 
budget each winter. Further, precarious road conditions cause extreme 
wear and tear on emergency vehicles, school buses, and personal 
vehicles with impacts on response times, school attendance, and 
employment and medical care.
    Such dire circumstances require immediate solutions. One such 
solution is a significant increase of annual appropriations in the BIA 
Road Maintenance account so Tribal Nations, such as ours, can receive a 
funding amount that is actually viable to get the much needed work done 
adequately. The other needed solution is to create a new BIA roads 
maintenance account that targets backlogged road and bridge projects by 
taking mile inventory, remoteness, and weather conditions into 
consideration. An influx of FY 2022 funding for road construction, 
maintenance, and equipment would increase public safety, facilitate 
economic development, decrease costs, and alleviate the hardships our 
members currently endure. We respectfully request Congress provide not 
less than $75 million for BIA Road Maintenance along with a separate 
appropriation of $15 million to establish a targeted BIA roads 
improvement program that accounts for a Tribal Nation's geographic 
size, location, and mile inventory.
    $200 Million Increase for BIA Tribal Law Enforcement and Detention 
Services.--Our Tribe is operating with less than 40% of the police 
officers that the BIA agrees are needed to provide adequate police 
coverage on our Reservation. They serve in outdated vehicles with no 
backup and have not received raises in over three years. In FY 2020, 
the Tribe received 139,206 calls of which 74,032 required an officer 
response. Because of chronic under-resourcing and unreliable road 
conditions emergency response times are deplorable, around 30-40 
minutes, which creates a dangerous situation for the victims of 
accidents and crime, and for our officers. To reach the staffing levels 
required by the BIA's own needs assessment, our Tribe alone needs an 
increase of $12 million in federal law enforcement funding.
    Public safety facilities and housing construction programs have 
critical needs. When the BIA prepared to condemn our Medicine Root 
(Kyle) Detention facility in 2010, that building became the last 
emergency jail design funded by this Subcommittee. The facility remains 
unbuilt today due to a lack of resources. In the interim, we have 
prisoners and staff working in a below substandard building that fails 
to meet federal safety standards, all while the costs of construction 
continue to rise. Please help end the emergency this Subcommittee 
declared in 2010 by appropriating the funding necessary to finally 
replace this building. We stand ready to work with you and the BIA in 
realizing this long overdue goal. We strongly recommend Congress 
provide an additional $200 million for tribal law enforcement and 
detention services in FY 2022.
    Prioritize and Expand Opioid and Drug Crisis Funding in Indian 
Country.--We appreciate the continued focus of Congress and federal 
agencies on addressing our national substance abuse epidemic--a crisis 
that has only grown over the course of the pandemic with no signs of 
relenting. Our Tribe has previously declared a State of Emergency due 
to the increasing rates of homicide and methamphetamine use on our 
lands. Such activities are antithetical to the Lakota way of life and 
balance of society. One of our most pressing needs is for on-
Reservation drug treatment facilities. Our existing residential and 
outpatient treatment facilities, for example, are in desperate need of 
renovations to accommodate additional patients. We would also like to 
offer skills--based transitional living facilities to assist patients 
with their long-term recovery goals, but we lack the necessary 
resources for development and operations. The ability to provide 
comprehensive and culturally--appropriate care within our community 
would be life--changing for Tribal members. We urge Congress to 
maintain funding for the Tribal Opioid Response grants and continue the 
expanded scope to include other drugs, such as methamphetamines, that 
are causing immeasurable harm.
    i. healthcare--the heart of tribal government and human services
    Provide Full Funding and Advance Appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service.--The IHS strives to provide tribal citizens with access 
to high quality and comprehensive medical services, no more so than 
during the ongoing pandemic. It has navigated unimaginable hardships 
related to supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, 
and high rates of underlying conditions in serving our people at this 
time. Yet, despite its importance to Indian health, it must still 
contend with annual uncertainties related to federal funding. This is 
unacceptable. The time to change is now. IHS should be given parity 
with the Veterans Health Administration with full advance 
appropriations on at least a two-year cycle. Full advance IHS 
appropriations would promote greater stability in services, personnel 
recruitment and retention, and facilities management.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $12.759 billion for full funding. While this represents a 
dramatic increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address 
the true needs of the Indian health system. We, thus, strongly urge 
Congress to fully fund advance IHS appropriations beginning in FY 2022.
    Increase Funding for IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction and 
Maintenance.--The IHS has a backlog of at least $2.6 billion in unmet 
Sanitation Facilities maintenance and construction needs. It is 
critical that these basic resources be increased in tribal communities. 
Sanitation facilities are directly related to health and these issues 
have become particularly acute during the pandemic, especially on Pine 
Ridge. Increased funding for IHS Sanitation Facilities will improve the 
daily lives of our people and greatly improve health outcomes in the 
short- and long-term. We urgently recommend that Congress provide an 
additional increase in the IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction and 
Maintenance accounts for FY 2022 and we ask that funding within this 
account be directed to address the critical facilities needs of the 
Great Plains Region.
    Promote Access to Clean Water for Human Health through the Mni 
Wiconi Project.--Our Tribe is the lead sponsor of the Mni Wiconi 
Project (Pub. L. 100-516, as amended), which provides potable water 
from the Missouri River to three reservations and the West River/Lyman-
Jones Water District. Funding is needed to complete the necessary 
community systems upgrades on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We are 
working with several federal agencies to implement its plan to complete 
the upgrades. We need in excess of $25 million to upgrade 19 existing 
systems and transfer them into the Mni Wiconi Project, as intended by 
the Act. Once transferred, they will be operated and maintained 
pursuant to authorized funding under the Mni Wiconi Project Act. We 
recommend Congress increase funding for the IHS Sanitation Facilities 
Construction account and EPA Revolving Funds to bring this monumental 
project to completion. We also recommend that Congress establish a 5% 
tribal set-aside for the National Safe Drinking Water State Revolving 
Fund and the National Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund.
    Increase Funding for Tribal Water Maintenance Departments.--Our 
Tribe is in dire need of this funding to ensure our reservation has 
adequate and safe water supplies to be a livable homeland and to keep 
Reservation residents healthy. We have identified our shovel--ready 
potable water projects and specific water system needs that we would be 
glad to share with the Subcommittee as additional context for this 
request. These include community water systems upgrades, pipe 
construction and repairs, water well maintenance, water tank needs, and 
associated maintenance equipment. These are all critical for improving 
our existing water systems in the pandemic. We recommend Congress 
provide $10.5 million for the BIA Water Management, Planning and Pre-
Development Program and $12 million for the BIA Water Resources (TPA) 
Program.
                   ii. human services sub-activities
    $23 Million for the BIA Housing Improvement Program (HIP).--Our 
Reservation has an acute housing crisis. Our current unmet need is for 
over 4,000 new housing units and 1,000 housing repairs--and these 
numbers are changing every month as pandemic stressors increase wear-
and-tear on homes and put pressure on our housing market. Many existing 
houses in our community are overcrowded, in disrepair, and/or lack the 
requisite infrastructure for safe and healthy homes. No individual or 
family on Pine Ridge should live in these home situations. We have no 
surplus housing to provide temporary housing for victims of violence at 
this time. HIP has played a central role in assisting families under 
150% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines that live in substandard housing and 
have no other resource for housing assistance become homeowners. A 
stable living environment translates into improved family conditions, 
employment rates, and academic achievement. We recommend that Congress 
provide $23 million for HIP in FY 2022.
    Increase Funding for Welfare Assistance, Social Services, and the 
Tiwahe Initiative.--The unmet needs of our Reservation are alarming and 
well-documented. The average Oglala Tribal member must contend with 
high rates of infant mortality, chronic illness, intergenerational 
trauma, limited to nonexistent economic development, and limited 
recreational outlets, among other factors. Social services operated by 
the Interior and BIA (along with other federal agencies outside of this 
Subcommittee's jurisdiction) are, therefore, essential to meeting our 
citizens' complex needs and promoting their personal development and 
well-being, particularly in the pandemic. To strengthen the delivery of 
social services in Indian Country we recommend that Congress direct the 
BIA to develop a 5-year Strategic Plan pursuant to tribal consultation 
as a funding condition. We recommend Congress increase support for 
Welfare Assistance, Social Services, and the Tiwahe Initiative in FY 
2022. We also urge the Subcommittee to provide dedicated funding within 
these categories to address the staggering unmet needs in the Great 
Plains Area.
    Protecting Tribal Youth and Communities under ICWA.--Our Child 
Protection Services (CPS) and ICWA program conduct integrated child and 
family services on our Reservation. We are challenged by chronic 
underfunding that limits our ability to deliver services, manage 
caseloads, and to recruit and retain qualified staff. Our CPS and ICWA 
programs cost almost $600,000 annually to administer. Additionally, our 
Emergency Youth Shelter (EYS) Program is in desperate need of 
additional funding. EYS provides emergency shelter to youth age 12-17, 
which includes clean bedding, meals, toiletries as well as making 
health, vision and dental appointments, meeting with school personnel 
for school needs and cultural and entertainment activities. We 
currently have one Residential Care Provider, but need a minimum of 
four to effectively operate the program. We also need funding for 
building repairs, a program van, sufficient groceries and utility 
bills. We ask Congress to increase funding for ICWA and child 
protection services. We also ask Congress to increase the BIA Social 
Services budget to address our EYS program needs.

    [This statement was submitted by Kevin Killer, President.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Oregon Natural Desert Association
Honorable Jeff Merkley
Chairman

Honorable Lisa Murkowski
Ranking Member

Dear Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Subcommittee 
Members:

    As your Subcommittee considers its priorities for the Interior, 
Environment and Related Agencies budget for fiscal year 2022, we wish 
to highlight the need to address comprehensive conservation planning 
for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Our national wildlife refuges 
are essential for protecting and enhancing biodiversity, wildlife 
migration, climate resilient habitats, cultural resources and 
recreational opportunities nationwide. Unfortunately, planning for 
dozens of national wildlife refuges has fallen behind schedule, 
depriving managers, partners and the public of the latest science and 
best practices to provide for these values. As part of the $600 million 
advocates are recommending for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service) to administer the National Wildlife Refuge System, we urge 
you to allocate $15.7 million for Conservation Planning (account 1265) 
to support planning on national wildlife refuges.
    Allocations for this budget subactivity have dwelled at just four-
tenths of one percent of the Refuge System budget over the past several 
years. Meanwhile, refuge plans have become outdated and even expired 
under law. The amount recommended here, equal to the sum allocated for 
FY 2010 (adjusted for inflation) would allow the Service to revise and 
update refuge plans across the country, in accordance with 
Congressional direction, with broad public participation, and in 
support of local and national conservation goals.
    Thank you for your consideration of our request, and for your 
important work on the Subcommittee.

            Sincerely,

Oregon Natural Desert Association
Defenders of Wildlife
East Cascades Audubon Society
Friends of Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
Friends of Nevada Wilderness
Natural Resources Defense Council
Portland Audubon
The Wilderness Society

    [This statement was submitted by Mark Salvo, Program Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Oregon Water Resources Congress
    The Oregon Water Resources Congress (OWRC) is highly supportive of 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water State 
Revolving Fund Loan Program (CWSRF) and is requesting appropriations 
for this program be increased to at least $3 billion in FY 2022. While 
the President's Proposed FY 2022 Budget increases the program to $1.871 
billion, the growing backlog of aging infrastructure necessitates a 
greater investment. The CWSRF is an effective loan program that 
addresses critical water infrastructure needs while benefitting the 
environment, local communities, and the economy.
    OWRC was established in 1912 as a trade association to support the 
protection of water rights and promote the wise stewardship of water 
resources statewide. OWRC members are local governmental entities, 
which include irrigation districts, water control districts, drainage 
districts, water improvement districts, and other agricultural water 
suppliers that deliver water to roughly 1/3 of all irrigated land in 
Oregon. These water stewards operate complex water management systems, 
including water supply reservoirs, canals, pipelines, and hydropower 
production facilities.
                         fy 2022 appropriations
    We recognize our country must make strategic investments with 
scarce resources, particularly as our economy recovers from pandemic--
related impacts. The CWSRF is a perfect example of the type of program 
that should have funding increased because it creates jobs while 
benefitting the environment and is an efficient return on taxpayer 
investment. CWSRF projects provide much needed construction and 
professional services jobs, particularly in rural areas facing economic 
hardship. Moreover, as a loan program, it is a wise investment that 
allows local communities to leverage their limited resources and 
address critical infrastructure needs that would otherwise be unmet.
    In Oregon, the CWSRF is administered by the Oregon Department of 
Environmental Quality (DEQ), who responsibly maintains the program 
through repaid loans, interest, fees, and available federal 
capitalization grants. According to EPA, for every $1 of federal 
capitalization funding, $3 worth of assistance is provided, leveraging 
available funds to maximize benefits for local communities, the 
environment, and the economy. Unfortunately, available funding for 
water infrastructure projects continues be woefully insufficient to 
meet the growing water infrastructure funding needs in Oregon and 
nationwide. Funding for the CWSRF needs to be incrementally increased 
to support water infrastructure projects that are addressing these 
critical needs.
        background of cwsrf usage by oregon irrigation districts
    Over the course of the program's 30-year history in Oregon, several 
OWRC member districts have successfully used CWSRF for projects that 
improve water quality and water quantity associated with water delivery 
diversions, canals, and pipelines throughout the state. OWRC and our 
members are highly supportive of the CWSRF, including promoting the 
program to our members and annually submitting federal appropriations 
testimony in support of increased funding for the CWSRF. We believe it 
is an important funding tool irrigation districts and other water 
suppliers are using for innovative piping projects that provide 
multiple environmental and economic benefits.
    Numerous irrigation districts and other water suppliers need to 
pipe currently open canals, which significantly reduces sediment, 
improves water temperature, and provides other water quality benefits 
to rivers and streams. Piping immediately improves the efficiency of 
the water delivery system and helps increase available water supplies 
for fish and irrigators alike. These projects also decrease energy 
consumption (from reduced pumping) and have opportunities for 
generating renewable energy, primarily through in-conduit hydropower. 
However, the lack of robust funding for these types of worthwhile 
projects has created increased uncertainty for potential borrowers 
regarding whether adequate funding will be available in future years. 
CWSRF is often an integral part of an overall package of local, state, 
and federal funding that necessitates a stronger level of assurance 
loan funds will be available for planned water infrastructure projects. 
Reductions in CWSRF appropriations could lead to loss of grant funding 
and delay or derail beneficial projects irrigation districts have been 
developing for years.
    The success Oregon districts have had in using the loan program to 
design and implement multi-beneficial projects has led to increased 
applications to the CWSRF. Now irrigation districts are once again 
eligible for a key funding element, principal forgiveness (which was 
reinstated with the passage of the WIIN Act in 2016 and related state 
rulemaking in 2017), and we expect to see even more interest in the 
program. OWRC is hopeful there will be enough funding available to 
complete projects that will not only benefit the environment and the 
patrons served by the water delivery system, but also benefit the 
economy.
                         cwsrf needs in oregon
    The appropriations for the CWSRF program over the past few years 
has been far short of what is needed to address critical water 
infrastructure needs in Oregon and across the nation. This has led to 
fewer water infrastructure projects, and therefore a reduction in 
improvements to water quality and water quantity. However, OWRC is 
pleased to see a trend of modest increases in appropriations after 
several years of decreased funding and hope to see this trend continue 
as infrastructure needs have become more expensive and even more time 
critical. DEQ's most recent ``Proposed Intended Use Plan--State Fiscal 
Year 2022'' includes sixteen loan applications totaling $171,400,305 in 
requested funding. Currently, the loan program has $261,526,658 net 
available to lend for state fiscal year 2022. DEQ can award a maximum 
individual loan amount of $39,228,999.
    The following two irrigation district projects are currently ranked 
by DEQ in the top four by overall score and also meet the Green Project 
Reserve (GPR) requirement. Increased funding will help catalyze many 
more projects like the ones below in Oregon and throughout the nation.
    North Unit Irrigation District (Deschutes County) $8,150,000 
(Ranked #1).--Sec. 319, Design and Construction: Lateral 43 and Juniper 
Butte Piping Project. The District's System Improvement Plan (2017) 
proposes to pipe the district's open canal network, including the 
addition of pressure reducing stations, reuse/retention reservoirs, and 
metered turnouts for every water user. The current project proposes to 
start in one portion of the district by piping laterals 31, 32, 34 and 
43, which represents a total of 8.2 miles of leaky canal and serves 
over 9,800 acres of agricultural land. The project will improve water 
quality in the lower Crooked River, Lake Billy Chinook, and the lower 
Deschutes River by removing canal seepage and minimizing and 
eliminating return flow from agricultural lands. Piping of the laterals 
will also encourage on-farm efficiency by providing pressurized water, 
which enables the switch from furrow irrigation to sprinkler 
irrigation, reducing excessive seepage and agricultural runoff from 
fields.
    Rogue River Valley Irrigation District and Medford Irrigation 
District (Jackson County) $24,334,500 (Ranked #4).--Sec. 319, Design 
and Construction, Joint System Canal Piping Project. Rogue River Valley 
Irrigation District and Medford Irrigation District jointly use the 
Joint System Canal to serve several thousand customers with crop 
irrigation. Seepage and evaporation are occurring along the canal, 
which is resulting in lost water and ultimately less water flowing 
through the canal downstream to other water bodies. The proposed 
project includes design and construction of piping up to 4.4 miles of 
canal and diversions, replacement of siphons, improvements to water 
diversion structures and fish passage. The project will address water 
quantity and quality for downstream streams, including South Fork 
Little Butte Creek, which experience low flow in some seasons. The 
project focuses on best management practices for irrigation to improve 
water quality from nonpoint sources.
 other examples of innovative districts and green project reserves in 
                                 oregon
    Oregon irrigation districts and other water suppliers are on the 
forefront of innovative piping projects that provide and leverage 
multiple benefits, including ``green'' infrastructure projects. 
Otherwise known as Green Project Reserve (GPR), DEQ is required to use 
at least ten percent of annual federal capitalization grants on 
projects that promote water and energy efficiency, are environmentally 
innovative, or include green infrastructure. In 2009, the first year 
GPR was a requirement, four Oregon irrigation districts received over 
$11 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
(ARRA) through the CWSRF for projects which created valuable jobs while 
improving water quality. These four projects were essential to DEQ not 
only meeting, but exceeding, the minimum requirement that 20% of the 
total ARRA funding for the CWSRF be used for GPRs. Without the 
irrigation district projects, it is likely Oregon's CWSRF would not 
have qualified for ARRA funding. Oregon districts continue to be on the 
forefront of water innovations; consistently applying for, and 
successfully implementing, a variety of GPR qualifying projects.
    In 2019, four GPR projects were financed by DEQ for a total of $13 
million, far exceeding EPA's minimum requirement of $1.8 million for 
such projects in Oregon. Of those four funded projects, three were 
irrigation district projects that met several categories of the GPR 
requirements related to improved water and energy efficiency.
    In 2020, another three projects received awards totaling $38 
million and all met the GPR criteria:
    Lone Pine Irrigation District (Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook 
counties) $2,000,000.--Sec. 319, Design and Construction, Irrigation 
Modernization Project. This project will modernize district--owned 
canals and laterals to conserve water, improve operational efficiency, 
reduce electrical and energy costs, reduce O&M for farmers through 
decreased pumping and improve habitat in the Deschutes River. The 
project will achieve these goals by piping all the district's open 
canals using HDPE and steel pipe. The existing suspension bridge over 
the Crooked River is in disrepair and a new structure is needed to 
convey the irrigation water across the river. The district will replace 
the bridge with a siphon under the river.
    Middle Fork Irrigation District (Hood River County) $20,000,000.--
Sec. 319 Design and Construction, Clear Branch Dam Rehabilitation and 
Coe Branch Pipeline. The district will implement multiple projects to 
improve water quality and quantity associated with its irrigation 
diversions in the Middle Fork Hood River watershed. Specific projects 
include installing a new deep--water outlet and improving fish passage 
in Laurance Lake; installing new irrigation pipe to alleviate impacts 
from current irrigation system and addressing return flows from the 
irrigation system; improving the spillway at the Clear Branch Dam; and 
improving irrigation efficiency by district patrons.
    Swalley Irrigation District (Deschutes County) $16,000,000.--Sec. 
319 Design and Construction, Irrigation Modernization Project. This 
irrigation piping project includes the installation of pressurized pipe 
to eliminate seepage and evaporative loss from open ditches; flow 
regulating and metering devices at service connections; pressurized 
delivery to eliminate individual pumps system--wide; active education; 
and a sprinkler exchange program. Piping and pressurizing the 
irrigation canals will result in approximately 1.1 million kWh/year in 
energy conservation and conserve up to 16 cubic feet per second of 
water during the irrigation season.
    Providing increased appropriations for the CWSRF program will help 
implement additional innovative and multi-benefit projects like these 
in Oregon and across the nation.
                               conclusion
    In conclusion, we are strongly supportive of increased 
appropriations to the CWSRF program, allowing Oregon's DEQ to continue 
make targeted loans that address Clean Water Act issues and improve 
water quality while incentivizing innovative water management solutions 
that benefit local communities, agricultural economies, and the 
environment. This voluntary approach creates and promotes cooperation 
and collaborative solutions to complex water resources challenges. We 
respectfully request the appropriation of at least $3 billion for the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State Revolving Loan 
Fund for FY 2022.

            Sincerely,

April Snell, Executive Director
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of the Osage Minerals Council
    Thank you Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of 
the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, 
Environment and Related Agencies for the opportunity to share the 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 funding priorities of the Osage Minerals Council. 
The Council is the tribal government body recognized under the Osage 
Allotment Act of June 28, 1906, 34 Stat. 539, as amended (1906 Act), 
and by the Osage Nation Constitution to administer, develop, and 
protect the Osage Mineral Estate.
    We request your continued support for our well plugging program. We 
began seeking funding five years ago in 2016 to address a long-standing 
problem with more than 1,600 abandoned and dangerous wells in our Osage 
Minerals Estate. In FY 2018, Congress provided $3 million in funding. 
This funding was a great start and we ask for $10 million in additional 
funding so that we can continue this good work.
    We are also pleased to see others joining us in the well plugging 
effort. The Biden Administration's FY 2022 Budget Request and bills 
recently introduced in Congress show widespread support and the need to 
plug abandoned wells. However, until those laws are passed and new 
programs are established, the Osage Minerals Council has work to do and 
an ongoing need to plug abandoned and dangerous wells in our Osage 
Minerals Estate. We ask for your continued support of our program.
              fy 2018 funding for plugging abandoned wells
    We are grateful for the $3 million in funding provided by Congress 
in report language in the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The 
abandoned wells within our Osage Mineral Estate fall under the 
authority of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), but, for more than a 
century, BIA never had the funding to plug abandoned wells in our 
Mineral Estate. The funding Congress provided in FY 2018 was the first 
time substantial funding was available for this work.
    The wells within our Osage Mineral Estate are different than the 
wells on all other federal and Indian lands. For other federal and 
Indian lands, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has the authority and 
funding to plug abandoned wells. This BLM authority does not apply to 
our mineral estate and the dangers of abandoned wells were not being 
addressed. Thank you for addressing this unique issue with our Osage 
Mineral Estate.
            progress made with fy 2018 well plugging funding
    The funding provided in FY 2018 allowed us to make substantial 
progress addressing the dangers of abandoned wells in our Osage Mineral 
Estate. Many of these wells are near schools, playgrounds and homes, 
and many are leaking oil, gas, salt water or other chemicals into the 
air and water. In some cases, these wells also have high fluid levels 
that can leak into surface water if the casing is cracked. With this 
funding, we have been able to protect our lands and waters and address 
the legacy of environmental and health hazards from these abandoned 
wells.
    We used the funding provided in FY 2018 to organize a Well Plugging 
Committee, investigate abandoned wells, hire well plugging crews, 
mobilize equipment, and plug 34 wells. We also found 11 wells that are 
capable of additional oil and gas production. For the wells that are 
capable of more production, we fixed cracks in the well casing, stopped 
underground leaking, and secured the wells for future development.
    Through all of this we provided jobs for hundreds of people, 
including many Osage tribal members, that work for the more than 50 
vendors we contract with as a part of our well plugging crews. Each of 
these vendors are required to register and be certified by the Osage 
Nation which also verifies that they are properly insured. We are 
pleased to report that all of our well plugging efforts were completed 
without any serious injuries.
    In total, we plugged and secured 45 wells using about $1.6 million 
of the $3 million provided. We will use up the remaining $1.4 million 
over the rest of 2021. We have already identified another 48 wells to 
be plugged this year. Each well can take $40,000 to $70,000 to plug, 
depending on how hard it is to access the well site and what we learn 
when we get onsite.
    The work we are doing with this funding is a huge success. We have 
plugged wells that were leaking dangerous liquids and gases near 
schools, playgrounds, homes, and communities. Surface owners are 
delighted with our work and many wish that we had additional funding to 
do further remediation of land resources. A couple examples of our well 
plugging work are shown here.
    The photo to the right is known as the Shambles Well. It cost 
$238,000 to plug. In order to plug this well, we had to reroute a creek 
and move a hill to get equipment to the site. We also had to avoid 
railroad tracks that had been constructed around the well. During our 
work plugging the well, oil and gas flowed the whole time. In the photo 
you can see the oil leaking from the well on to the ground.


    The railroad tracks around the Shambles Well is just one example of 
how our communities have grown up around these wells. Oil and gas 
development in the Osage Mineral Estate occurs in the same place where 
our families live, work, and play.
    In the next photo to the right, we are standing in a softball field 
at a school where an abandoned well was leaking gas in multiple 
locations and needed to be plugged. The photo shows the softball field 
after our plugging efforts. However, once plugged, the gas began 
leaking from other areas and we had to continue efforts to stop the gas 
from leaking. We continue to monitor and address issues at this site to 
help keep the softball field safe.


                 need for additional funding in fy 2022
    To continue this good work and address more than a century of 
abandoned and dangerous oil and gas wells in our Osage Mineral Estate, 
we respectfully request that Congress provide $10 million in funding 
for FY 2022. The BIA already has a list of more than 1,600 wells that 
need to be plugged in our Minerals Estate and we continue to find new 
wells every day. We have identified 713 wells that are ready for 
action. We just need the funding to get the job done and to protect the 
trust and natural resources of our Mineral Estate and the Osage 
Reservation.
    We have a proven track record and the crews to get the work done. 
With the initial funding provided, we hired inspectors that meet with 
surface landowners and oversee the work, hired crews, mobilized 
equipment, and got to work plugging and cleaning up abandoned wells 
that are human and environmental hazards. We also hired a geologist to 
oversee the work and provide daily reports to our Well Plugging 
Committee. Our well plugging efforts are shovel ready and we can put 
people to work as soon as the funding is available.
    The cost to plug any of these abandoned wells can vary greatly. In 
our work so far, the most expensive well was over $238,000 and the 
least was $4,430. Many wells cost about $40,000 to $70,000 to plug. We 
would also like to begin plugging abandoned wells in the bed of the 
Arkansas River and in Skiatook Lake that sit atop our Osage Mineral 
Estate and are within the Osage Reservation. In 2018, BIA provided the 
map below which shows 5 of the 8 abandoned wells that have been 
identified so far in Skiatook Lake.


    We estimate that the cost of plugging wells under the Arkansas 
River and Skiatook Lake to be about $500,000 each. These under water 
wells are an environmental and health risk and could cost up to 
$1,000,000 each if they start flowing oil.
                               conclusion
    We appreciate the funding provided by Congress in FY 2018 for our 
well plugging efforts. We put this funding to work, and it is fully 
committed through 2021. We respectfully request that Congress provide 
an additional $10 million in funding so that we can continue our work 
and begin to address some of the wells under the Arkansas River and 
Skiatook Lake. Congressional support for our efforts has addressed a 
serious environmental and health hazard that has gone on too long.
    Our efforts can even be a ``pilot project'' for the Biden 
Administration and Members of Congress proposing to expand funding and 
authority for well plugging. We have assembled a team and our well 
plugging efforts are ongoing and shovel ready. During this tough 
economic time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able 
to put people to work doing an important job in the oil field with the 
funding provided.
    We have also been able to address more than a century of neglect in 
our Osage Mineral Estate. The Federal government is responsible for 
maintaining and properly managing these trust resources. We ask that 
Congress to continue supporting these efforts with the funding needed.
    Thank you for your continued support and consideration our funding 
request.

    [This statement was submitted by Everett Waller, Chair.]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the Pacific Salmon Commission
    Chair Jeff Merkley and Honorable Members of the Committee, I am Ron 
Allen, the Alternate Tribal Commissioner and Chair of the Finance and 
Administration Committee for the U.S. Section of the Pacific Salmon 
Commission (PSC). The US Section prepares an annual budget for 
implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST). The United States 
and Canada recently completed the revision of five of the Annex 
Chapters to the PST. The Annex Chapters contain the details for 
operations of fisheries under the Treaty and will be in operation for 
the next ten years.
    Funding to implement the PST comes from the Departments of 
Interior, Commerce, and State. The integrated budget details program 
needs and costs for Tribal, Federal, and State agencies involved in the 
Treaty. Tribal participation in the Treaty process is funded within the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs budget as a line item within Rights Protection 
Implementation.

        In order to meet the increased obligations under the Pacific 
        Salmon Treaty Agreement, the 25 affected tribes identified 
        costs at $6,330,000 for Tribal research projects and 
        participation in the U.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty process. 
        This represents no change from FY 2021 levels. The funding for 
        Tribal participation in the Pacific Salmon Treaty is a line 
        item in the BIA's budget under Rights Protection 
        Implementation.

    Under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs, the U.S. Section 
identified funding needs as follows:

        Funding covers USFWS participation in the Treaty process and 
        support for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission's 
        Regional Mark Center (PSMFC) from the USFWS to provide data 
        services to the PSC process. The recommended total for the two 
        programs for FY 2022 is $600,000, which represents a decrease 
        of $160,000 from FY 2021 levels. The USFWS received an 
        additional $4,700,000 for Pacific Salmon Treaty Implementation 
        for FY 2021. For FY 2022 the US Section requests $3,040,000 of 
        this funding be directed to hatchery production to support 
        Southern Resident Killer whales ($1,810,00), Sound Science 
        ($500,000), and Southeast Alaska Fisheries Mitigation 
        ($730,000). The US Section also requests that $1,556,000 be 
        directed to support the activities of the Yukon Panel.

    The base funding for the USFWS supports critically important on-
going work and participation in the process. The funding for Pacific 
States Marine Fisheries Commission's Regional Mark Processing Center is 
utilized to meet Treaty requirements concerning data exchange with 
Canada. These program recommendations are integrated with those of 
participating State and Federal agencies to avoid duplication of effort 
and provide for the most efficient expenditure of limited funds.
    The U.S. Section of the PSC and the treaty tribes appreciate the 
$900,000 increase in FY 2020 for the tribes to implement the revised 
chapters of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Tribal programs are essential 
for the United States to meet its international obligations. Tribal 
programs have taken on additional management responsibilities over 
time. The revised Chinook Chapter includes a new metric for evaluating 
terminal area fisheries. The CYER (Calendar Year Exploitation Rate) 
metric requires additional data collection and data management by the 
affected tribes. All participating agencies need to be adequately 
supported to achieve a comprehensive US effort to implement the Treaty. 
The US Section of the PSC is recommending an adjustment in funding to 
support the work carried out by the twenty-five treaty tribes' 
participating in implementation of the Treaty. Programs carried out by 
the Tribes are closely coordinated with those of participating State 
and Federal agencies.
    The USFWS activities are essential, so the U.S. can maintain the 
coded wire tag database necessary to implement the Treaty. The work of 
the Regional Mark Processing Center includes maintaining and updating a 
coastwide computerized information management system for salmon harvest 
data as required by the Treaty. This work has become even more 
important to monitor the success of management actions aimed at 
reducing impacts on ESA--listed salmon populations. Canada has a 
counterpart database. The U.S. database will continue to be housed at 
the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. The U.S. Section 
appreciates the additional $4,700,000 in the USFWS budget to work with 
state agencies on producing hatchery fish to mitigate for catch 
reductions in the revised Chinook Chapter. The U.S. Section recommends 
maintaining that funding for FY 2022 to support additional hatchery 
production, Southeast Alaska fisheries, sound science efforts, and 
Yukon Panel activities.
    Funding to support activities under the Pacific Salmon Commission 
comes from the Departments of Interior, State, and Commerce. The U.S. 
Section can provide a cross--cut budget summary to the Committee. 
Adequate funding from all three Departments is necessary for the US to 
meet its Treaty obligations. All the funds are needed for critical data 
collection and research activities directly related to the 
implementation and are used in cooperative programs involving Federal, 
State, and Tribal fishery agencies and the Department of Fisheries and 
Oceans in Canada. The commitment of the United States is matched by the 
commitment of the Government of Canada.
    Mister Chair, the United States and Canada established the Pacific 
Salmon Commission, under the Pacific Salmon Treaty of 1985, to conserve 
salmon stocks, provide for optimum production of salmon, and to control 
salmon interceptions. After thirty-five years, the work of the Pacific 
Salmon Commission continues to be essential for the wise management of 
salmon in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and Alaska. For 
example, upriver bright fall Chinook salmon from the Hanford Reach of 
the Columbia River are caught in large numbers in Alaskan and Canadian 
waters. Tribal and non-tribal fishermen harvest sockeye salmon from 
Canada's Fraser River in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and in Puget Sound. 
Canadian trollers off the west coast of Vancouver Island catch 
Washington coastal Coho salmon and Puget Sound Chinook salmon. In the 
Northern Boundary area between Canada and Alaska, fish from both 
countries are intercepted by the other country in large numbers. The 
Pacific Salmon Commission provides a forum to ensure cooperative 
management of salmon populations. The United States and Canada reached 
agreements for revised Annex Chapters for management of Chinook, Coho, 
Chum and transboundary salmon populations for the next ten years. The 
Annex Chapter for management of Fraser River Sockeye and Pink salmon 
expires at the end of 2019 and an update is expected to be completed 
soon. It is critically important to have adequate resources for US 
participants to implement the revised agreements and protect our Tribal 
Treaty resources.
    Before the Treaty, fish wars often erupted with one or both 
countries overharvesting fish that were returning to the other country, 
to the detriment of the resource. At the time the Treaty was signed, 
Chinook salmon were in a severely depressed state because of 
overharvest in the ocean as well as environmental degradation in the 
spawning rivers. Under the Treaty, both countries committed to rebuild 
the depressed runs of Chinook stocks and recommitted to that goal in 
1999 when adopting a coastwide abundance--based approach to harvest 
management. Under this approach, harvest management has complemented 
habitat conservation and restoration activities undertaken by the 
States, Tribes, and other stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest to 
address the needs of salmon listed for protection under the Endangered 
Species Act. The updated Annex Chapters continue these commitments. The 
combination of these efforts is integral to achieving success in 
rebuilding and restoring healthy, sustainable salmon populations.
    Finally, we urge the Congress to consider that the value of the 
commercial harvest of salmon subject to the Treaty, managed at 
productive levels under the Treaty, supports the infrastructure of many 
coastal and inland communities, as well as the cultural value to the 
Indigenous communities. The value of the commercial, recreational 
fisheries, and the economic diversity they provide for local economies 
throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, is immense. The Commission 
funded an economic study of the fisheries and determined that this 
resource creates thousands of jobs and is a multi-billion dollar 
industry. The value of these fish to the twenty-four treaty tribes in 
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho goes far beyond their monetary value, to 
the cultural and religious lives of Indian people. A significant 
monetary investment is focused on salmon due to the listings of Pacific 
Northwest salmon populations under the Endangered Species Act. Given 
these resources, we continue to utilize the Pacific Salmon Commission 
to develop recommendations that help with the development and 
implementation of solutions to minimizing impacts on listed stocks. We 
continue to work towards the true intent of the Treaty, and with your 
support, we will manage this shared resource for mutual enhancements 
and benefits.
    Mister Chair, that concludes my written testimony submitted for 
consideration by your Committee. I want to thank the Committee for the 
support that it has given the US Section in the past. Please feel free 
to contact me, or other members of the US Section to answer any 
questions you or Committee members may have regarding the US Section of 
the Pacific Salmon Commission budget.

    [This statement was submitted by W. Ron Allen.]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Partnership for the National Trails System
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of the 
Subcommittee:

    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony on behalf 
of the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) regarding 
Fiscal Year 2022 funding. Use of the National Scenic and Historic 
Trails (NSHT) has skyrocketed during the pandemic and increased use is 
expected to continue going forward. Increased investment in our 
National Trails System (NTS) is required to meet demand and to address 
maintenance and improvement needs to ensure high quality experiences, 
safety and accessibility to these treasured places for all.
    In FY22, PNTS supports an allocation of $900 million for the Land 
and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) with at minimum $23.035 million 
allocated from the federal land acquisition programs of the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. 
Forest Service (USFS) for National Scenic and Historic Trails (NSHT) 
projects. Additionally, for BLM, PNTS requests at least $10.5 million 
specifically designated for NSHT and $65.131 million for National 
Conservation Lands. We request $21 million in NPS Operations for the 
NSHT. We request $29.35 million for Trails, with $11.521million 
specifically for NSHT in the USFS Capital Improvement and Maintenance 
(CMTL) account.
    Authorized through the 1968 National Trails System Act, the NTS 
includes 30 Congressionally designated National Scenic Trails (NST) and 
National Historic Trails (NHT) that will eventually preserve 55,000 
miles of public trails, traversing 50 states and the District of 
Columbia, connecting 84 national parks, 89 national forests, 70 
national wildlife refuges, over 100 public land areas and 179 national 
wilderness areas. The NTS continues to grow with new trails in the 
pipeline to be considered by Congress in 2021 and beyond. They 
represent a broad spectrum of our nation's iconic landscapes and its 
natural and cultural heritage. From the Southern Appalachian Mountains 
to the wildest reaches of Alaska, the San Francisco Bay and the 
breathtaking coast of the ``Big Island'' of Hawaii, they connect 
diverse ecosystems while shining a light on the stories of our nation 
such as the fight for American independence, the trails blazed by 
indigenous peoples and pioneers, the forced relocation of Native 
Americans, our struggle for civil rights, and much more. NSHT are 
collaboratively managed with volunteer based, private nonprofit 
partners and federal administrators. In 2020 alone, federal funds 
invested in the NSHT leveraged over $23 million in private funding and 
volunteer hours valued at almost $26 million.
    PNTS is the only national nonprofit focused on NSHT. Our 32 
nonprofit members are the primary partners working with the Federal 
agencies to construct, maintain, protect, and promote NTS. Our members 
also include affiliate members that actively contribute to the 
promotion, improvement and activation of NST and NHT.
                land and water conservation fund (lwcf)
    We thank you for providing ongoing FY21 funding for the NSHT and 
all trails administered by the NPS, BLM, and USFS. We are especially 
grateful that Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), 
which includes funds to tackle deferred maintenance on public lands and 
full, permanent funding of the LWCF.
    It is now up to Congress to ensure that adequate annual funding for 
the NSHT needs are met, and the administration and federal land 
managers fully implement the GAOA as Congress intended. These funding 
streams are vital if we are to complete and maintain the NTS and 
federally managed trails to the necessary, expected and deserved 
standard.
    With passage of GAOA, we look forward to robust funding as the full 
$900 million for LWCF is utilized to protect public lands. PNTS 
respectfully requests $23.035 million be allocated to fully fund FY22 
LWCF requests submitted by nonprofit trail organizations for projects 
on NSHT. Funding for these projects would conserve over 23,000 acres of 
precious natural resources and crucial sites and segments along five 
Congressionally authorized trails in 11 states while preserving lands 
containing high--level biodiversity of plants and animals and 
significant old growth forests. Further, given the healthy pipeline of 
forthcoming voluntary land preservation projects on National Trails, 
over the next three years we ask Congress to increase funding to $50 
million per year for LWCF projects on National Trails to complete the 
NTS.

FY22 LWCF requests will fund:
Bureau of Land Management: $1.98 million
        California National Historic Trail (NV and CA)--$1.98 million 
        to protect an 11-mile-long portion of trail that would connect 
        the city of Elko, NV to the California Trail Center.
National Park Service: $3.515 million
        Ice Age National Scenic Trail (WI).--$3.465 million to preserve 
        two properties--a 180-acre property near the Cross Plains 
        Complex that would add 1.5 miles of National Scenic Trail and 
        loop or side trails and a 108-acre property at the iconic Table 
        Bluff that would add 1 mile of National Scenic Trail.
        Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (NC and TN).--
        $50,000 to preserve three acres of trail and important historic 
        sites within the Trail corridor.

US Forest Service: $17.540 million
        Appalachian National Scenic Trail (VT, ME and TN).--$10.54 
        million to protect 15,864 acres across three states that would 
        enhance the Trail and its viewsheds, improve public access and 
        protect wildlife habitat and connectivity.
        Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (CA).--$7 million to 
        preserve trail resources, create public access to two alpine 
        lakes, and conserve 7,600 acres of biologically rich habitat 
        adjacent to the Trinity Alps and Castle Crags Wilderness Areas.
                    bureau of land management (blm)
    The BLM administers, manages, and protects the NSHT as part of its 
National Conservation Lands. BLM currently protects nearly 6,000 miles 
of 18 designated trails in 15 States, in addition to thousands of miles 
of trails under study for potential designation. The BLM is the trail 
administering agency for the Iditarod National Historic Trail and co-
administers the Old Spanish and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 
National Historic Trails with the NPS.
    The BLM does not have a specific account in its budget for funding 
national trails or trails in general, including the three National 
Historic Trails that it is charged by law to administer and the 
portions of the 15 other national trails that it manages on public 
lands. A trails line item in the BLM budget, including at least $10.5 
million for NSHT, will address the fragmented funding allocations 
across sub-activity accounts and create consistent funding for trails. 
At a minimum, similar to the guidance the Subcommittee provided to the 
USFS in FY20, we request that the FY22 bill include language directing 
the Bureau to include unit--level allocations within major sub-
activities for each of the scenic and historic trails--as the Bureau 
has done for the national monuments, wilderness, and conservation 
areas.
    The $10.5 million requested for NSHT will be used to administer, 
manage, maintain and improve the Trails under BLM jurisdiction on 
public lands and also add or improve amenities on Trails. For example, 
the Iditarod NHT will use increased funding ($4 million) to improve 
sanitary conditions at two public shelter cabins and make necessary 
roof and other repairs to shelter cabins. Funding will also support 
trail maintenance, marking and construction projects on the northern 
segments of the trail, education and outreach projects including 
booklets, interpretive panels, historic research, education resource 
guides, and contract for a resource inventory project to update INHT's 
comprehensive management plan.
    PNTS also respectfully requests $65.131 million, an increase of 
$19.312 million from FY21, for management of the National Conservation 
Lands. Remarkably, this sharp increase would restore program funding to 
its FY06 funding level. Such an increase is needed to properly 
administer the system's expansion by 18 million acres since 2000, and 
will permit increased inventory, monitoring and protection of cultural 
resources, enhance proper management of all resources and provide a 
quality visitor experience. It reflects the important role the National 
Conservation Lands will play in meeting President Biden's goal for 
voluntary conservation of ``at least 30 percent of our lands and waters 
by 2030.''
                      national park service (nps)
    The NPS has administrative responsibility for 23 NSHTs established 
by Congress. Funding at $21 million within the Park Service Operations 
account for the NSHTs is essential for keeping these popular trails 
accessible to Americans during a time of unprecedented use as more 
Americans have enjoyed the social, physical and mental health benefits 
of Trails during the COVID-19 pandemic. This request will help the work 
of NPS trail organization partners to build, maintain, and interpret 
the Trails.
    For example, the Juan Bautista de Anza NHT commemorates the route 
of the 1775-76 expedition, when he led 240 people on an epic journey to 
establish the first non-Native settlement at San Francisco Bay. Today, 
the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects 
history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the 
San Francisco Bay Area. As the it prepares to celebrate the 250th 
anniversary of the Anza Expedition, increased funding ($0.904 million) 
will be used to add three new NPS Interpretive Rangers to work with 
both urban and rural communities and diverse stakeholder voices to plan 
and commemorate the anniversary and the Trail's multifaceted history. 
The anniversary celebrations are expected to attract visitors to rural 
`trail towns' and urban neighborhoods, contributing to local economies.
    As another example, the NPS needs significantly more resources to 
do their duty, mandated by Congress, to develop America's longest 
National Scenic Trail, the North Country, stretching 4,700 miles across 
eight states from North Dakota to Vermont and traversing forests and 
farmlands, remote terrain and nearby communities. Additional compliance 
and land protection staff are needed to ensure the NPS is able to lead 
in the planning of this incredible resource and support their many 
partners in its development, maintenance and protection ($2.2 million).
                       u.s. forest service (usfs)
    The USFS is the lead federal agency for five National Scenic Trails 
(Arizona, Florida, Pacific Northwest, Continental Divide and Pacific 
Crest), one NHT (Nez Perce) and manages 16 NSHT in part where they are 
on Forest System lands.
    Funding for the USFS administered and managed portions of the NSHT 
comes out of the CMTL account. In FY22, PNTS respectfully requests an 
appropriation of $29.35 million for trails, with $11.521 million 
specifically allocated to the NSHT. This funding will allow the USFS to 
meet its administering agency responsibilities such as trail--wide 
coordination, guidance, technical assistance, and consultation with 
National Trail managers. Congressionally designated NSHT are special 
places and have specific legislative requirements that are broader than 
typical trail construction and maintenance activities on National 
Forest System trails. These legislative requirements, particularly the 
requirement for volunteer engagement and partnerships with volunteer 
organizations, are unique to NSHT programs and form a core component of 
their administration. Funding the USFS NSHT at $11.521 million will 
assist the Service meet its management responsibilities.
    As an example, increased funding for the Pacific Crest National 
Scenic Trail ($2 million) will be used to support robust USFS 
management staff, forest/project planning and optimal trail location 
reviews, trail maintenance, construction, reconstruction, information 
for trail users, including Leave No Trace permit applications, 
educational materials, management and operations. Funding will also be 
used for Youth and Corps trail crew programs and a Challenge Cost Share 
Agreement with the Pacific Crest Trail Association and other private 
partners to support volunteer trail maintenance and public education 
programs.
    PNTS and its member organizations stand ready to work with you to 
secure full and consistent funding for the LWCF and the other 
critically important programs that help fund, maintain and protect the 
NSHTs across the nation. The examples provided in the testimony of how 
the funding will be used represent a small portion of the work being 
done and funding needs of the NTS. Increase investment in the National 
Trails System will enable public and private partners to work 
collaboratively to protect our landscapes and preserve important 
stories of our national heritage while also improving results for 
climate resiliency, economic recovery, equitable accessibility and 
public health. PNTS will provide additional detailed information as 
needed. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony and 
your consideration of our request for greater investment in our 
National Trails System.

    [This statement was submitted by Valerie Rupp, Executive Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
                                requests
    1. $6.5 million for a ramp and dock for tribal fishers;
    2. $6 million for a new natural resources building for the Tribe;
    3. $8 million for new tribal justice center for the Tribe;
    4. Funding to support the Tribe's Heronswood Botanical Gardens;
    5. $1.75 million for the Tribe's sewer project;
    6. $3 million for the Tribe's water project; and
    7. $300,000 for the Tribe's roads project.
                              introduction
    The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe is a sovereign Indian nation 
comprised of over 1,342 citizens located on the northern tip of the 
Kitsap Peninsula in Northwest Washington State. The 1855 Point No Point 
Treaty reserved hunting, fishing, and gathering rights for our Tribe, 
and the United States agreed to respect the sovereignty of our Tribe 
and to protect and provide for the well-being of our Tribe. The United 
States, therefore, has both treaty and trust obligations to protect our 
lands and resources and provide for the health and well-being of our 
citizens. The current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the need for 
more resources and services to provide for the health, safety, and 
welfare of our tribal citizens.
                          overarching comments
    Thank you for your commitment to honor and uphold the United 
States' trust and treaty obligations, strengthen the government-to-
government relationship between the United States and tribes, and 
empower tribes to govern their own communities and make their own 
decisions. As you know, federal funding is critical to support strong 
tribal governments across the country in various ways. We look to the 
Subcommittee to help address the chronic underfunding of unmet federal 
obligations and duties owed to Indian Country. This includes providing 
funding and support for the delivery of reliable and quality health 
care to American Indian and Alaska Native people, ensuring tribal 
communities are safe and secure, and expanding economic opportunity and 
community development in tribal communities. We ask the Subcommittee 
support our congressionally directed spending requests that will 
benefit the Tribe and our members for future generations.
Boat Ramp and Dock
    The Tribe is poised to begin construction of a new tribal boat ramp 
and floating dock, critically necessary for the long-term exercise of 
tribal fishing and shell---fishing rights from the tribal homeland. The 
$6.5 million project is currently expected to be funded exclusively 
with tribal hard dollars, including over $1 million in environmental 
mitigation required under a US Army Corps of Engineers permit. The 
project is fully designed, permitted and shovel ready. Federal 
assistance would be much appreciated for this particular project given 
the treaty obligations represented as well as the environmental 
mitigation burden imposed by the Corps, the Tribe's limited resources 
for its several other needs. The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe's treaty 
rights, as established with the signing of the Treaty of Point No 
Point, play a significant role in the day-to-day life of most tribal 
members. Like our ancestors before us, we practice the traditional ways 
to put food on the table by fishing or harvesting shellfish. A new 
tribal boat ramp and floating dock is necessary for the long-term 
exercise of tribal fishing and shell--fishing rights from the tribal 
homeland.
Natural Resources Building
    The Tribe's current Natural Resources Building is crowded and is 
jointly used as the Tribe's Tribal Court. The Tribe needs a Natural 
Resources Building to house all of its offices in one location. The 
Tribe has estimated that a new Natural Resources Building would cost $6 
million to construct. Our vision is to provide optimal and sustainable 
management of the Tribe's natural and cultural resources for now and 
generations to come. We pay special attention to the health and 
vitality of subsistence and commercial species populations and their 
associated ecosystems, while providing valuable conservation, research, 
monitoring, and education to help ensure their health and abundance far 
into the future. The Tribe's Natural Resources department is committed 
to sustainably managing, protecting, enhancing, conserving, and 
restoring culturally--relevant species, landscapes, and seascapes 
integral to the unique identity of the S'Klallam People.
Tribal Justice Center
    The Tribe has expanded its tribal court programs to include healing 
and wellness services, domestic violence advocates, and re-entry 
programs. Staff are spread through different buildings. With the growth 
of the program and more sophisticated courts, a new tribal justice 
center is critical. The Tribe has estimated that a new tribal justice 
center would cost $8 million to construct. A new tribal justice center 
would allow staff to work in one single building and allow the Tribe to 
continue to expand its tribal justice services and programs to improve 
the lives of our tribal members.
Heronswood Botanical Gardens
    The Tribe owns and operates Heronswood Botanical Gardens, a 
botanical garden located in Kingston, Kitsap County, Washington. The 
Tribe is committed to maintaining the garden for the local community as 
well as gardening enthusiasts. The garden showcases an impressive 
collection of plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers from around the world 
and is recognized internationally for its environmentally friendly and 
creative use of plants and garden design. Heronswood Botanical Gardens 
boasts a unique collection of planting from Asia, Central and South 
America, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The 
garden, however, is in need of several new updates, including fire 
mitigation/safety, sewage system attached to the Tribes system, 
drainage system upgrades, emergency shelter buildings/warming center to 
use of a new event center at Heronswood and or/new administration 
building, broadband at Heronswood campus, and improvements to parking 
at the garden. The Tribe anticipates that the project would create job 
opportunities as well as volunteer opportunities. The Tribe has not yet 
determined an estimated cost to make the improvements to Heronswood 
Botanical Gardens.
Sewer Project
    The Tribe is currently planning to a sewer project that is 
estimated to cost $1.75 million to complete. Federal assistance would 
be greatly appreciated in light of the Tribe's limited resources for 
its several needs. The Tribe is scheduled to replace three mainline 
sewer lift stations, vitally important to the health and well--being of 
the community. These three sewer lift stations replace three existing 
lift stations that have exceeded their life expectancy. The request 
funds would be spent on materials and construction for the sewer 
project. A well--functioning sewer system for the Tribe is essential, 
and is without question a worthy use of taxpayer dollars for the long-
term investment of the project.
Water Project
    The Tribe is currently planning to water project that is estimated 
to cost $3 million to complete. A breakdown of the components involved 
with this water project include making the following improvements: 
upsizing piping at three separate sections, additional reservoir 
capacity, and replacement of aging hydrants. The Tribe provides water 
to the majority of the reservation via two existing wells and 50,000 + 
feet of water distribution piping. A third well is slated to go on line 
in the next year. However, there are additional improvements identified 
by an engineering firm that will be needed to accommodate future 
population growth and meet fire flow needs for the community. Water is 
basic necessity for all within our Reservation, and is without question 
a worthy use of taxpayer dollars.
Roads Project
    The Tribe has plans to improve its roads within its Reservation, 
which is estimated to cost $300,000. The requested funds would be spent 
on pothole report and/or re-paving of roads within the Tribe's 
reservation. The Tribe manages the maintenance of many community roads 
on the Reservation. Several of these roads are in need of pothole 
repair and/or re-paving. The roads in need of most repair are: 
S'Klallam Hill Lane, Salmonberries Lane, and Eaglewood Lane. On a basic 
level, the economic and well--being of our tribal members are dependent 
upon tribal transportation infrastructure. Without safe and reliable 
roads, we are unable to adequately provide essential services to our 
members.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for the opportunity to share our interests regarding FY 
2022 congressionally directed spending requests that will greatly 
benefit our Tribe. On behalf of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, we 
thank you and your dedication and continued hard work in protecting the 
tribal interests. We know that you will be fighting for Indian Country 
in the appropriations process.

    [This statement was submitted by Chairman Jeromy Sullivan.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
                      requests and recommendations
    1. Full funding in the amount of $12.75 billion and advance 
appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS) budget;
    2. Increase in the overall funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA) budget to a minimum of at least $2.8 billion;
    3. Increase funding for the BIA Public Health and Safety and 
Criminal Investigations and Police Services accounts over the FY 2021 
enacted levels, especially for tribal courts and criminal investigation 
and police services; and
    4. Increase funding and support for environmental programs 
benefiting Indian tribes, including at least $60 million for the BIA 
Rights Protection Implementation Program, $100 million for the Tribal 
General Assistance Program, a tribal set--aside of at least 20 percent 
for the Pollution Control (Section 106) Grant, and at least $33.75 
million for the Puget Sound Geographic Program.\1\
                              introduction
    The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe is a sovereign Indian nation 
comprised of over 1,342 citizens located on the northern tip of the 
Kitsap Peninsula in Northwest Washington State. The 1855 Point No Point 
Treaty reserved hunting, fishing, and gathering rights for our Tribe, 
and the United States agreed to respect the sovereignty of our Tribe 
and to protect and provide for the well--being of our Tribe. The United 
States, therefore, has both treaty and trust obligations to protect our 
lands and resources and provide for the health and well--being of our 
citizens. The current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the need for 
more resources and services to provide for the health, safety, and 
welfare of our tribal citizens as well as American Indian and Alaska 
Native (AI/AN) people across the United States.
                          overarching comments
    Thank you for your commitment to honor and uphold the United 
States' trust and treaty obligations, strengthen the government-to-
government relationship between the United States and tribes, and 
empower tribes to govern their own communities and make their own 
decisions. As you know, federal programs and services are critical 
components of building strong tribal governments, economies, and 
communities. We look to the Subcommittee to help address the chronic 
underfunding of unmet federal obligations and duties owed to Indian 
Country. This includes providing funding and support for the delivery 
of reliable and quality health care to AI/AN people, ensuring tribal 
communities are safe and secure, and expanding economic opportunity and 
community development in tribal communities. We ask the Subcommittee to 
support increased funding for critical Indian programs and the 
inclusion of helpful report language on many significant issues 
impacting Indian Country.
                         indian health service
    We appreciate the President's proposed funding increase of $2.2 
billion for the FY 2022 IHS budget, however, more funding is needed. 
Appropriations for the IHS budget are needed to, among other things, 
address the significant health disparities that persist among AI/AN 
people, treat chronic diseases that plague tribal communities, update 
and improve tribal health clinics, and modernize equipment and health 
information technology within Indian Country. Our Tribe has 
administered health services to its members for several years, and was 
one of the first tribes to join the Tribal Self-Governance Project in 
1990. We are the only Indian health care provider of both primary and 
behavioral health services in Kitsap County. Our health programs aim to 
provide the highest quality medical care and treatment to individuals 
within our tribal community, but we still face significant challenges 
related to funding, facilities, and program administration. Due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic, our health programs have run short of resources and 
need additional funding to support the services we provide. To 
strengthen our health programs, we ask for the following in the FY 2022 
appropriations:
    Full and Advance Appropriations.--We ask for full funding for the 
IHS to fulfill the United States' obligation to provide Indian health 
care. We strongly support the National Congress of American Indians' 
request for $12.75 billion in total funding for the IHS budget. We also 
ask for advance appropriations for the IHS, as this would ensure that 
health care to Indian people is exempt from government shutdowns, 
avoids the need to enact continuing--resolutions to fund the IHS 
budget, and is on par with the advance appropriations currently 
provided to the Veterans Health Administration. We request your support 
for the enactment this important legislation.
    Opioid Funding.--Indian Country, including our Tribe's Reservation, 
has been severely affected by the opioid epidemic. However, tribes and 
tribal organizations received only $50 million under the State Opioid 
Response Grant Program in FY 2021. Our Tribe strongly supports 
increased funding for the State Opioid Response Grant Program to fund 
our Tribal Healing Opioid Response (THOR) program, which is a 
multifaceted, cross--governmental approach to address increasing rates 
of opioid dependence, overdose, and other negative consequences 
stemming from opioid use. Funding for THOR and related programs is 
essential to combat the opioid crisis that imposes threats to Indian 
Country.
    Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI).--While Congress 
recently reauthorized SDPI for a 3-year renewal, which will now expire 
on September 30, 2023, the funding level did not increase. SDPI, 
currently funded at $150 million annually, has not had an increase 
since FY 2004. An increase in SDPI funding is long overdue. For the 
stability of the program, we advocate for an increase in SDPI's 
mandatory funding to $200 million annually to help account for medical 
inflation and expansion.
    Community Health Representatives.--Our Tribe asks that you 
encourage adequate funding for the Community Health Representatives 
(CHRs) Program, the Health Education Program, and the National CHAP 
program. CHRs are at the forefront of much of the preventive health 
that needs to be emphasized in Indian health programs. CHRs are 
critical in our community: they provide linkage for our most vulnerable 
tribal members and patients and clinical care. Our CHRs do home visits, 
assist with nurse case management of elder and diabetes patients, as 
well as transport home--bound elders to life--saving treatment like 
dialysis. They also conduct community education, informal counseling, 
and advocacy. We ask that you support CHRs in the appropriation 
process.
    Bureau of Indian Affairs Budget.--We greatly appreciate the 
President's request to provide $2.7 billion, more than $600 million 
over the FY 2021 enacted level, to fund a range of critically important 
tribal programs within the Department of the Interior. For FY 2021, the 
overall BIA budget was approximately $2.1 billion. An increase in 
funding for all BIA program is much needed as BIA programs delivery 
community services, restore tribal homelands, fulfill commitments 
related to water and other resources, execute trust responsibilities, 
support stewardship of energy and other natural resources, and create 
economic opportunity. We support the President's request for FY 2022, 
and ask Congress to ensure at least this level is enacted.
    Environmental Protection/Rights Protection Programs.--We strongly 
support funding increases in key environmental and rights protection 
programs that are dedicated to preserving the unique resources and 
natural environment within tribal communities. Our Tribe is situated 
within the Puget Sound region and our Tribe relies heavily on the 
natural resources within this ecosystem in many ways. In particular, 
the harvesting of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and plants for subsistence 
and commercial purposes is at the heart of our Tribal culture and who 
are as S'Klallam people. Our Tribal members (many of whom are at 
poverty level) engage in these harvesting activities for their 
livelihood and to support their families as well as their physical and 
mental well--being.
    The Treaty of Point No Point promised tribal rights to harvest fish 
at ``usual and accustomed grounds and stations.'' Subsequent court 
decisions affirmed our right to continue harvesting salmon and other 
fish in the region. Our Natural Resources Department works to 
sustainably manage, protect, enhance, conserve, and restore 
culturally--relevant species, landscapes, and seascapes to the uniquely 
identity of the S'Klallam people. The functions of our Natural 
Resources Department include protection of treaty rights of the natural 
and cultural resources of the Treaty of Point No Point. Further, the 
Natural Resources Department pays special attention to the health and 
vitality of subsistence and commercial species populations and their 
associated ecosystems, while providing valuable conservation, research, 
monitoring, and education to help ensure their health and abundance far 
into the future. Nearly one-third of our Natural Resources Department's 
funding comes from the EPA either directly or through other 
partnerships. We depend on EPA funds for 22% of our Natural Resources 
Department staff. Adequate funding for EPA and BIA programs to support 
our natural resources is necessary for the United States to satisfy its 
trust obligation and treaty obligations owed to our Tribe and the 
S'Klallam people.
    BIA Rights Protection Implementation Program.--We appreciate the 
President's request of $44.5 million to support the Rights Protection 
Implementation Program, but more is needed. This program provides 
important resources to tribes in various rights protection issues, 
including protecting tribal treaty rights, addressing tribal land 
trespass concerns, defending tribal cultural resources, and issues. The 
benefits of this program accrue not only to tribes, but to surrounding 
communities as well. We request a total funding level of at least $60 
million for this program.
    Tribal General Assistance Program (GAP).--The Tribal GAP provides 
base environmental funding to assist tribes in the building of their 
environmental capacity to assess environmental conditions, utilize 
data, and build their environmental programs to meet their needs. 
Tribes, including ours, need more funding to maintain our critical 
environmental programs. For FY 2022, we request a total funding level 
of at least $100 million for the Tribal GAP.
    Pollution Control (Section 106) Grant.--The Tribe requests an 
increase in funding for the Tribal Clean Water Program, which provides 
grants to tribes under Section 106 of the Clean Water Act to protect 
water quality and aquatic ecosystems. We also request a tribal set--
aside in the Water Pollution Control Grants of at least 20 percent.
    Puget Sound Geographic Program.--The Puget Sound Geographic Program 
provides funding to state, local, and tribal governments to implement 
projects to improve water quality, enhance fish passage, increase 
salmon habitat, and protect shorelines. The Puget Sound is an economic 
and cultural engine for our Tribe and many other tribes within the 
region, and all tribes within the region benefit from the federal 
funding made available under the program. For FY 2022, we request at 
least the President's FY 2022 request of $35 million in funding for 
this program.
    Community Projects.--We recommend that the Subcommittee appropriate 
funding to support the development of community projects that would 
greatly benefit the Tribe and our citizens. This includes $6.5 million 
for a new boat ramp and floating dock for tribal fishers to exercise 
our treaty--protected fishing rights, $6 million for a new natural 
resources building, $8 million for a new tribal justice center to house 
our expanded programs and sophisticated courts, $1.75 million for the 
construction of a sewer project, and $3 million for a water project.
    Public Safety, Justice and Tribal Courts.--We ask for an increase 
in funding for the BIA Public Safety and Justice and Criminal 
Investigations and Police Services accounts over the FY 2021 enacted 
levels. Our justice system is key to addressing increasing levels of 
violent crime, methamphetamine and opioid abuse, and the community 
impacts that result. Our Tribal Court hears approximately 350 cases a 
year involving child dependency, child support, divorce, domestic 
violence, vulnerable adults, as well as criminal prosecutions. Our 
Court Services staff also provide numerous services to the community, 
including: assistance for juveniles and their families with Court--
ordered services; support for children of abuse and their families; 
help for victims of domestic violence; and aide for addicts who want to 
get their lives back on track.
    Despite our successes, our Tribal Court requires additional 
resources to continue functioning efficiently and to address our 
challenges related to facilities and court administration. To 
strengthen our Tribal Court and Court Services programs, we encourage 
you to maintain a commitment to public safety and justice on tribal 
lands, and ask for at least $200,000 to support our tribal courts. The 
Tribe also requests $1.5 million in funding to support our Police 
Department in providing adequate staffing for response and security to 
our tribal lands and housing and commercial development areas.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for the opportunity to share our interests regarding FY 
2022 appropriations for programs and services that will greatly benefit 
us as well as other tribes across the United States. On behalf of the 
Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, we thank you and your dedication and 
continued hard work in protecting the tribal interests. We know that 
you will be fighting for Indian Country in the appropriations process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ We also support the National Congress of American Indians' FY 
2022 budget requests. See NCAI, Indian Country FY 2022 Budget Request: 
Restoring Promises, https://www.ncai.org/resources/ncaipublications/
NCAI_IndianCountry_FY2022_BudgetRequest.pdf.

    [This statement was submitted by Chairman Jeromy Sullivan.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement on Behalf of The Nature Conservancy, American 
               Forests, and National Wildlife Federation
      programs under the u.s. forest service for fiscal year 2022
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit recommendations 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations.
    American Forests, National Wildlife Federation, and The Nature 
Conservancy are partnering to support a substantial increase in the 
pace and scale of ecologically appropriate and climate--informed forest 
restoration on national forests.
    American Forests is the nation's first forest conservation 
organization, founded in 1875. Our mission is to create healthy and 
resilient forests from cities to wilderness that deliver essential 
benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our 
mission through forestry innovation, place--based partnerships to plant 
and restore forests, and movement building.
    The National Wildlife Federation, founded in 1936, is America's 
largest conservation organization with more than 6 million members and 
52 state and territorial affiliates. The National Wildlife Federation 
works across the country to unite Americans from all walks of life in 
safeguarding our wildlife, clean water and air, and public lands for 
future generations.
    The Nature Conservancy works to protect ecologically important 
lands and waters for nature and people. Guided by science, we create 
innovative, on the ground solutions and use collaboration to engage 
local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. 
Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life 
depends.
    America's forests are as essential for our wildlife and quality of 
life as they are iconic. The United States' unparalleled forest 
ecosystems are home to a tremendous diversity of wildlife habitat and 
protect critical watersheds and treasured landscapes. Forest lands also 
are vital for
    U.S. efforts to reduce climate emissions and address climate 
change. The 193 million-acre National Forest System alone encompasses 
approximately a quarter of all U.S. forests. These lands provide a net 
carbon sink in forest sequestration and forest products equivalent to 
113 million metric tons of carbon per year, equivalent to taking more 
than 24 million cars off the road.
    Our forests and all the benefits they extend, however, are at risk. 
An estimated 80 million acres of national forest lands are now in need 
of restoration due to the impacts of drought, pests, disease, and 
wildfire--each of which have been exacerbated by our changing climate. 
Five million of these acres need reforestation.
    Congress has made important progress to protect U.S. forests from 
the effects of climate change, support reforestation efforts, prepare 
for the new normal of modern megafires, and promote resilience. Our 
three organizations strongly recommend that Interior allocations that 
are now covered by the wildfire disaster cap adjustment be reallocated 
to USDA Forest Service (USFS) and Department of the Interior (DOI) 
wildfire risk reduction and restoration purposes. The ``Fire Fix'' is 
not a complete success without these important reinvestments.
    Our FY2022 requests represent an incremental increase to key forest 
and wildlife programs that would begin to address the breadth of 
restoration and wildfire risk reduction work on national forests that 
will improve forest carbon, adaptation and resilience outcomes both on 
federal lands and across boundaries. We would further recommend 
direction to the USFS to identify and prioritize projects based on best 
available climate vulnerability, watershed condition, and fire risk 
assessments.
    In 2019, Congress directed the USFS to modernize their budgeting 
practices. However, we are continuing to ascertain how the modern 
levels work and, therefore, we provide funding levels reflecting the 
agency's old budget model, while also providing approximations for 
those levels under the modern budget structure.
                      programs and funding levels
    Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR)--$80 million 
(approximately $25 million under modern budget structure).--The CFLR 
program is demonstrating that collaboratively--developed forest 
restoration plans can be implemented at a large scale with benefits for 
people and the forest. This is a model approach that brings citizens, 
local government and federal staff together to determine effective 
management that is locally appropriate and provides jobs, sustains 
rural economies, reduces the risk of damaging fires, addresses invasive 
species, improves wildlife habitat, and decommissions unused, eroding 
roads.
    USFS Hazardous Fuels program--$700 million (approximately $244 
million under modern budget structure).--Strategic, proactive hazardous 
fuels treatments have proven safer and more cost-effective in reducing 
risks to communities and forests by removing overgrown brush and 
thinning unnaturally dense forests, leaving forests in a more natural 
condition resilient to wildfires. Climate--driven drought conditions 
particularly increase the need for investment in this program to 
restore and maintain fire adapted landscapes and habitats. We 
additionally recommend funding for programs that support effective and 
durable restoration, which requires integrated, climate--informed 
approaches that address threats, improve forest health and habitat 
values, and encourage climate--adaptation of forest--dependent 
communities.
    Vegetation & Watershed Management--$210 million (approximately $32 
million under modern budget structure).--Successful vegetation 
management ensures that national forests are conserved, restored, and 
made more resilient to climate change while enhancing water
    resources.--This program promotes restoration through watershed 
treatment activities, invasive plant species control, and reforestation 
of areas impacted by wildfire and other events. We further recommend 
establishing a new reforestation initiative funded through the 
Vegetation & Watershed Management program that complements and 
leverages the Reforestation Trust Fund and post-fire rehabilitation and 
restoration to achieve the goals of reforestation.
    Post-fire Rehabilitation and Restoration Activities--$20 million 
for DOI and USFS.--After a fire, the Forest Service has the funding to 
implement emergency treatments to conduct stabilization activity for 
one year. However, funding is needed for ecologically appropriate post-
fire rehabilitation and restoration activities for up to three years on 
lands unlikely to recover without human assistance. The Department of 
the Interior's Office of Wildland Fire has a Burned Area Rehabilitation 
and Restoration (BAR) program that accomplishes these activities over a 
longer timeframe. For USFS, we look forward to the agency's report on 
developing a new BAR program, as directed in the FY21 Omnibus 
Appropriations bill and look forward to the establishment of the 
program for national forests.
    Water Source Protection Program--$30 million (approximately $10 
million under modern budget structure).--The 2018 Farm Bill established 
this new cost share program authorizing the Forest Service to work with 
water users to address watershed restoration plans for national 
forests, including wildfire risk reduction activities.
    Wildlife & Fisheries Habitat Management--$145 million 
(approximately $21 million under modern budget structure).--
Understanding fish, wildlife and their habitats helps to inform land 
management and address existing and emerging threats, including climate 
change and habitat fragmentation. The Wildlife & Fisheries Habitat 
Management program works to restore, recover, and maintain wildlife and 
fish and their habitats on all national forests and grasslands, 
including the ecological conditions necessary to sustain populations of 
native species and provide for their use and enjoyment by current and 
future generations.
    Legacy Road and Trail Remediation (LRT)--$100 million 
(approximately $30 million under modern budget structure).--The 
national forest roads system is extensive and in dire need of repair. 
The Legacy Roads and Trails program focuses on those roads with direct 
impact to water quality and fish passage. As climate change continues 
to exacerbate weather events, the impact to water from problem roads 
increases. These roads impede public lands access, damage habitat, and 
force water quality problems onto downstream communities. This program 
works to restore river and stream water quality by fixing or removing 
eroding roads, while providing construction jobs, supporting vital 
sportsmen opportunities, and reducing flooding risks from future 
extreme water--flow events.
    Land Management Planning, Inventory and Monitoring--$201 million 
(approximately $16 million under modern budget structure).--The Forest 
Service must update many more outdated forest plans, and increase their 
efforts to appropriately incorporate climate change into land 
management planning and project--level NEPA documentation focusing both 
on how management may influence climate change and how climate change 
affects the national forest system. As more is discovered about climate 
change science, the agency will need to update its application to 
adaptation and mitigation strategies, and appropriate analysis at the 
unit and project scales.
    Federal Forest Health program--$66 million (approximately $16 
million under modern budget structure).--Forest health protection 
programs work to protect forests by minimizing the impacts caused by 
invasive species. Across the nation large--, non-native insect, 
disease, and invasive plant outbreaks are damaging forest health. These 
programs help reduce invasions of non-native pests that destroy iconic 
American trees such as ash, hemlock, and California oaks, providing 
effective climate mitigation services by maintaining carbon stocks.
    Forest & Rangeland Research--$315 million (approximately $38 
million under modern budget structure), with $87 million for Forest 
Inventory & Analysis (approximately $18 million under modern budget 
structure).--Robust scientific data is critical to manage national 
forests in a changing climate--from baseline data that describes carbon 
stocks and helps illuminate fluxes and trends to applied scientific 
information such as vulnerability assessments that reveal climate--
driven threats. The Forest and Rangeland Research program offers vital 
scientific basis for policies that improve the health and quality of 
urban and rural communities. This program is critical for the long-term 
health and utility of our forests and rivers, particularly as we face 
an uncertain climatic future.
    Joint Fire Science--$8 million each for USFS and DOI.--As wildfires 
have more and more impact on society and nature, applied science and 
knowledge sharing becomes more important. The small investments in the 
Joint Fire Science program have led to an exceptionally successful 
program for science and science delivery. This program is unique among 
federal research programs in its focus on applied fire science through 
inter-agency partnerships. Re-establishing this program's historic 
funding level will bring competitive and focused applied science 
solutions to improve the management of forests and watersheds while 
protecting communities, water and air.

                            TABLE OF RECOMMENDED FOREST & WILDFIRE RESILIENCE LEVELS
                                            (in millions of dollars)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Table includes old and approximate new budget structure  Enacted FY20   Final FY20   Enacted FY21   Recommended
                     levels for USFS                          (old)       (modern)      (modern)     FY22 (old)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                   USDA Forest Service
 
Hazardous Fuels.........................................           445           155           180           700
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration..............            40            13            14            80
Wildlife & Fisheries Habitat Management.................           138            20            21           145
Vegetation & Watershed Management.......................           162            28            29           210
Burned Area Rehabilitation..............................           n/a           n/a           n/a           n/a
Land Mgt Planning, Inventory & Monitoring...............           180            16            17           201
Legacy Roads & Trails...................................             0             0             0           100
Forest Health--Federal..................................            56            16            15            66
    Forest & Rangeland Research.........................           305            39           259           325
    Forest Inventory & Analysis.........................            77            20            18            87
Joint Fire Science......................................             0             3           n/a             8
Water Source Protection Program.........................             0             0             0            30
 
               Department of the Interior
 
Fuels Management (aka Hazardous Fuels)..................           194           n/a           n/a           228
Burned Area Rehabilitation..............................            20           n/a           n/a            21
Joint Fire Science......................................             3           n/a           n/a             8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    [This statement was submitted by Cecilia Clavet, Senior Policy 
Advisor, Forest Restoration and Fire; Alexandra Murdoch, Vice President 
of Conservation Finance & Policy; and Mike Leahy, Director of Wildlife, 
Hunting & Fishing Policy.]
                                 ______
                                 
               Prepared Statement of Preservation Action
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of the 
Subcommittee, on behalf of Preservation Action's thousands of members 
and supporters, representing nearly every state, I appreciate the 
opportunity to present written testimony on the Department of 
Interior's FY 2022 Appropriations for the National Park Service and its 
historic preservation programs. My name is Russ Carnahan and I'm the 
President of Preservation Action. Founded in 1974, Preservation Action 
is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization created to serve as the national 
grassroots advocacy organization for historic preservation. We 
represent an active and engaged grassroots constituency from across the 
country, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide their 
perspective.
    On behalf of members and supporters across the country, I'd like to 
thank the subcommittee for their strong support of historic 
preservation programs and priorities in the past several Interior 
Appropriations bills, and especially for the FY21 Interior 
Appropriations bill which provided record funding for historic 
preservation priorities. Thanks to your support, programs that have a 
proven track record of saving places American's value, revitalize 
communities, combat climate change by reusing infrastructure, and help 
tell the story of historically marginalized and underrepresented 
groups; continue to benefit all Americans.
    Preservation Action's mission is to make historic preservation a 
national priority. For 47 years we've advocated for sound preservation 
policy, including two of the most important tools for historic 
preservation- the Historic Preservation Fund and the Federal Historic 
Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC).
           national park service: historic preservation fund
    The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) is the principal source of 
funding to implement the nation's historic preservation programs. Since 
1976 the HPF has helped to recognize, save, revitalize and protect 
America's historic resources. Preservation Action is extraordinarily 
grateful for the strong support Congress and especially this Committee 
have shown for the HPF in recent years, including FY 2021's $143.3 
million, the highest level of HPF funding in history. The HPF provides 
funding to states and tribes to carry out their federally mandated 
duties and supports critically important competitive grant programs. We 
especially appreciate this committee's continued support of programs 
like the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, the History of 
Equal Rights grant program, the Underrepresented Communities Grant 
Program, and others that are helping to tell a more diverse and 
inclusive American story.
    Preservation Action urges this subcommittee to continue their 
strong support of historic preservation by appropriating the fully 
authorized $150 million in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund 
in FY22's Department of Interior budget. Including funding at the 
following levels:

  --$60 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs) for 
        heritage preservation and protection programs that create jobs, 
        economic development, and community revitalization. In 
        partnership with the federal government, SHPOs carry out the 
        primary functions of the National Historic Preservation Act 
        including -finding and documenting America's historic places, 
        making nominations to the National Register, providing 
        assistance on rehabilitation tax credit projects, reviewing 
        impacts of federal projects, working with local governments, 
        and conducting preservation education and planning. 
        Additionally, states are required to match at least 40% of the 
        money they receive from the HPF.
  --$24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs). 
        THPOs are designated by federally recognized tribal governments 
        that have entered into an agreement with the Department of the 
        Interior to assume the federal compliance role of the SHPO on 
        their respective Tribal lands. Tribal historic preservation 
        plans are based on traditional knowledge and cultural values, 
        and may involve projects to improve Indian schools, roads, 
        health clinics and housing. Funding levels have not kept pace 
        with the growing number of Indian Tribes with THPO programs, 
        resulting in a lower average grants per tribe.
  --$19 million for the African American Civil Rights Initiative 
        Competitive Grants. A competitive grant program to preserve the 
        sites and stories of the African American struggle to gain 
        equal rights in America.
  --$7 million for the History of Equal Rights Grant Program. A 
        competitive grant program to preserve the sites and stories 
        related to the struggle of all people to achieve equal rights 
        in America.
  --$20 million for Save America's Treasures Program. Save America's 
        Treasures grants program helps preserve nationally significant 
        historic properties and collections that convey our nation's 
        rich heritage to future generations of Americans.
  --$10 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 
        Funding would provide grants to Historically Black Colleges and 
        Universities (HBCUs) to preserve and repair historic buildings 
        on the campuses of HBCUs.
  --$9 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrants. 
        Supports the rehabilitation of historic properties and fosters 
        economic development of rural communities through subgrants.
  --$1 million for the Under-Represented Communities Grant Program. 
        These competitive grants support the survey and nomination of 
        properties to the National Register of Historic Places and as 
        National Historic Landmarks associated with communities 
        currently under-represented.
  --Semiquincentennial Grants. We strongly support funding for the 
        competitive grant program to preserve publicly owned historical 
        sites commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the 
        founding of the United States.
     total historic preservation fund request: fy 2020 $150 million
National Park Service: National Heritage Areas
    We'd also like to express our support for the Preservation 
Partnership Program which supports National Heritage Areas nationwide. 
Designated by Congress, National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are community--
driven sites that weave cultural, natural, and historic resources 
together to tell nationally significant stories. NHAs rely on public--
private funding where every federal dollar allocated is matched with an 
average of $5.50 in public and private funds.
    While we appreciate Congress's support of NHAs, funding has not 
kept pace with the need and popularity of the program. Since 2004 the 
number of NHAs have more than doubled while funding for the program has 
only increased by 33%. To bring funding in line with the increased 
number of NHAs, Preservation Action requests, in accordance with the 
National Alliance of National Heritage Areas, $32 million for National 
Heritage Areas through the Preservation Partnership Program in the FY22 
Department of Interior's budget. Preservation Action also supports the 
bipartisan National Heritage Area Act of 2021 (H.R. 1316) which 
establishes standardized criteria of NHAs and ensures long term 
sustainability.
  national park service: proposed changes to the national register of 
                            historic places
    Preservation Action would like to thank the subcommittee for 
including report language in the FY20 Interior Appropriations bill and 
the FY21 Interior Appropriations bill expressing concern over the 
previous Administration's proposed rule changes to the National 
Register of Historic Places. The proposed rule changes would have had a 
devastating impact on how historic resources are nominated to the 
National Register and determined eligible. We were very pleased that 
the Department of Interior announced they would be withdrawing the 
proposed rule changes.
               advisory council on historic preservation
    The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is an 
independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, 
and sustainable use of the nation's diverse historic resources, and 
advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation 
policy. We appreciate the continued support of this important agency 
and urge the Committee to support $8 million for the ACHP in the FY 
2022 Interior Appropriations Bill. In the coming year, the ACHP will 
implement the findings of its ``Digital Information Task Force'' to 
utilize mapping tools to identify and protect historic resources and 
advance timely delivery of major infrastructure projects. An increase 
in funding will enhance the critical functions of the agency in 
ensuring the nation's historic and cultural resources are protected, 
while advancing tribal consultation and finding efficiencies in federal 
reviews.
               federal historic rehabilitation tax credit
    The Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC), administered by 
SHPOs, THPOs and the National Park Service, is the most significant 
federal investment in historic preservation. The HTC has been a 
catalyst for development, rehabilitating of more than 45,000 historic 
buildings across the nation and leveraging over $173 billion in private 
investment. Since inception, the HTC has created nearly 3 million jobs 
and produced over 172,000 affordable housing units. In addition to 
revitalizing communities and spurring economic growth, the HTC returns 
more to the Treasury than the cost of the program. The HTC has helped 
to rehabilitate historic structures and revitalize communities in all 
50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin 
Islands.
    The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (H.R 2294) would 
increase the value of the HTC, improve access to the credit, and make 
the credit more appealing for smaller projects. The legislation also 
includes a temporary increase in the credit that would help address 
pandemic related challenges the industry is facing. Preservation Action 
and its national members urge Congress to pass the HTC-GO Act and 
continue to support the Historic Tax Credit by sufficiently funding 
SHPOs, THPOs and the National Park Service who administer the program.
                               conclusion
    Preservation Action appreciates the opportunity to provide our 
views on the FY22 Department of Interior budget. We work closely with a 
broad cross--section of preservation professionals from the state and 
local level and are pleased to be able to add their perspective.
    Preservation Action continues to value the dedicated work of 
National Park Service employees, the partnership of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation as well as the instrumental work of 
SHPOs and THPOs in preserving America's cultural heritage.
    Thank you for valuing the input of the preservation community as 
you consider the FY22 Department of Interior budget and your past 
support of vital historic preservation programs. We look forward to 
working with the committee and are happy to answer any questions you 
may have.
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians
    The Puyallup Tribe is an independent sovereign nation having 
historically negotiated with several foreign nations, including the 
United States in the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854. This relationship 
is rooted in Article I, Section 8, of the United States Constitution, 
federal laws and numerous Executive Orders. The governing body of the 
Puyallup Tribe of Indians is the Puyallup Tribal Council which upholds 
the Tribe's sovereign responsibility of self-determination and self-
governance for the benefit of the 5,427 Puyallup tribal members and the 
25,000 plus members from approximately 355 federally recognized Tribes 
who utilize our services.
    The Puyallup Tribe operates healthcare, social services, law 
enforcement and corrections, education, and a myriad of other programs 
and services for our Tribal citizens and individuals within our program 
and service areas. These programs depend on continued resources and 
support through federal appropriations--which reflect the federal trust 
and treaty obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native people and 
tribes.
     department of health and human services--indian health service
    The Puyallup Tribe strongly supports the Administration's 
unprecedented $2.2 billion requested increase for the Indian Health 
Service.
    The Puyallup Tribe has operated a healthcare program since 1976 
through the Indian Self-Determination Act, P.L. 93-638. The Puyallup 
Tribal Health Authority (PTHA) operates a comprehensive ambulatory care 
program serving the Native American population in Pierce County, 
Washington. The current patient load exceeds 9,000, of which 
approximately 1,700 are Tribal members.
    There are no Indian Health Service hospitals in the Portland Area, 
so all specialties and hospital care have been paid for out of our 
contract care allocation. This the full funding of the Purchased and 
Referred Care (PRC) program is critical to ensuring that Indian people 
in the Northwest receive adequate health care. The Pandemic highlighted 
this need, because the hospitalized care our COVID-19 patients needed 
was paid for by PRC.
    On this note, I want to take the time to celebrate our clinic staff 
who worked tirelessly throughout the Pandemic to provide care, keep our 
people safe, and when it was time, delivered vaccinations. The fact 
that COVID-19 did not destroy our community is because of the dedicated 
health care workers in our clinic.
    The Puyallup Tribe strongly supports the Administration's proposal 
for advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service in 2023. The 
FY 2020 government shutdown underscored the need for this change. The 
delays in funding had deeply--felt impacts in tribes' ability to 
provide health care to our people. We also strongly support the 
initiative to make contract support costs and 105(l) lease costs 
mandatory costs so that they do not continue to stress the limited 
funding allocation that the Subcommittee receives. This is the first 
important step to making all the Indian Health Service's funding 
mandatory.
            department of interior--bureau of indian affairs
    We strongly support the Administration's $600 million requested 
increase for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian 
Education. This funding is to focus on the most critical needs of 
Indian country the safety of: our children, our families, and our 
environment.
    Public Safety & Justice.--The Tribe's top priority is public safety 
and justice. The lack of financial resources is a significant barrier 
to the provision of effective public safety services in Indian country. 
The Bureau of Indian Affairs only provides $588,000 for our Tribal law 
enforcement services contract, this amounts to 8% of the Tribe's total 
level of need. The Tribe can supplement these resources, so that we are 
able to have a Chief of Police, and thirty commissioned officers and 
two (2) reserve officers.
    These officers are charged with the service and protection of the 
entire 40 square miles of the Reservation and the usual and accustomed 
areas where we exercise our Treaty protected hunting and fishing 
rights. The Puyallup Reservation encompasses most of the City of 
Tacoma, as well as parts of five other different municipalities (Fife, 
Milton, Puyallup, Edgewood and Federal Way). Furthermore, Interstate 5 
runs through the Puyallup Reservation and is a known drug and human 
trafficking corridor. Our officers are tired, and they need 
reinforcements.
    Detention and corrections funding remains of critical importance to 
the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup Tribe has a 28-bed adult corrections 
facility. Again, we worked closely with the OJS on an agreed upon 
operating cost of this facility at $2.7 million. However, the BIA 
provides only $725,000, approximately 26% of what the Tribe needs to 
run the facility.
    In addition, we operate a Tribal Court program. Our base BIA 
funding for this program has remained at $194,996 since FY 2015. Like 
the Law Enforcement and Detention funding, this amount represents only 
a small amount of the Tribe's needs to fully operate the Tribal Court 
program.
    Natural Resources Management.--The Puyallup Tribe is the steward 
for the land and marine waters of our homeland, including our usual and 
accustomed fishing places and shellfish and wildlife areas. The United 
States has treaty, trust, and governmental obligations and 
responsibilities to manage natural resources for uses that are 
beneficial to the tribal membership and regional communities. Our 
resource management responsibilities cover thousands of square miles in 
the Puget Sound with an obligation to manage production of anadromous, 
non-anadromous fish, shellfish and wildlife resources. Unfortunately, 
despite our diligent program efforts, the fisheries resource is 
degrading, causing economic losses on Native and Non-native fishermen, 
as well as the surrounding communities.
    Existing levels of appropriations are simply inadequate to reverse 
the trend of resource/habitat degradation in Puget Sound and other 
areas. A minimum funding level of $17.146 million is necessary for the 
BIA Western Washington (Bolt) Fisheries Management program, and we urge 
the Subcommittee to meet or exceed this amount for FY 2022 
appropriations. Any increase in funding would provide new monies for 
shellfish, groundfish, enforcement, habitat, wildlife and other natural 
resource management needs. As the aboriginal owners and guardians of 
our lands and waters, it is essential that adequate funding is provided 
to allow Tribes to carry out our inherent stewardship of these 
resources.
    The Puyallup Tribe also operates several salmon hatcheries in our 
territory. These hatcheries benefit both Indian and non-Indian 
commercial and sport fisheries. We work cooperatively with the 
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, neighboring tribes, federal 
agencies and state fishery managers to ensure the success and 
sustainability of our hatchery programs. We urge Congress to increase 
funding to these important facilities. And finally, the Timber, Fish 
and Wildlife (TFW) Supplemental and U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty 
programs have allowed for the expansion of Tribal participation in the 
state forest practice rules and regulations, as well as allowed Tribes 
to participate in inter--tribal organizations to address specific 
treaties and legal cases relating to multi-national fishing rights, 
harvest allocations, and resource management practices. This funding 
must be continued.
    One area of critical importance is the need to provide additional 
resources to fund natural resource infrastructure to ensure that our 
Natural Resource Programs have the facilities they need to operate. We 
submitted a directed funding request of $11.2 million to construct a 
Natural Resources building to ensure that our world renown program can 
continue to do the work that it has been doing for decades.
    Operations of Indian Programs & Tribal Priority Allocations.--The 
Tribal Priority Allocations (TPA) account within the Operations of 
Indian Programs include the majority of funding used to support ongoing 
services at the ``local tribal'' level, including natural resources 
management, child welfare, education, and other Tribal government 
services. These functions have not received adequate and consistent 
funding to allow Tribes the resources to fully exercise self-
determination and self-governance. Further, the small increases TPA has 
received over the past few years have not been adequate to keep pace 
with inflation. The Puyallup Tribe requests that the Subcommittee 
increase funding at least at the President's request for the Operation 
of Indian Programs and TPA.
                       bureau of indian education
    We celebrate the Administration's emphasis on the Tribal Schools. 
It has been too long since BIE schools received any substantial 
increase in funding. The Puyallup Tribe operates the pre-K to 12 Chief 
Leschi School, including the ECEAP and FACE programs, with an 
enrollment of 640 + students. The costs of operating this school--
including staff, supplies, and student transportation--continue to 
increase. Unfortunately, the amounts that Congress has appropriated are 
not keeping--up with inflation, let alone sufficient to allow us to 
dedicate additional resources to improving the education outcomes for 
our children. We are treading water and if more assistance is not 
provided, we may begin to drown. This why the Administration's 
unprecedented support for BIE programs is so important.

    [This statement was submitted by Bill Sterud, Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc.
    Honorable Chair, Ranking and Subcommittee Members, Ya'aht'eeh. My 
name is Maxine Coho, President of the Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc. 
(RNSB, Inc.) Together with the other four members of the Board of 
Trustees and on behalf of the Ramah Navajo people, we are grateful to 
all the Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House Appropriations 
Subcommittees on Interior for the opportunity to share our testimony.
    RNSB, Inc. oversees different programs, services and initiatives on 
Ramah Navajo Land. RNSB. Inc. is incorporated by the State of New 
Mexico and authorized by the Ramah Navajo Chapter to operate the K-12 
Pine Hill Schools, Head Start and Early Intervention Programs and 
services (including FACE), the Pine Hill Health Center, Behavioral 
Health and Social Services, Higher Education Program, and a Scholarship 
Program. Due to our remote location in a mountainous region of New 
Mexico, opportunities for employment and education outside the campus 
are very limited and the poverty level is high. The people are in dire 
need of quality services and different programs to address their needs 
and uplift their economic conditions.
    In order to address these needs, the Board of Trustees must provide 
adequate infrastructure for our people. We need paved roads, internet 
connectivity for all the families, dependable electrical systems, 
building and classroom ventilation, Computer Science Technology 
Classrooms, a gymnasium for Elementary and Middle School Students, 
Vocational Classroom for Students, a sustainable water system 
(Reclamation and Recycling), gas lines for heating, and reliable sewer 
systems, as well as a Community Services Division building complex. A 
lot of this infrastructure was built fifty years ago. There is 
immediate need for repair and replacement for sustainability of 
operations as maintenance in many parts of the infrastructure has been 
deferred for too long due to budgetary limitations. The federal funding 
received is not enough for all the needs of the Navajo people to live 
as human beings. All these affect the Navajo peoples' lives and these 
issues will continue to exist until we get help from the Federal 
Government.
    We, the people of the Ramah Navajo Community in the State of New 
Mexico, represented by the RNSB, Inc. Board of Trustees Members, are 
here today to ask the Congressional Subcommittees to assist us in 
funding the immediate needed repairs or replacement of the community's 
infrastructures. Our priority budget line items in the Bureau of Indian 
Education (BIE) budget are ISEP formula funds, Students' 
Transportation, Education IT (access to broadband) as well as the BIE 
Education Construction budget line items for Facilities Improvement and 
Repair, and School Facility Replacement Construction. On the following 
pages we provide an estimated cost breakdown of our Priority Projects 
as well as our priorities for inclusion in the Pending Infrastructure 
Legislation; Teacher Pay Parity; and DFMC Oversight.
    Estimated Costs for Priority Projects. In 2019, the Board of 
Trustees came to Washington, DC to testify before the House Interior 
Appropriations Subcommittee about the appalling conditions of RNSB 
Community facilities and to meet with our Congressional Delegation, the 
Director of the BIE, and the Director of the Office of Facilities, 
Property and Safety Management (which oversees the Division of 
Facilities Management and Construction, DFMC). RNSB was able to reach 
an agreement with the DFMC to address critical facilities issues, 
including the need for the Gymnasium for the Elementary and Middle 
School, the need to Replace, Renovate and Repair certain existing 
infrastructure, and address Road paving and construction. The RNSB 
Community has identified the following as our most pressing needs and 
we include estimated costs:

    1. Gymnasium for Elementary and Middle School. For more than 50 
years now, the elementary and middle school students have not had the 
benefit of a gymnasium for their physical education classes.
  --Estimated Cost--$20 million
    2. Water System, Reclamation, and Recycling needs immediate repair.
  --Estimated Cost--$20 million
    3. Completing the Electrical System Repair and Replacement Project.
  --Estimated Cost--$3.5 million (see discussion below)
    4. Internet Connectivity for families in Unit 1, Unit 3, and Unit 5 
to support students in virtual learning.
  --Estimated Cost--$500,000
    5. Paved Road Construction.
  --Estimated Cost--$10 million
    6. Community Services Division Complex (Radio Station, Housing 
Office, Scholarship Building, and Community Complex).
  --Estimated Cost--$2.5 million
    7. RNSB Building Needs (Dental Expansion, Wellness Center, Clinical 
Admin Support, and Behavioral Health Building, with sustainable 
utilities).
  --Estimated Cost--$30 million
    8. Career and Technical Education Facility to provide those 
students who may not be pursuing college with a space to attend classes 
in construction, woodworking, and welding--for which we have a program 
grant from New Mexico State University.
  --Estimated Cost--$3 million

    Inclusion in the Federal COVID-19 Response and the Pending 
Infrastructure Legislation.--We would like to extend our tremendous 
gratitude to the Subcommittees for the role you played in ensuring that 
schools in the BIE school system were included in the COVID-19 relief 
laws in a robust and equitable manner. Thank you. As Congress now turns 
its attention to our Nation's infrastructure needs, we ask that you 
similarly ensure that schools in the BIE school system are included. 
Progress has been made on persistent inequities at BIE system schools 
because the Subcommittees continue to prioritize funding to address 
them on a fiscal year basis. This pending infrastructure package 
provides an opportunity to make significant headway on the tremendous 
backlog you have been working so hard to address each fiscal year.
    Teacher Pay Parity.--We would also like to specifically thank the 
House Subcommittee for the oversight and FY 2021 report language 
requesting reports from the BIE on teacher pay parity. The BIE's 
failure to appropriately request fixed cost increases to provide pay 
parity for teachers and counselors in the BIE school system with their 
counterparts in the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) 
puts us and other schools at a competitive disadvantage because it 
erodes the spending power of our budgets year after year and impedes 
our efforts to attract and retain quality teachers. We look forward to 
reading this report and seeing the BIE adjust its subsequent budget 
requests to comply with federal law.
    Ensure Proper Oversight of DFMC regarding Facilities Improvement 
and Repair.--RNSB's experience with the catastrophic failure of its 
electrical system demonstrated significant concerns about the DFMC's 
emergency repair and reimbursement program. RNSB expects there will be 
important lessons learned from our experience that will enable tribally 
controlled schools and the DFMC to better respond to emergency facility 
repairs and improvements. We provide some background on our experience 
followed by our request to the Subcommittee for a formal program 
evaluation.
    Our electrical system powers the Pine Hill Schools' campus, 
community health clinic, and water treatment plant. This electrical 
system is over 50 years old. As the electrical system had not benefited 
from periodic inspections or maintenance by the BIA, many of its 
components were at the end of their lifespan, had deteriorated past the 
point of restoration and/or were not code--compliant. The conductor, 
which permits electricity to flow throughout the system, is at the end 
of its useful life and must be replaced entirely. Several components of 
the system are ineffectively grounded--any person who comes into 
contact with the lid of a manhole may be electrocuted. Further, many of 
the transformers are dilapidated (i.e., leaking oil, rusted housing, 
improper grounding, excess internal dirt) and will expose any person to 
full, live voltage if the transformer doors are opened. As a result, 
the electrical system is in violation of several occupational, health, 
and safety codes, including the National Electrical Safety Code.
    Despite RNSB's repeated requests following the power outage in June 
2020, the DFMC declined to conduct a site visit due to the COVID-19 
pandemic. Yet, the DFMC did send a contractor, who conducted a cursory 
visit. Based on the contractor's report, DFMC determined that the 
electrical system did not qualify as an emergency repair situation. 
RNSB views the DFMC determination as a significant error. DFMC's 
determination is directly contradicted by licensed, professional high 
voltage electrical system engineers and contractors. Indeed, given the 
urgent and dangerous situation, RNSB hired a professional engineering 
and surveying firm to conduct an independent review of the electrical 
system. That firm developed a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), 
final system maps, cost estimates, and other work product. The 
engineering firm determined the system required extensive upgrades and 
recommended that the entire system be replaced and upgraded (estimated 
at $7.0 million).
    RNSB secured $3.5 million in funding from the Navajo Nation 
(approximately 50% of the total cost of the electrical system 
replacement project). RNSB contracted with a high voltage electric 
system contractor to begin constructing the replacement system and 
hired an independent inspector. RNSB requested that the DFMC provide 
matching funds to the project pursuant to an amendment to RNSB's 
Tribally Controlled Schools Act grant in order to complete the project. 
RNSB understood that DFMC had allocated funding for the electrical 
system.
    Months later, however, DFMC informed us that it had contracted with 
a different private firm to provide an electrical system design. DFMC 
took this action without consulting with RNSB, in violation of 25 
C.F.R. Sec. 900.119, which prohibits the agency from ``spending any 
funds for a planning, design, construction, or renovation project'' 
without first consulting with the tribe or tribal organization 
affected. Had DFMC consulted, as required by law, it would have 
confirmed that RNSB's engineer had already prepared preliminary 
engineering report and design for the electrical system replacement 
project. DFMC's actions served to duplicate work that was already 
completed, added unnecessary delays and costs, and resulted in RNSB 
having to suspend the project due to lack of funding. Currently, 
several RNSB facilities are operating on generators with funding from 
the DFMC--a costly, impermanent solution to a large--scale 
infrastructure problem.
    Thanks to support from our congressional delegation, over the past 
two months, DFMC has started to communicate more transparently and RNSB 
hopes to have a more productive dialogue and to achieve the completion 
of the electrical system project in the near future. RNSB has proposed 
to complete the project through an Indian Self-Determination Act 
construction contract in which DFMC would contribute $3.5 million (50%) 
to match the amount RNSB has already contributed. Through the contract, 
RNSB and DFMC can assure the electrical system upgrade is completed in 
a safe, effective and efficient manner according to applicable 
electrical system standards and codes at the best value to the federal 
government.
    Another issue we encountered with DFMC is that when creating the 
program of requirements (POR) for our gym, DFMC inexplicably used 
incomplete enrollment numbers and made calculations counter to even 
their own policies. The gym facilities of the RNSB Pine Hill K-12 
Schools provide some of the only opportunities in this remote area that 
our students have for physical education and recreation. Having 
adequate, appropriately sized facilities for our students is critical 
but DFMC continues to shift their position on this without a path 
forward.
    In light of our experiences, RNSB asks the Subcommittees to 
consider a Government Accountability Office evaluation of the DFMC's 
emergency repair and reimbursement program. That evaluation should 
consider whether the $100,000 maximum funding threshold should be 
abandoned. It should also explore whether it would be appropriate for 
the BIE to establish an electrical system inspection and maintenance 
program, with licensed personnel performing those inspections. Finally, 
we hope that the evaluation would consider the advantages of greater 
transparency, coordination and collaboration between tribal schools and 
the federal agencies in assessing and managing facility repairs and 
renovations.
                               conclusion
    The RNSB, Inc. was established to carry out its mission with self-
determination in providing for the needs of our people in the Ramah 
Navajo Community. The RNSB, Inc. has demonstrated the capacity to 
govern and educate our own people and provide services to three 
Counties in an inter-governmental and collaborative way. As we continue 
to provide a safe and promising future of our people, we would like to 
express our heartfelt gratitude for the dependable and trusted leaders 
in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of the Recording Academy
    As the only trade association in Washington representing all music 
creators--songwriters, performers, and studio professionals--the 
Recording Academy is pleased to offer testimony to the House Committee 
on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies in support of a substantial funding increase for the National 
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Fiscal Year 2022 of no less than $201 
million in alignment with President Biden's 2022 Budget Request. The 
Recording Academy is proud to support the NEA and the important work it 
has done to enrich American culture, particularly following a year 
where the agency went above and beyond to support the arts and culture 
industry in need.
    The NEA remains an integral part of the cultural bedrock of the 
United States, working to bring music and the arts to towns and 
communities across the country. Its mission has never been more 
important, and as the creative arts look to recover from the COVID-19 
pandemic, the agency will prove to be a key lynchpin in the resumption 
of arts throughout America. As such, the Recording Academy supports a 
substantial increase in funding so that the agency can maximize its 
mission in as many communities as possible.
    Through supporting music and the arts, the NEA empowers local 
communities, improves student development, and advances cultural 
achievements. Considering that NEA grants yield more than $500 million 
in matching support--leveraging outside funds at a ratio of 9:1-it is 
financially one of the smartest investments the government can commit 
to. In the music industry, the NEA supports more than $50 million in 
music related grants each year. From Chamber Music Northwest ($20,000, 
2018) in Portland to the Yellow Barn ($10,000, 2018) in Vermont; and 
from the Sitka Summer Music Festival in Alaska ($15,000, 2018) to the 
Tallahassee Youth Orchestra ($10,000, 2017) in Florida, the NEA has 
proven to support and foster local music communities and opportunities.
    For the coming fiscal year, a substantial increase in its annual 
budget will expand the NEA's grant--making capabilities leading to an 
increase in arts participation across all 50 states. Increased funding 
will also promote more equitable access to music and the arts, enabling 
the agency to bring programming to more demographic groups. After a 
year without art, Congress should strive to enable the NEA to expose as 
many Americans to music and the arts as possible.
    As you finalize appropriations for FY22, please make a strong 
commitment to the arts and music with robust funding for the NEA.

    [This statement was submitted by Daryl P. Friedman, Chief Advocacy 
Officer.]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
    Chair Merkley and Ranking Member Murkowski, thank you and the other 
distinguished Subcommittee members for this opportunity to testify for 
the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. Red Lake has 15,090 members, and 
our 840,000 acre Reservation is held in trust by the United States. 
While diminished in size over time, our Reservation was never broken 
apart or allotted, and we are exempt from P.L. 83-280. Thus, we are 
responsible for a large land area over which we exercise full 
governmental authority and control, in conjunction with the United 
States. Due in part to our remote location, there are few job 
opportunities available. While unemployment in Minnesota is 11 percent, 
ours remains close to 40 percent. The lack of good roads, reliable 
communications systems, and other necessary infrastructure impedes 
economic development and job creation at Red Lake. Appropriations are 
the key way in which the United States fulfills its trust 
responsibility and honors its obligations to tribes. We request an 
additional $5.5 million in FY 2022 funding for Red Lake programs as 
described below.
    Covid-19 Pandemic.--In March 2020, Red Lake declared a Public 
Health Emergency due to Covid-19. We prepared an Emergency Response 
Plan and implemented a 3-step progressive process to delay its arrival. 
These steps were based on evolving data and included a curfew, a 
shelter-in-place order, and Medical Martial Law, which was declared in 
April 2020, effectively sealing off the reservation. Blockades were 
established at all entry points, with border security stationed 24/7. 
Red Lake may have been the only government in the U.S. to impose 
Medical Martial Law to protect its citizens from Covid-19. Exceptions 
were allowed to obtain food and medicine, for medical care, and to 
check on the elderly and vulnerable. Most of our revenue--generating 
businesses, including gaming, were closed. We had our first Covid-19 
case in May 2020. Native Americans suffer greater hospitalization and 
death rates from Covid-19 than any other group. Red Lake's positive 
cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were kept very low. We attribute 
this to several things: Our 3-step process to protect the reservation, 
including Medical Martial Law; Ongoing efforts of our emergency 
response and health care teams; Establishment of Covid-19 testing 
sites; Shuttering of our businesses; Communications with tribal members 
to follow CDC guidelines; Red Lake members' adherence to CDC 
guidelines; and, a highly successful vaccination effort in partnership 
with IHS. The measures were very costly, but the resulting low number 
of hospitalizations and deaths were worth it.
    Provide Robust Funding for BIA, BIE, and IHS.--We greatly 
appreciate your rejection of the prior Administration's proposed budget 
cuts, and instead providing much--needed increases for BIA/BIE. 
President Biden's FY 2022 budget request provides robust investments in 
Indian Affairs, including increases of $610 million for BIA, $111 
million for BIE, and $2.2 billion for IHS. We support these needed 
funding increases.
    Rescissions, Sequestration, and Pay Cost Cutbacks Have Eroded 
Tribal Program Funding.--Since FY 2000 there were 20, across-the-board 
rescissions to tribes' government programs, totaling 9.5 percent, 
including for things like Hurricane Katrina recovery. The needs of the 
rescissions were met long ago, but the funding cuts continue. Since FY 
2013 our programs were cut another 5 percent from Sequestration. These 
cuts greatly eroded program funding and our ability to maintain public 
safety. To make things worse, inflation since FY 2000 totaled 50 
percent. Pay Costs are the only increase many tribal programs receive 
and are vital to maintain staff. Since FY 2001, Interior agencies lost 
more than a billion dollars from the partial funding of Pay Costs. Each 
of the last three Administrations and OMB have been guilty of this, and 
Congress has previously stated the Administration should request full 
funding for Pay Costs in all future budgets. We ask that you renew the 
call to fully fund Pay Costs, and we ask for $2.5 million for Red Lake 
to restore what Red Lake has lost since FY 2001.
    Fully Fund and expand the BIA Tiwahe and Recidivism Reduction 
Initiatives (RRI).--The Tiwahe Initiative was established in 2015 to 
improve the health and wellbeing of families in tribal communities by 
reducing poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, and associated 
outcomes such as youth suicide. Tiwahe includes two components: (1) a 
recurring funding increase for all tribes that operate Social Services 
and ICWA programs and (2) additional funding for a demonstration 
program at 6 tribal locations (representing 61 tribes and Alaska Native 
villages). Tiwahe funding includes BIA programs of Social Services, 
ICWA, Courts, Housing (HIP), Job Placement & Training, and Public 
Safety RRI program. Upon completion of the 5-year demonstration period, 
BIA promised if tribes evidenced success through performance measures 
identified in their Tiwahe plans, the program and funding would 
thereafter be recurring. Congress has supported the Tiwahe Initiative 
since it began, citing the importance of providing culturally--
appropriate services with the goals of empowering individuals and 
families through health promotion, family stability, and strengthening 
tribal communities as a whole.
    Tiwahe has improved coordination of and strengthened our youth 
suicide prevention efforts at Red Lake. We had one youth suicide in the 
last three years, and only two youth suicides in the last 67 months. 
Although one suicide is too many, for Red Lake this represents a major 
reduction, and we have made great progress towards our goal of ending 
youth suicide.
    Tiwahe funding has been essential for us to continue to operate our 
Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court and our Family Drug Court. These 
courts were initially established through DOJ grants, but those funds 
ran out, and it is Tiwahe funding that has allowed us to keep our judge 
and case managers for these courts employed, and the courts 
functioning. We've had successes with these alternative courts. Just 
recently, through intervention of the Tiwahe alternative court judge, 
we were able to get a juvenile at high risk of harming herself into the 
Hazelton drug treatment program, with IHS agreeing to cover the costs, 
which is something IHS normally would not fund. Our alternative courts 
were also able to take in and nurture several drug addicted young 
mothers-to-be, with a result that the newborns were born drug free.
    Tiwahe Job Placement/Training funds allowed us to develop and offer 
several training programs to take advantage of current and emerging job 
needs in our area. During one recent period, we held three CNA classes 
for 28 students, with 95% receiving their certification. Half of these 
were immediately employed by our tribal nursing home, increasing the 
number of elders we were able to serve. One of the CNA classes 
consisted of all TANF clients, thereby reducing dependency on TANF. 
Tiwahe and RRI enabled us to open the Red Lake Children's Healing 
Center (CHC), a juvenile facility that sat vacant for a decade due to 
lack of funding. The CHC provides vital mental health, substance abuse, 
domestic abuse, and recidivism reduction services to youth in a 
culturally--sensitive way. Despite Covid-19 delays, we've completed 
needed renovations and have staffed--up the facility to implement a 24/
7 youth residential treatment program for rehabilitative mental health 
and substance abuse services. The facility is now serving youth in 
need, a great achievement for our Tribe and our youth.
    The Tiwahe pilot sites have recently completed a comprehensive 
Tiwahe report, including measures of success and guidelines for other 
tribes to implement the model. We believe the report validates the 
success of Tiwahe and justifies program expansion and making Tiwahe a 
permanent program. The BIA is also nearing completion of its report on 
Tiwahe, which we believe will further validate its success. It is in 
the interest of all tribes who operate Social Services and ICWA 
programs, the tribal demonstration sites, and all of the children and 
families benefitting, that you fully fund Tiwahe in FY 2022, and we ask 
consideration that 6 new pilot sites be added in FY 2022, at a total 
cost of $9 million. And also, that you consider providing an additional 
amount of $5 million each for Tiwahe Social Services and Tiwahe ICWA 
programs, with such increases distributed Across-the-Board for tribes 
that operate Social Services and ICWA programs. Finally, we believe the 
existing pilot sites' funding should be made permanent, and Tiwahe 
should be designated a permanent Indian Affairs Policy and Program. We 
also ask that you continue the Tiwahe explicit language in FY 2022, 
``with funding distributed in the same amounts to the same recipients, 
including the funding to support women and children's centers''.
    BIA Justice Services.--Law Enforcement, Courts, and Community Fire 
Protection. The Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) intended to give tribes 
the resources needed to fight crime. But since TLOA began, BIA law 
enforcement funding has shrunk, hindering our ability to reduce crime 
and protect lives. Our greatest need is for funding increases for more 
tribal officers. The BIA is obligated to provide full funding to meet 
basic public safety needs but has repeatedly failed to do so. We are 
understaffed and undersupplied relative to BIA safety standards. Last 
year, we had to expend $5 million more than the BIA provided, by taking 
funds from other critical tribal programs that are already underfunded, 
just to maintain minimal public safety.
    In 2017 Red Lake declared a Public Health Emergency because of the 
sharp increase in opioid overdoses. I'm sad to report that we are once 
again in the midst of an almost incomprehensible increase in the number 
of opioid and fentanyl related overdoses and deaths on our reservation. 
This year we've experienced more than 100 overdoses, and 11 deaths. We 
are certain that the various consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have 
contributed to this increase. These losses are heartbreaking and we 
continue our struggle to help our members in fighting this disease. To 
address this crisis, we've formed a Community Overdose Response Task 
Force, which is working hard to protect our people. We appreciate your 
support for BIA funding increases for more tribal police officers to 
focus on stopping the flow of drugs coming onto our reservation.
    Red Lake has waged a fierce war on drugs, and we are holding drug 
dealers accountable. But we need more resources to end this epidemic. 
We request an additional $60 million in FY 2022 specifically for tribal 
law enforcement personnel and operations, $15 million more for tribal 
detention, and an additional $3 million for Red Lake Law Enforcement to 
combat our opioid crisis.
    Tribal Courts are a top priority for tribes but are severely 
underfunded. We appreciate the increases in Court funding you provided 
the last three years, totaling $8.5 million. We ask that you provide an 
additional $25 million in FY 2022 for Tribal Courts. Community Fire 
Protection has been neglected for decades. We are responsible for 
fighting fires on our reservation and protecting lives, on a yearly 
BIA--funded budget of only $42,500. We ask that you provide $10 million 
for Community Fire Protection in FY 2022.
    Financing for 105 (l) Leases.--Thank you for including ``indefinite 
appropriations'' authority for Section 105(l) leases in FY 2021. This 
is essential for BIA and tribes to negotiate and fund leases without 
impacting other tribal programs. We ask that you continue this 
authority in FY 2022.
    Housing Improvement Program (HIP).--HIP provides housing assistance 
for our poorest and elderly members. Thank you for funding HIP in FY 
2021, and for providing $1.7 million for Tiwahe pilot tribes. We 
request an additional $30 million for HIP in FY 2022.
    Trust Natural Resources.--Thank you for providing recent increases 
for tribal natural resource programs. Most tribal natural resources 
base programs, which fund our day-to-day conservation responsibilities, 
had not been increased for years. As a result, tribes have been unable 
to adequately manage their resources (e.g., Red Lake must manage the 
6th largest freshwater lake in the U.S. on less than $1 per acre). We 
support the President's FY 2022 request for more funding for climate 
resilience and adaptation. Most tribal resource management activities 
are funded under the BIA budget categories of Tribal Management 
Development, Natural Resources TPA, Wildlife and Parks TPA, and 
Forestry TPA. We urge you to increase funding for each of these 
programs by at least $10 million above FY 2021 enacted levels.
    Indian Health Service (IHS).--There is a tremendous unmet need for 
IHS and tribal health programs, stemming from years of chronic under 
funding. IHS mandatory increases for inflation, population growth, pay 
costs, and CSC surpass enacted increases. Per capita expenditures for 
IHS healthcare in 2018 were only $3,779 person, compared to $9,409 for 
the general population, a great disparity. We appreciate the 
President's request for a FY 2022 increase of $2.2 Billion, for a total 
IHS budget of $8.5 billion. However, we support the IHS Tribal Budget 
Formulation Workgroup request, and ask that you provide $12.8 billion 
for IHS to begin redressing long--standing health inequities 
experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives. In addition, we 
also support the President's request to include advance appropriations 
for IHS in FY 2023.
    EPA Programs.--Our Tribe has 60% of the Indian trust land in EPA 
Region 5. We span a geographic area the size of West Virginia. Our 
water, wetlands, animals, and plants are vital to us. Vital EPA 
programs like General Assistance (GAP), Clean Water Act Sections 106 
Pollution Control and 319 Nonpoint Source, Brownfields, and Clean Air 
Act Section 105, provide only 50 percent of the staff and support 
needed. We support the President's FY 2022 request for additional 
tribal resources, including Air Quality grants to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions.
    Thank you for allowing me to present, for the record, some of the 
most immediate needs of the Red Lake Nation in FY 2022, and for your 
consideration of these needs.

    [This statement was submitted by the Honorable Darrell G. Seki Sr., 
Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency Serving 
      Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Preble Counties
Senator Merkley:

    The Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA) and other state 
and local clean air agencies across the country are charged with 
operating essential air quality programs that protect public health. 
Unfortunately, these programs have been underfunded for many years and 
need significant increases in resources. Federal grants to state and 
local air quality agencies under Sections 103 and 105 of the Clean Air 
Act last year were $229.5 million, which is approximately the same as 
they were over 15 years ago in FY 2004, even while their 
responsibilities have increased dramatically. If this amount were 
adjusted for inflation, level funding would be about
    $321.5 million for FY 2022. Therefore, while the need is far 
greater, we ask Congress to increase state and local air grants by $92 
million above FY 2021 levels, for a total of $321.5 million (equal to 
the Administration's budget request).
    Air pollution still causes tens of thousands of early deaths in 
America. It is still a serious public health problem that causes 
adverse health impacts to millions every year, including cancer and 
damage to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological and reproductive 
systems. These impacts especially affect overburdened and environmental 
justice communities. State and local air quality agencies are tasked 
with putting in place and operating the programs required by the 
federal Clean Air Act to improve and protect air quality. These 
responsibilities include, among others, monitoring, planning, modeling, 
compiling emission inventories, adopting regulations, analyzing data 
and inspecting facilities. In southwest Ohio, for example, we are 
particularly concerned about ozone pollution and assuring compliance of 
high--profile facilities such as the Cargill, Inc.--Dayton and the 
Fairborn Cement Plant, in addition to being responsive to industry 
business needs with regards to assisting facilities with obtaining 
requisite construction air permits. Accordingly, we work with the local 
Multi-Jurisdictional Planning Organization (MPO), the Miami Valley 
Regional Planning Commission to issue ozone air quality alerts to the 
public when needed, as well as performing enhanced inspections and 
ambient air monitoring of high--profile facilities, in addition to 
meeting ``routine'' Clean Air Act requirements.
    Federal grants for state and local air quality agencies have been 
inadequate for many years. They have not even kept up with inflation 
and our costs have increased. Because of these deficits, state and 
local agencies struggle to continue critical air quality programs. 
Maintaining adequate staffing levels to manage these critical air 
quality programs requires sufficient funding. Without the funding and 
the staff, the community will experience longer response times for 
requisite air permits to be issued, complaint investigations and 
compliance assurance efforts, all of which are in place to reduce air 
pollution in the community. Additionally, this could result in having 
the most negative effect on businesses looking to expand or modify 
their operations, because they are left to wait on the issuance of the 
construction air permit to move forward. This is especially critical as 
businesses diligently work to ramp up operations following the Covid-19 
pandemic emergency.
    We at RAPCA work hard to improve air quality, but sufficient 
federal funding is critical. Please ensure that federal grants to state 
and local air quality agencies are increased at least to keep pace with 
inflation. Specifically, grants in the amount of $321.5 million would 
constitute merely level funding from FY 2004 levels, adjusted for 
inflation. I would be glad to answer any questions you have or provide 
more information. Thank you for any assistance you can offer.

    [This statement was submitted by The Honorable Jeff Merkley, 
Chair.]
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the Rocky Boy Health Center
Recommendations:

    1. Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service (IHS).
    2. Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) 
lease payments
    3. Fund Critical Infrastructure investments for the Indian health 
system
    4. Increase funding and authorize a self-governance funding 
mechanism option for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians
    5. Increase funding for Preventive Health programs.
    6. Reduce dependence on competitive grants for Indian Country

Introduction:

    Thank you, Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities 
for the FY 2022 federal budget. My name is Joel Rosette and I serve as 
CEO of the Rocky Boy Health Center. In 1993 the Chippewa Cree Tribe was 
one of the first tribes to achieve self-governance under a pilot 
program that led to the 1994 law. The outcome of this was that Chippewa 
Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation's tribal governing body 
was able to take over administration of all the programs, and their 
associated funds, that were previously under the management of the 
federal government (or Dept of Health and Human Services).
    The Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, home of the Chippewa Cree Tribe 
(CCT).--The Rocky Boy Health Center (RBHC), the sole health care 
facility on the reservation, has the responsibility for providing 
primary health care (including behavioral health and substance abuse 
services) to all American Indian people within the catchment area. The 
reservation is the smallest of seven Indian reservations in Montana. 
The total number of enrolled tribal members is 6,862 of whom 4,031 
reside on the Reservation. Our community is isolated, and the nearest 
supermarket is in Havre, 30 miles from Rocky Boy, and the nearest 
international airport and major shopping facilities are located in 
Great Falls, 110 miles away.
    We have been grateful that IHS has received significant 
supplementary appropriations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Those 
dollars have been critical in ensuring that we have the means to serve 
our patients and fight this deadly disease. The historic funding 
provided to IHS will translate into real lives saved. It is critical 
that we use this crisis as an opportunity to make real, sustained 
investments in the Indian health system. As we have seen with the 
remarkable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Indian Country, when 
given adequate resources and when tribal sovereignty is honored, tribal 
communities can rise to the challenge. It is now time to take the 
lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic--both positive and 
negative--to renew the Indian health system. Annual appropriations are 
essential to this effort and in fulfilling the federal government's 
trust and treaty obligations by ensuring critical programs and services 
receive adequate funding to fulfill their intended purpose. To further 
these goals, I offer the following recommendations for your 
consideration for FY 2022 appropriations for the IHS.
    Provide Full Funding for the Indian Health Service.--The IHS and 
its tribal partners under the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act strive to provide tribal people with access to high 
quality and comprehensive medical services, no more so than during the 
ongoing pandemic. We have navigated unimaginable hardships related to 
supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities, and high 
rates of underlying conditions in serving our people at this time.
    The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated this 
need at $48 billion for full funding. While this represents a dramatic 
increase in funding, it is imperative that Congress address the true 
needs of the Indian health system. In FY 2022, the Workgroup requests 
$12.759 billion for IHS. We support their full request and reiterate 
the top 5 priorities for program expansion as follows:

    1) Hospitals and Clinics: $4.2 billion
    2) Purchased/Referred Care: $2 billion
    3) Mental Health: $715 million
    4) Alcohol and substance Abuse: $778.5 million
    5) Dental Services: $649.7 million

    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For many years, tribes 
have requested that IHS appropriations be funded on an advance 
appropriations cycle. It has unfortunately become the norm that IHS 
does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several months 
(sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. In the recent 
past, IHS, Tribal and Urban health programs have even had to deal with 
government shutdowns, when no funding was provided for weeks on end. 
These funding delays make it impossible for IHS and Tribal health 
programs to plan and manage their annual budgets. As you know, health 
systems cannot practically operate on a day to day or week to week 
basis without knowing what funding will be provided in the future. 
Unrelated political disagreements in Washington, DC should not impede 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) from receiving the health 
care they deserve. Full advance appropriations for the IHS would 
promote greater stability in services, medical personnel recruitment 
and retention, and facilities management.
    We thank the leadership of this subcommittee for supporting this 
important change in previous Congresses. We were also grateful to see 
President Biden support IHS advance appropriations in his FY 2022 
budget request to Congress which was released on April 9, 2021. We urge 
the Committee to take the necessary steps in the FY 2022 appropriations 
bill to move IHS to an advance appropriation for FY 2023 and beyond.
    Fully fund critical infrastructure investments: As Congress 
considers making dramatic investments in the country's infrastructure, 
it is critical that the Indian health system not get left behind. 
Therefore, we request that the subcommittee allocate approximately $3 
billion for full implementation of interoperable Electronic Health 
Records (EHR) and tele-health. This will ensure that IHS can provide 
services that are similar to other health providers. As you are aware, 
this investment is especially critical as the Veterans' Administration 
and Department of Defense move to modernize their systems.
    It is also critical that Congress make significant investments in 
Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and tribal facilities are 
some of the oldest in the nation, with an average age of 10.6 years. 
This creates situations where facilities are out of date, or not 
appropriate for the size of the patient populations they serve. 
Therefore, consistent with the Budget formulation Workgroup's request, 
we recommend $15 billion for Health Facilities Construction Funding & 
Equipment.
    Sanitation Facilities Construction.--During the pandemic, we were 
told to socially distance and wash our hands to keep COVID-19 from 
spreading. Yet, we still do not have access to clean, potable water. 
This creates significant health risks for the tribal members living on 
the Rocky Boy reservation. Yet, with a backlog of almost $3 billion the 
IHS Sanitation Deficiency list cannot keep pace with need. We urge 
Congress to prioritize Sanitation Facilities Construction funding in FY 
2022 and any infrastructure package moving through Congress.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) lease 
payments.--We appreciate the subcommittee's commitment to ensuring that 
Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by 
including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in FY 2021 for both 
of these accounts. However, these line items continue to take up a 
larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary budget, thereby 
leaving little room to expand other services given tight discretionary 
appropriations caps. We strongly agree with the subcommittee's words in 
the explanatory statement for the Further Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) regarding 105(l) costs which said, in part: 
``Obligations of this nature are typically addressed through mandatory 
spending, but in this case since they fall under discretionary 
spending, they are impacting all other programs funded under the 
Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, including other equally 
important Tribal programs...''
    Therefore, we ask you to continue to advocate with your colleagues 
on authorizing committees to enact mandatory appropriations for CSC and 
105(l) lease costs. Doing so will ensure that other areas of the IHS 
budget are held harmless by these costs and true increases in critical 
services line items can move forward. This will enhance care for AI/AN 
patients and reduce health disparities.
    Extend Self-Governance Funding Options to the Special Diabetes 
Program for Indians (SDPI) and increase funding to $250 million/year.--
While we understand that SDPI is not under the jurisdiction of the 
subcommittee, we appreciate that Congress included a three-year 
reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(P.L. 116-260). Communities like ours across Indian Country rely on 
SDPI resources to address the alarming rates of diabetes and diabetes--
related health complications among our people. SDPI's success rests in 
the flexibility of its program structure that allows for the 
incorporation of culture and local needs into its services. Consistent 
with this model, Congress should authorize SDPI participants the option 
of receiving their federal funds through either a grant (as currently 
used) or self-governance funding mechanisms under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. This would be a natural and 
just extension of SDPI in respecting tribal sovereignty.
    Additionally, SDPI has not had an increase in funding since FY 
2004. Short term reauthorizations also destabilize this health program 
and make staffing and program continuity difficult. For this reason, we 
recommend permanent reauthorization for SDPI at a minimum base of $250 
million per year with annual adjustments for inflationary increases. 
Therefore, we urge you to work with your Congressional colleagues to 
ensure that SDPI receives a funding increase of at least $250 million 
per year.
    Plan for the Future with Dedicated Funding for Preventative Health 
Services.--Among the many things we have learned from the COVID-19 
pandemic is that basic public health functions are critical to 
preserving life and overall health of Americans, yet public health 
systems in most tribal communities lag far behind systems in other 
jurisdictions. Without robust public health systems in place, 
responding to public health threats means that tribal communities will 
continue to be a challenge. Like other governments, Tribes have the 
responsibility to provide public health services for their people. Yet 
the federal government provides few resources to tribal communities for 
this purpose.
    AI/ANs experience health disparities for a variety of health 
conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other 
largely preventable chronic conditions. Treating these chronic health 
conditions imposes unnecessary challenges on Tribal health systems and 
IHS. We support long-term, sustained, full investment in tribal public 
health infrastructure so that tribal communities have the resources 
available to respond quickly when the next crisis hits.
    Reduce Dependence on Federal Grants.--In addition to the critical 
funding needs that are outlined above, we also support moving away from 
competitive grants for federal funding mechanisms. The federal trust 
responsibility does not require that we jump through a myriad of hoops 
and onerous applications to see that services are provided to our 
people. Grants also unfairly pit tribes against tribes, when all are 
deserving of critical resources. Therefore, we agree with other tribal 
leaders and continue to support broad based funding for our health 
systems across all federal agencies. Too often, tribes are under--
resourced to apply for federal grants, and to comply with the 
associated burdensome reporting requirements, which vary from grant to 
grant. Applications and reporting requirements force our health system 
to divert staff time to apply and report, thereby diluting the 
usefulness of the resources. Instead, we request wide--spread, 
formula--based funding across all programs. Tribes must also be granted 
the flexibility needed to respond to the specific needs of their own 
communities, not those prescribed by federal grants. This also means 
providing enough resources so funds are provided in meaningful amounts 
across all tribes.
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of the Sac and Fox Nation
    Chairman Jeff Merkley and distinguished Members of this 
Subcommittee, on behalf of the Great Sac and Fox Nation, I submit 
testimony of our Tribal priority requests for funding in the FY 2022 
Budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian 
Education (BIE) and Indian Health Service (IHS). The Sac and Fox Nation 
(the Nation) is the home of Jim Thorpe, one of the most versatile 
athletes of modern sports who earned Olympic gold medals for the1912 
pentathlon and decathlon. The Nation would like to thank Congress for 
providing relief that is allowing Tribes to begin the recovery process 
from the pandemic that will remain as prominent in the minds of the 
world as the name Jim Thorpe.
    The Nation would like to focus primarily on the Law Enforcement 
account in the BIA to provide what we deem essential personnel and 
equipment in response to what will be a direct response to McGirt vs. 
Oklahoma for the Nation. We believe the impact of the McGirt v. 
Oklahoma ruling goes beyond the borders of the Five Civilized Tribes. 
Geographically several other Tribes, including the Sac & Fox Nation, 
share a boundary with at least one of the Five Civilized Tribes and sit 
in what is considered eastern or east central Oklahoma. The Sac and Fox 
Nation is a Self-Governance Tribe headquartered in Stroud, Oklahoma. 
Our Tribal jurisdictional area covers all or parts of Lincoln, Payne, 
and Pottawatomie counties. Of the over 4,038 enrolled Tribal members, 
2,600 live in Oklahoma.
    The western boundaries of the Five Civilized Tribes are the end of 
reservation jurisdiction, but Federal jurisdiction does not end there. 
Although the Dawes Act was intended to cut reservation lands in to 
parcels for individual Indians, it did not give the State of Oklahoma 
jurisdiction on allotted lands. The Federal government maintains title 
to all Indian Allotments held in trust status, therefore leaving 
jurisdiction to Tribal Law Enforcement and Federal Law Enforcement 
Agencies.
    In a post McGirt ruling, the Sac and Fox Nation Police Department 
(SFNPD) has been giving a lot of thought as to the repercussions of 
becoming the primary jurisdictional responding agency should a 
challenge case be presented in the Nation. As we understand it, any 
Native offender committing a crime within our Federally recognized 
jurisdictional boundaries would become our primary jurisdictional 
burden regardless of location of offense. To that end, we are already 
seeing confusion from some counties and municipalities regarding their 
ability to enforce and prosecute, despite it not being the case at the 
moment. Should a challenge case be upheld, the current thinking of some 
of these agencies that ``not our problem'' would be valid, and to be 
blunt, the SFNPD currently has neither the manpower nor resources to 
respond to every single offender in the entirety of the Federally 
recognized jurisdictional boundaries. In areas of dense population 
centers such as the cities of Shawnee or Cushing, we will need to 
expand the force by quite a bit to provide the necessary response with 
regards to proper rotational shifts.
    The Nation has prepared a basic needs assessment with regards to 
manpower and equipment to address this issue moving forward. This is an 
initial assessment and may have to grow as population and call volume 
increases in the years to come. The Nation Law Enforcement funding 
request in FY 2022 is as follows:

    1. $241,800--Centralized Dispatch Area at Headquarters in Stroud, 
OK--Our jurisdictional area spans three counties, a centralized 
dispatch area at our headquarters in Stroud would be necessary. A 
rotational shift of dispatchers and a dispatch supervisor would be 
necessary to intake calls and coordinate with field officers and 
multi--agency dispatches to determine correct officer routing to ensure 
correct and efficient officer response.
    2. $4.375 million--Officers and Equipment--To meet the demands of 
call response in dense population centers, at a minimum I anticipate a 
need for an additional 8 officers per shift in the Shawnee, 
Pottawatomie County area, and 3 per shift to split Lincoln and Payne 
counties:

    a. $2.263 million--Officers, Wages and Fringes
    b. $72,000--Uniforms and equipment (weaponry)
    c. $2.040 million--Vehicles up-fitted with emergency equipment and 
cages
         total startup for mcgirt response: $4,616,800 million
    The Sac and Fox Nation operates a Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) 
which provides services to 46 Tribes in Oklahoma, Kanas and Texas, as 
well as the state of Oklahoma with 66 beds which houses juveniles who 
have come before the court for committing offenses that caused them to 
be adjudicated ``delinquent''. These offenses could be related to 
school, substance abuse or criminal offenses. Sometimes they are placed 
because they are a runaway risk. The Nation recently entered into an 
agreement with the U.S. Marshall Service and although our agreement is 
specific to juvenile offenders, our facility could see a significant 
increase in the number of juvenile detainees as a result of the McGirt 
ruling.
    Juveniles are placed at the Center in a safe and secure environment 
until they return to court or to placement. At the Center, their basic 
needs are met. They attend school in an alternative setting. They 
receive substance abuse counseling, if needed. They are provided with 
the opportunity to examine why they are in a juvenile center and are 
given the opportunity to gain social skills that might prevent them 
from re-offending.
    The JDC employs approximately 25 people who are trained to work 
with the Juveniles. The standard ratio of one staff member to eight 
residents is a requirement per detention regulations. It is anticipated 
that our staff size would see an increase once the impact of the McGirt 
rulings is finally resolved. Our facility is the closest and only 
juvenile facility adjacent to the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation.
    The Sac and Fox Nation supports the following National Requests:
Bureau of Indian Affairs
    1. Fully Fund Fixed Costs and Tribal Pay Costs. We strongly urge 
full funding of fixed costs and Tribal payCosts. Most Federal agencies 
receive annual increases to their Fixed Costs rates each year to 
addressinflationary costs associated with Fringe Benefits and Pay 
Costs. Historically, Tribes have been disadvantaged because they have 
never received Fringe Benefit Fixed Cost adjustments.
    2. Increase Tribal Base Funding (instead of through grants). 
Provide increases via Tribal base funding instead of through grants to 
Tribal governments. Grant funding, particularly inside the BIA, is not 
consistent with the intent of Indian self-determination. Tribal leaders 
have grown increasingly frustrated by the increase in Indian Affairs 
funding offered through grants. Allocating new funds via grant 
opportunities marginalizes and impedes the exercise of Tribal self-
determination. New BIA funding should be distributed via formulas 
developed through consultation with all Tribes.
    3. Law Enforcement. Provide for the following investments and 
increase in funding for Tribal law enforcement, including Tribal Courts 
and Detention/Corrections. In 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 
submitted a report to Congress estimating that to provide a minimum 
base level of service to all federally recognized Tribal nations, $1.3 
billion is needed for Tribal law enforcement, $1.2 billion is needed 
for Tribal courts, and $240.6 million is needed for existing detention 
centers. Based on its latest report, the BIA is funding Tribal law 
enforcement, detentions/corrections, and Tribal courts at a dismal 14.7 
percent of estimated need.
    4. BIA Social Services Program--Provide $100 million to fortify 
child protective services and ensure meaningful technical assistance to 
Tribal social service programs across Indian Country. The Social 
Services Program provides a wide array of family support services 
filling many funding gaps for Tribal programs and ensuring Federal 
staff and support for these programs. Importantly, the Social Services 
Program provides the only BIA and Tribal--specific funding available 
for child protective services for both children and adults in Indian 
Country. It ensures that Native people living on or near reservations 
have the support necessary to access the maze of services provided by 
states and the Federal government.
    5. Welfare Assistance--Provide $100 million. The Welfare Assistance 
program provides five important forms of funding to AI/AN families: (1) 
general assistance, (2) child assistance, (3) non-medical institution 
or custodial care of adults, (4) burial assistance, and (5) emergency 
assistance. We strongly urge Congress to increase the funds for this 
program, as the needs are much greater than previously appropriated 
amounts. For example, in FY 2016, based on BIA Financial Assistance and 
Social Service Reports (FASSR), actual Welfare Assistance expenses were 
$93 million, leaving Tribal nations with an out-of-pocket shortfall of 
$18 million. We know that this shortfall has grown since, especially 
recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This leaves families in poverty 
and caregivers to take children who have been abused or neglected into 
their homes without sufficient financial support. Funds should be 
increased to $100 million to provide Tribal nations the resources they 
need to support families and children in crisis.
    6. Office of Self-Governance (OSG): Provide increased funding to 
the OSG to fully staff the office for the increase in the number of 
Tribes entering Self-Governance.
    7. ISDEAA Section 105(l) Lease Agreements: Provide such sums as may 
be necessary through mandatory spending and continue to make this a 
separate line item.
    8. ISDEAA Contract Support Costs: Provide such sums as may be 
necessary through mandatory spending.
                       bureau of indian education
    1. Provide $1 billion for system-wide Bureau of Indian Education 
(BIE) education construction.
    2. Provide $230million for Johnson O'Malley
    3. Provide $73 million for Student Transportation in the BIE 
system.
    4. Provide $90 million for Tribal Grant Support Costs for Tribally 
controlled schools.
    5. Provide $109 million for BIE facilities operations.
    6. Provide $725 million for BIE facilities maintenance.
    7. Provide $473 million for the Indian School Equalization Formula.
    8. Provide $120 million for Education IT.
    9. Provide $5 million for BIE immersion programs.
    10. Reinstate $620,000 for juvenile detention education in BIA-- 
facilities.
                         indian health service
    1. IHS mandatory funding (maintaining current services
    2. Other IHS Program Services & Facilities Increases:

  --Hospital and Clinics: Increase of $569.6 million
  --Purchased and Referred Care: Increase of $460.3 million
  --Dental Services: Increase of $207.2 million
  --Mental Health: Increase of $308.8 million
  --Alcohol and Substance Abuse: Increase of $255.0 million
  --IHS Facilities: Increase of $266.7 million

    3. ISDEAA Section 105(l) Lease Agreements: Provide such sums as may 
be necessary through mandatory spending and continue to make this a 
separate line item.
    4. Health IT: Take immediate action on repeated requests to allow 
the IHS to fully fund critical infrastructure investments which 
directly impact patient care and safety, similar to that afforded to 
the VA and DoD, specific to: Health IT for full implementation of 
interoperable EHR systems and tele-health capacity at approximately $3 
Billion estimate based on 25% of Veteran's Affairs cost estimates for 
FY 2022.
    5. Support the preservation of Medicaid, the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act and other Indian--specific provisions in the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), or any subsequent 
replacement bill, and provide dedicated funding to begin implementing 
the new authorities and provisions of the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act (IHCIA), which have not yet been implemented and funded 
(approximately $100 Million in FY 2022).
    6. Office of Tribal Self-Governance. Provide an increase of $6 
million to the IHS Office of Tribal Self-Governance. In 2003, Congress 
reduced funding for this office by $4.5 million, a loss of 43% from the 
previous year. In each subsequent year, this budget was further reduced 
due to the applied Congressional rescissions. As of 2020, there are 363 
Self-Governance (SG) Tribes operating $2.4 billion in funding. This 
represents 64% of all Federally recognized Tribes. The Self-Governance 
process serves as a model program for Federal government outsourcing, 
which builds Tribal infrastructure and provides quality services to 
Indian people.
    We support the requests of the National Congress of American 
Indians (NCAI), National Indian Education Association (NIEA), and the 
National Indian Health Board (NIHB).
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by Honorable Justin F. Wood, 
Principal Chief.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Seattle Indian Health Board
    Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on 
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, my name is Abigail Echo-
Hawk, and I am an enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, 
currently living in an urban Indian community in Seattle, Washington. I 
am the Executive Vice President of the Seattle Indian Health Board and 
Director (SIHB) of the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), an Indian 
Health Service (IHS) designated Tribal Epidemiology Center, where I 
oversee our policy, research, data, and evaluation initiatives. To 
ensure adequate resources and research can be conducted by Tribal 
Epidemiology Centers I request $24 million to the IHS Hospitals and 
Clinics: Tribal Epidemiology Center line item to improve culturally 
attuned research, data, and evaluation services for the 5.2 million 
American Indian and Alaska Native people across the country.
    I am an American Indian health researcher with more than 20 years 
of experience in both academic and non-profit settings, and am part of 
numerous local, state, and federal efforts to support and American 
Indian and Alaska Native communities in research, including serving on 
the Tribal Collaborations Workgroup for the National Institutes of 
Health All of Us precision medicine initiative. I am co-author to four 
groundbreaking research studies on sexual violence and Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) where I have called 
national attention to the institutional barriers in data collection, 
reporting, and analysis of demographic data that perpetuate violence 
against American Indian and Alaska Native people. Most recently, I was 
a committee member for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine: Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. 
As the only representative from the Native community, I worked to 
ensure the needs of our Indian Healthcare System and tribal and urban 
Indian communities were appropriately included in the framework that is 
informing states and policymakers nationwide.
                   advancing indigenous health equity
    I would like to thank the Subcommittee for the FY 21 appropriations 
which included a $5 million increase to the Tribal Epidemiology Centers 
line item (now $10.4 million total). This increase in funding has 
disrupted the flat line in funding experienced by the 12 Tribal 
Epidemiology Centers for the last fifteen years. I would also like to 
thank the Subcommittee for the COVID-19 supplemental funding which 
included $24 million for Tribal Epidemiology Centers to mobilize and 
disseminate information regarding COVID-19 to tribes, tribal 
organizations, urban Indian organizations, and government agencies; and 
I am encouraged to see the President's discretionary funding budget for 
FY 22 proposing a $2.2 billion increase for the IHS, however, lacking 
investments for Tribal Epidemiology continues with only a $360,000 
increase. Increased investments to Indian healthcare are an important 
step in advancing health equity for American Indian and Alaska Natives 
and honoring federal trust and treaty obligations.
    We must continue to increase investments in Tribal Epidemiology 
Centers. Since their inception, Tribal Epidemiology Centers have been 
at the forefront of gathering, interpreting, and disseminating American 
Indian and Alaska Native data at the tribal, local, state, and federal 
level. With increased and sustainable investment Tribal Epidemiology 
Centers can fully function in their role as public health authorities 
tasked with managing information systems, investigating diseases of 
concern, managing disease prevention and control programs, and 
responding to public health emergencies like COVID-19 in tribal and 
urban Indian communities. While supplemental resources and proposed FY 
22 funding support Tribal Epidemiology Centers efforts, they fall short 
of supporting long-term sustainability and capacity building of our 
tribal public health authorities.
                    culturally attuned public health
    Before receiving supplemental COVID-19 funding, Tribal Epidemiology 
Centers mobilized to monitor, evaluate, and respond to COVID-19 on a 
national level through contract tracing, primary collection and 
secondary analysis of epidemiological data, and development of 
culturally attuned public health resources for Indian Health Care 
Providers. UIHI has released a series of COVID-19 resources, including 
a recently launched site For the Love of our People and Best Practices 
for American Indian and Alaska Native Data Collection, COVID-19 
toolkits for Indian Health Care Providers, COVID-19 Vaccine Factsheets, 
and our national culturally attuned COVID-19 Vaccine Posters Series 
called ``VacciNATION''. In January 2021, UIHI released Strengthening 
Vaccine Efforts in Indian Country which is the only national COVID-19 
vaccination survey focused on American Indian and Alaska Native 
communities. This survey found seventy-four percent of American Indian 
and Alaska Native people are willing to be vaccinated because of our 
cultural responsibility to protect Elders and the next generation. 
These resources have given Indian Country a trusted messenger during a 
time of uncertainty and have informed decision--making among tribal and 
local public health jurisdictions.
    The success and unreplicated services of Tribal Epidemiology 
Centers efforts demonstrate the need for significantly increased 
funding. Additional funding will allow Tribal Epidemiology Centers to 
continue groundbreaking work to address and reduce health disparities 
experienced in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and build 
capacities to engage in additional public health services from the 
local to national level ranging from documenting and addressing 
epidemiological impacts, improving data--driven decision--making, and 
addressing gaps in services through culturally attuned and regional 
specific services.
     continued institutional barriers to public health data access
    In June 2020, UIHI brought national attention to the longstanding 
barriers Tribal Epidemiology Centers experience when accessing public 
health data from Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Congressional 
authorization in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) allows 
Tribal Epidemiology Centers access to any HHS data as a public health 
authority, yet institutional barriers in accessing public health data 
have persisted for decades. The continued failure to grant data access 
perpetuates systemic health inequities in American Indian and Alaska 
Native communities as Tribal and urban Indian communities plan for both 
current and future surges of COVID-19 cases and led successful 
vaccination programs. Our Native communities must be equipped with the 
right information to implement data--driven decision--making.
    Through Congressional oversight, Tribal Epidemiology Centers were 
able to gain access to a small portion of the COVID-19 case 
surveillance data for analysis and dissemination to tribes and Urban 
Indian Health Programs nationwide. Yet, our Tribal Epidemiology Centers 
continues to lack full access to other public health surveillance data 
collected through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System 
(NNDSS) that is routinely provided to many other public health 
authorities. Congressional oversight has also brought a United States 
Government Office of Accountability (GAO) study on public health data 
access and Tribal Epidemiology Center and a HHS Office of Inspector 
General (OIG) evaluation on how CDC uses race, ethnicity, and 
socioeconomic data to respond to disparities in COVID-19 testing, 
cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. I ask that this Congress continue 
to engage in Congressional oversight activities to ensure federal 
compliance and parity for our tribal public health authorities across 
all agencies in your jurisdiction and through collaboration with the 
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies.
                        a national data failure
    Tribal Epidemiology Centers have co-authored two Morbidity and 
Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) on COVID-19 documenting the 
disproportionate rates of COVID-19 infection for American Indians and 
Alaska Natives that are 3.5 times higher than non-Hispanic Whites with 
COVID-19 mortality rates that are 1.8 times higher among American 
Indians and Alaska Natives than non-Hispanic Whites. However, the MMWR 
reports on COVID-19 infections note the authors were only able to 
include 23 states in the analysis, as they were the only states that 
had collected at least 70% or more of race and ethnicity data. Data 
challenges like this highlight the need for Tribal Epidemiology Centers 
to advise for the improvement of data collection and reporting 
practices of American Indian and Alaska Native data by local to federal 
agencies.
    On September 16, 2020, the CDC reported 50% of all COVID-19 cases 
were missing race and ethnicity data, with some states, such as New 
York, reporting no racial data on their state dashboard. Months later, 
the collection of race and ethnicity data has only improved marginally. 
As of June 14, 2021, the CDC reported 43% of COVID-19 cases were 
missing race and ethnicity with incomplete racial data ranging from 13-
92% depending on health jurisdiction. The data failures found in COVID-
19 case data are spilling over into COVID-19 vaccination data. A CDC 
study, found that 48% of COVID-19 vaccination data is missing race/
ethnicity.
    In February 2021, UIHI, released a national report card, Data 
Genocide, which analyzes the current status of collecting and reporting 
COVID-19 case surveillance data on American Indians and Alaska Natives 
by state. The report revealed a national grade of D+ for our ability to 
track and report on racial demographic COVID-19 data for American 
Indians and Alaska Natives. The data issues with our national COVID-19 
data are not uncommon for Native people. UIHI's work has highlighted 
the on-going undercount, misclassification, and gaps of information 
collected on American Indians and Alaska Natives signifying the erasure 
of health inequities experienced in Indian Country. To value and uplift 
the stories across Indian Country told through data, I recommend 
Congress address the improvement of data collection on race and 
ethnicity across health agencies, including IHS.
    Many of the issues related to the poor collection of data is the 
chronic underfunding of public health infrastructure across the country 
and especially in our Native communities. The lack of investment in 
data modernization effects the quality of data reported out and limits 
our ability to better understand the health needs of our most impacted 
communities. I recommend increased funding for data modernization 
across the Indian healthcare system that will increase inter-
operability of data systems and advance data standards so that 
information care be shared across public health systems.
  missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (mmiwg) and covid-19
    Over the course of the pandemic there has been horrific murders and 
numerous Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing. One leading 
organization reports they have seen a spike in requests for assistance 
to find missing people and increased need for support services to 
families of murder victims. These finding echo what many advocates have 
been sharing, that there is a national increase in violence as COVID-19 
continues to increase stress on every American. For those unable to 
leave, they are now in quarantine with their abusers increasing the 
likelihood of more violence. This violence impacts entire families and 
children who are not yet in school and would have normally escaped 
violence while attending in person schooling.
    In May 2021, UIHI released Supporting the Sacred: Community 
Resources for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence, which captures the 
experience of 121 Native femme--identifying survivors of sexual 
violence. The study assesses the availability of culturally appropriate 
services and resources outside of law enforcement for Native survivors 
on gender--based violence, intimate partner violence, domestic 
violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and MMIWG. UIHI found that 
20% of the respondents were experiencing an increased lack of physical 
safety due primarily to domestic violence and 90% of respondents asked 
for culturally specific services citing their struggles with non-
Indigenous methodologies for healing. The soon to be released report 
builds off UIHI's previous reports on MMIWG, including a first of its 
kind data report titled Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls. 
UIHI current series Our Bodies, Our Stories is the only national 
analysis of MMIWG data from 71 urban areas and highlights gender--based 
violence issues through culturally attuned data, evaluation, and 
research. Our work is guided by the voices of our community and the 
resiliency of these survivors.
    To address the on-going violence against American Indian and Alaska 
Native people, we ask for increased investment in culturally attuned 
research and evaluation with explicit grant inclusivity to urban Indian 
organizations and increased resources to our tribal and Urban Indian 
Health Programs offering culturally attuned gender--based violence 
prevention and response services. The underfunding to address violence 
against Native women and girls perpetuates co-occurring health 
disparities experienced in Indian Country. Expanded grant eligibility 
to urban Indian organizations, Indian Health Care Providers, and Tribal 
Epidemiology Centers, support the culturally attuned gender--based 
violence research, prevention, intervention, and response efforts for 
Indian Country.

    [This statement was submitted by Abigail Echo-Hawk, Executive Vice 
President, Director of the Urban Indian Health.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Seattle Indian Health Board
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the Senate 
Committee on Appropriations--Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies, my name is Esther Lucero. I am Dine, and of Latino 
descent and as the third generation in my family to live outside of our 
reservation, I strongly identify as an urban Indian. I serve as the 
President & CEO of the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB), one of 41 
Urban Indian Health Programs nationwide. I have had the privilege of 
serving SIHB for five years. I am honored to have the opportunity to 
submit my testimony today, including a request Advanced Appropriations 
for Indian Health Service (IHS) to ensure Indian healthcare systems are 
not subjugated to government shutdowns or automatic sequestration cuts.
                    indigenous resilience in action
    I would like to thank the Subcommittee for the FY 21 appropriations 
which included a $5 million increase to the Urban Indian Health line 
item ($62.6 million total). I would also like to thank the Subcommittee 
for the COVID-19 supplemental funding which has included at least $426 
million for Urban Indian Health Programs to mobilize and respond to 
COVID-19 amongst the urban American Indian and Alaska Native community. 
This funding is demonstrating how successful and resilient our Indian 
healthcare system can be when properly resourced. I would also like to 
acknowledge the President's Budget for FY 22 which includes a $2.2 
billion increase for the IHS and a $37 million increase to Urban Indian 
Health ($100 million total) to promote health equity for American 
Indians and Alaska Natives. We hope President Biden's proposed increase 
to IHS will support significant investments in Urban Indian Health 
Programs that will allow us to expand services to meet the demand of 
the 71% of American Indian and Alaska Native people living in urban 
areas nationwide.
    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our Indian healthcare system has 
mobilized to respond to emergent healthcare and public health needs of 
Indian Country. While our community continues to be disproportionately 
impacted by COVID-19 infections, related hospitalization and mortality, 
we are also demonstrating our resilience to respond through culturally 
attuned and community driven care. As an Indian Health Care Provider, 
we have been able to exercise sovereignty alongside our tribal partners 
to respond to the needs of our community. In Washington State, the 
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, Suquamish Tribes, and SIHB have 
demonstrated the success of a community--driven vaccine distribution 
model to ensure Native Elders and health providers are vaccinated and 
many of our Native communities supported the vaccination of local 
teachers to expedite the reopening of schools. The autonomy to exercise 
sovereign authority and the investments of Congress in the federal 
trust responsibility are proving that when resourced, our Indian 
healthcare system drives equitable and efficient culturally attuned 
health care that benefits both our Native and surrounding communities. 
I must also thank the Biden Administration for directly resourcing 
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with the COVID-19 vaccination 
when many FQHCs were left without access to these critical resources 
for months.
    SIHB is an example of how our Urban Indian Health Programs have 
adapted to emergent issues and championed local COVID-19 prevention and 
response efforts. As home to a tribal public health authority--the 
Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), we have a unique perspective and 
experience providing culturally attuned direct service and public 
health services during this pandemic. In December 2020, SIHB was the 
first organization in Seattle to receive a shipment of the Moderna 
vaccine and has since vaccinated over 12,500 individuals. Locally, we 
created a low--barrier walk-up testing clinic for individuals 
experiencing homelessness in downtown Seattle; we implemented 
telehealth services and onsite telehealth kiosks to serve our relatives 
experiencing homelessness and/or without stable broadband access; we 
installed ultra-violet (UV) ventilation system across our clinic to 
safely re-open dental services and increase facility sanitation; we 
expanded our nutrition services to elders and families with young 
children to address growing food insecurity; we have kept our Elders 
program open to provide a safe space; we have distributed rental 
assistance and moved people into long-term affordable housing; we are 
developing an intensive outpatient culturally attuned behavioral health 
program that complements our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) 
services.
    Our research division and Tribal Epidemiology Center, UIHI, is 
leading a national conversation on improved data quality and access of 
COVID-19 case data. UIHI has released dozens of factsheets and 
resources for Indian Health Care Providers and collected and analyzed 
the only national data on perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine among 
American Indian and Alaska Native people. This data has informed a 
national culturally attuned public health campaign titled 
``vacciNATION'' that addresses vaccine hesitancy and cultural strengths 
among Native communities and has informed a centralized resource 
website in partnership with Illuminative: For the Love of our People.
     commitment to addressing federal trust and treaty obligations
    We thank the Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies for continued support to the Indian 
healthcare system. We are especially grateful for the recent two-year 
temporary extension of 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage 
(FMAP) to urban Indian organizations under the American Rescue Plan of 
2021. This commitment to honoring federal trust and treaty obligations 
to provide healthcare services to American Indian and Alaska Native 
people will have a significant positive impact in Washington State. 
Thanks to our work with tribal and state partners, the new state cost 
savings that will be reinvested backing our Indian healthcare system, 
allowing us to provide exemplary healthcare services while maintaining 
our cultural integrity as an Urban Indian Health Program. In support of 
this work, we encourage you to support H.R. 1888 to permanently extend 
100% FMAP to Urban Indian Organizations and address the CMS ``Four 
Walls'' issue at tribal facilities.
                     continued gaps in investments
Advance Appropriations
    The Indian healthcare system is vulnerable to government shutdowns 
which destabilizes health delivery and access to health care providers 
for American Indian and Alaska Native people. In 2018, the Government 
Accountability Office released Indian Health Service: Considerations 
Related to Providing Advance Appropriation Authority. The report found 
government shutdowns impacted provider recruitment and retention, 
conduced administrative burdens and cost, and had financial effects on 
tribes. As part of the treaty and trust responsibility of the federal 
government to provide health, human services, education, and other 
basic services we ask for advance appropriations for IHS and Bureau of 
Indian Affairs. IHS Advance Appropriations would allow for greater 
planning, efficient spending, long-term health initiatives, and result 
in higher quality of care for American Indian and Alaska Native people. 
Advance Appropriations not only mitigates the funding uncertainties 
experienced by Indian healthcare providers, it improves program 
efficiency and ensures parity across federal health programs.
Healthcare Infrastructure
    While the historic investment in the Indian healthcare system is 
making meaningful progress towards Indigenous health equity, the COVID-
19 pandemic has revealed the extensive gaps in our nation's public 
health and healthcare infrastructure. Infrastructure gaps include 
poorly kept public health data systems that compromise our 
understanding of the health disparities among racial and ethnic 
minority populations and our severely aged healthcare facilities that 
have had to rapidly adapt to COVID-19 prevention and response while 
continuing to address the growing healthcare needs of our tribal and 
urban Indian communities.
    It is well known that there is no national level data on the 
infrastructure needs of the Urban Indian Health Program and a decades 
long backlog of facilities needs at IHS and tribal health facilities. 
Urban Indian Health Programs do not access to the Health Care 
Facilities Construction line item in the IHS budget and do not have 
priority for equipment replacement. A study from UIHI, titled COVID-19 
Impact on Urban Indians in Washington State, found that urban Indian 
organizations were hindered in their ability to respond to COVID-19 due 
to the limitations of their facilities. The chronic underinvestment of 
infrastructure in the Indian healthcare system stymies our abilities to 
address underlying health conditions that contribute to the 
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among American Indian and Alaska 
Native people. Federal funding opportunities have allowed for minor 
infrastructure improvements to address COVID-19. For example, SIHB 
transformed a portion of our facility to act as our vaccine 
distribution site that would not disrupt our clinical operations to 
provide COVID-19 testing and routine care.
    In support of our long-term prevention and recovery from COVID-19, 
we have developed infrastructure plans for our main clinical site--the 
Leschi Center and our 95-bed in-patient Substance Use Disorder (SUD) 
center--Thunderbird Treatment Center. We are in need of significant 
Congressional infrastructure investments to fulfill our vision of fully 
implementing our Indigenous Knowledge Informed Systems of Care (IKISC) 
model to provide integrated and patient--centered care. Our Urban 
Indian Health Programs around the country share similar visions to 
modernize and improve healthcare delivery through new construction, 
renovations, and equipment upgrades.
    We ask that when appropriate, and not to detriment tribal 
resources, Congress nclude urban Indian organizations in infrastructure 
funding opportunities to support the federal trust responsibility to 
American Indians and Alaska Natives, regardless of where they reside.
Maternal and Child Health
    The effects of the pandemic have disrupted routine care for many 
households that found it challenging or dangerous to access routine 
healthcare due to changes in clinical operations and personal safety 
concerns of commuting and accessing health care services. An internal 
analysis at SIHB found a 13% drop in our relatives seeking prenatal 
care and a 38% decrease in relatives seeking pediatric immunizations in 
2020 compared to 2019. According to the U.S Department of Health, there 
were 30% fewer pediatric vaccines given in 2020, compared to 2019. The 
concerns of mothers and families visiting health facilities and 
potentially exposing themselves and their children to COVID-19 is felt 
across the nation and among Native communities.
    To meet the preventative health care needs of our pediatric and 
prenatal patients, SIHB created a Saturday clinic--open exclusively to 
pediatrics and prenatal patients and staffed with integrated care teams 
for wrap around health services. Staffed by residents, medical 
providers, dental team, nutrition and case management in an initial 
launch, SIHB attended to many of the critical elements of health for 
our families. Recently, SIHB expanded this model, by integrating 
Traditional Indian Medicine and behavioral health services. This work 
continues to evolve as SIHB gains a better understanding of the demand 
and needs of the local urban Indian community and patient population. 
To align with these programmatic efforts, we ask for meaningful 
investment in research and programs to address maternal and infant 
mortality in our communities and support of maternal and infant health 
programming offered by Indian Health Care Providers.
Social Determinants of Health
    Like many communities, we have had to respond to complex co-
occurring issues exacerbated by COVID-19 including homelessness, 
substance use, and gender--based violence. In King County, WA, American 
Indians and Alaska Natives make up 1% of the population, but account 
for 15% of the population experiencing homelessness. In response, SIHB 
has enhanced our decades long partnership with a Native--led human 
service agency focused on eradicating urban Native homelessness to 
provide culturally attuned healthcare at a permanent supportive housing 
development that will include a 3,000 sq. ft. satellite SIHB clinic 
site. We anticipate serving over 1,200 patients annually beginning in 
January 2022 and continuing to grow our cross--agency collaboration to 
address the social determinants of health among our relatives.
    Looking at our experiences as a model, I ask that this committee 
leverage federal resources and support to develop braided funding 
strategies to resource Native organizations to address social 
determinants of health through culturally attuned services. As our 
federal partners, you are uniquely positioned to increase mobilization, 
prevention efforts, and response efforts to improve the health and 
wellness of American Indian and Alaska Native people through essential 
human services across IHS and in collaboration with Department of 
Health and Human Services. As an urban Indian organization, we would 
like to see more multi--agency cross--systems approaches between IHS, 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Health 
Resources and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to provide braided funding strategies that bring 
flexible and robust funds to tribes and urban Indian organizations. By 
working across federal systems, federal partners can reflect a united 
and multiagency front to address persistent health disparities through 
direct services, data, research and evaluation, and workforce 
development.
    Thank you for your support and consideration of the requests. We 
look forward to our continued work to improve the health and well-being 
of American Indian and Alaska Native people.
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the Secure the Grid Coalition
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman 
Shelby, and Members:

    In years past, the Secure the Grid Coalition and its members have 
submitted both outside witness testimony and in-person testimony to 
both Houses of Congress. David Jonas Bardin (a retired member of Arent 
Fox LLP who previously served as Deputy General Counsel to U.S. Federal 
Power Commission [now FERC]) has testified in writing as an individual. 
Thomas J. Waller Jr. has previously submitted written testimonies 
representing the Secure the Grid Coalition. Thomas Popik has previously 
submitted testimonies representing the Foundation for Resilient 
Societies. And I have previously submitted testimonies as a private 
individual. There are likely others associated with the Secure-the-Grid 
Coalition who have made past and current submissions on behalf of the 
USGS Geomagnetism Program.
    The purpose of this letter is to fully endorse the communications 
provided to this subcommittee by Mr. David Jonas Bardin, which in turn 
fully supports the FY 2022 REQUEST of appropriation of $5,673,000 and 
14 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the USGS Geomagnetism 
Program, to continue the magnetotelluric (MT) survey, to operate 
ground--level geomagnetic observatories, and to begin adding 
observatories (for which the Administration requests $1.5 million and 
two FTEs).
    And moreover, to show the materiality and relevance of the USGS 
Geomagnetism Program and the specifications and intentions of two 
presidential executive orders:

  --Executive Order 13744 of October 13, 2016, titled, Coordinating 
        Efforts To Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events https://
        www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-10-18/pdf/2016-25290.pdf 
        (accessed June 21, 2021).
  --Executive Order 13865 of March 26, 2019, titled, Coordinating 
        National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses https://
        www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-03-29/pdf/2019-06325.pdf 
        (accessed June 22, 2021). Portions of this Executive Order was 
        codified into law by section 1740 of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act of 2020

    The two Executive Orders, President Obama's EO 13744 and President 
Trump's EO 13865 acknowledge the severe impacts of Geomagnetic 
Disturbances on Society and Critical Infrastructure and order urgent 
moves to enhance preparedness. Both Executive Orders--Section 7(a) of 
EO 13744, and Section 2(e) of EO 13865--define preparedness using 
precisely the same words:

        `` . . . actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and 
        exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to 
        prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, 
        and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to 
        the security of the Nation.'' [Emphasis added.]

    The purpose of the magnetotelluric (MT) survey is to determine the 
electrical conductivity of the earth's crust. Electrical conductivity/
resistivity is not uniform region by region; indeed, there are vast 
differences in such characteristics over remarkably short distances 
(separations of less than 50 miles). Having a working model of these 
variances and mapping them to geographical areas is vital and necessary 
in order to identify specific places most susceptible to ground induced 
currents from geomagnetic disturbances and to prioritize protective 
measures. This purpose is thus in full accord with the desires of the 
previous two Administrations.
                          about the coalition
    The Secure-the-Grid Coalition (Coalition) is a national network of 
non-profit organizations and experts drawn from the policymaking, 
science, engineering, military, and intelligence communities. These 
include multiple retired personnel--including numerous flag officers--
of the U.S. military, two former Ambassadors and a former Director of 
Central Intelligence. Members also include citizens from nearly every 
U.S. state and territory stretching from Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands 
to the state of Alaska. The primary objective of the Secure the Grid 
Coalition is to help private industry, policy makers, and governments 
secure the electric power grid, the nation's most critical 
infrastructure, against all hazards, since a long-term widespread 
electric power blackout would spell disaster for our society.
    The Coalition applauds the USGS for its work and has faith that 
this Subcommittee will grant the Administration's Request.
    The Coalition welcomes any requests of the Subcommittee for 
assistance. Please contact at [email protected]

            Truly,

Douglas. Ellsworth
Acting Director
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Self-Governance Communication & Education 
                       Tribal Consortium (SGCETC)
    On behalf of SGCETC, I am submitting this written testimony which 
identifies national funding priority requests in the FY 2022 budgets 
for the Departments of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the Health and Human 
Services' Indian Health Service (IHS).
    We support the President's FY 2022 proposed discretionary requests 
for Tribal specific funding. As Tribal Nations continue to confront the 
challenges of recovery from COVID-19, an event that has altered life 
for the world, we thank you for the investment that you have made to 
help in the recovery for Indian Country.
    Life for Tribes during the pandemic, while challenging because of 
our unique differences to other sovereigns in the U.S., has revealed 
many of the similarities we share. It was unfortunate that in Indian 
Country, we incurred the greatest impacts of all with so much 
unrecoverable loss. Yet, we cannot afford to keep looking back when 
there is so much to do going forward. We aspire to recover, reconnect 
and rebuild our homelands and our Country.
             advance parity in funding for indian programs
    Indian programs face significant disparities compared to similar 
programs for non-Indians when it comes to adequate funding, program 
equity and the delivery of services. The failure of the U.S. to provide 
sufficient and timely funding for these programs undermines the ability 
of Tribal governments to provide adequate services to their citizens 
and provide for the general safety and well-being of their communities. 
For example, IHS's annual per capita spending level (around $4,000) is 
significantly less than the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
(around $11,000). In the United States Commission on Civil Rights 
(USCCR) report ``Broken Promises'' it was recommended that ``Congress 
should provide increased, non-discretionary, and advance appropriations 
for IHS to bring it to parity with other Federal health programs''.\1\
    Similarly, advanced appropriations should be provided to the BIA so 
that critical public safety and justice programs are able to continue 
to provide services and address the staggering rates of violent crime 
and victimization that continue to plague Tribal communities. And, for 
the BIE that funds and operates a total of 183 elementary, secondary, 
residential, and peripheral dormitories across 23 states, we need to 
ensure it fulfills the Federal trust relationship and supports the 
approximately 48,000 American Indian students in Bureau--funded schools 
across the country.
    Tribes need to stabilize costs for distance learning and have a 
strong voice in shaping their education to provide pathways to access 
programs that will make them competitive in the learning environment. 
We need to be able to recruit and retain teachers in schools with high 
Native populations. American Indian and Alaska Native children should 
have the same learning opportunities as non-Indian students and access 
to programs like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
(STEM) to prepare them for tomorrow. We need consistent, reliable 
funding to keep pace with non-Indian schools.
  increase base budgets and recurring funding for indian programs and 
                    reduce reliance on grant funding
    The authority Tribal Nations have to take over the administration 
of Federal programs is proven successful to the extent that adequate 
funds are made available to the Tribes to operate these programs and 
services. Across the board, Federal Indian programs are significantly 
underfunded. The lack of adequate funding puts the lives of Tribal 
citizens at risk and limits what services Tribal governments can 
provide their citizens. Increases to base budgets for Indian Programs 
will allow Tribal Nations to fund core government programs that serve 
their citizens and communities and will provide an opportunity for 
additional Tribal Nations to participate in Self-Governance.
    SGCETC supports the growing sentiment expressed by Tribal leaders 
that we do not want our funding sources to be increasingly supplemented 
by grants. Short-term competitive grants hinder Tribal Nations' 
inherent right to self-govern because it creates uncertainty in 
planning, imposes extensive regulations and reporting requirements, and 
restricts the use of indirect costs. The signers of the over 400 
treaties between Tribal Nations and the United States did not sign with 
the intent of being dependent on grants. Lives were not lost, nor land 
ceded for our needs to be dependent on a successful grant application 
package review.
            advance appropriations for the bia, bie and ihs
    The Federal budget process has been broken for decades. Since FY 
1998, there has been only one year (FY 2006) when the Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies budget, which contains the funding 
for BIA, BIE and IHS, has been enacted by the beginning of the fiscal 
year. The lateness in enacting a final budget during that time ranged 
from 5 days (FY 2002) to 197 days (FY 2011). It is even worse when 
budget inaction causes the government to shut down the longest being in 
2018-19 for 35 days. Delayed appropriations mean American Indians and 
Alaska Natives do not get health care, Tribal governments cannot 
operate programs for the benefit of their citizens and the education of 
our children is compromised.
    Currently, critical Federal programs at the Department of 
Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of 
Labor, and the Department of Veterans Affairs are authorized for 
advance appropriations. This process prevents funding lapses and other 
unintended consequences associated with short-term funding deals from 
disrupting critical services provided by the Federal government.
    To begin an advanced appropriations cycle there must be an initial 
transition appropriation which contains (1) an appropriation for the 
year in which the bill was enacted (for instance, FY 2021) and (2) an 
advance appropriation for the following year (FY 2022). Thereafter, 
Congress can revert to appropriations containing only one-year advance 
funding. If the BIA, BIE and IHS funding was on an advance 
appropriations cycle, Tribes and the respective Federal agencies would 
know the funding a year earlier than is currently the case and would 
not be subject to continuing resolutions or government shutdowns.
    In the absence of authority for advance appropriations for BIA, BIE 
and IHS, we ask that the Committee includes report language that this 
request is feasible and under consideration and for Committee staff to 
confer with the respective authorizing committees on potential 
legislation that will explore and/or support this request.
  maintain indefinite appropriation and separate line item for 105(l) 
                         leases in ihs and bia
    Thank you for listening to our requests for an indefinite 
appropriations and separate line item for 105(l) leases in IHS and BIA. 
More than 360 Tribal Nations participate in Self-Governance and have 
entered into agreements with the DOI and/or IHS to transfer Federal 
resources and programs from Federal to Tribal administration to better 
serve the needs of their citizens and communities. Tribal Nations that 
elect to participate in Self-Governance know that increased Tribal 
control and decision--making authority results in improved social and 
economic well-being at the local level.
    Tribal Nations assuming administration over programs once 
administered by Federal agencies does not abrogate the Federal 
government's treaty and trust obligations. It empowers Tribal 
governments as sovereign nations to best determine the needs of their 
citizens and communities while bolstering Tribal economies and job 
creation for Indian country and surrounding non-Native communities.
        increase funding for tribal governance capacity building
    In 2019, GAO reported that the capacity of a Tribe to administer a 
Federal program is a crucial factor that can affect a Tribe's decision 
to enter into a Self-Governance compact. GAO also noted the need for 
sustained and consistent funding over time since developing capacity is 
an ongoing effort. EPA's General Assistance Program (GAP) has proven 
successful at building Tribal governments capacity.
    Ccapacity building is more effective when the Federal government 
provides funds to Tribal organizations for implementation. Tribal 
governments work collaboratively sharing best practices and learning 
from one another about how to address challenges that are unique to 
Tribes. Federal agencies are often unable to comprehend the obstacles 
Tribes face and Federal agencies often attempt to implement the one-
size-fits-all approach that does not work for many Tribes. SGCETC is an 
example of a non-profit Tribal consortium that builds capacity by 
creating and sustaining a Tribal--based community.
    Thank you for this opportunity to submit this testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises: Continuing 
Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, December 2018

    [This statement was submitted by the Honorable W. Ron Allen, 
Chairman, and Tribal Chairman/CEO, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.]
                                 ______
                                 
             Prepared Statement of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe
Recommendations:

    1. Provide increased funding for climate change mitigation efforts 
including community relocation programs in FY 2022
    2. Work with others in Congress and the Administration to 
facilitate the mandatory trust acquisition of fee lands where a tribe 
is undergoing forced relocation due to climate change and other threats
    3. Create funding opportunities for tribal and intergovernmental 
agreements for infrastructure between federal, state, local and tribal 
governments
    4. Provide full funding and advance appropriations for the Indian 
Health Service (IHS).
    5. Fund Critical Infrastructure investments for the Indian health 
system
    6. Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) 
lease payments

    Thank you Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members 
of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities 
for the FY 2022 federal budget. My name is Charlene Nelson, and I am 
the Chairwoman of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe which is located 
2,800 miles west by northwest of Washington, D.C., and we are on the 
beautiful north shore of Willapa Bay, facing out to the Pacific Ocean. 
Similar to most coastal tribes, we are stewards of the great ocean. As 
the Chairwoman of the Tribe, and in my former career as an educator and 
commercial fisherman, I have learned firsthand that vibrant and 
successful Indian communities are not possible without first attending 
to the human health of the community members and also ensuring the 
health of the environment. I appreciate that this Committee is also 
responsible for those same priorities, and it is in that shared spirit 
of community responsibility that I speak to you today. The following 
testimony will provide information about our community's urgent need to 
relocate in the face of the climate crisis, and support additional 
funding for climate resiliency programs. The testimony also outlines 
priorities for the IHS budget in FY 2022.
    Like many tribal communities we continue to be impacted by the 
growing challenge of climate change on our environment. Threats such as 
flooding, erosion, ocean acidification, increased wildfires, extended 
drought, and changes in seasons all contribute to the serious 
challenges that tribal communities currently face. We are forced to 
reduce emissions, mitigate and adapt, but we need additional support, 
and we need it urgently. We encourage the committee to provide 
increased funding for climate change activities targeted at tribal 
communities in FY 2022.
    We have been encouraged by the commitment to addressing the 
negative impacts of climate change in tribal communities that the 
subcommittee has exhibited in its committee reports. For example, we 
were especially pleased to see language in House Report 116-448 that 
noted the federal government's treaty and trust obligations and 
encouraged a whole of government approach to ``working with at-risk 
tribes to identify and expedite the delivery of resources and technical 
assistance necessary to support mitigation and relocation efforts.'' We 
also appreciate continued funding for Tribal Climate Resilience at the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, while these opportunities are 
worthwhile, we urge this Committee to engage in increased funding for 
climate change resilience and mitigation in FY 2022.
                shoalwater bay tribe and climate change
    Indian tribes and Alaska Natives are on the front lines of climate 
issues because, unlike many others in our society, we are rooted to our 
ancestral homelands. Our lands are us, and we are our lands and waters. 
If things change due to climate instability--flooding, habitat loss, 
diminished drinking water, incapacity to engage in subsistence 
activities--we have nowhere else to go. That is both a challenge, and 
an opportunity. For the Shoalwater Tribe, the threats are real, we face 
them every day. But we see the opportunity to now build our community 
with long-term resilience.
    We are a Pacific Northwest coastal Tribe and all of our housing and 
government buildings are just 15 feet above sea level. Partial federal 
funding, and a tribal relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers, 
has led to construction of an embankment in the tidal zone portion of 
our Reservation, and adjoining lands, but was constructed using native 
sand and earthen materials, and is now washing away. The erosion 
follows historic patterns. Our reservation will soon be gone, and yet 
we are told that with the advent of climate change, and the varying 
weather patterns and tidal effects, everything has been sped up. A 
single tsunami event would take out every home, our government, our 
economic development opportunities, and what defines us as Shoalwater 
people.
    We need to move to higher ground to survive as a Tribe. Other 
coastal tribes in our region have been in similar circumstances and 
Congress has come through with funding for relocation, recognizing the 
federal trust responsibility. We have committed a lot of our limited 
resources--both financial and time--to planning for and preparing for 
the necessary changes to keep our people alive. Fortunately, some of 
the land adjacent to our reservation is suitable for this. Using Tribal 
funding, we have purchased 1,200 acres of land at 250 feet above sea 
level for the relocation of our Tribal village. But this is raw land 
and there are only dirt roads. We are tapping out our only reserves to 
meet these exigent needs. We need financial and technical support to 
build the infrastructure necessary to move uphill. Based on erosion and 
other projections, this needs to happen immediately.
    This support will not just impact our Tribal community, but will 
support the two counties in our area, both of which have some of the 
highest rates of poverty in the state. The Shoalwater Bay Tribe is now 
one of the biggest employers in the county, so support for our Tribe 
equals support for the entire area. Many of the current key roads are 
merely a few feet above sea level, so planning for alternate roads is 
already a critical need for the whole area.
    I would urge the Committee to consider the federal trust 
responsibility to tribes and make a commitment that there if and when 
there are tribal climate refugees--dispossessed of their lands and 
waters by climate change--Congress will use its plenary power over 
Indian and Alaska Native matters to rebuild ancestral homelands. The 
Shoalwater Tribe can be a test case, establishing how tribal and 
federal resources can relocate a tribal community to a new, more 
resilient location.
                        congressional assistance
    Our Tribe does not have the land base we will need to support us 
indefinitely. We will need federal funding for land acquisition, 
replacement of roads, utilities, three essential government buildings, 
and 80 homes. In total, we believe the project would cost approximately 
$120 million. This total includes $70 million for roads and utilities, 
$17 million for government buildings and $33 million for homes.
    But we do not just need funding. We urge you to work with your 
colleagues in Congress and the Administration to facilitate the 
mandatory trust acquisition of fee lands where a tribe is undergoing 
forced relocation due to climate change, erosion, flooding, tsunami, 
and other threats to its existing Reservation and trust land base. 
Tribes should not have to go through a lengthy and expensive fee to 
trust process for relocation land acquisition, which, by definition 
will be an off--reservation acquisition for most tribes.
    Congress can also create legislation and funding opportunities for 
tribal and intergovernmental agreements for infrastructure between 
federal, state, local and tribal governments to make the changes needed 
to help our communities survive in the face of climate change. The 
Department of Transportation, for example, will often not release 
emergency funding for road infrastructure until an existing road 
completely fails. If that occurs with Washington SR 105, which runs 
through our Reservation, it will cut the Tribe off from its schools, 
banks, closest groceries, and many of its employees from their homes, 
among other impacts. Congress can change these rules to allow for 
substantial road replacement funding in advance of an existing route 
becoming impassable. Any funding of this nature should be non-
competitive, and be provided directly to tribal governments without 
matching fund requirements.
    Infrastructure investment for land acquisition, road and building 
construction, and rebuilding economic development opportunities will 
not only assist the Tribe, but will also support the local economies of 
Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. A new road system will be a 
resilient, and necessary coastal connection for the two counties, so it 
will be a true investment that will create returns.
    The cost of us not finding the support to relocate our village is 
the highest cost any community can pay--sea level rise will mean the 
annihilation of our Tribal community and culture. Even if we physically 
survive as individuals by relocating off of traditional lands, it will 
mean the erasure of our Tribal culture. My Tribe continues as a whole 
on our traditional lands or we do not survive. I want to thank you for 
your time and attention and I invite you to come visit us at 
Shoalwater, our doors are open and we look forward to sharing with you 
our continued strength and resilience as a sovereign Indian nation.
                    indian health service priorities
    In addition to the critical climate change priority outlined above, 
we also would like to express strong support for increasing the Indian 
Health Service (IHS) budget. We were pleased to see President Biden 
recommend $2.2 billion increase in his FY 2022 budget request to 
Congress. The IHS Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup has calculated 
this need at $48 billion for full funding. It is imperative that 
Congress address the true needs of the Indian health system. In FY 
2022, the Workgroup requests $12.759 billion for IHS. We support their 
full request.
    We have also been encouraged by several recent comments from senior 
House members who have expressed the support in moving the IHS budget 
to mandatory spending. Indeed, the federal trust responsibility for 
health is a mandatory obligation and should be treated as such. No 
other federal health program is funded exclusively on discretionary 
appropriations in the way that IHS is. We encourage the subcommittee to 
work with your Congressional colleagues on a bipartisan basis to move 
IHS to mandatory funding.
    Support for Advance Appropriations for IHS.--For many years, tribes 
have requested that IHS appropriations be funded on an advance 
appropriations cycle. It has unfortunately become the norm that IHS 
does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several months 
(sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. In the recent 
past, IHS, Tribal and Urban health programs have even had to deal with 
government shutdowns, when no funding was provided for weeks on end. 
These funding delays make it impossible for IHS and Tribal health 
programs to plan and manage their annual budgets. As you know, health 
systems cannot practically operate on a day to day or week to week 
basis without knowing what funding will be provided in the future. 
Unrelated political disagreements in Washington, DC should not impede 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) from receiving the health 
care they deserve. Full advance appropriations for the IHS would 
promote greater stability in services, medical personnel recruitment 
and retention, and facilities management.
    We thank the leadership of this subcommittee for supporting this 
important change in previous Congresses. We were also grateful to see 
President Biden support IHS advance appropriations in his FY 2022 
budget request to Congress. We urge the Committee to take the necessary 
steps in the FY 2022 appropriations bill to move IHS to an advance 
appropriation for FY 2023 and beyond.
    Fully fund critical infrastructure investments.--As Congress 
considers making dramatic investments in the country's infrastructure, 
it is critical that the Indian health system not get left behind. 
Therefore, we request that the subcommittee allocate approximately $3 
billion for full implementation of interoperable Electronic Health 
Records (EHR) and tele-health. This will ensure that IHS can provide 
services that are similar to other health providers. As you are aware, 
this investment is especially critical as the Veterans' Administration 
and Department of Defense move to modernize their systems.
    It is also critical that Congress make significant investments in 
Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and tribal facilities are 
some of the oldest in the nation, with an average age of 10.6 years. 
This creates situations where facilities are out of date, or not 
appropriate for the size of the patient populations they serve. 
Therefore, consistent with the Budget formulation Workgroup's request, 
we recommend $15 billion for Health Facilities Construction Funding & 
Equipment.
    Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l) lease 
payments.--While we support moving the whole IHS budget to mandatory 
spending, we also believe that in the short term, we can greatly 
improve funding available for IHS services by reallocating other line 
items to mandatory. We appreciate the subcommittee's commitment to 
ensuring that Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) lease costs are 
fully funded by including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in 
FY 2021 for both of these accounts. However, these line items continue 
to take up a larger and larger percentage of the IHS discretionary 
budget, thereby leaving little room to expand other services given 
tight discretionary appropriations caps. We appreciate the 
subcommittee's words in the explanatory statement for the Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) regarding 105(l) 
costs which stated, in part: ``Obligations of this nature are typically 
addressed through mandatory spending, but in this case since they fall 
under discretionary spending, they are impacting all other programs 
funded under the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, 
including other equally important Tribal programs . . . '' Therefore, 
we ask you to continue to advocate with your colleagues on authorizing 
committees to enact mandatory appropriations for CSC and 105(l) lease 
costs. Doing so will ensure that other areas of the IHS budget are held 
harmless by these costs and true increases in critical services line 
items can move forward. This will enhance care for AI/AN patients and 
reduce health disparities.
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of the Society for American Archaeology
    The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) appreciates this 
opportunity to present its recommendations for Fiscal Year 2022 
cultural resources program appropriations at the Department of 
Interior.
    The SAA is an international organization that, since its founding 
in 1934, has been dedicated to research about and interpretation and 
protection of the archaeological heritage of the Americas. With nearly 
7,000 members, SAA represents professional and avocational 
archaeologists, archaeology students in colleges and universities, and 
archaeologists working at Tribal agencies, museums, government 
agencies, and the private sector. SAA has members throughout the U.S., 
as well as in many nations around the world.
    The SAA wishes to thank the subcommittee for its key role in 
supporting record levels of funding for cultural resources preservation 
over the past several years. The federal and federally--supported 
historic preservation programs included in the annual spending bill 
help carry out many of the nation's activities that preserve and 
promote our irreplaceable historic, archaeological, and cultural 
resources for present and future generations. The following are the 
SAA's requests for key heritage programs in FY2022.
  department of interior: increased archaeologist staff: $6.75 million
    As noted in the Secretary of Interior's 2004-2007 report to 
Congress on the federal archaeology program, ``The Federal government 
has too few archeologists to support the Federal Archeology Program. 
Additional support for agency archeologists and archeological programs 
is necessary for Federal agencies to accomplish all of their 
responsibilities regarding the stewardship of Americans' archeological 
heritage.'' What was true in 2007 is even more true today.
    Federal archaeologists perform a large number of important tasks. 
These include, but are not limited to, surveys of land for historic and 
archaeological resources under Section 110 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA); review of undertakings on federal land under 
Section 106 of the NHPA; protection of archaeological materials under 
the Archaeological Resources Protection Act; preparation of nominations 
of historic properties to the National Register of Historic Places; 
development of contracts or cooperative agreements between Federal 
agencies and private firms or universities for historic preservation 
activities; technical assistance on archaeological matters; 
coordination and management of volunteers helping to preserve cultural 
sites; curation of federal archaeological collections; preservation of 
sensitive cultural and spiritual tribal objects under the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; and managing the grant 
program for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.
    Yet today's federal archeology workforce cannot meet all of its 
current responsibilities because that workforce continues to shrink. 
Due to attrition from retirement and transfers, and these positions not 
being back--filled, archaeological staffing throughout the federal 
government is in fact approaching a critical low level. The table on 
page four demonstrates the significant erosion of staff capable of 
carrying out Section 106 compliance work and decision--making at the 
National Park Service.
    In fact, the NPS has nearly 60 fewer archaeologists on staff than 
it did in 2004. The losses are especially severe at the GS-12 level and 
above, where the archaeologists have the most experience and the 
highest levels of education, and thus are best able to oversee Section 
106 reviews.
    The situation will undoubtedly get worse if new staff persons are 
not hired in the very near future. Projects authorized under the Great 
American Outdoors Act, which the SAA and numerous other organizations 
strongly supported, will require activities necessary for compliance 
with Section 106 of NHPA if projects are to go forward. This is on top 
of the work that is already confronting department personnel. At 
present, Interior does not have a sufficient number of archaeologists 
on staff to carry out its current statutorily--required 
responsibilities, not to mention those that will arise in the future, 
such as projects authorized by a new infrastructure bill. The SAA 
recognizes that correcting this situation will require a multi-year 
effort. As a start, we request an additional $6.75 million in FY2022 to 
fill open NPS archaeologist positions.
 national park service: national recreation and preservation cultural 
                        programs: $33.5 million
    NPS National Recreation Programs are vital for the technical 
assistance and other support they provide for resource protection 
within parks, to other federal agencies, and to state, tribal, and 
private sector stakeholders. These programs assist communities in 
preserving their significant historical and archaeological properties. 
The archaeological component identifies, documents, and inventories 
archaeological resources in parks; produces archaeological technical 
and programmatic publications; implements regulations for protecting 
archaeological resources; and assists other agencies through program 
development and training. The SAA requests a total of $33.2 million for 
FY2022, an increase of $2.34 million.
     national park service-historic preservation fund: $150 million
    The Historic Preservation Fund provides crucial support to state 
and tribal historic preservation offices and matching grants to 
numerous recipients to catalog and preserve historic resources. Local 
communities rely on these grants for historic preservation projects as 
a means of promoting tourism and economic development. Without the HPF, 
the preservation system established by the National Historic 
Preservation Act--particularly with regards to the Section 106 system--
simply would not function. SAA endorses the recommendations put forward 
by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National 
Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National 
Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and others: a 
total of $150 million for FY2022, which would be the first time in its 
history that the HPF is funded at its fully authorized level. The funds 
would be allocated as follows:

  --$60 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs);
  --$24 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs);
  --$20 million for the Save America's Treasures grant program;
  --$10 million for competitive grants for Historically Black Colleges 
        and Universities;
  --$9 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants;
  --$1 million for a competitive grant program to survey and document 
        historic resources;
  --$19 million for African American Civil Rights Initiative 
        Competitive Grants; and
  --$7 million for the newly established competitive grants programs to 
        preserve the sites and stories associated with securing civil 
        rights for All Americans.
 bureau of land management (blm)--cultural resources management: $21.8 
                                million
    The BLM manages the largest and most diverse body of land in the 
U.S. These lands contain an enormous number of known and as--yet 
undiscovered cultural resources. To date, only 10 percent of BLM lands 
have been surveyed for cultural resources. It is important that the BLM 
be given the resources it needs to fulfill its statutory requirements 
to research, inventory and protect the cultural resources under its 
control. In the FY2021 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies 
Appropriations bill, the BLM cultural resources program received $20.3 
million. The SAA respectfully requests an increase of $1.5 million, to 
an overall amount of $21.8 million. This additional funding will enable 
BLM staff archaeologists to continue their work to survey BLM lands, 
conserve archaeological sites and materials, and integrate cultural 
resources data through the National Cultural Resources Information 
Management System. While the BLM is experiencing similar staffing 
shortages to those facing the NPS, perhaps of greatest concern is the 
longstanding disruption and dysfunction that occurred in the cultural 
resources program because of the reorganization of the BLM central 
office in Washington, DC, and the subsequent relocation of staff to 
Grand Junction, Colorado, and other offices in the West that resulted 
in the retirement or resignation of many staff members.
bureau of land management-national landscape conservation system: $65.1 
                                million
    The National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), first 
established in 2000, now contains more than 37 million acres of 
National Monuments, Wilderness Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and other 
lands. They contain an extensive and diverse array of the nation's 
archaeological and cultural resources. The funding needed to carry out 
sound stewardship of the lands in the system, however, is lacking. 
Since 2006, when Congress provided $65.1 million for the system, 
funding has declined repeatedly, to $45.6 million in FY2021, in spite 
of the system expanding by more than 11 million acres. There has also 
been a significant increase in visitor traffic. In order to provide 
adequate management of these lands and the archaeological resources 
they contain, the SAA strongly supports an allocation of $65.1 million 
for the program, an increase of $19.5 million over FY2021. This 
substantial increase would restore the NLCS to its FY2006 funding 
level, and allow the BLM to bring to bear the resources necessary to 
carry out its mission.
   native american graves protection and repatriation act grants: $2 
                                million
    As we've stated in previous years, the NAGPRA Grants Program serves 
a crucial purpose. The funding it provides is often the only resource 
available to Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and museums 
to facilitate repatriation of culturally affiliated human remains, 
funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony 
under the NAGPRA statute. Unfortunately, funding for the Grants Program 
has usually fallen short of demand. In FY2019 the total number of grant 
proposals totaled more than $3 million, while only $1.65 million could 
be awarded. The amount of requests for FY2020--$1.95 million--was 
smaller, possibly because of the COVID outbreak, and $1.9 million in 
grants was awarded. The SAA believes that another increase in grant 
funding is needed, assuming an increase in requests in 2021 and 2022 as 
the pandemic eases. We request that the National NAGPRA Grants Program 
receive $2 million for FY2022, an increase of $100,000.
    The SAA greatly appreciates your time and consideration of these 
important issues. Please contact us at 202-559-5115 or 
[email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.


                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Society of American Foresters
    The undersigned organizations are strong supporters of the Forest 
Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program funded by the USDA Forest Service 
(Forest Service). We rely on the inventory data and analysis of 
America's forests provided by the program, which make up the backbone 
of scientific knowledge on the current state of the nation's forests. 
This critical information is needed to support sound policy and forest 
management decisions, both public and private, and is increasingly 
important for decisions regarding carbon stocks, sustainability, and 
new and expanding markets. We feel that the needs of our nation's 
forests coupled with the policy priorities of this Congress make this 
an ideal time to significantly increase investment in this critical 
program.
    With this in mind, we urge Congress to support FIA at no less than 
$93.5M in total funding in FY22. Beginning in FY21, Congress 
restructured the Forest Service program budgets, separating out 
appropriations for cost pools, salary & expenses, and program funding. 
Commensurate with this restructuring, we urge Congress to fund FIA 
program dollars at no less than $32.4M in FY22. This will ensure that 
state and academic cooperators who partner in the critical data 
collection and delivery of the FIA program through grants and 
agreements that help realize programmatic operational efficiencies are 
fully funded to do their critical work. However, we request that this 
increase not be realized at the expense of other critical Forest 
Service Research & Development or State and Private Forestry programs 
that also support our nations forests.
    In 2015, the Forest Service released an updated FIA Strategic Plan, 
which outlines a variety of potential program deliverables at various 
funding levels. Recent analysis done by the Forest Service estimates 
that $93.5M is the funding level needed to deliver ``Option C'', which 
includes enhanced timber products monitoring, improved carbon and 
biomass estimates, enhanced landowner studies, research into land cover 
and land use change, and urban forest inventory.
    These additional items add immense value to the understanding of 
our nation's forests but are not possible at current funding levels.
    The data and information collected by FIA is utilized by a large 
set of diverse stakeholders and serves as the basis for: identifying 
trends in forest ownership; measuring carbon stocks; assessing fish and 
wildlife habitat; evaluating wildfire, insect, and disease risk; 
predicting the spread of invasive species; determining capital 
investment in existing forest products facilities and selecting 
locations for new forest product facilities; and identifying and 
responding to priorities identified in State Forest Action Plans.
    While we are supportive of at least $93.5M in funding for FY 2022, 
Option D of the 2015 Strategic Plan--which calls for additional 
investment to implement the five-year annualized program called for in 
the 1998 Farm Bill and to respond to other emerging needs--would 
necessitate a funding level of $106M. With the current policy focus on 
forest carbon monitoring and projection, reducing the cycle length in 
areas where it would provide more timely carbon data, combined with 
enhanced remote sensing capabilities, would provide more accurate data 
to support important forest resource decisions. We look forward to 
working with Congress to find ways to support funding additional FIA 
data collection in support of delivering on forest carbon inventory 
needs.
    In addition to more accurate information regarding carbon stocks, 
there is also a need to make FIA data more robust and useful for other 
emerging uses, such as forest sustainability monitoring, wildlife 
habitat assessments, and much more. Furthermore, additional 
opportunities exist to direct investments in tools to quantify carbon 
sequestration in forests, forest soils and long--lived forest products. 
These should include additional investments in the Timber Products 
Output survey and in new technologies that enhance the core data 
collection program.
    As engaged partners, we are interested in working with Congress and 
the Forest Service to make program delivery as efficient as possible 
and to realize additional federal investment to implement many of the 
useful tools outlined in the FIA Strategic Plan. Further, the 2018 Farm 
Bill called for ``finding efficiencies in the program operations 
through the use of remote sensing technologies, where appropriate.'' We 
look forward to working with the Forest Service as this direction is 
implemented.
    Finally, we are concerned that under the new budget structure there 
is not a dedicated salary and expenses budget line for FIA, presenting 
challenges for the Forest Service R&D program to ensure it is spending 
an appropriate amount of salary and expenses funding on FIA across the 
agency, and hiring critical positions to ensure program delivery. We 
request you to work with the Forest Service to establish a budget line 
item for FIA for salaries and expenses.
    Given the increasing pressures facing our forests--climate impacts, 
wildfire, insects and disease, and development--the FIA program is more 
important now than ever before. We look forward to working with 
Congress and the Forest Service to ensure the accurate and timely 
inventory of America's forests.

                     Supported by 50 Organizations

Alabama Forestry Association
Ecological Society of America
Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group
Empire State Forest Products Association
American Forest & Paper Association
Florida Forestry Association
American Forest Foundation
Forest Industry National Labor Management Committee
American Forest Resource Council
Forest Investment Associates
American Loggers Council
Forest Resources Association
American Wood Council
Forestry Association of South Carolina
American Woodcock Society
Georgia Forestry Association
Arkansas Forestry Association
Hardwood Federation
Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho
International Society of Arboriculture
Association of Consulting Foresters
Louisiana Forestry Association
California Forestry Association
Mississippi Forestry Association
Composite Panel Association
Montana Wood Products Association
Decorative Hardwoods Association
National Alliance of Forest Owners
National Association of Forest Service Retirees
Resource Management Service, LLC
National Association of State Foresters
Ruffed Grouse Society
National Association of University Forest Resources Programs
Society of American Foresters
National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
South Carolina Timber Producers Association
National Wooden Pallet and Container Association
Southeastern Wood Producers Association
National Woodland Owners Association
Southern Forestry Consultants, Inc.
New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
Tennessee Forestry Association
Ohio Forestry Association
Treated Wood Council
Oregon Women In Timber
Washington Forest Protection Association
Public Lands Foundation
West Virginia Forestry Association
      
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of the Soil Conservation and Water Quality Division, 
          Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
    My name is Susan Kozak and I serve as the Director of the Soil and 
Conservation and Water Quality Division of the Iowa Department of 
Agriculture and Land Stewardship. I am providing this statement on 
behalf of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs 
(NAAMLP), for which I currently serve as President. NAAMLP represents 
32 states and tribes, of which 29 implement federally approved 
abandoned mine land reclamation (AML) programs authorized under Title 
IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). My 
address is 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. My phone number is 
(515) 281-7043. My email is [email protected]
    The 2006 amendments to Title IV of SMCRA significantly changed how 
state and tribal AML grants are funded. Beginning in FY 2008, these 
grants are funded primarily by mandatory appropriations consisting of 
receipts from a fee on coal production held in the AML Trust Fund, a 
portion of the Secretary's discretionary share in the Fund, and 
Treasury funds. As a result, and based on current OSMRE projections, 
the states and tribes should receive approximately $155 million (before 
sequestration) in FY 2022, which we strongly support. OSMRE's proposed 
budget includes a discretionary appropriation request of approximately 
$28 million to fund the agency's own AML work, its administration of 
the AML Fund, and other activities in support of the AML program.
    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has requested an amount of 
$65.3 million to fund its own AML and hazardous materials program 
related to hardrock mining.
    SMCRA has been successful largely as a result of the cooperative 
federalism model that it employs. While the states and tribes 
understand and appreciate OSMRE's role in the AML program under SMCRA, 
we caution against using limited OSMRE funding for unproductive ends, 
for example OSMRE oversight that second--guesses state/tribal 
assessments or requires unnecessary levels of supplemental information 
that does not advance program purposes. Rather than having OSMRE engage 
in more oversight, the states and tribes would benefit from a more 
collaborative relationship with OSMRE in completing the challenging 
work associated with AML program requirements. For example, we believe 
that funding for technical assistance and applied science projects 
related to AML work is particularly important. We also urge the 
Subcommittee to maintain necessary funding for OSMRE's training program 
and TIPS, including moneys for state/tribal travel. These initiatives 
are central to the effective implementation of state and tribal AML 
programs as they provide necessary training and continuing education 
for state/tribal agency personnel, as well as critical technical 
assistance.
    We also strongly support maintaining funding for the Watershed 
Cooperative Agreements in the amount of $1.5 million. This funding 
serves an important role in facilitating state and local partnerships, 
thereby helping to leverage outside sources of funding and preserve 
precious reclamation grant funding.\1\
    NAAMLP strongly recommends an increase in annual funding available 
to minimum program states. These states often have very significant AML 
inventories but funding under the current grant distribution formula is 
not enough to make efficient progress with their AML inventories.\2\ In 
the interest of enabling these AML programs to fulfill their potential, 
NAAMLP believes an increase in minimum program funding to an annual 
grant amount of at least $5 million would be very beneficial. In this 
regard, we support provision in recent legislation that has been 
introduced in the 117th Congress (S. 1455) that would increase minimum 
program funding.
    Further to the goal of efficiency in the use of limited AML grant 
funding, sequestration of AML grants under the Budget Control Act of 
2011 is an increasing concern to the state and tribal AML programs. In 
FY 2021, a sequestration reduction of 5.7% translated to $9.2 million 
withheld for a total of approximately $144.7 million withheld since FY 
2013.\3\ If coal production further declines, thereby reducing fee 
collections, the funding lost to sequestration becomes increasingly 
important to maintain strong AML programs.
    NAAMLP recommends that Congress consider exemption of the AML fund 
from sequestration a priority as it pursues legislative initiatives 
related to AML, as the benefits are patent and every dollar of AML 
funding is needed. Because the AML fee is paid by the coal mining 
industry for the exclusive purpose of AML remediation, withholding that 
funding does not actually reduce the federal budget deficit--but it 
does mean less money returned to local economies to remediate local 
safety and environmental hazards. NAAMLP also recommends that the 
Subcommittee explore mechanisms to release the growing balance of 
withheld AML moneys related to sequestration as part of the 
appropriations process.\4\
    NAAMLP also recommends attention be given to the way AML 
emergencies are handled under Title IV. Responding to sudden 
emergencies such as sinkholes and landslides is one of the AML 
programs' most important functions. Starting in 2010, OSMRE instituted 
a policy whereby state and tribal AML programs must fund AML 
emergencies from their regular AML grants. This change has proven 
problematic, especially in that it diverts grant funding away from 
progress with current AML inventories.\5\ NAAMLP recommends a return to 
the pre-2010 system wherein AML programs received reimbursement from 
the OSMRE discretionary share for emergency projects. This will 
encourage efficient progress with reclamation as well as ensure that 
the state and tribal AML programs are well equipped to fulfill their 
important public safety role.
    The Committee's recognition of the important role played by the AML 
program is evidenced by the ongoing provision of funding for the AML 
Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program. The projects underway due to 
this pilot program exhibit potential economic as well as safety and 
environmental benefits, though the types of projects undertaken and 
benefits they hope to achieve have varied among the states. The pilot 
has also served to inform potential future economic development--
focused reclamation efforts. NAAMLP therefore supports OSMRE's increase 
of $50 million in funding for the pilot program in OSMRE's FY 2022 
proposed budget (for a total of $165 million). We note that these 
grants are not redundant to regular AML grant funding; pilot funding 
has a distinctly economically--focused purpose, whereas regular AML 
grant funding is focused on human safety and environmental health.
    While the pilot program has been generally successful so far, and 
OSMRE's guidance documentation has been helpful, the states involved 
with the pilot program urge OSMRE to address a series of 
recommendations for improving program effectiveness and efficiency, 
particularly in the areas of project vetting, the application of 2 CFR 
Part 200 requirements related to sub-recipients versus contractors, and 
performance reporting. We recommend that OSMRE's project vetting 
process be more efficient. Several states are awaiting approvals from 
OSMRE for their pilot project proposals, which could cause delays if 
construction seasons are allowed to expire before projects can get 
underway.
    Beyond the coal sector, NAAMLP represents many states with 
significant hardrock AML problems within their borders.\6\ In the 
absence of a hardrock AML funding source comparable to Title IV funding 
for coal AML, state and tribal hardrock AML programs struggle to 
maintain adequate funding and make consistent progress. There is no 
comprehensive account of the scale of the hardrock AML problem, but it 
is often cited as being in the tens of billions of dollars. In light of 
the disparity between available funding and the scale of the problem, 
NAAMLP expressed concern with significant reductions to hardrock AML 
funding contained in BLM's FY 2019 proposed budget. We were therefore 
encouraged by the proposed $35 million increase for FY 2022 for the 
combined AML and hazardous materials programs for a total of $65.3 
million.
    BLM hardrock AML funding is one of very few resources available for 
hardrock AML reclamation. Hardrock AML problems occur on both private 
and federal lands, meaning that the BLM AML program is the primary 
means of addressing public safety and environmental impacts. What's 
more, BLM cooperates closely with the state and tribal AML programs to 
conduct this work, meaning that any cut to BLM funding will have a 
cascading negative effect on the state level programs. NAAMLP 
recommends BLM's hardrock AML program funding be maintained going 
forward.
    Returning to discussion of coal AML--with the AML fee on which the 
Title IV program relies set to expire this September, NAAMLP has been 
in engaged in serious discussions regarding the program's future. It is 
clear that the continuing need for the program is strong. The AML pilot 
highlights the fact that AML work is especially important to the 
struggling communities in Appalachia who have been hit hardest by 
downturns in coal related employment--the mitigation of which has been 
a congressional and Administration priority in recent years. AML sites 
endanger public health and safety, degrade the environment, and dampen 
economic prospects, which severely constrains well-being and growth in 
AML--impacted communities nationwide. AML programs have been contending 
with these issues for over 40 years and have learned much about the 
true depth and scale of AML impacts over that time, as well as the 
health and economic benefits these projects bring to nearby 
communities. See www.ourworksnotdone.org
    Despite the progress that has been made, the time and money 
allotted to the AML programs to restore impacts from more than two 
hundred years of unregulated coal mining has not been adequate to 
complete that mission by the time the AML fee expires in September. 
Current OSMRE estimates project that over $10 billion in reclamation 
costs will remain, and NAAMLP believes the true costs are even higher. 
There can be little question that if the AML program is to complete its 
mission, and if its fundamental contributions to living conditions and 
economic circumstances in coalfield communities are to continue, 
additional AML funding will be required beyond 2021. If the AML fee is 
not reauthorized, consideration must be given to how the more than $10 
billion in public liability represented by remaining coal AML costs 
will be addressed going forward.
    NAAMLP is encouraged that discussions around reauthorization of the 
AML program have now come to the forefront with the introduction of S. 
1447. Important questions are being asked about how much and what type 
of AML work is being accomplished and what types of AML problems 
remain. It should be noted that the AML accomplishments data furnished 
by OSMRE through its budget justifications document and the e-AMLIS 
database represent only a selective portion of the work that is being 
accomplished through AML grant funding. This is mainly due to the fact 
that e-AMLIS only records construction costs and does not include data 
on costs such as program administration, project management, and most 
importantly, project design. NAAMLP has been working with OSMRE to 
examine data related to the AML program in order to more accurately 
tell the story of the AML program. As an example of what has so far 
been produced by that effort, the NAAMLP 2018 Accomplishments report 
can be found in the footnote below.\7\ The state and tribal AML 
programs have been in the lead role in conducting reclamation and 
tracking progress for the last 40 years. We look forward to working 
closely with the Committee as it considers the future of the AML 
program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Funding for these agreements will also potentially be a key 
support for Good Samaritan programs and projects should Congress adopt 
legislative language supporting Good Samaritan clean--up activities 
such as H.R. 1146.
    \2\ At the current rate, some minimum program states have AML 
inventories that would literally take hundreds of years to reclaim 
completely.
    \3\ For minimum program states only receiving $3 million per year 
the loss is especially problematic.
    \4\ According to OSMRE, the specific amounts that have been 
withheld from each state or tribe are being tracked so that, once OSMRE 
has authority to distribute those funds, they could be repaid to the 
state and tribal AML programs for which they were originally intended. 
According to OSMRE, there is no authority to distribute withheld funds 
unless so provided by Congress.
    \5\ This is a particular problem for minimum program states that 
have limited annual grant. One emergency project can preempt an entire 
years' worth of progress against the AML inventory in such states.
    \6\ For example, Arizona alone estimates that they have in excess 
of 50,000 hazardous historic--mining hazards. More information about 
remaining AML reclamation costs and reclamation accomplishments can be 
found in NAAMLP's 2018 Update of the ``Safeguarding, Reclaiming, 
Restoring'' booklet.
    \7\ http://naamlp.net/includes/
SafeguardingReclaimingRestoringBooklet%202018_web_
version.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of the Southcentral Foundation
    My name is April Kyle and I am the interim President/CEO for the 
Southcentral Foundation (SCF). SCF is the Alaska Native tribal health 
organization designated by Cook Inlet Region, Inc. and eleven 
Federally--recognized Tribes--the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, 
Igiugig, Iliamna, Kokhanok, McGrath, Newhalen, Nikolai, Nondalton, 
Pedro Bay, Telida, and Takotna--to provide healthcare services to 
beneficiaries of the Indian Health Service (IHS) pursuant to a 
government-to-government contract with the United States under 
authority of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(ISDEAA), P.L. 93-638. SCF is a two-time recipient of the Malcolm 
Baldrige National Quality Award for health (2011 and 2017).
    SCF, through our 2,600 employees, provides critical health 
services, including pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, Native men's 
wellness, dental, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment to 
over 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people. This includes 
52,000 people living in the Municipality of Anchorage and the 
Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, and 13,000 residents of 55 
rural Alaska Native villages. Our service area encompasses over 100,000 
square miles, an area the size of Wyoming. More so than any other 
affiliation of tribes, Alaska Native people have assumed the broadest 
responsibilities under the ISDEAA to own and manage healthcare systems 
which, together with the Alaska Public Health System, serve 150,000 
Alaska Native and American Indian people and thousands of non-Native 
residents in rural Alaska.
    I want to take the time to acknowledge the nation--leading COVID-19 
vaccine rollout that SCF had. To date we have vaccinated over 24,000 
people. We opened our facility to all Alaskans aged 16 and older 
earlier than any other provider in the state of Alaska. We were nimble 
in our vaccine distribution program. We were able to fill in the cracks 
when federal, state, and local political considerations could not fully 
protect the health of marginalized populations. We pro-actively 
launched vaccination campaigns, for both IHS beneficiaries and other 
community members, in homeless shelters and prisons, and opened our 
vaccine allocation up to local teenagers before the state government 
could lower their minimum age for doses. As a Tribal health 
organization, we are committed to healing trauma, and stopping that 
vicious cycle before it starts. Every life saved, or a lesson learned 
in a classroom is a chance for healing to begin anew. The customer--
owners we serve live in relationship with so many other community 
members--we felt it our duty to protect those folks as well.
    I want to express my strong support for the Administration's 
historic proposed $2.2 billion increase in Indian Health Service 
funding. I also strongly support the proposal to advance appropriations 
for the Indian Health Service. My remarks today are simple, this 
requested unprecedented increase in federal funding for IHS programs 
and services is necessary to address the ongoing and deadly health 
disparities that exist between Alaska Native and American Indian people 
and other Americans. This disparity was on high display this last year 
with the pandemic,
    where Alaska Native and American Indian people died from this 
horrible disease at unprecedented rates. Most tragically, we lost the 
most sacred among us, far too many elders perished including some of 
our last fluent language speakers. This disease is a threat to our 
culture, our livelihood, and our future. There should never be a time 
again in history, where Tribal people must bear the weight of this 
Nation's failed health care system.
  1. advance appropriation is critical to the stability of the tribal 
                      health care delivery system.
    SCF strongly supports the Administration's proposal for advance 
appropriations of the Indian Health Service in 2023. The FY 2020 
government shutdown underscored the need for this change. The delays in 
funding had deeply--felt impacts in Alaska Native and American Indian 
communities across the country. As Congresswoman McCollum has said, 
``[d]uring the government shutdown, basic everyday needs like health 
clinics, tribal justice services, and social services for children, 
families, and seniors went unfunded, putting Native American 
communities at risk.'' We completely agree that ``[t]hese programs are 
critical to life, health, and safety in these communities, and the 
federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure 
funding for our trust and treaty responsibilities is not interrupted. 
Advance appropriations for Indian Country is a promising avenue for 
making good on our commitments to our Native American brothers and 
sisters.''
    Much has been said in this Subcommittee, year after year, about how 
the programs and departments subject to this appropriations process are 
reflections of the trust relationship the Federal Government has with 
American Indian and Alaska Native people. The problems that arise from 
shutdowns and other delays in the context of a lack of advance 
appropriations exacerbate the problems caused by the funding shortfalls 
and disparities discussed above.
    2. continue to provide increases for behavioral health programs
    We cannot state strenuously enough how important it is to increase 
available funds for behavioral health. Alaska Native and American 
Indian people are disproportionately represented in substance abuse, 
especially opioid addiction, and suicide statistics. According to the 
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and confirmed by IHS Chief Medical 
Officer, Rear Admiral Michael
    E. Toedt, Alaska Native and American Indian people ``had the 
highest drug overdose death rates in 2015 and the largest percentage 
increase in the number of deaths over time from 1999-2015 compared to 
other racial and ethnic groups.'' During that time, deaths rose more 
than 500% among Alaska Native and American Indian people. The CDC also 
found that the suicide rate among Alaska Native people is almost four 
times the U.S. general population rate and at least six times the 
national average in some parts of the State.
    Behavioral health funds are critical to our most vulnerable 
population--our youth. SCF runs several programs that provide mental 
health care for Alaska Native youth which focus on building academic, 
vocational and leadership skills through culturally--appropriate 
methods. It is our firm conviction that only by addressing the root 
causes that drive individuals to drug misuse and addiction--domestic 
and child abuse, poverty and unemployment--can we help them heal.
    We also support specific appropriations for an Opioid Prevention, 
Treatment and Recovery program for Alaska Native and American Indian 
people. We recommend that these funds be distributed among tribes and 
tribal organizations as additions to our self-governance compacts and 
contracts. Alaska Native healthcare providers, like SCF, recognize that 
the size of the opioid and substance abuse problem in Alaska demands 
resources.However, with insufficient funds to address behavioral health 
challenges, we cannot adequately reach those who suffer from substance 
abuse, those struggling with PTSD, our military veterans, or victims of 
violent crime. Prevention, education, and timely medication--assisted 
treatment (MAT) programs remain our most potent tools to raise a new 
generation of Alaska Native people who practice positive, life--
affirming behavioral traits and who will, in turn, pass on these life 
skills to their children and grandchildren.
    With our available funds, we established The Pathway Home, a 
voluntary, comprehensive, and individualized mental health program for 
adolescents aged 13 to 18 years. The Pathway Home teaches life skills 
to these Alaska Native youths so that they discontinue harmful 
behavior. Many of these youths have already experienced childhood 
trauma or have seen family members struggle with drug and alcohol 
dependency, which puts them at greater risk of turning to drugs and 
alcohol. The Pathway Home creates a loving and supportive community 
environment and it is heartwarming to see how proud the graduates of 
this program are to go back out into the world with these new skills 
and new hope. This kind of transitional opportunity must be made 
available to more tribes.
    Unfortunately, the FY 2021 appropriations measure provided only a 
modest increase of $5 million for mental health, and it did not 
increase funding for the behavioral health integration initiative or 
for suicide prevention, or the amount available for alcohol and 
substance abuse programs. More is needed. We look forward to learning 
how much of the President's $2.2 billion increase will be directed to 
mental health care.
    We do know that the President proposes $1.6 billion for the 
Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and $10.7 billion to 
combat the Opioid epidemic. We ask this Subcommittee to work with your 
colleagues on the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee 
to ensure that Indian country receives an appropriate allocation of 
this funding, as well.
  3. integrating oral health care into our customer--owner's primary 
                             health system
    The medical community has finally recognized that oral health care 
impacts a person's overall health. We now know that oral health can be 
a leading indicator of heart disease and some cancers. Thus, SCF has 
established as part of our Nuka System of Care (which is a 
relationship--based, customer--owned approach to transforming health 
care, improving outcomes and reducing costs) a goal of including on 
every customer--owner's primary health care team, an oral health care 
provider.
    This expansion to include oral health as a part of primary care 
requires an expansion of the SCF's dental clinic to allow for a 
seamless integration for our customer--owners. We ask the Subcommittee 
to increase funding the dental program to support this innovative 
integration of oral health into primary health care.
                    4. section 105(l) lease payments
    We appreciate the Committee's careful attention to the issue of 
105(l) leases in the FY 2021 funding measure, including the inclusion 
of $101 million for 105(l) leases. We also continue to strongly support 
that these costs remain an indefinite appropriations, but with the goal 
to make sure these costs (along with contract support costs) are made 
mandatory costs so that they do not continue to stress the limited 
funding allocation that the Subcommittee receives.
                             5. conclusion
    Thank you again for the opportunity to provide testimony on behalf 
of Southcentral Foundation and the people we serve.
                                 ______
                                 
             Prepared Statement of the Squaxin Island Tribe
    On behalf of the Squaxin Island Tribal Leadership and citizens, it 
is an honor to provide our funding priorities and recommendations for 
the FY 2022 Budgets for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of 
Indian Education (BIE) and Indian Health Service (IHS) and related 
agencies. We request that Tribal program funding throughout the Federal 
government be exempt from future sequestrations, rescissions, and 
disproportionate cuts. We support Advance Appropriations for the IHS, 
BIA and BIE to prevent funding lapses and other unintended consequences 
associated with short-term funding deals from disrupting critical 
services provided by the Federal government. We were one of the first 
30 Federally recognized Tribes to enter a Compact of Self-Governance 
with the United States in both BIA and IHS.
    We appreciate that Congress continues to fully fund Contract 
Support Cost (CSC) in the BIA and IHS without impacting direct program 
funding and further request that the BIA and IHS CSC be reclassified to 
mandatory (permanent) funding.
    The Squaxin Island Tribe supports the indefinite line item and full 
funding of t 105(l) leases in the President's FY 2022 discretionary 
funding. We ask this Committee to ensure that the United States honors 
its trust and treaty obligations to American Indians and Alaskan 
Natives by providing stable Federal funding for essential Tribal 
services.
Squaxin Island Tribe Specific Requests
    1. $1.8 million--Water Connection Project
    2. Northwest Indian Treatment Center (NWITC) Residential Program in 
IHS
    A. $1.5 million--Medicine Building
    B. $250,000--Sustain Operations
    3. $500,000 Shellfish Management Program--BIA
National Requests and Recommendations--Bureau of Indian Affairs
    1. BIA Rights Protection--Increase funding to $66 million for the 
BIA Rights Protection Implementation
    2. Increase Tribal Base Funding (instead of through grants)
Nation Requests and Recommendations--Bureau of Indian Education
    1. Provide $1 billion for system--wide Bureau of Indian Education 
(BIE) education construction
    2. Provide $230million for Johnson O'Malley
    3. Reinstate $620,000 for juvenile detention education in BIA--
funded facilities
National Requests and Recommendations--Indian Health Service
    1. Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) has been 
reauthorized through December 18, 2023 we want to receive these funds 
through existing ISDEAA funding mechanisms
    2. IHS mandatory funding (maintaining current services)--Provide a 
total of $12.78.4 billion for the Indian Health Service in FY 2022
    3. Mental Health Services increase of $500 million
    4. $255 million for Opioid Funding--Increase funding and include 
Tribal set asides in any funding decisions to states
                    squaxin island tribe background
    We are native people of South Puget Sound and descendants of the 
maritime people who lived and prospered along these shores for untold 
centuries. We are known as the People of the Water because of our 
strong cultural connection to the natural beauty and bounty of Puget 
Sound going back hundreds of years. The Squaxin Island Indian 
Reservation is located in southeastern Mason County, Washington and the 
Tribe is a signatory to the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty. Our treaty--
designated reservation, Squaxin Island, is approximately 2.2 square 
miles of uninhabited forested land, surrounded by the bays and inlets 
of southern Puget Sound. Because the Island lacks fresh water, the 
Tribe has built its community on roughly 26 acres at Kamilche, 
Washington purchased and placed into trust. The Tribe also owns 6 acres 
across Pickering Passage from Squaxin Island and a plot of 36 acres on 
Harstine Island, across Peale Passage. The total land area including 
off-reservation trust lands is 1,715.46 acres. In addition, the Tribe 
manages roughly 500 acres of Puget Sound tidelands.
    Our Tribal governance combines our sovereign powers as well as U.S. 
Congressional acts related to treaties, statutes, and public law. 
Squaxin Island Tribe, like all Tribal Nations, continue to work through 
the impacts of the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the Tribal government 
and our economic enterprises constituted the largest employer in Mason 
County with over 1,250 employees. The Tribe has a current enrollment of 
1,040 and an on-reservation population of 426 living in 141 homes. 
Squaxin has an estimated service area population of 2,747; a growth 
rate of about 10%, and an unemployment rate of about 30% (according to 
the BIA Labor Force Report). We continue to need the assistance of 
Congressional relief funds to mitigate the ongoing challenges to 
recovery. We are grateful for the support we have received so far.
         squaxin island tribe specific requests/justifications
1. $1.8 million--Water Connection Project--IHS
    New Water Source connection project is critically essential to 
provide for the safety and health of the Squaxin Island Tribal 
Community. As the largest employer in Mason County, we impact the 
economy of Grays Harbor, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties. Families rely 
on the jobs created by the Tribe. This water source allows for us to 
maintain and build thriving economy that positively impact the 
businesses in the greater region. When we thrive the State of 
Washington benefits as well. With this water capacity we would be able 
to create new jobs for hundreds of families. Our current water source 
is at capacity and diminishing every year. Along with Taylor Shellfish 
we have obtained a water right that sits on Land owned by Taylor. This 
is approximately 1.5 miles away this project would allow for connection 
to the Squaxin Island Tribe water system. A new water connection study 
has been completed with pre-engineering design and costs of the 
connection. We are near shovel ready and could complete in FY 2022. 
This new water source will allow the tribe to build much needed 
housing. We have a large waiting list and overcrowding with 
multigenerational household composition. The pandemic has shown those 
households create a high-risk situation. Taylor Shellfish fully 
endorses this project in true collaboration with the Squaxin Island 
Tribe.
2. $1.750 Million Increase for Northwest Indian Treatment Center 
        (NWITC) Residential Program--IHS--H"D3WXbi Palil'' meaning 
        ``Returning from the Dark, Deep Waters to the Light"
    The Squaxin Island Tribe's Northwest Indian Treatment Center, D3f 
bi Pa lil, is a residential treatment facility that serves American 
Indians with chronic substance abuse patterns related to unresolved 
grief and complex trauma, including generational trauma. The Center is 
CARF accredited and a recognized national model of treatment for 
treating trauma in the presence of addiction, uniquely integrating the 
Best Practice of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with Plant 
Medicines. This culturally infused use of a Best Practice, based on 
this NWITC program, has been adapted in many tribal communities since 
its development. DBT is a model of treatment with good research results 
for the treatment of substance above and mental health conditions.
    In recognition of NWITC's unique model of treatment, the State of 
Washington Health Care Authority has requested NWITC to create a video-
documentary describing the key elements. They have provided over 
$82,000 to fund this video-documentary so the model can be used by 
other tribes and to be used to help others understand the requirements 
of the facility. NWITC has several urgent needs:

  A. Medicine Building--this project is shovel ready cost estimated at 
        $1.5 million. This building will support and expand the reach 
        of the activities of the DBT/Plant Medicine program. It will be 
        a place of medicine making, but also have video capacity 
        linking this program to other tribal medicine programs and 
        creating a library available to tribal behavioral health 
        programs and NWITC alumni. The result will be better support 
        for alumni, but also will help build capacity in tribal 
        communities in the Northwest.
  B. Because of the pandemic, the relapse rate in tribal communities 
        served by NWITC are high. To better support NWITC alumni, it is 
        necessary to provide more support. Even though NWITC has a 
        Recovery Support Team who actively support alumni for one-year 
        post treatment, in the current environment this is 
        insufficient. NWITC requires a position to provide the DBT/
        Plant Medicine training/coaching in the tribal communities in 
        which alumni live. Costs include a position to implement this, 
        plus expenses of alumni to participate, including hotel, food, 
        etc. In past events NWITC has verified this as the most 
        successful approach for teaching/coaching alumni. Budget for 
        this is $250,000.
3. $500,000--Shellfish Management--BIA
    The Squaxin Island Tribe faces an ongoing budget deficit to 
maintain and operate the shellfish program at its current level of 
operation--a level that leaves 20% of treaty--designated state lands 
and 80-90% of private tidelands unharvested due to lack of funding. To 
address this shortfall and enable effective growth and development of 
the program, an annual minimum increase of $500,000 is requested. 
Shellfish have been a mainstay for the Squaxin Island people for 
thousands of years and are important today for subsistence, economic 
and ceremonial purposes. The Tribe's right to harvest shellfish is 
guaranteed by the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty. Today, we are unable to 
fully exercise our treaty rights due to lack of Federal support for our 
shellfish management program.
    national requests and recommendations--bureau of indian affairs
    1. BIA Rights Protection--Increase funding to $66 million for the 
BIA Rights Protection Implementation This sub-activity Account has a 
clear and direct relationship with the Federal trust obligation to 
Tribes. This program ensures compliance with Federal court orders by 
implementing effective Tribal self-regulatory and co-management 
systems. In addition, this program supports implementation of the 
United States/Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty.
    2. Increase Tribal Base Funding (instead of through grants)--Grant 
funding, particularly inside the BIA, is not consistent with the intent 
of Tribal self-determination. Tribal leaders have grown increasingly 
frustrated by the increase in Indian Affairs funding offer through 
grants. Allocating new funds via grants marginalizes and impedes Tribal 
Self-Determination and Self-Governance. Provide increases via Tribal 
base funding instead of through grants to Tribal governments.
    nation requests and recommendations--bureau of indian education
  1. Provide $1 billion for system--wide Bureau of Indian Education 
        (BIE) education construction
  2. Provide $230million for Johnson O'Malley
  3. Reinstate $620,000 for juvenile detention education in BIA--funded 
        facilities
      national requests and recommendations--indian health service
    1. Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) has been 
reauthorized through December 18, 2023 we want to receive these funds 
through existing ISDEAA funding mechanisms--Increase to $200 million 
annually. Oppose moving SDPI funds into discretionary spending from 
mandatory spending.
    2. IHS mandatory funding (maintaining current services)--Provide a 
total of $12.79 billion for the Indian Health Service in FY 2022 to 
include:

    a. Increase of $337 million for full funding of current services
    b. Increase of $474.5 million binding fiscal obligations
    c. Increase of $2.7 billion for program increases for the most 
        critical health issues (30% above FY2021 recommendations)
    3. Other HIS Program Services: Mental Health Services increase of 
$500 million
REGIONAL Requests and Recommendations:

  Squaxin Island Tribes supports the Regional Budget Requests of the 
        Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), the Northwest 
        Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) and the Northwest 
        Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)
NATIONAL Requests and Recommendations:

    Squaxin Island Tribe supports the National Budget Requests of the 
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the National Indian 
Health Board (NIHB) and the National Indian Education Association 
(NIEA)
    Thank you for this opportunity to provide the Squaxin Island Tribe 
funding priorities for FY 2022 and support for the National and 
Regional recommendations.

    [This statement was submitted by Kristopher Peters, Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Standing Rock Sioux TribeTestimony of
    On behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, I submit this testimony 
concerning the President's FY 2022 budget for the Indian programs 
within the Department of the Interior, including Tribal Historic 
Preservation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian 
Education, and the Indian Health Service. I would like to express our 
appreciation to this Subcommittee for its support of Indian tribes.
    The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation encompasses 2.3 million acres 
in North and South Dakota. The Reservation's population--approximately 
8,500 Tribal members and 2,000 non-members--reside in eight districts, 
and in smaller communities. The Tribe's primary industries are cattle 
ranching and farming. The Tribe struggles to provide essential 
governmental services to our members. It is the Tribe's desire to 
provide jobs and improve the economic standard of living on our 
Reservation.
    The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has a government-to-government 
relationship with the United States of America, reflected in our 
Treaties which were signed in 1851 and 1868. We ask the government to 
honor its commitments in these treaties by adequately funding these 
federal programs enacted for our benefit, so that our members may enjoy 
a standard of living comparable to that enjoyed by the rest of the 
Nation. Despite the Tribe's best efforts, our unemployment rate remains 
above 50%. In fact, over 40% of Indian families on our Reservation live 
in poverty--more than triple the average U.S. poverty rate. The 
disparity is worse for children, as 52% of the Reservation population 
under age 18 lives below poverty, compared to 16% and 19% in North and 
South Dakota, respectively. The federal programs established and 
promised by treaty to aid tribes and their members are essential.
    Indian Health Service.--We strongly support the Administration's 
historic requested $2.2 billion increase in IHS funding. We depend on 
IHS to care for our 15,500 enrolled Tribal members, many of whom suffer 
from diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
    The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought into stark reality the impact of 
the lack of adequate health care in Tribal Communities. Standing Rock 
has suffered significantly, losing not only our most sacred elders, but 
young people as well. Moreover, many of our people who survived COVID-
19 are now dealing with the ``long haul'' conditions that are 
associated with it, including depression, fatigue, and diminished 
cognitive ability. No one knows how long these conditions will last. 
This nation must do better for Indian country. The federal health care 
delivery system should have been better prepared to combat the 
Pandemic.
    For example, the Indian Health facility at Fort Yates was built in 
1960s and is in need of a facility upgrade. Tragically because of a 
lack of capacity too many of our people who caught COVID-19 were 
transported to facilities in Bismarck or Fargo and were far away from 
family when they passed. In fact, the Tribe had an opportunity to 
receive a donation for some medical imaging equipment, but the hospital 
did not have the space to accept the modern imaging equipment. We 
currently only have 8 dialysis stations. There is a critical need for 
more. But again, because of space limitations, the Indian Health 
Service cannot expand these services.
    We are thankful the Covid-19 vaccine was developed and has been 
rapidly disseminated at Standing Rock. But we fear that once we have 
the virus under control, we will be faced with mental health crisis 
epidemic. The virus has taken so many family members so quickly that 
our people have not had the proper time to grieve as they were burying 
loved ones consecutively for weeks. We fear that this grief will 
manifest in unhealthy behaviors including increased substance abuse and 
suicide.
    We need to be prepared for the next epidemic. We must ensure that 
increased mental health and behavioral funding is available. Congress 
must work to ensure that counseling is accessible directly in each 
service unit or at the very least via telehealth. Already, too many of 
our people are locked in addiction or are dealing with childhood or 
other trauma, which impacts their ability to be healthy and productive 
members of our Tribe. The trauma from surviving the COVID-19 pandemic 
will only add to the burden our people are carrying.
    BIA Child Social Services and ICWA.--In North Dakota Indian 
children make-up approximately 40% of the children in the foster care 
system and in South Dakota Indian children make-up approximately 50% of 
the children in the foster care system. According to the Department of 
Justice, Indians have the highest rate of victimization in the country.
    Unfortunately, the BIA Child Social Services and ICWA funding to 
support these children has not been increased in a number of years. We 
have a 638-contract with the BIA for this program, but Tribal Council 
has had to supplement this program with tribal funds. However, this is 
not sustainable for the Tribe. We have asked the BIA for assistance and 
they have offered nothing but that their hands are tied--that it is up 
to Congress to provide more funding. We have one child whose special 
needs requires care in a facility that costs $500 a day. Again, we are 
talking about the most vulnerable of our community, and we are worried 
that a tragedy will happen because we do not have the resources to 
prevent it, so we are asking for your help.
    Again, the Tribe's Child Protection Service program works very hard 
to address the needs of our children. But there are too few 
investigators for this program to protect our children in eight widely 
scattered communities across our Reservation. The CPS program is 
outstanding, but it is overwhelmed by the scope and magnitude of the 
problems it must address. Where child victims need to be placed in a 
different environment for their safety, there are far too few 
alternatives. We do not have enough approved foster homes on the 
Reservation. These homes are always at capacity, so we have no choice 
but to place some of these children--who have faced the trauma of 
violence in the home--off the Reservation, generally on a temporary 
basis, again adding trauma and victimizing the victim. There is simply 
an inadequate supply of safe housing alternatives for children who must 
be moved for their own safety.
    We urge the Committee to increase funding for both the BIA social 
services program and for the ICWA programs. Without these resources, we 
will not be able to meet the needs of our most vulnerable population.
    Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).--We request a substantial 
increase in funding for Bureau of Indian Education programs. We 
appreciate the Biden Administration's focus on the BIE and improving 
the outcomes for our students. Standing Rock relies on BIE funding for 
three Tribal grant schools--the Standing Rock Community School (K-12), 
Sitting Bull School (K-8), and Rock Creek School (K-8). We also have 
five state public schools on the Reservation (Cannonball, Selfridge, 
McLaughlin, McIntosh, and Wakpala). These schools depend on federal 
impact aid to cover the costs of the public school's share of the 
school operations. The children in the schools on the Reservation are 
among the most at-risk students in the Nation. At Rock Creek, 
Cannonball, Selfridge, and Wakpala schools, 100% of the students 
receive free or reduced--price school lunches because their families 
live at or below poverty. At other schools, the percentage of children 
receiving free or reduced--price lunch is comparable--Sitting Bull, 
98%; McLaughlin, 85%; Fort Yates, 80%; Standing Rock, 80%. These 
statistics tell us that it is incumbent on our schools to provide much 
more to these children than an education.
    The recent years' near flat line funding for virtually all aspects 
of BIE programs did not account for population growth, increased costs, 
or inflation. Student Transportation funding, intended to cover the 
costs of buses, fuel, maintenance, vehicle replacements, and drivers, 
has stayed almost constant for several years. The substantial increases 
in fuel costs alone make it impossible to cover these costs. For 
Standing Rock, funds are further strained because we are a rural 
community, where bus runs for many of our students may take 11/2 to 2 
hours each way and can include travel on unimproved roads.
    Law Enforcement.--The Tribe has seen firsthand that adequate law 
enforcement funding was key to reducing crime. A number of years ago, 
the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was selected to participate in the High 
Priority Program Goals initiative, which dramatically increased law 
enforcement positions on our Reservation. This had a significant 
positive impact in reducing crime. Increased numbers of police officers 
allowed pro-active policing rather than reactive policing. This 
initiative enabled officers to be assigned within each Reservation 
community, which meant quicker response time to calls and more positive 
relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities they 
served. The increased law enforcement presence and patrols deterred 
crime and resulted in our members feeling safer. The data confirms 
this. When compared to the number of violent crimes (homicide, rape, 
robbery, assault) that occurred between 2007 and 2009, the additional 
staffing reduced such crimes by approximately: 7% in 2010, 11% in 2011, 
and 15-19% in 2012. This initiative demonstrated the critical 
importance that adequate law enforcement staffing can have in our 
community. However, HPPG ended after FY 2013 and the Tribe's law 
enforcement personnel were reduced from the numbers that served us so 
well. Now six years later, we are grappling with increased violence, 
drug trafficking, and human trafficking in our community. We strongly 
support an increase in funding for law enforcement personnel. It makes 
no sense that these programs would not be funded in perpetuity since 
they have been demonstrated to work to reduce crime in Indian country.
    Tribal Courts We support an increase in funding for the Tribal 
Courts Program. The Standing Rock Tribal Court is an independent branch 
of government consisting of a Supreme Court, Civil Court, Criminal 
Court, and Children's Court. Key positions in the Tribal Court require 
licensed attorneys--the Chief Judge; Associate Chief Judge; Chief 
Prosecutor; and Public Defender. Our Tribe cannot effectively support 
these courts with our small BIA allocation, even when heavily 
subsidized by the Tribe. And yet in order to use our Tribe's 
authorities provided under the Violence Against Women Act of 2013, Sex 
Offender Registration and Offender Act, and the Tribal Law and Order 
Act, we must continue to meet appropriate standards. Our Tribal courts 
are also crowded, even when spread across three separate buildings. The 
main courthouse outgrew its ability to meet our needs years ago and the 
lack of space severely limits our ability to adequately handle the 
Tribal Court case load of 2,000 to 3,000 cases per year. Funding is 
critical to providing a safe and secure center to house justice 
programs.
    Tribal Roads Funding.--Thousands of tourists visit the Standing 
Rock Sioux Reservation each year and help contribute to our economy. 
They expect and deserve to travel on properly engineered and well-
maintained roads and bridges to safely transport them from destination 
to destination. In order for us to attract and maintain businesses and 
to help our members transport farm produce and cattle to nearby 
markets, we require infrastructure, including safe drinking water, 
utilities, telecommunications and all--season roads and bridges. 
Dialysis patients, students, their parents and grandparents rely on our 
road system to get them to health centers, jobs and schools.
    In July, 2019, we had a tragedy on Reservation. After a heavy storm 
a culvert on BIA Road 3 washed--out in the middle of the night. In the 
early morning hours when it was still dark, four cars drove into to the 
chasm that resulted from the washout. Two people--an Indian Health 
Service nurse and a UPS driver died. Two people were rescued, including 
a bus driver for Sitting Bull College, who is still recovering from his 
injury. Beyond the tragedy of losing two lives and a man having to 
struggle now to heal and still support his family, is the fact that 
this culvert was on the list for repair if only we had sufficient money 
to do this work.
    Tribal Historic Preservation Office.--The Tribe supports the 
National Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Association's request 
for $20 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO). The 
current level of funding means that a THPO receives approximately 
$64,000 to carry-out the critical job of protecting this Nation's 
historic and cultural resources that are in tribal territories. This 
work requires trained and experienced archeologists, historians, 
anthropologists, and Tribal cultural specialists, who must assess and 
evaluate every federal action that takes place in our territories. If 
this work is not done, we risk losing sites and resources that are 
critical to not only my Tribe's history and culture but the Nation's.
                               conclusion
    We thank the Subcommittee for the opportunity to present this 
testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by Mike Faith, Chairman.]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition
    The undersigned organizations, many of which are members of the 
Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC), urge you to continue 
championing robust funding for programs that support and protect 
neighborhood and community trees and green infrastructure. SUFC 
comprises more than 35 national organizations and corporations 
representing hundreds of thousands of professionals--and millions of 
supporters--who are passionate about trees and green infrastructure in 
our nation's communities.
    Our nation's current and expanding 138 million acres of urban trees 
and forests are vital to creating and maintaining healthy, livable 
communities of all sizes by providing many scientifically proven 
social, economic, and environmental benefits to people. The ability to 
reduce air pollution and stormwater runoff, decrease energy 
consumption, mitigate the heat island effect, and improve human health 
are just a few of the essential services trees provide to communities. 
In fact, every year community trees and forests provide $18.3 billion 
in cost savings related to reductions in air pollution, energy use, and 
greenhouse gases.
            usda forest service: state and private forestry
Urban and Community Forestry Program (U&CF)
    U&CF directly assists state government, nonprofit organizations, 
and partners that manage and steward our nation's urban and community 
forests. Working with the state forestry agencies, the program provides 
technical, financial, research, and educational support and services to 
local government, nonprofit organizations, community groups, 
educational institutions, and tribal governments.
    In FY 2020, U&CF assisted 7,589 urban and rural communities and 
over 203 million people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US 
Territories, and affiliated Pacific Island Nations.
    U&CF is a high--impact program and a smart investment, as federal 
support is often leveraged 2:1 (or in many cases up to 5:1) by states 
and partner organizations. For example, over 1.3 million volunteer 
hours were documented for the program in 2020. U&CF engages residents 
in cities and towns, brings together diverse partners with public and 
private resources, and demonstrates that federal investment can have 
huge and lasting impacts on communities of all sizes. Despite 
pandemic--related shutdowns, cancellations and postponements, U&CF 
found new, creative, and innovative ways of delivering the program in 
2020, for the well-being and quality of life of residents in cities and 
towns across the nation, territories, and islands.
    The undersigned deeply appreciate appropriator's strong support and 
understanding of the program's diverse and unique benefits. The 
programmatic increase provided in FY 2021 is actively helping to 
prevent and address outbreaks of devastating pests--like the emerald 
ash borer and sudden oak death--and reducing the loss of trees and 
forests in both urban and rural areas. The undersigned are committed to 
the success and growth of this program in FY 2022 and beyond. For 
context, we would like to highlight the National Urban and
    Community Forestry Advisory Council Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action 
Plan, which estimated annual funding needs in the range of 
approximately $85 million to maintain current levels of service and 
manage future increases in our urban forests.
Forest Health Management--Cooperative Lands
    To be most effective, the USDA Forest Health Management program 
must address pests where they are first found, which is almost always 
in urban or semi-rural forests. This pattern means that the initial 
responsibility for countering non-native pests falls primarily to the 
Cooperative Forest Health Management program. This program supports 
partners' efforts to prevent, monitor, suppress, and eradicate insects, 
diseases, and invasive plants through technical and financial 
assistance to state forestry agencies who deal directly with private 
forest owners. Funding for this partnership has seen a 50% cut from 
FY10 despite rising numbers of pests. For example, during this period 
the spotted lanternfly and beech leaf disease have been introduced to 
the Mid-Atlantic region and rapid ohia death pathogen to Hawai`i.
    Once established in cities, the non-native pests and pathogens 
spread to forests in rural and wildland areas and threaten National 
Forests. For example, since its introduction a century ago, white pine 
blister rust has spread throughout the West; 74 percent of the nation's 
threatened whitebark pine grows within National Forests. Since the 
1950s, hemlock wooly adelgid has spread to forests from Georgia to West 
Virginia and now threatens Manistee National Forest in Michigan. Within 
20 years of its first detection, the emerald ash borer has spread from 
the Detroit area to kill trees in many forests across the Northeast and 
Midwest. Over an even shorter period, the polyphagous and Kuroshio shot 
hole borers have entered the Cleveland National Forest.
    We are pleased that the FHP program has established an ``emerging 
pest'' line, which in FY2021 is funded at $500,000. There will be steep 
competition to fund projects addressing, among others, the invasive 
shot hole borers in California, the coconut rhinoceros beetle in 
Hawaii, and new beech leaf disease killing beech trees from Ohio to 
Connecticut. The undersigned recommend $51 million for Cooperative 
Lands under the Forest Health Management program in FY 2022.
Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR)
    National priority Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) projects are a 
key tool that states, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and 
other partners, address critical forest priorities across the 
landscape. LSR projects focus on the most critical priorities 
identified in each state's Forest Action Plan and on achieving national 
goals as laid out in the State and Private Forestry national themes. 
The competitive grant process ensures innovative approaches to 
restoration work are proposed and priority is given to projects that 
further the advancement of State Forest Action Plans. Therefore, LSR 
contributes to achieving results across the landscape and making 
meaningful local, regional, and national impacts. The undersigned 
recommend $20 million for the Landscape Scale Restoration program in FY 
2022.
Community Forests and Open Space Conservation Program (CFP)
    CFP helps local government entities, tribes, and nonprofit 
conservation organizations purchase forestland for local ownership and 
management. Since FY 2014, Congress has appropriated $20.3 million to 
the program and a total of 63 projects have been awarded in 21 states, 
Puerto Rico, and to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In total, CFP 
funds have been used to conserve over 16,000 acres through 2019. CFP 
prioritizes projects that meet locally identified community needs for 
natural resource protection, forest--based economic development, and 
public access. Local residents play the lead role in conservation, 
stewardship, and governance of any lands acquired with CFP funds. The 
undersigned recommend at least $5 million for CFP in FY 2022.
           usda forest service: forest and rangeland research
    Improving the health--and maximizing the economic, social, and 
environmental benefits--of our nation's trees requires a strong 
investment in USDA Forest Service Research and Development (R&D). The 
undersigned recommend at least $320 million for the overall R&D program 
for FY 2022.
Urban and Community Forestry Research
    The Forest Service R&D program provides critical financial support 
for urban forestry research activities to develop information and tools 
for understanding conditions and trends in our nation's urban and 
community forests. USDA Forest Service researchers have made huge 
strides in recent years through collaborative efforts to develop new 
tools--such as i-Tree-for mapping current tree cover, assessing trends, 
developing local strategies, and building greater understanding of the 
environmental, economic, and social services that trees and forests 
provide to communities. The undersigned urge you to continue including 
language in Interior Appropriations reports encouraging the USDA Forest 
Service to maintain a strong and vibrant urban forest research program.
Non-Native Insects and Diseases Research
    Funding for research conducted by USFS on ten non-native pests 
decreased from $10 million in FY 2010 to just $2.5 million in FY 2020-
more than 70 percent. As a result of these reductions, the USFS's 
ability to develop and implement effective tools to manage the growing 
number of pests threatening the health of the nation's forests has been 
crippled. Programs targeting hemlock woolly adelgid, white pine blister 
rust, and the Sirex woodwasp were cut in recent years.
    Programs targeting several other high--impact pests, including the 
Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, goldspotted oak borer, 
thousand cankers disease, laurel wilt, and sudden oak death have been 
funded at a steady rate. Effective measures depend on an understanding 
of both the pest's biology and factors that motivate people to avoid 
activities that facilitate pests' spread. The undersigned urge you to 
include language in the Interior Appropriations report encouraging the 
USDA Forest Service to increase funding for research targeting non-
native insects and pathogens.
Urban Forests in Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)
    The collaborative efforts between SUFC and the USDA Forest Service 
brought urban forest data into the mainstream of the agency's national 
data--collection program. FIA has long provided the nation's forest 
census, but it had not historically included urban areas because of its 
definition of forests. The undersigned recommend at least $93.5 million 
(with no less than $32.4 million in program funding) for the FIA 
program in FY 2022, based on ``Option C'' from the 2015
    FIA Strategic Plan. With that funding level, we ask you to 
encourage the USDA Forest Service to continue and strengthen its 
efforts to integrate urban forest data into FIA so that its critical 
data--collection efforts address all our nation's forests. We also urge 
this subcommittee to ensure that funding increases for FIA do not come 
at the expense of other Forest Service R&D programs.
                         national park service
Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP)
    The State and Local Assistance Program provides matching grants to 
states and localities for protection and development of parks and 
recreation resources. It is the primary federal investment tool to 
ensure that families have easy access to urban forests in parks and 
open space, as well as neighborhood recreation resources. This 
nationally competitive program complements the existing state and local 
assistance program by creating opportunities for outdoor play while 
developing or enhancing outdoor recreation partnerships in cities. The 
undersigned request robust funding for the state and local assistance 
program, which includes $125 million for ORLPP in FY 2022.
                    environmental protection agency
Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF)
    Green infrastructure, including urban forests, can be a cost--
effective and resilient approach to managing stormwater. The use of 
green infrastructure for stormwater control also provides many 
community co-benefits enumerated above. We are pleased that EPA 
supports the use of green infrastructure for stormwater management and 
that green infrastructure is an eligible use under the CWSRF--a 
critical financing program for local communities investing in water 
infrastructure. The undersigned support robust funding for CWSRF, along 
with efforts to expand the use of green infrastructure to 20% to meet 
Clean Water Act goals.

                        Supporting Organizations

Alliance for Community Trees
American Forests
American Society of Consulting Arborists
Arbor Day Foundation
California ReLeaf
Casey Trees
Center for Invasive Species Prevention
City Parks Alliance
Corazon Latino
Davey Tree Expert Company
Green Infrastructure Center
International Society of Arboriculture
Maryland Forestry Foundation
Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee
National Association of Clean Water Agencies
National Association of Landscape Professionals
National Association of State Foresters
National Recreation and Park Association
NativeScapes
The Nature Conservancy
Openlands
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Sacramento Tree Foundation
SavATree LLC
Society of American Foresters
Society of Municipal Arborists
Tree Care Industry Association
Water Environment Foundation
Wildlife Habitat Council
      

    [This statement was submitted by Members.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Texas Mid-Coast NWR Complex
Members of the Subcommittee:

    Thank you for inviting public input, and I am delighted to submit 
testimony to your subcommittee in support of my local refuges of the 
Texas Mid-Coast NWR Complex. The Refuges are the Brazoria, San Bernard, 
and Big Boggy in Brazoria and Matagorda Counties in Texas. I am asking 
that the entire Refuge System be funded for fiscal year 2022 for $600 
million. Without funding in that amount, the entire System, which is 
vital to our country in so many ways, will continue to be underfunded. 
There are negative consequences to my Refuges, as well as the Refuge 
System nationwide if they don't have the funds necessary for operations 
and maintenance.
    Although I am a Board Member for Friends of the Brazoria Wildlife 
Refuges, I present my testimony as a USFW volunteer. I see a lot on the 
Refuges when I volunteer, so these are my observations.
    My local Refuges benefit not only the flora and fauna that make 
their home, but human kind as well. I live in Lake Jackson in Brazoria 
County, Texas. My county is directly on the Gulf of Mexico which is to 
our south. We have Harris County (Houston) to the north, Fort Bend 
County to the northwest, Matagorda County to the west, and Galveston 
County to the east. You may have read about the extensive flooding that 
as occurred over the last few years in Harris and surrounding counties. 
Our three refuges absorb a tremendous amount of flood water. They not 
only take in water from inland flooding, but absorb storm surge waters 
from a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. The flooding problems in this area 
are the result of many factors. So it is vital that my Refuges have the 
funds necessary to maintain the reduction of flooding they provide, or 
a very bad problem will be much worse. In addition, our wetlands do 
more than help control floods. They also remove pollutants from flood 
waters.
    My Refuges encourage many types of recreation, including hunting, 
fishing, and birding. The economic impact in my area is significant 
from birders and hunters. They spend their dollars here.
                          on the brazoria nwr
    The Discovery Environment Education Program (DEEP) provides a field 
trip during the school year for all 4th and 7th graders in the 
Brazosport Independent School District (BISD), as well as any other 
school who asks for a field trip. Five different subjects are taught by 
volunteers. The subjects taught are age appropriate with curriculum 
that is approved by BISD. The students are provided with a booklet that 
has questions to answer and educational information on each subject. 
The kids take their booklet home with them. We get students who have 
never been to a park or refuge of any kind. They are so excited to see 
a turtle, much less an allegator. They are taught, depending on age and 
the weather, everything from seining, bird watching (each student is 
loaned some binoculars for the day), reptiles, fresh water pond life, 
mammal skull identification, bird flight and other topics.
    The Refuges also have open house weeks, during spring break and 
between Christmas and New Years. Volunteers provide numerous activities 
at our Discovery Center, such as touching allegators, snakes, box 
turtles, and lizards. They learn about animal tracks, scat, pelts and 
skulls. They can look at various invertebrates that live in a fresh 
water pond under a microscope. They can hike the boardwalk across Big 
Slough, and spot a mama allegator with her babies. They can walk a 
trail that has interpretative signs along the way.
    I always see fisherman at the Clay Banks area of this refuge. They 
are all along the road into the area and at the boat ramp into Bastrop 
Bayou. I have also spotted bobcats in this area. Many species of birds 
are a given.
    A new unit, Cannon Bend, was recently the added to this Refuge. It 
has a lake stocked with fish, with kayaking, hiking, and bird watching 
opportunities. It will open to the public later this year.
                         on the san bernard nwr
    The Refuge has Migration Celebration, which is a two-day event 
every April that provides education as well as fun for kids and adults. 
Visitors can kayak, fish, trail walk, ride a marsh buggy, shoot an air 
rifle, learn archery, and kids can play in the sand pile. The Birds of 
Prey is a must--see program where these magnificent birds fly above the 
crowds and return to their handler, with a speaker that provides 
information on how each bird uses its senses to hunt prey. A tent with 
butterflies is provided in which kids and adults can hold a Monarch and 
other butterflies on their finger. It takes at least 100 volunteers to 
make this event happen.
    This Refuge has wonderful hiking trails. The San Bernard Oak Trail 
ends with a view of one of the largest live oaks in Texas. It is 
massive. Improvements are planned to the trail in the near future.
    The Bobcat Wood Trail has recently been completely rebuilt. It has 
benches for resting, overlooks for birders, and interpretative signs.
    The Texas Mid-Coast NWR Complex has many volunteers, but they can't 
manage the Refuges. The funds that Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges 
has raised and volunteer labor have assisted with recent trail 
improvements. But it takes professionals for fire fighting and control 
burns, education programing and events, issuing permits, management of 
water levels, trail and other infrastructure maintenance, and 
documenting both plants and animals on the Refuges. That is the short 
list. It pains me that positions have been unfilled due to lack of 
funding. We have a lovely Discovery Center that is closed most days due 
to lack of staff. I have seen the benefit to visitors when a USFW 
employee is at the Center and educates visitors the options available 
for their enjoyment.
    I have seen the impact of my Refuges on us humans. I saw the flood 
waters from Hurricane Harvey along Bastrop Bayou which was most likely 
from inland flooding.
    I also see the protection and preservation of wildlife that my 
Refuges provide. They are a major flyway for migrating birds and 
Monarch butterflies. The Refuges provide fresh water and food after the 
long trip over the Gulf of Mexico. They provide bottom land forest that 
provide shelter. They provide nesting sites for birds that are in need 
of protection, most recently the black rail. They are part of the 
estuary system along the Gulf Coast, which is the nursery for salt 
water fish, and vital to the fishing industry. They are unique 
ecosystems with estuaries, fresh water ponds, coastal prairie, and 
river bottomlands.
    I look at our nation's entire Refuge System and appreciate that the 
areas they preserve and protect are all vital. Please appropriate the 
$600 million that our National Refuge System needs for operations and 
maintenance. The positive impact on humans and wildlife is 
extraordinary. It is an investment in our future. Dividends are 
guaranteed.

            Respectfully submitted,

Kim Richardson
120 Daffodil Street
Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
[email protected]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI)
    On behalf of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI), this 
testimony addresses important programs in the Department of Interior 
(DOI). First, TLPI joins the American Bar Association (see attached 
letter) in requesting substantially increased funding for tribal courts 
in response to the $1.2 billion annual shortfall for tribal courts as 
identified in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 2020 report to 
Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated 
Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country, 
2018.
    Secondly, TLPI joins the National Congress of American Indians 
(NCAI) in requesting:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Program                       NCAI FY 2021 Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOI: Base funding for tribal courts and     $123,000,000
 the Indian Tribal Justice Act, including
 courts in Public Law 280 jurisdictions.
DOI: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Law     $527,400,000
 Enforcement and Detention.
DOI: BIA Funding to Tribal Governments....  Provide increases via tribal
                                             base funding instead of
                                             through grants.
DOI: BIA Indian Child Protection and        $93,000,000
 Family Violence Prevention Act.
DOI: BIA Welfare Assistance$..............  100,000,000
DOI: Indian Child Welfare Act Program.....  $30,000,000
DOI: BIA Social Services Program..........  $70,000,000
DOI/Indian Health Service.................  $12.75 billion
DOI/Indian Health Service: ISDEAA Section   Provide such sums as may be
 105(l) Lease Agreements.                    necessary through mandatory
                                             spending.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    TLPI is a 100% Native American operated non-profit corporation 
organized to design and deliver education, research, training, and 
technical assistance programs which promote the enhancement of justice 
in Indian country and the health, well-being, and culture of Native 
peoples.
    The federal government's trust responsibility to Tribal nations is 
at the heart of TLPI's recommendation to follow NCAI's FY 2022 Indian 
Country Budget Request. Like all other governments, Tribal nations are 
responsible for the protection and care of their citizens, residents, 
and visitors on their lands. Through treaties and other agreements, 
tribal lands were ceded in exchange for the promise of protected self-
governance and adequate resources from the United States. Those 
promises are the foundation of the government-to-government 
relationship that exists today.
    Core to Tribes exercising those responsibilities of protection and 
care is sufficient federal government funding resources provided in 
fulfillment of its trust responsibility. The primary DOI agencies 
through which the federal government can provide funds critical to the 
health and safety of tribal citizens and residents of tribal lands are 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS). The 
BIA and IHS provide essential services including hospitals, schools, 
law enforcement, and social services among others. Programs and 
services through these agencies affect the lives of around two million 
people across the country.
    Unfortunately, both agencies have been drastically underfunded for 
decades. Chronic underfunding allows systemic harm to be perpetuated 
against tribal citizens and residents of tribal lands. The inability of 
the federal government to live up to its trust responsibility is long--
documented, most notably by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (the 
Commission). The Commission has released three reports since the 1990s 
chronicling the continued underfunding of Indian country. Most 
recently, in 2018, the Commission in Broken Promises: Continuing 
Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans found that ``Federal 
funding for Native American programs across the government remains 
grossly inadequate to meet the most basic needs the federal government 
is obligated to provide . . . Since 2003, funding for Native American 
programs has mostly remained flat, and in the few cases where there 
have been increases, they have barely kept up with inflation or have 
actually resulted in decreased spending power.'' \1\
    Chronic underfunding also affects tribal justice systems. Tribal 
courts in particular need resources to protect women, children, and 
families, address substance abuse, and rehabilitate offenders. In 1991, 
the Commission found that ``the failure of the United States Government 
to provide proper funding for the operation of tribal judicial systems  
. . .  has continued for more than 20 years.'' \2\ In 2018, the 
Commission in Broken Promises found that there continues to be 
``systemic underfunding of tribal law enforcement and criminal justice 
systems, as well as structural barriers in the funding and operation of 
criminal justice systems in Indian Country.'' \3\ Finally in 2020, the 
BIA submitted a report to Congress, Report to the Congress on Spending, 
Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice 
Programs in Indian Country, 2018. The total annual estimated need for 
tribal public safety and justice programs included $1.3 billion for 
tribal law enforcement, $1.2 billion for tribal courts, and $240.6 
million for existing detention centers. According to the same report, 
BIA funding only meets 14.7 percent of estimated need. Leaving tribes 
to fight for short-term funds via competitive grant processes.
    It is time for this history of underfunding to change, especially 
as the world continues to battle a global pandemic. TLPI urges this 
committee to support the requests outlined in this testimony and 
included in the NCAI's FY 2022 Indian Country Budget Request.
    Increase base funding for tribal courts and the Indian Tribal 
Justice Act, including courts in Public Law 280 jurisdictions.--Along 
with the IHS, the BIA is one of the primary agencies responsible for 
providing services throughout Indian Country, either directly or 
through compacts or contracts with tribal governments. One of the most 
fundamental aspects of the federal government's trust responsibility is 
the obligation to protect public safety on tribal lands. Congress and 
the United States Supreme Court have long acknowledged this obligation, 
which Congress reaffirmed in the Tribal Law and Order Act expressly 
``acknowledging the federal nexus and distinct federal responsibility 
to address and prevent crime in Indian Country.''
    According to the BIA, the minimum base level of funding needed for 
tribal courts is $1.2 billion.\4\ For FY 2021, funding for tribal 
courts (generally) was $38.9 million and $15 million for tribal courts 
in PL 280 jurisdictions. This gap between identified need and recent 
appropriations calls for an increase in base funding for tribal courts, 
including courts in PL 280 jurisdictions.
    Fund BIA Law Enforcement and Detention efforts.--The BIA has also 
reported on the minimum base level of service needs in the areas of law 
enforcement and maintaining existing detention centers. The report 
found that $1.3 billion is needed for tribal law enforcement, and 
$240.6 million is needed to adequately fund existing detention 
centers.\5\ Again, the same report found that Congress is funding 
tribal law enforcement, detention/corrections, and tribal courts at a 
mere 14.7 percent of estimated need.
    Again, the gap between identified need and level of appropriation 
is wide. Further, recent experience demonstrates that addressing the 
lack of justice funding can make rapid and dramatic strides toward 
improving public safety.\6\ Tribal justice systems simply need the 
resources to put their tools to work to protect tribal citizens, 
residents, and visitors on tribal lands.
    Fund BIA Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention 
Act.--The ICPFVPA authorizes funding for two tribal programs: (1) the 
Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program, which 
funds prevention programming, investigations, and emergency shelter 
services for victims of family violence; and (2) the Treatment of 
Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect program, which funds treatment 
programs for victims of child abuse. The ICPFVPA also authorizes 
funding for the creation of Indian Child Resource and Family Service 
Centers in BIA regions. Child abuse prevention funding will assist 
Tribal nations in protecting one of their most vulnerable and most 
sacred populations. Tribes, like states, need adequate resources to 
effectively prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect in their 
communities. However, unlike states, Tribes do not have meaningful 
access to HHS Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Program (CAPTA) 
grant programs. The ICPFVPA was enacted to fill this gap, but without 
appropriations for ICPFVPA programs, Tribes are left without funding 
for child protection and child abuse prevention services.
    Fund BIA Welfare Assistance and Social Services.--The Welfare 
Assistance line item provides five important forms of funding to AI/AN 
families: (1) general assistance, (2) child assistance, (3) non-medical 
institution or custodial care of adults, (4) burial assistance, and (5) 
emergency assistance. The Social Services Program provides a wide array 
of family support services filling many funding gaps for tribal 
programs and ensuring federal staff and support for these programs. 
Importantly, the Social Services Program provides the only BIA and 
tribal specific funding available for child protective services for 
both children and adults in Indian Country. TLPI supports NCAI's 
recommended appropriations for both programs.
    Fund the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Program.--ICWA funding is 
the foundation of most tribal child welfare programs. Current funding 
levels fall far short of estimates made in 1978 when ICWA was passed, 
which with inflation would be $193 to $459 million in today's dollars. 
Funding for off-reservation programs has completely stopped since 1996. 
TLPI supports NCAI's recommendation to increase the ICWA Program 
appropriation to $30 million.
    Fund the Indian Health Service.--In permanently authorizing the 
Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), Congress reaffirmed the 
duty of the federal government to provide all the necessary resources 
to ensure the highest possible health status for AI/ANs, declaring that 
``it is the policy of this Nation, in fulfillment of its special trust 
responsibilities and legal obligations to Indians.'' \7\ Unfortunately, 
IHS has never received sufficient funding to fully honor its 
obligations. ``Funding for the IHS and Native American health care is 
inequitable and unequal. IHS expenditures per capita remain well below 
other federal health care programs, and overall IHS funding covers only 
a fraction of Native American health care needs, including behavioral 
health needs to address the suicide epidemic in Indian Country.'' \8\
    In accordance with National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup 
recommendations, representing all twelve IHS Areas, TLPI supports a 
total appropriation of $12.75 billion. Further, TLPI supports American 
Bar Association policy calling for IHS to be exempt from government 
shutdowns and federal budget sequestrations.\9\
    Fund Indian Self Determination Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) 
Section 105(l) Lease Agreements.--Ensuring tribal nations have the 
tools and resources for effective governance is critical to fulfilling 
the promise of the ISDEAA (P.L. 93-638) ISDEAA promotes self-
determination and self-governance, and this nation's trust and treaty 
obligations, by enabling tribal nations to enter into contracts and 
compacts with the federal government to operate certain federal 
programs. Those tribal shares of federal programs make up the ``base 
funding'' for tribal governments and provide certainty and security to 
those governments. Congress must support tribal self-determination by 
increasing tribal base funding, providing funding directly to tribal 
nations as opposed to passing funds through states, providing formula 
based funding rather than difficult to navigate competitive grant 
programs, and promoting accurate data collection so that funding can 
better target the needs of Indian Country. Additionally, funding for 
Section 105(l) lease agreements must be provided through mandatory 
spending that does not affect discretionary spending caps on tribal 
programs.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for considering this testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises: 
Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 4 (December 
2018).
    \2\ United States Commission on Civil Rights, The Indian Civil 
Rights Act: A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights 71 
(June 1991).
    \3\ Supra note 1, at 32.
    \4\ Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. ``Report 
to Congress on Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for 
Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2018,'' July 
2020.
    \5\ Id.
    \6\ Michael S. Black, Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, 
U.S. Department of the Interior, Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p. 
136; see also Dep't of the Interior, press release, March 4, 2014.
    \7\ Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1602.
    \8\ Supra note 1, at 8.
    \9\ 2019A115A.

    [This statement was submitted by Gerald Gardner, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.
    Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for opportunity to provide testimony regarding 
the federal government's chronic failure to fully uphold its fiduciary 
trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and the President's 
Budget Request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The following testimony is 
submitted on behalf of United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty 
Protection Fund (USET SPF), and will focus on funding for federal 
Indian programs at the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Indian 
Health Service (IHS), and beyond. Broadly, the President's Budget 
Request for FY 2022 is positive for USET SPF member Tribal Nations and 
Indian Country generally. After years of requests that neglected trust 
and treaty obligations, we welcome the more substantial increases, as 
well as the policy change proposed by this Administration. It is also 
important to remember, however, that centuries of neglect and hostile 
federal policies cannot be undone in a single request. In addition to 
our advocacy for the highest discretionary increases possible each FY, 
we are seeking a long-term commitment to federal fulfillment of trust 
and treaty obligations--including full and mandatory funding for 
federal agencies and programs serving Tribal Nations.
    USET SPF advocates on behalf of 33 federally recognized Tribal 
Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across 
the Gulf of Mexico. USET SPF member Tribal Nations are within the 
Eastern Region and Southern Plains Region of the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and the Nashville Area of the Indian Health Service, covering a 
large expanse of land compared to other regions. Due to this large 
geographic area, USET SPF Tribal Nations have great diversity in 
cultural traditions, land holdings, and resources.
    With hope on the horizon as we look toward recovery from COVID-19, 
Indian Country finds itself at an inflection point in our centuries--
long relationship with the United States. The global pandemic and 
social injustice brought extreme challenges, sorrow, and upheaval to 
Tribal Nations and the whole of America. As COVID-19 tore through our 
communities, our country engaged in a reckoning with its past and 
looked toward a more honorable future. USET SPF has consistently called 
upon the United States to deliver and fulfill its sacred promises to 
Tribal Nations and to act with honor and honesty in its dealings with 
Indian Country. But the global pandemic has exposed for the world to 
see the extent to which generations of federal neglect and inaction 
have created the unjust and untenable circumstances facing Tribal 
Nations. The time is long overdue for a comprehensive overhaul of the 
trust relationship and obligations, one that results in the United 
States finally keeping the promises made to us as sovereign nations in 
accordance with our special and unique relationship.
    As the Subcommittee is well aware, Native peoples have endured many 
injustices as a result of federal policy, including federal actions 
that sought to terminate Tribal Nations, assimilate Native people, and 
to erode Tribal territories, learning, and cultures. This story 
involves the cession of vast land holdings and natural resources, 
oftentimes by force, to the United States out of which grew an 
obligation to provide benefits and services--promises made to Tribal 
Nations that exist in perpetuity. These resources are the very 
foundation of this nation and have allowed the United States to become 
the wealthiest and strongest world power in history. Federal 
appropriations and services to Tribal Nations and Native people are 
simply a repayment on this perpetual debt.
    At no point, however, has the United States honored these sacred 
promises; including its historic and ongoing failure to prioritize 
funding for Indian country. The chronic underfunding of federal Indian 
programs continues to have disastrous impacts upon Tribal governments 
and Native peoples. As the United States continues to break its 
promises to us, despite its own prosperity, Native peoples experience 
some of the greatest disparities among all populations in this country 
and have for generations. It is no surprise, then, that the failures of 
the federal government are coming into horrifyingly sharper focus due 
to the global pandemic. Decades of broken promises, neglect, 
underfunding, and inaction on behalf of the federal government have 
left Indian Country severely under--resourced and at extreme risk 
during this COVID-19 crisis.
    In December 2018, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued the 
Broken Promises Report, following years of advocacy from Tribal Nations 
and organizations seeking an update to the 2003 Quiet Crisis report. 
The Commission concluded that the funding of the federal trust 
responsibility and obligations remains ``grossly inadequate'' and a 
``barely perceptible and decreasing percentage of agency budgets.'' The 
report confirms what we in Indian Country already know--with the 
exception of some minor improvements, the U.S. continues to neglect to 
meet its ``most basic'' obligations to Tribal Nations. Though these 
chronic failures have persisted throughout changes in Administration 
and Congress, it is time that both the legislative and executive 
branches confront and correct them.
    Above all, the COVID-19 crisis is highlighting the urgent need to 
provide full and guaranteed federal funding to Tribal Nations in 
fulfillment of the trust obligation. While we unequivocally support 
budget stabilization mechanisms, such as Advance Appropriations, in the 
long-term, USET SPF is calling for a comprehensive reexamination of 
federal funding delivered to Indian Country across the federal 
government. Because of our history and unique relationship with the 
United States, the trust obligation of the federal government to Native 
peoples, as reflected in the federal budget, is fundamentally different 
from ordinary discretionary spending and should be considered mandatory 
in nature. Payments on debt to Indian Country should not be vulnerable 
to year to year ``discretionary'' decisions by appropriators.
    Recently, some in Congress, as well as the Biden Administration, 
have called for mandatory funding for specific agencies serving Indian 
Country. USET SPF strongly supports this proposal, which is more 
consistent with the federal trust obligation, and urges that this be 
realized via an entirely new budget component--one that contains all of 
the funding dedicated to Indian Country. Not only would this streamline 
access to these dollars, but this mechanism would also reflect true 
prioritization of and respect for America's trust obligation to and 
special relationship with Tribal Nations. While some will quickly 
dismiss this as unrealistic and untenable, when compared against the 
value of the land and natural resources the United States gained as 
part of the exchange, both voluntarily and involuntarily, it becomes 
evident that this is only a matter of will and desire.
    Reforming the Office of Management and Budget.--The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) asserts that over $21 billion in federal 
dollars is appropriated to Indian Country annually. From the 
perspective of Tribal advocates, this number seems to be widely 
inflated, with far less actually reaching Tribal Nations and Tribal 
citizens. We suspect that OMB arrives at this figure by tallying the 
amount for which Tribal Nations and entities are ``eligible'', 
regardless of whether these dollars actually reach Indian Country. 
Regardless, this represents less than 1/10 of 1% of the annual value 
that the U.S. enjoys from federal lands and the natural resources 
derived off of these lands, which once belonged to Tribal Nations. Both 
USET SPF and the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) have asked OMB 
for a full, detailed accounting of federal funding distributed to 
Indian Country. To date, OMB has not responded to this request, though 
after holding its first--ever Tribal consultation we are hopeful that 
the agency will work to compile this document. This information is 
absolutely essential to the measurement of the federal government's own 
success in meeting its obligations and the work of Tribal Nations. 
Congress must hold OMB accountable and require the agency to provide 
the necessary detail to support this funding claim on an annual basis. 
In the long-term, we are seeking reforms to OMB that would include a 
consultation requirement, a dedicated Tribal Affairs department, and a 
Tribal advisory committee.
    Invest in and Rebuild Tribal Infrastructure-A Marshall Plan for 
Indian Country.--For generations, the federal government--despite 
abiding trust and treaty obligations--has substantially under--invested 
in Indian Country's infrastructure. While the United States faces 
crumbling infrastructure nationally, there are many in Indian Country 
who lack even basic infrastructure, such as running water and passable 
roads. Now, the nation and world are witnessing the deadly consequences 
of this neglect, as COVID-19 has spread through Tribal communities that 
are unable to implement such simple public health measures as frequent 
hand washing. As Congress and the Administration turn the focus to a 
once-in-generation infrastructure, jobs, and social reform package, the 
United States must commit to supporting the rebuilding and restoration 
of the sovereign Tribal Nations that exist within its domestic borders. 
Much like the U.S. investment in the rebuilding European nations 
following World War II via the Marshall Plan, the legislative and 
executive branches should commit to the same level of responsibility to 
assisting in the rebuilding of Tribal Nations, as our current 
circumstances are, in large part, directly attributable to the shameful 
acts and policies of the United States. In the same way the Marshall 
Plan acknowledged America's debt to European sovereigns and was 
utilized to strengthen our relationships and security abroad, the 
United States should make this strategic investment domestically. 
Strong Tribal Nations will result in a strengthened United States. At 
the same time, any infrastructure build--out, in Indian Country and 
beyond, must not occur at the expense of Tribal consultation, 
sovereignty, sacred sites, or public health.
    Mandatory Funding for Binding Obligations.--While USET SPF 
celebrates the achievement of separate, indefinite appropriations for 
both 105(l) leases and Contract Support Costs, we note that likely 
continued growth in these areas threatens future increases for other 
IHS and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) lines. While we contend that all 
federal Indian agencies and programs should be subject to mandatory 
funding, in recognition of perpetual trust and treaty obligations, we 
strongly support the Administration's proposal to transfer these lines 
to the mandatory side of the federal budget. This will ensure that 
funding increases are able to be allocated to service delivery, as 
opposed to the federal government's binding legal obligations.
    Promote Self-Governance through Interagency Transfer Authority.--
USET SPF is working toward a future in which all federal dollars are 
eligible to be contracted or compacted under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). In the meantime, 
we urge this Subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee to 
ensure all federal Indian funding can be transferred between federal 
agencies, so that it may be received through contracts and compacts. We 
cite the unnecessary delays and barriers to the receipt of urgently 
needed COVID-19 relief funding as an example of why this authority must 
be confirmed.
    Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).--USET SPF is pleased to note that 
President Biden's request for the BIA is $2.7 billion, which is a $610 
million increase over the FY 2021 enacted level. We support the 
targeted investments the proposal makes in for teachers and students in 
Tribal schools, clean energy development, and tribal law enforcement 
and court programs to improve safety. We also note the historic and 
continued unmet funding obligations with regard BIA's diverse line 
items and are encouraged by the nearly across-the-board increases 
provided under the FY 2022 request. After years of budget requests 
proposing deep cuts to BIA, we urge Congress to work with the Biden 
Administration's to enact substantial increases across the agency.
    Working in partnership with the BIA, the yearly budget formulation 
process now offers a much more comprehensive look at the priorities of 
Tribal Nations across the many lines and accounts found within the BIA 
budget. However, we remain focused on the addition of a component or 
calculation of BIA's unfunded obligations in order to measure 
performance. Due to space constraints, we offer the Eastern Region's 
top priority in eight different strategic funding categories, all of 
which have received increases, many substantial, under the President's 
FY 2022 proposal. We urge Congress to maintain or exceed these 
increases:

  --Strengthening Tribal Communities: Social Services (TPA)--+$12 
        million or a 23% increase
  --Trust-Natural Resources Management: Natural Resources (TPA)--+$10 
        million or a 125% increase
  --Trust-Land & Water Rights Management: Trust Services (TPA)--
        +$274,000 or a 3% increase
  --Public Safety & Justice: Tribal Courts (TPA)--+$4.2 million or an 
        11% increase
  --Economic Development: Economic Development (TPA)--+$7 million or a 
        213% increase
  --Education: Scholarships & Adult Education (TPA)--+$10 million or a 
        29% increase
  --Construction: Public Safety & Justice Facilities Replacement/New 
        Construction--+$5 million or a 20% increase
  --Resource Management Construction: Federal Power Compliance [FERC]--
        +$9,000 or a 1% increase

    Indian Health Service (IHS).--USET SPF is similarly pleased to see 
the proposed funding amount of $8.5 billion, a substantial increase of 
$2.2 billion over FY 2021 enacted. We are further encouraged that, for 
the first time, the President will include an advance appropriations 
request for IHS in FY 2023. We support advance appropriations as an 
important mechanism to provide certainty in funding to Tribal Nations 
and urge the Subcommittee to support this mechanism for all federal 
Indian programs. Finally, USET SPF strongly supports the Biden 
Administration's commitment to consulting with Tribal Nations on the 
possibility of mandatory funding for IHS. We hope that this 
Subcommittee will support these efforts for IHS--all federal Indian 
agencies and programs--as this, in combination with full funding,\1\ is 
the only way to truly uphold fiduciary obligations to Tribal Nations.
    In addition to providing a robust funding stream for current 
operations that reflects medical inflation, Nashville Area Tribal 
Nations identified our top 6 priority line items for increases in FY 
2022, all of which receive increases under the President's proposal. We 
urge Congress to maintain or exceed these increases: Hospitals and 
Clinics (+ $465 million or 21% increase), Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) 
(+$216 million or 22% increase), Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program 
(+$16 million or 6% increase), Mental Health Services (+$9.5 million or 
8% increase), Dental Health (+$73 million or 34% increase), and 
Electronic Health (+$250 million or 726% increase). Nashville Area 
priorities and hot issues also include funding for Maintenance & 
Improvement, Sanitation Facilities Construction, Health Education, 
Urban Indian Health Program Support, continued support for newly 
federally recognized Tribal Nations, culturally appropriate substance 
abuse treatment aftercare and housing programs, Hepatitis C prevention 
and treatment, constitutionality challenges, increases in SDPI funding, 
and parity in group payor authorities when sponsoring patients on 
insurance plans.
    Other Selected Lines and Programs.--Though not an exhaustive list, 
USET SPF strongly supports the continued funding and increases for the 
following lines and programs: Good Health and Wellness in Indian 
Country (CDC), Rural Community Facilities (ACF), Tribal Opioid Response 
Grants (SAMHSA), Community Development Financial Institutions Fund 
grants, the Indian Community Development Block Grant, USDA Rural 
Business Development grants, EPA state and Tribal assistance grants, 
BIA Tribal Climate Science Centers, Tribal Historic Preservation 
funding, the 5% Tribal set aside from the Crime Victims Fund, and 
Native American Housing Block Grants. We also strongly support the 
Biden Administration's proposed $450 million investment to facilitate 
climate mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and environmental justice 
projects in Indian Country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Current estimates put full funding for IHS at approximately $48 
billion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the WateReuse Association (WRA)
    Thank you for the opportunity to present our FY 2022 funding 
requests for programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA). The WateReuse Association (WRA) is a not-for-profit trade 
association for water utilities, businesses, industrial and commercial 
enterprises, non-profit organizations, and research entities that 
engage in and on water reuse. WRA and its state and regional sections 
represent more than 200 water utilities serving over 60 million 
customers, and over 300 businesses and organizations across the 
country. WRA's mission is to engage its members in a movement for safe 
and sustainable water supplies, to promote acceptance and support of 
recycled water, and to advocate for policies and funding that increase 
water reuse.
    As climate change accelerates, and its associated adverse impacts 
on water resources increase, it is vitally important that the nation 
invest in water recycling to build resilience, manage energy demands, 
support public and environmental health, and ensure America's economic 
prosperity. Investments in water recycling ensure reliable and 
resilient community water supplies, support sustainable economic 
development, and help protect our rivers, lakes, streams, aquifers and 
wetlands.
    In Virginia's tidewater region, Hampton Roads Sanitation District 
is pursuing a multi--benefit water reuse program called the Sustainable 
Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT). HRSD's SWIFT project treats 
wastewater effluent to drinking water standards and reuses it to 
recharge the regional aquifer. The investment of $1.1 billion in 
capital outlays provides critical public health, environmental and 
economic benefits by replenishing the overdrawn Potomac Aquifer, 
recharging 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of fresh water at full 
implementation, providing a reliable safe water supply to support the 
region's population and the nation's critical military assets, and 
generating nutrient credits that HRSD can trade--providing an estimated 
savings of $1.5 billion for 11 counties across the region. EPA 
investment programs have provided critical capital to help move this 
large project forward.
    In Florida's Tampa Bay Region, Hillsborough County's Saltwater 
Intrusion and Aquifer Recharge Program (SHARP) is creating a hydraulic 
barrier to saltwater intrusion between the Bay and the region's 
drinking water aquifer. At a cost of $20 million, SHARP is yielding 
significant climate--resiliency benefits by protecting the region's 
freshwater aquifer from sea level rise and saltwater intrusion, 
reducing pumping costs and energy use by raising groundwater levels and 
increasing pressure in the potable freshwater aquifer, generating water 
supply credits that offset the project's cost, and supporting seagrass 
and fishery recovery efforts by reducing nutrient and other effluent 
loadings.
    In Texas, El Paso Water is using water recycling and saline 
groundwater desalination to produce a drought--resilient, cost-
effective, and reliable water supply to support a vibrant local 
economy. Compared to the next best alternative (importing groundwater), 
El Paso's water reuse program is reducing energy use by 3.6 million MWH 
over the planning period, shrinking the agency's carbon footprint by 
nearly 700,000 MT of carbon emissions over a 50-year period, and 
addressing affordability challenges related to imported water by saving 
more than $1.2 billion, or 74 percent.
    In Southern California's Chino Basin, local leaders developed the 
Optimum Basin Management Program (OBMP) to address the region's water 
challenges. At its core, the OBMP is a water reuse program with other 
key components facilitated by water recycling. The OBMP generates 
energy savings in excess of 5.8 Billion kWh over 30 years by relying on 
local resources rather than energy intensive water imports, saves 
ratepayers an estimated $2.4 billion in water supply costs (a 153 
percent return on investment), and restores instream flows and water 
quality in the Santa Ana River, returning a surface water supply to 
downstream Orange County and replenishing and improving water quality 
in the Chino Groundwater Basin.
    These are just a few examples of innovative, successful water 
recycling projects from around the country. As you begin the FY 2022 
appropriations cycle, we urge you to make the following investments to 
support water recycling as a resource management tool:

Programs Authorized in America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 
        2018
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Account: State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)

    We request the following amounts for FY 2022 for three programs 
authorized in AWIA:

  --$5 million for SEC. 2005--Drinking Water Infrastructure Resilience 
        and Sustainability Program
  --$5 million for SEC. 2007--Innovative Water Technology Grant Program
  --$60 million for SEC. 4106--Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse 
        Municipal Grants

    These three programs were created in the America's Water 
Infrastructure Act of 2018. In FY 2020, Congress provided first-time 
funding for all three programs: $3 million for Sec. 2005, $1 million 
for Sec. 2007, and $28 million for Sec. 4106. Congress increased 
funding for each the following year. We thank you for these important 
investments, and urge you to build upon them in FY 2022.
    These programs will provide tools and resources to support 
innovation in addressing unique local challenges in water supply and 
water quality, including practices involving the use of recycled 
wastewater effluent, captured stormwater, and other alternative water 
sources in all states.
Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Account: State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)

    The successful Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program is 
the primary source of federal financing assistance for clean water 
infrastructure. The CWSRF is an important tool used across all 50 
states and in communities of all sizes to help communities make 
investments more affordably. Our nation's water infrastructure faces 
significant infrastructure investment challenges with utilities 
challenged to maintain and upgrade aging infrastructure, comply with 
federal obligations, protect public health and serve as environmental 
stewards in their community--all while maintaining affordable rates for 
critical services. A significant increase in funding for the CWSRF 
would help communities meet these growing needs. We therefore request 
$3.4 billion in FY 2022.
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Account: Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Fund

    The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program accelerates 
investment in our nation's water infrastructure by providing long-term, 
low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant 
projects. EPA estimates that a $50 million Water Infrastructure Finance 
& Innovation Act (WIFIA) appropriation can be leveraged into $5 billion 
in low-interest federal loans and $10 billion in new water 
infrastructure projects. A small increase in appropriated dollars for 
this program can go a very long way toward advancing water reuse and 
recycling across the country. Already, WIFIA has made major investments 
in innovative water recycling projects, and we expect to see this trend 
continue into the future. We therefore request a $5 million increase to 
$70 million in FY 2022 for the Water Infrastructure Finance and 
Innovation Program.
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Account: State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)

    Following the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, 
Congress demonstrated its commitment to safe drinking water and 
economic growth by investing more than $19 billion into 13,800 drinking 
water improvement projects nationwide. These investments have been 
matched nearly 2:1 with non-federal dollars. Despite the large 
investment, the need for drinking water infrastructure improvements far 
exceeds available dollars. An increase in FY 2022 would support the 
development and modernization of critical infrastructure to meet 
America's future drinking water needs. We therefore request $2.32 
billion in FY 2022 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
National Priorities Water Research Grant Program
Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Account: Science & Technology

    The water sector in the United States is vital for supporting 
healthy families and thriving communities. Today, the water sector is 
facing unprecedented challenges, including extreme drought, 
catastrophic flooding, failing infrastructure, emerging contaminants, 
and dramatic changes in population. Water research will play a critical 
role in developing cost-effective solutions to these challenges to 
ensure thriving, resilient communities, create jobs, and support 
healthy families. In recent years, Congress has appropriated hundreds 
of millions of dollars for EPA research, but less than 15 percent of 
EPA's Science and Technology Account funding is dedicated to water 
related research. Less than 1 percent of these funds supports applied 
research for water utilities. We therefore request an increase in 
funding to $20 million for the National Priorities Water Research grant 
program in order to better reflect the urgent research needs of the 
water sector.

    [This statement was submitted by Greg Fogel.]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of WESTAF and the Western Arts Advocacy Network
Dear Senator Merkley, Senator Murkowski, and Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies Subcommittee Members:

    Thank you for providing the opportunity to submit outside witness 
testimony as you consider investments in vital federal agencies, 
including the National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment). The 
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), a regional partner of the Arts 
Endowment, and the Western Arts Advocacy Network (WAAN) write to affirm 
the integral role the Endowment plays in communities throughout the 
region. Through innovative programming, advocacy, research, technology, 
and grantmaking, WESTAF encourages the creative advancement and 
preservation of the arts in the West, serving the states of Alaska, 
Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New 
Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. WAAN brings together 
leaders from state arts advocacy organizations and other key advocates 
from across the West to network, share best practices, and inform 
WESTAF's support of arts advocacy.
    We know that arts and creativity strengthen our nation. Arts and 
creativity make us stronger--as individuals, families, communities, 
states and as a country. They are a backbone of innovation, prosperity, 
and thriving people and places. Public funding for arts and creativity 
is a high return investment that benefits every American in every city, 
town and rural community nationwide.
    We urge you to support the proposed increase of the Arts 
Endowment's budget to $201 million. Because of the leadership of 
Congress, this increase will mean expanded support of arts and culture 
across the West driven by decisions made at the community level. We 
also urge Congress to continue bipartisan support and substantially 
increase National Endowment for the Arts funding in the FY 2022 
Interior Appropriations Bill in order to broaden access to the 
cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts and to advance 
creativity and innovation in communities across the United States. We 
further request you to support the recovery of the arts sector by 
allowing the Arts Endowment to provide more and larger grants, suspend 
matching requirements, and allow for additional general operating 
support funding to be provided to arts and cultural organizations that 
continue to struggle to adapt to the impact of the pandemic.
    We deeply understand the importance of the Arts Endowment's 
leadership in the West and would like to point out the following:

    1. The Arts Endowment is a significant funder and a positive force 
for arts development in the West, a fast growing and exceptionally 
diverse region that is home to nearly a quarter of the U.S. population.
    2. Arts Endowment funds reach every congressional district in the 
West and throughout the United States (435 congressional districts). 
Arts Endowment support is a critical component in ensuring that arts 
funding reaches every community in the U.S.
    3. In the West, the Arts Endowment has awarded more than $25 
million in grants annually to arts efforts in recent years. In 2021, 
the Arts Endowment awarded $10.7 million to support state arts agencies 
in the West, and across the region the Endowment's federal-state 
partnership is absolutely essential.
    4. Every dollar of federal funding invested in the National 
Endowment for the Arts leverages $9 of additional funding nationally. 
Investment into state arts agencies in our region alone provides an 
over 7:1 return on investment (see table below).

              National Endowment for the Arts Contribution to State Arts Agency Revenue in the West
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Total Agency Revenue     Arts Endowment funds   % of Total Funding From
                State                            ($)                      ($)                 Arts Endowment
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska...............................                2,723,331                  736,000                      27%
Arizona..............................                1,966,250                  889,600                    45.2%
California...........................               42,209,600                1,231,600                     2.9%
Colorado.............................                2,157,937                  772,100                    35.8%
Hawai'i..............................                7,257,667                  727,600                      10%
Idaho................................                1,713,912                  834,100                    48.7%
Montana..............................                1,888,554                  853,000                    45.2%
Nevada...............................                1,892,082                  752,100                    39.7%
New Mexico...........................                2,229,600                  747,000                    33.5%
Oregon...............................                5,648,040                  775,500                    13.7%
Utah.................................                7,854,300                  774,900                     9.9%
Washington...........................                5,927,493                  893,000                      15%
Wyoming..............................                1,700,217                  752,500                    44.3%
WESTAF region........................               85,168,983               10,739,000                    12.6%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2021

    Based on 2019 data, the arts and culture sector represents 4.3 
percent of the nation's gross domestic product at $919.7 billion, and 
the sector trades at a surplus of more than $33 billion annually 
(Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2019). The nonprofit arts industry alone 
supports 5.2 million jobs in the arts and related industries. In the 
West, jobs in creative occupations, creative industries earnings, and 
cultural nonprofit revenues were all on an upward growth trajectory 
prior to the pandemic according to WESTAF's Creative Vitality Suite 
data.


    Helping the creative economy to get back on track will reap rewards 
for the region and the nation as a whole. The National Endowment for 
the Arts acts as the flag bearer for this vital industry in our nation 
that in the West alone grew by 78% between 2011 and 2019 (Creative 
Vitality Suite, 2021).
    Arts and creativity are an American economic engine. They provide 
people with the foundation for creativity, equipping an innovative 
workforce, generating new ideas in every field, and keeping our nation 
globally competitive. Arts and creativity strengthen economic health by 
creating jobs in multiple industries, driving tourism, and providing 
opportunities for young people. New research shows that the arts can 
accelerate state and local economic turnarounds. A first-of-its-kind 
empirical analysis conducted by Douglas Noonan at Indiana University 
studied the role of the arts in economic recovery after the Great 
Recession, and the data reveals that the creative sector grew more 
quickly than the general economy in those years. Unlike conventional 
industrial supply chains, the arts often grow independently from other 
sectors, which helps to diversify state economies. States with varied 
arts ecosystems (including the performing, visual, media, design and 
publishing subsectors) posted bigger economic gains after the Great 
Recession than their less--diversified neighbors. Creativity stimulates 
economic development while bolstering civic engagement, making the arts 
a powerful catalyst for building economic strength, as shown in 
companion research produced by WESTAF.
    Recent examples of the Arts Endowment's direct support in the West 
ranges from ongoing support of Alaska's Sitka Fine Arts Camp for middle 
and high school students that features Alaska Native arts to a series 
of community--centered mural projects in rural Missoula, Montana. The 
Arts Endowment invests in projects that represent all communities in 
the West, but the agency's support has been particularly important to 
engaging rural communities, indigenous communities, young people, and 
the full range of communities that make up the West in terms of race 
and ethnicity. The Endowment's long standing focus on the 
``underserved,'' prompted in part by Congressional leadership, inspires 
the work of state arts agencies across the West and the work of WESTAF.
    Public funding for arts and creativity is a high--return investment 
in every town and rural community nationwide, not only in the biggest 
cities. It improves the lives of all Americans, equips an innovative 
workforce, and keeps us competitive globally. It is a great example of 
government done right that fuels public--private partnerships, 
leverages considerable additional public and private investment far 
surpassing the required federal match of 1:1, and puts tax dollars and 
decision--making authority into state and local hands. In FY21, the 
budget of the NEA was $167.5 million, only .0004 percent of the federal 
budget (49 cents per person). A more robust agency budget would not 
only help to support the recovery of one of the most devastated 
industries emerging from the pandemic but also move us toward ensuring 
that the arts contribute to the present and future strength, pride, 
cohesion and economic success of every community in the United States.

            Sincerely,

Tamara Alvarado,Chair
Christian Gaines, Executive Director
David Holland, Director, Impact & Public Policy

Western Arts Advocacy Network
Julie Baker Co-Chair, Executive Director
California Arts Advocates Californians for the Arts

Manny Cawaling Co-Chair, Executive Director
Inspire Washington

Norm Campbell, President
Alaska Arts & Culture Foundation

Joseph Benesh,Executive Director
Artizona Citizens for the Arts

Christin Crampton Day, Executive Director
Colorado Business Committee for the Arts

Benjamin Brown, Chair
Alaska State Council on the Arts

Paul Stahl, Chair
Montana Cultural Advocacy

Tia Flores, Chair
Cultural Alliance Nevada

Jim Patterson, Chair
Creative New Mexico

Sue Hildick, Executive Director
Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon

Crystal Young-Otterstrom, Executive Director
Utah Cultural Alliance

Wendy Bredehoft, Chair
Wyoming Arts Alliance
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Western Governors' Association
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, the Western Governors' Association (WGA) appreciates the 
opportunity to provide written testimony on the appropriations and 
activities of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest 
Service (USFS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). WGA is an 
independent organization representing the Governors of the 22 
westernmost states and territories. The Association is an instrument of 
the Governors for bipartisan policy development, information--sharing 
and collective action on issues of critical importance to the western 
United States.
    The agencies within the Subcommittee's jurisdiction wield 
significant influence over vast areas of the American West. Ninety-four 
percent of all federal lands are located in the western states, and the 
federal government owns over 46 percent of the land within active WGA 
states. The work of this Subcommittee is of vital importance to Western 
Governors, as it affects public lands management and federal agency 
interaction with other levels of government and the public.
    There is a natural tension between state and federal governments 
that is embedded in the fabric of the U.S. Constitution. These 
sovereign governments must have a close and productive working 
relationship to promote efficiency and maximize returns on taxpayer 
investments. Improving the partnership between states and the federal 
government is central to the mission of WGA and is reflected in WGA 
Policy Resolution 2021-01, Strengthening the State-Federal 
Relationship.
    In last year's House committee report accompanying the Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations 
bill (H. Rpt. 116-448), the federal agencies funded by the Interior 
bill were directed to provide appropriate feedback on tribal input 
received by agencies through meaningful consultation in their 
decision--making processes. Similar direction to federal agencies for 
government-to-government consultation with states, which is required 
pursuant to Executive Order 13132, Federalism, would improve the co-
sovereign relationship between states and the federal government.
    WGA continues to create opportunities for a more productive state--
federal relationship. For example, Governors are proud of the 2018 
Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between WGA and 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The MOU has allowed Western 
Governors and USDA to collaboratively engage on several cross--
boundary, cross-jurisdictional concerns, including post--wildfire 
interagency coordination, cheatgrass infestations, and vegetation 
management in utility corridors. This has also led to positive 
engagement between individual states and the agency: USDA has now 
executed Shared Stewardship agreements with 25 states, 15 of which are 
within the WGA footprint. These agreements provide states a useful tool 
to discuss land management priorities with USDA and coordinate on 
priority management projects across a broad range of needs, from 
wildfire mitigation to habitat improvement to watershed protection. 
Western Governors consider the WGA-USDA Shared Stewardship MOU an 
effective framework to establish shared state--federal priorities for 
forest and rangeland management, and encourage the development of 
similar MOUs with other Executive Branch agencies for other areas of 
cooperative endeavor.
    Responsible land management can only occur when federal, state and 
local stakeholders collaborate to improve the health and resilience of 
our lands. Likewise, proactive fish and wildlife conservation is most 
effective when leveraging the cooperative efforts of state and federal 
officials across multiple disciplines. To this end, Western Governors 
support all reasonable proactive management efforts to conserve 
species, including engaging stakeholders to implement early, voluntary 
conservation measures. WGA also believes the Services should explore 
expanded use of detail positions and shared staff between state and 
federal agencies to increase interagency coordination.
    States possess primary authority to manage most fish and wildlife 
within their borders, and they receive economic benefits associated 
with healthy species and ecosystems. At the same time, species listings 
can dramatically affect the efforts of western states to promote 
economic development, accommodate population growth, and maintain and 
expand infrastructure. Western Governors believe that states should be 
full partners in listing, critical habitat designations, recovery 
planning, recovery efforts, and delisting decisions. State agencies 
often have the best available science, expertise and other scientific 
and institutional resources such as mapping capabilities, biological 
inventories, biological management goals, state wildlife action plans 
and other important data. All listing, recovery and delisting decisions 
made by the federal government should recognize, consult, and employ 
these vast state resources and utilize objective, peer--reviewed 
scientific literature and scientific observations.
    Fish and wildlife migration corridors and habitat are necessary to 
maintain healthy populations of species in the West. Western Governors 
request additional funding for federal agencies to advance state--
supported programs and projects promoting voluntary migration corridor 
and habitat conservation. Governors note that any federal efforts to 
identify, regulate or conserve wildlife migration corridors through 
administrative or legislative action must involve coordination and 
consultation with states and should advance collaborative, locally 
driven initiatives to conserve key wildlife corridors and habitat.
    WGA applauds the full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes 
(PILT) program administered by DOI for FY21 and recommends the 
enactment of a permanent and stable funding mechanism for the program. 
PILT funding does not represent a gift to local jurisdictions; rather 
it provides important compensation for the disproportionate measure of 
non-taxable federal lands in the West. Similarly, payments under the 
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) 
compensate communities whose timber industries have been negatively 
affected by actions and acquisitions of the federal government. Western 
Governors request that you continue to appropriate full funding 
annually for both PILT and SRS in the future.
    Western Governors continue to be concerned about the number of wild 
horses and burros on BLM lands. This number is presently estimated to 
be more than triple the current Appropriate Management Level (AML). 
Overpopulation can degrade rangeland, negatively affecting wildlife and 
domestic livestock, as well as the habitat of threatened and endangered 
species. WGA supports a process to establish, monitor and adjust AMLs 
for wild horses and burros that is transparent to stakeholders, 
supported by scientific information (including state data), and 
amenable to adaptation with new information and environmental and 
social change. Western Governors recognize BLM's 2019 Path Forward for 
Management of BLM's Wild Horses and Burros and 2020 Analysis of 
Achieving a Sustainable Wild Horse and Burro Program as examples of 
sensible alternatives to current wild horse and burro management 
practices. WGA encourages the Subcommittee to support the BLM's use of 
the recommendations contained in these proposals and to implement the 
provisions most likely to lead to attainment and maintenance of AMLs.
    WGA remains concerned about the spread of invasive mussels in the 
West and has highlighted this issue through the Western Governors' 
Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative. Of particular concern are 
invasive quagga and zebra mussels, which continue to be a major threat 
to western water resources. To combat this threat, Western Governors 
request that the BLM, FWS and NPS be provided with the resources 
necessary to implement mandatory inspection of all high--risk 
watercraft and decontamination of watercraft infested with quagga and 
zebra mussels leaving waterbodies under their jurisdiction. Outside the 
jurisdiction of the Subcommittee but relevant to this matter, Western 
Governors support legislation that would clarify federal authority to 
conduct inspection and decontamination procedures and manage invasive 
species on lands and waters under their jurisdiction.
    Western Governors applaud NPS for its efforts to preserve iconic 
landscapes, habitats and cultural resources. WGA is concerned, however, 
about the significant maintenance backlog affecting National Parks. WGA 
appreciates the funding authorized by the Great American Outdoors Act 
for priority deferred maintenance projects administered by federal land 
management agencies and supports ongoing NPS operations to address 
critical infrastructure needs.
    Data for water management and drought response planning is critical 
to western states. Western Governors request adequate funding levels 
for the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program administered by 
the U.S. Geological Survey. The data generated by the program is 
integral to water supply management decisions of states, utilities, 
reservoir operators and farmers. It is also essential for risk 
management, disaster mitigation, and drought and flood forecasting 
throughout the West.
    Infrastructure management is another crucial element of drought 
response, and federal investments in our nation's aging water and 
wastewater facilities are essential to our nation's continued economic 
prosperity and environmental protection. EPA'S Clean Water and Drinking 
Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) provide necessary support for 
communities to maintain and enhance their water infrastructure. Western 
Governors' Policy Resolution 2018-12, Water Quality in the West, 
encourages adequate funding for SRFs. Western Governors similarly 
support the funding of federal programs that promote non-federal water 
infrastructure investment, such as the Water Infrastructure Finance 
Innovation Act program. This important program provides flexible long-
term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for projects of national 
and regional significance.
    States have exclusive authority over the allocation and 
administration of rights to groundwater located within their borders 
and are primarily responsible for protecting, managing, and otherwise 
controlling the resource. The regulatory reach of the federal 
government was not intended to, and should not, be applied to the 
management and control of groundwater resources. WGA encourages 
Congress to include express and unambiguous language protecting states' 
authority over groundwater resources in any water--related legislation, 
as well as clear direction to administrative agencies to respect such 
authority. WGA appreciates the language included by the Subcommittee in 
prior Appropriations Acts addressing existing statutory authorities for 
groundwater protection. Federal agencies should work within existing 
state authorities to address their groundwater--related needs and 
concerns. WGA urges you to ensure that federal efforts involving 
groundwater recognize and respect state primacy and comply with all 
statutory authorities.
    States also possess delegated authority from EPA to manage air 
quality within their borders. Congress and EPA should recognize state 
authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and accord states sufficient 
flexibility to create air quality and emissions programs tailored to 
individual state needs, industries and economies. State CAA programs 
require financial support from Congress, yet funding has declined since 
the CAA's enactment. In addition, given the unique character of the 
West and the region's attainment challenges, funding should be 
appropriated for EPA to assist western states in research on 
background, interstate and transported ozone. This is especially 
critical as more frequent and intense wildfires are steadily reducing 
the West's gains in air quality improvement. Smoke from wildfires 
causes exceedances under National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
particulate matter and ozone, negatively affecting public health, 
safety and transportation. Prescribed fire can reduce these effects but 
is currently underused in many areas due to concerns about how it may 
affect compliance with CAA State Implementation Plans.
    Western Governors and federal land management agencies deal with a 
complex web of interrelated natural resource issues. It is an enormous 
challenge to judiciously balance competing needs in this environment, 
and Western Governors appreciate the difficulty of the decisions this 
Subcommittee must make. The foregoing recommendations are offered in a 
spirit of cooperation and respect, and WGA is prepared to assist you in 
discharging these critical and challenging responsibilities.

    [This statement was submitted by James D. Ogsbury, Executive 
Director.]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Western States Water Council
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, on behalf of the Western States Water Council (WSWC) we 
welcome the opportunity to provide written testimony on federal agency 
activities and appropriations under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. 
The WSWC is a government entity an instrumentality of each and every 
participating state advising western governors of water policies and 
programs. Members are appointed and serve at the pleasure of their 
respective governors.
                       department of the interior
Indian Water Rights Settlements
    The Council reiterates its support for encouraging negotiated 
settlements of disputed Indian water rights claims as the best solution 
to the critical problem of limited resources to fulfill tribal and non-
tribal water needs that affects almost all of the Western States. We 
urge the Subcommittee to support Indian water rights settlements with a 
strong fiscal commitment for meaningful federal contributions that 
recognizes the trust obligations of the United States government. 
Indian water rights settlements are not and should not be defined as 
Congressional earmarks. Indian water rights settlements, once 
authorized by the Congress and approved by the President, should be 
funded without a corresponding offset, including cuts to some other 
tribal or essential Interior Department programs.
General State Stream Adjudications
    The States are primarily responsible for the allocation, 
administration, management and protection of the water resources and 
rights to the use of water within their borders. The western states use 
general stream adjudications to determine and document the quantity and 
priority dates of water rights within basins, including rights to 
waters claimed by the United States under either state or federal law. 
General stream adjudications give certainty to water rights, provide 
the basis for water right administration, reduce conflict over water 
allocation and water usage, and incidentally facilitate important 
market transactions for western water rights. As a matter of policy, 
federal agencies should pay a fair share of the administrative costs 
associated with adjudicating their often--numerous claims in state 
court adjudications. Further, federal agencies should be given policy 
direction to ensure that federal claims filed in state court 
adjudications have a sound basis in fact and law. States continue to 
encounter questionable claims that can be very costly to evaluate, thus 
diverting limited state resources from completing general stream 
adjudications.
WaterSMART
    Maintaining and delivering sufficient water supplies of suitable 
quality is key to the West's economic prosperity, environmental needs, 
and our quality of life, both now and in the future. As recognized in 
the Science and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and 
Responsibly Enhance (SECURE) Water Act, `` . . . States bear the 
primary responsibility and authority for managing the water resources 
of the United States.'' Western water law and policy are based on the 
reality of scarcity and the need to use water wisely. Western states 
have made great strides in increasing efficiency and reducing water 
use, but continued investments and sacrifices are needed to maintain 
our quality of life and to protect our environment. The SECURE Water 
Act also recognizes that ``the Federal Government should support the 
States, as well as regional, local and tribal governments . . . '' and 
authorizes a number of important programs to provide this much--needed 
support. The Council supports technical and financial assistance to 
states, local watershed groups and water districts as an appropriate 
federal role, consistent with authorized federal programs. Section 9504 
of the SECURE Water Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to 
provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements to assist states 
and other non-federal entities in carrying out a range of water use 
efficiency improvements to address crucial water supply issues, stretch 
limited water supplies, and improve water management.
U.S. Geological Survey
    Real-time water resources data are critical for timely actions in 
response to droughts, flooding, and other extreme weather events. The 
lack of federal capital investments in water data programs has led to 
the discontinuance, disrepair, or obsolescence of vital equipment 
needed to maintain existing water data gathering activities. The lack 
of timely and accurate streamflow information threatens to put human 
life, health, welfare, property, and environmental and natural 
resources at a considerably greater risk of loss. The data is integral 
to water supply management decisions of states, utilities, reservoir 
operators and farmers. It is also essential for risk management, 
disaster mitigation, and drought and flood forecasting throughout the 
West.
    Many WaterSMART programs have largely been underfunded or remain 
dependent on year-to-year appropriations. Section 9507 of the SECURE 
Water Act authorizes enhancements to the U.S. Geological Survey's 
(USGS) National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP) in order to 
provide an improved national backbone focused on national needs and 
interests. The Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program (GWSIP) 
and USGS' cooperative matching funds within the Water Availability and 
Use Science Program (WAUSP), together provide vital water data that 
States and other public and private entities and individuals rely on in 
making day-to-day planning and management decisions. Section 9508(c) 
authorizes the USGS to ``provide grants to State water resource 
agencies to assist in developing water use and availability datasets'' 
and has led to initiation of the Water-Use Data and Research (WUDR) 
program, in support of the Water Use Data for the Nation publication 
and the National Water Census. USGS' GWSIP, WAUSP, and WUDR together 
will provide vital water data that States and other public and private 
entities may rely on to make day-to-day planning and management 
decisions.
    The Council expresses our strong support for implementation of the 
SECURE Water Act, and encourages the Subcommittee to ensure that the 
Act's authorized activities receive support and appropriations that are 
adequate to fulfill their stated purposes as a dedicated line item.
Water Resources Research Institutes
    The USGS Water Resources Research Act program promotes, 
facilitates, and conducts research that helps resolve state and 
regional water problems, promotes technology transfer, facilitates 
dissemination and application of research, trains scientists through 
participation in research, and awards competitive grants. Water 
resources research, the dissemination and application of research 
results or research to operations (R2O) and technology transfer are 
increasingly important to meeting our present and future water needs. 
The Water Resources Research Act of 1964 authorizes a program that 
includes the establishment of state water resources research institutes 
(WRRIs) or centers in each state to address our water resources 
challenges. Today's institutes and centers provide a research 
infrastructure that uses the capabilities of universities to greatly 
assist and provide important support to western state water agencies in 
long-term planning, policy development, and management of the 
increasingly complex water challenges. These challenges are exacerbated 
by the uncertainty surrounding population growth, climate, and economic 
and environmental water demands.
    The Council and its member states continue to work with the 
institutes/centers and the academic community to ensure research 
investments are relevant to our most pressing water problems and allow 
each state to use methods most appropriate for its own situation. The 
institutes/centers' outreach and information transfer services and 
activities are very valuable to the water communities in the various 
western states. This is a very worthwhile federal--state partnership 
that promotes collaboration, cooperation and the conservation of 
limited physical, financial and personnel resources. We urge the 
Subcommittee to maintain appropriate financial support for the state 
WRRIs.
    We appreciate the opportunity to provide written testimony.
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of the Western States Water Council
    Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the 
Subcommittee, on behalf of the Western States Water Council (WSWC) we 
welcome the opportunity to provide written testimony on federal agency 
activities and appropriations under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction. 
The WSWC is a government entity advising western governors of water 
policies and programs. Members are appointed and serve at the pleasure 
of their respective governors.
                    environmental protection agency
Federal-State Relations
    Federal agencies' coordination and collaboration with States is a 
key element of the Clean Water Act's (CWA) regulatory federalism. 
States are partners and not stakeholders. When it comes to protecting 
the Nation's water quality, we strongly urge continuing appropriations 
to support interagency coordination and consultation at the federal, 
state, and tribal levels.
    States are primarily responsible for managing water resources and 
water quality within their borders, and most States employ delegated 
authority under the CWA. This state--federal relationship is especially 
important in light of the announced review of the CWA Section 401 
Implementation Rule and the definition of ``Waters of the United 
States'' (WOTUS) under the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). 
While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outreach regarding NWPR 
development was unprecedented, similar involvement by States regarding 
implementation of State 401 Certification authority was lacking. The 
Council maintains that state engagement and meaningful state 
consultation regarding the review and implementation of these rules, 
and any potential changes to these rules, is critical.
    The Council has been involved in a support role with EPA and the 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in efforts to improve mapping of the 
Nation's waters and wetlands, and we urge the Subcommittee to provide 
the resources necessary to develop the data needed for decisionmaking. 
Some of the friction regarding WOTUS is due to the lack of common 
baseline data and definitions for the Nation's waters. We strongly 
support mapping efforts. We recognize the importance of science and the 
interconnected nature of surface water, groundwater, and wetlands, 
while also recognizing the Congress and Supreme Court have limited the 
scope of federal CWA jurisdiction. States have authority to protect all 
waters within the State. EPA support for state programs, delegated or 
otherwise, should not be affected by questions related to federal 
jurisdiction.
    States maintain primacy over groundwater management and protection. 
As continued drought forces many States to rely more heavily on 
groundwater resources, the nexus between groundwater and surface water 
is becoming increasingly apparent and important. The Council asserts 
that any federal strategy to protect groundwater quality must recognize 
and respect state primacy and be built as a genuine federal/state 
partnership. States recognize the importance of effective groundwater 
management and are in the best position to protect groundwater quality, 
as well as allow for the orderly and rational allocation and 
administration of the resource through state laws and regulations that 
are specific to their individual circumstances. Working cooperatively 
with their federal partners, states have shown that they have the 
ability and authority to address federal needs regarding groundwater 
within existing legal frameworks.
Infrastructure
    Water infrastructure improvements are a continuing chronic need 
across the country, and especially in rural and tribal areas across the 
West. Federal funding is critical for the Clean Water and Drinking 
Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs), the Water Infrastructure Financing 
and Innovation Act (WIFIA), and State and Tribal Assistance Grants for 
ensuring communities have access to clean, safe and reliable drinking 
water and wastewater services. The Council supports adequate funding 
for these programs to carry out their intended purposes.
    EPA's SRF programs provide states with capitalization grants that 
are leveraged with state contributions to offer financial assistance to 
cities, towns, communities, and others for the planning, design, 
construction and rehabilitation of built and green water and 
wastewater--related infrastructure to improve source and drinking water 
quality. These programs are one of the principal tools that states use 
to pursue the goals of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. 
The Nation's wastewater and drinking water infrastructure is aging and 
in need of repair and replacement. To the extent federal law has 
established certain nationwide levels of treatment for drinking water 
and wastewater, the federal government has a corresponding obligation 
to provide states with the necessary financial and technical assistance 
needed to comply with such requirements, including the appropriation of 
adequate funding for SRF capitalization grants.
    New competing water and wastewater infrastructure funding programs 
should not come at the expense of the SRFs, which are a proven model 
for addressing water and wastewater infrastructure needs. We urge the 
Subcommittee to ensure that stable and continuing federal 
appropriations are made for SRF capitalization grants, WIFIA loans and 
State and Tribal Assistance Grants at levels that are adequate to help 
States address their water infrastructure needs and protect public 
health and the environment for the benefit of the people.
    Congress has approved a several requirements on the states' 
management and use of SRF funds, including but not limited to mandating 
the use of a percentage of appropriated funds for principal 
forgiveness, negative interest loans, grants, or a combination thereof. 
Funding is also set aside for green infrastructure, water or energy 
efficiency, or other environmentally innovative activities. These and 
other requirements, often well--intended, are generally aimed at 
advancing policy objectives that are unrelated or contrary to the SRFs' 
primary purpose of providing funding for basic water infrastructure. 
They also reduce the flexibility of the States to manage SRFs in a 
cost--effective manner and represent unfunded federal mandates that 
impose significant regulatory burdens, make state SRF programs less 
attractive to local entities, and reduce the capacity of a State to 
leverage their SRF programs and address infrastructure needs. SRF 
programs should allow States greater flexibility and require fewer 
restrictions.
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony.
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Wildlife Conservation Society
    The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) would like to thank 
Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and the members of the 
Subcommittee for providing this opportunity to submit testimony in 
support of funding in the FY22 Interior, Environment and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act for the Multinational Species Conservation 
Fund (MSCF), Office of International Affairs (IA), Office of Law 
Enforcement (OLE), and Cooperative Landscape Conservation (CLC) Program 
accounts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the International 
Forestry program (FS-IP) at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the 
Climate Adaptation Science Centers at the U.S. Geological Survey 
(USGS).
    WCS was founded with the help of Theodore Roosevelt in 1895 with 
the mission of saving wildlife and wild places worldwide. Today, WCS 
manages the largest network of urban wildlife parks in the United 
States, led by our flagship, the Bronx Zoo. Globally, our goal is to 
conserve the world's most important wild places, focusing on 14 
priority regions that are home to more than 50% of the world's 
biodiversity. We have offices and field programs in more than 60 
countries and work with our partners to manage more than 200 million 
acres of protected areas around the world, employing more than 4,000 
staff including about 200 Ph.D. scientists and 100 veterinarians.
    The United States needs to reengage in advancing environmental and 
conservation solutions as the world faces existential crises all caused 
by humankind: the loss of biodiversity, climate change, and the threat 
of pandemic disease. These crises are interrelated, with many of the 
same causes and solutions. We know that pandemics of zoonotic origin 
(passed between animals and people) such as COVID-19 are directly tied 
to wildlife trade and the breaching of the human--wildlife interface 
through deforestation and forest degradation. We also know that 
deforestation and forest degradation are major causes of carbon 
emissions, and that more than a third of the answer to climate 
mitigation can come from nature--based solutions. Protected and 
conserved areas are at the heart: they protect biodiversity, mitigate 
climate change, and prevent future pandemics of zoonotic origin. 
Further, they support the livelihoods and well-being of millions of 
people and are critical to achieving the UN Sustainable Development 
Goals. Additional funding in the FY22 Interior appropriations bill for 
international conservation programs will be critical to address these 
crises and reassert U.S. leadership in the world.
    FWS--Multinational Species Conservation Fund--$30 Million.--Global 
priority species, such as tigers, rhinos, African and Asian elephants, 
great apes, turtles, and tortoises, face constant danger from poaching 
(particularly for illegal trade purposes), habitat loss and 
degradation, and other serious threats. MSCF programs have helped to 
sustain and recover wildlife populations by combating poaching and 
trafficking, reducing human--wildlife conflict, and protecting 
essential habitat--all while promoting U.S. economic and security 
interests across the globe. These programs efficiently use taxpayer 
dollars, granting them an outsized impact because they consistently 
leverage two to four times as much in matching funds from organizations 
like WCS, foreign governments, local NGOs, and private foundations.
    Funding from the MSCF provides front--line protection against 
zoonotic disease by supporting projects that prevent or reverse the 
conditions that lead to pathogen spillover events. These events 
increase when humans come into closer contact with wildlife through the 
destruction and degradation of wildlife habitats, particularly forests, 
or at live wildlife markets where animals are crowded for sale and 
slaughter. In both situations, wildlife is likely to be severely 
stressed, which further increases the potential for pathogen spillover 
to occur and for human disease outbreaks. Biodiversity loss, in itself, 
can also contribute to zoonotic disease spillover by removing buffer 
species that protect against diseases jumping into human populations.
    WCS has had great success on projects using funds from the MSCF. 
One ongoing Great Ape award to WCS is supporting a 5-year project to 
secure the Cross River gorilla population in Nigeria and Cameroon. WCS 
has established an effective network of core protected areas and 
corridors linking habitat between the two countries and is working with 
local communities to protect the intact, old growth forest that is 
their home and critical to the survival of the fewer than 300 remaining 
gorillas.
    FWS--International Affairs--$30 Million.--The FWS IA program 
supports efforts to conserve our planet's rich wildlife diversity by 
protecting habitat and species, combating illegal wildlife trade, and 
building capacity for landscape--level wildlife conservation. The 
program provides oversight of domestic laws and international treaties 
that promote the conservation of plant and animal species by ensuring 
that international trade and other activities do not threaten their 
survival in the wild. Within IA, the FWS Regional Programs for Africa, 
Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere seek to address grassroots wildlife 
conservation problems from a broad, landscape perspective, building 
regional expertise and capacity while strengthening local institutions. 
The IA program works with the MSCF, supporting the conservation of 
species that are not specifically addressed by the Fund and funding 
conservation of entire habitats, even in cases where they cross 
political boundaries.
    As with the MSCF, WCS asks that the subcommittee increase funding 
for the program to $30 million, similar to the amount requested in 
President Biden's budget proposal, so that it can continue to support 
efforts to conserve landscapes and vulnerable species and better 
address the crises facing the planet. In addition to this, increased 
funding is also needed to mitigate the impacts that the pandemic is 
having on revenues that normally fund conservation, particularly those 
from ecotourism. Some of the most highly successful wildlife 
conservation programs, including those that the U.S. has supported for 
decades, work with developing countries and local communities to 
combine sustainable management and conservation of wildlife with new 
economic opportunities and incomes derived from wildlife--based 
tourism. In some African countries, parks and protected areas are a 
major driver of tourism and a substantial contributor to their national 
GDP and sustainable development. In many of these countries' 
community--managed ``conservancies'' wildlife is the foundation of 
tourism models that have generated millions of dollars in benefits for 
local communities and supported successful, locally run conservation. 
With these revenues having evaporated due to the pandemic, support is 
needed to ensure conservation activities can continue in these areas 
and prevent a steep rise in poaching that might otherwise result.
    The final FY20 and FY21 appropriations bills included report 
language directing the Department of the Interior to develop policies 
and procedures for the execution and oversight of international 
conservation programs to ensure that grant recipients have policies in 
place that safeguard the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the human 
rights of individuals and communities in and around protected areas 
supported by grant monies. WCS supports the development of these 
guidelines and urges the Committee to include funding to support their 
implementation and enforcement.
    FWS--Office of Law Enforcement--$115 Million.--The U.S. remains one 
of the world's largest markets for wildlife and wildlife products, both 
legal and illegal. A small group of dedicated officers at OLE are 
tasked with protecting fish, wildlife, and plant resources by 
investigating wildlife crimes--including commercial exploitation, 
habitat destruction, and industrial hazards--and monitoring 
international trade to intercept illegal products like wildlife and 
timber and facilitate legal commerce. As the United States developed 
and implemented a comprehensive strategy to combat the growing crisis 
of wildlife trafficking over the last several years, most of the new 
responsibilities placed on FWS are enforced by OLE, and WCS supports 
increasing funding for the agency to $115 million. A primary need for 
additional funding is to strengthen OLE's presence at the U.S. border 
to protect against the importation of wildlife that may serve as a host 
of pathogens that could cause dangerous diseases of zoonotic origin.
    Recent increases in the OLE budget have enabled the agency to 
deploy 12 FWS attaches in targeted U.S. embassies overseas in 
countries, including Tanzania, Gabon, Peru, China, and Thailand, where 
wildlife trafficking has proven to be a serious problem. Law 
enforcement attaches are experienced criminal investigators who 
specialize in wildlife and natural resource investigations and have 
provided extensive support to local authorities engaged in wildlife 
trafficking investigations. Several investigations of transnational 
organized crime networks involved in the trafficking of elephant ivory, 
rhino horn, reptiles, and other wildlife and wildlife parts between 
Africa and Asia have been initiated as a direct result of attache 
intervention, and attaches have assisted extensively in fostering 
intelligence sharing and investigative support between affected 
countries. In addition to their law enforcement functions, attaches 
have also been involved in building the capacity for wildlife law 
enforcement in the countries and regions in which they are placed, and 
WCS has worked successfully in partnership with many of these attaches 
through our program to combat wildlife trafficking. Additional funding 
to provide support for each of these attaches is important to expand 
and maximize their effectiveness.
    FWS--Cooperative Landscape Conservation--$17 Million.--Many of the 
domestic conservation programs in this bill provide funding to states 
to implement their conservation goals. But wildlife does not recognize 
political boundaries, and scarce conservation dollars can best be spent 
when effective planning and coordination takes place across entire 
ecosystems--particularly as the nation plans for and reacts to the 
effects of climate change. The CLC Program funds a network of 22 
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in the U.S. and Canada, which use a 
collaborative approach between Federal, State, Tribal and local 
partners to identify landscape scale conservation solutions and work 
collaboratively to meet unfilled conservation needs, develop decision 
support tools, share data and knowledge, and facilitate and foster 
conservation partnerships. The final FY19 appropriations bill cut 
funding for this program to $12.5 million, which has been maintained 
since. WCS encourages the Committee to meet the President's request of 
$17 million for this program to boost support for landscape planning 
and design that will improve coordination and resilience to climate 
change for U.S. communities.
    USFS--International Forestry--$20 Million.--The U.S. economy has 
lost approximately $1 billion per year and over 200,000 jobs due to 
illegal logging, which is responsible for 15-30% of all timber by 
volume. FS-IP works to level the playing field by reducing illegal 
logging and improving the sustainability and legality of timber 
management overseas, translating to less underpriced timber 
undercutting U.S. producers. Through partnerships with USAID and the 
Department of State, FS-IP helps to improve the management of resources 
in countries of strategic importance to U.S. economic and national 
security. This work maintains ecological biodiversity in important 
natural strongholds and helps some of the world's last intact forests 
continue to play a key role in sequestering carbon, reducing the 
effects of climate change.
    With technical and financial support from FS-IP, WCS has been 
working to conserve a biologically rich temperate forest zone called 
the Primorye in the Russian Far East for over a decade, focusing on the 
Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard and their habitat, species with 
approximately 400 and 35-40 individuals remaining the wild, 
respectively. Human encroachment, illegal logging, and widespread use 
of agricultural burning fracture and threaten the habitat of these 
endangered animals and increase human wildlife conflicts. Since the 
Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard are dependent on large tracts of 
intact, functional forest ecosystems, WCS has been focusing on these 
two species as a means to address larger biodiversity conservation and 
scientific--technological capacity building goals throughout the 
region.
    USGS--Climate Adaptation Science Centers--$84.4 Million.--The USGS 
Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) collaborate with cultural 
and natural resource managers and other stakeholders of public lands to 
develop research, data, and scientific resources to respond to the 
effects of climate variability and change on fish, wildlife, 
ecosystems, and the communities they support. The National CASC manages 
nine Regional CASCs, which serve every state in the nation and connect 
decision makers to science by educating and conducting actionable 
research to answer common concerns about how climate extremes and 
trends affect human populations, wildlife, forests, grasslands, rivers, 
coastlines, and other natural resources.
    Sea-level rise, changing water temperatures, and extreme weather 
events are causing government, businesses, and Indigenous peoples to 
face new damages and incur new costs to prepare for new conditions. As 
the challenges faced by these entities worsen, CASCs are deploying 
their research, education, and outreach capacities to provide science 
and data to make strong decisions. But given accelerating demands, 
additional resources are required to provide the assistance to 
anticipate and adapt to these changing circumstances. Looking to the 
future, there are opportunities for CASCs to: expand strategic 
partnerships with other government offices and agencies, private--
sector partners, and community groups to increase understanding and 
implementation of new practices informed by sound science; expand CASCs 
role in generating knowledge and the future workforce to build the 
capacity of DOI managers and their partners to access and apply climate 
science; increase development of data and research that addresses the 
increasing needs of natural and cultural resource managers; and better 
inform the DOI strategic priorities and mission areas. WCS urges the 
Subcommittee to support the President's request of $84.4 million.
    WCS appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective and to 
make a case for increases in federal investments in conservation in the 
FY22 Interior, the Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. 
Conservation of public lands is an American tradition and, as far back 
as 1909, Theodore Roosevelt recognized that the management of our 
natural resources requires coordination between all nations. Continued 
investment in conservation will reaffirm our global position as a 
conservation leader, while improving national and global security and 
building capacity and good governance in developing countries.

    [This statement was submitted by Colin Sheldon, Assistant Director 
for Federal Affairs.]
                                 ______
                                 
             Prepared Statement of the World Wildlife Fund
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony on the 
Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the 
world's leading conservation organizations, operating in nearly 100 
countries to ensure a future in which both people and nature can thrive 
by helping to conserve our planet's biodiversity and the natural 
resources upon which we all rely. With the support of over one million 
members in the United States and over five million globally, WWF's 
unique approach integrates global reach and local impact with a 
scientific foundation, promoting innovative solutions to meet the needs 
of people and nature.
    WWF thanks the subcommittee for its past support of important 
conservation programs at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and 
U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and urges continued support for these 
programs in FY22. Increased U.S. investments are needed to respond to a 
set of pressing and intertwined challenges--the crisis of global 
biodiversity and nature loss, the climate crisis, and the global health 
and economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of these crises 
have roots in the loss, degradation, and over--exploitation of nature. 
According to WWF's 2020 Living Planet Report,\1\ populations of 
mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians declined by 68 percent 
on average over the past 50 years due to human activities. Conservation 
investments are among the clearest and most cost--effective solutions 
to reversing this trend and addressing the intertwined challenges of 
nature loss, climate change, and preventing future pandemics, given 
that most emerging infectious diseases originate in and spillover from 
animals to people, and most of these originate in wildlife. Among the 
root causes of such spillover events are trade in wildlife species that 
are high--risk for transmitting zoonotic pathogens and destruction and 
conversion of tropical forests and other wildlife habitats due to 
agriculture and other land--use change. Several programs at the 
Department of the Interior directly address these challenges.
    For these reasons, WWF asks the subcommittee to support funding 
USFWS and USFS conservation accounts at the following levels in FY22:

  --$30 million for the Multinational Species Conservations Funds;
  --$30 million for US Fish and Wildlife Service International Affairs;
  --$115 million for US Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law 
        Enforcement, including $15 million to implement the 2008 Lacey 
        Act Amendments and prevent illegal timber trade;
  --$20 million for US Forest Service International Programs;

    We urge the subcommittee to consider the significant impact that 
these modest investments have in protecting species and habitats while 
also supporting developing communities and fostering stability and 
sustainable growth, combating transnational organized crime, ensuring 
U.S. competitiveness in global markets, and demonstrating U.S. 
leadership to tackle global challenges. As several recent reports 
detail, including from the Council for Strategic Risks,\2\ nature is in 
crisis, and the increasing rates of biodiversity loss globally threaten 
severe consequences for societies and economies. If nature is to 
continue to provide the resources that sustain our societies and drive 
our economies, we must work together to reverse these trends and ensure 
that economic growth and conservation move forward hand-in-hand on a 
global scale. Secure food supplies, clean air and water, fertile soils, 
and intact natural environments are the foundation of our health and 
prosperity and powerful antidotes against forces of disruption and 
discontent that can take root in impoverished regions. The conservation 
of forests and other carbon--rich and biodiverse ecosystems and the 
wildlife populations they support is also key to slowing and reversing 
global climate change and to preventing the spillover of new zoonotic 
pathogens that can cause future pandemics. For these reasons, we 
believe U.S. investments to promote global conservation should be 
supported and increased as essential elements of our foreign policy, 
development, and national security agenda.
                multinational species conservation funds
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Multinational Species Conservation Funds 
are highly successful grant programs that support the conservation of 
rhinos, tigers, great apes, African and Asian elephants, marine and 
freshwater turtles, and tortoises and their habitats. Wildlife 
trafficking and poaching, habitat loss, and human--wildlife conflict 
threaten these species throughout their ranges. Working with partner 
governments and non-governmental organizations in Africa, Asia, and 
Latin America, these grant programs provide dedicated support for 
habitat conservation, scientific research and monitoring, wildlife 
management, public education, preventing poaching, and supporting 
wildlife--based tourism opportunities in developing countries. MSCF 
grants have supported WWF efforts to survey, monitor and recover tiger 
populations in Nepal, prevent poaching of marine turtle nests in Costa 
Rica, and reduce conflict between Asian elephants and local communities 
in Indonesia. The programs also support wildlife health monitoring to 
detect and prevent transmission of wildlife--borne diseases, including 
Ebola among great ape populations in Central Africa. Since 1989, MSCF 
programs have awarded over 4,300 grants totaling $290 million, 
leveraging over $442 million in matching funds. Conservation needs 
continue to surpass available funding for these programs, which were 
reauthorized by Congress in 2019. Those needs have also increased in 
light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has largely stopped the flow of 
tourism revenues that support many protected areas and community 
conservancies in developing countries and the jobs and income that 
these generate. Without additional support, these existing wildlife 
conservation activities are at risk, leaving wildlife more vulnerable 
to poaching and potentially reversing successes that the U.S. has 
invested in over years or decades. In addition, 2022 is the Year of the 
Tiger on the Chinese calendar and marks an important milestone: during 
the last Year of the Tiger in 2010, a Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) was 
launched and a Tiger Summit was held with range states and donor 
countries, including the United States. This led to adoption of a 
Global Tiger Recovery Plan (GTRP) and represented a turning point in 
tiger conservation and the greatest example of political will mustered 
for the protection of a single species. In the decade since, a 
centuries--long trend of wild tiger decline has finally been reversed 
in at least some parts of its range. U.S. government funding has been 
critical to this success, and the 2022 Year of the Tiger is an 
opportunity to reaffirm U.S. commitment to recover tigers in the wild, 
including through increased funding. For the reasons above, WWF 
requests that the MSCF be fully funded at its authorized level of $30 
million in FY22, an increase of $12 million over both the FY21 enacted 
level and the President's Budget Request. This should include directing 
$10 million to fully fund the Rhino-Tiger Conservation Fund at its 
authorized level, a $4.42 million increase over its FY21 enacted level 
of $5.58 million.
                      usfws international affairs
    USFWS International Affairs (IA) supports global wildlife 
conservation by supporting efforts to protect species and habitat, 
prevent wildlife trafficking and human--wildlife conflict, and building 
conservation capacity in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin 
America, including at a regional scale. IA programs support efforts to 
train wildlife conservation professionals in these regions and works 
with governmental and nongovernmental entities to provide technical and 
financial assistance to improve wildlife management and conservation of 
endangered species, prevent poaching and wildlife trafficking, reduce 
demand for illegal wildlife products, and support the detection and 
monitoring of zoonotic diseases to prevent their transmission, 
spillover, and spread, including to human populations. USFWS-IA also 
supports efforts to protect critically endangered species that are not 
specifically covered by the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. 
USFWS-IA is responsible for implementing the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for the United 
States, including related permitting, and well as other laws to address 
wildlife trade and trafficking, such as the END Wildlife Trafficking 
Act. Increased funding is needed to support global efforts to prevent 
the spillover of zoonotic diseases to humans due to high--risk wildlife 
trade and other human--wildlife interactions and to provide resources 
needed to implement new congressional directives to enhance safeguards 
and oversight around these programs, given the often challenging places 
and social conditions in which they operate. WWF requests $30 million 
for USFWS International Affairs in FY22, an increase of $7 million over 
the FY21 enacted level and $700,000 over the President's FY22 Budget 
Request.
                    usfws office of law enforcement
    USFWS Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) is central to combatting the 
illegal trade in natural resources. The office investigates wildlife 
crimes, enforces wildlife trade and trafficking laws, and plays a 
central role in implementing the 2008 Lacey Act amendments and 
prohibiting trade in illegal timber products. OLE inspectors work in 
nearly 40 ports of entry in the US and internationally. Wildlife 
trafficking is a transnational organized crime that generates up to $23 
billion annually in illegal profits. It has fueled a poaching crisis in 
parts of Africa and Asia that is driving elephants, rhinos, and tigers 
and other species towards extinction. It also helps to financing 
criminal syndicates and armed groups, including some with ties to 
terrorist activities, while increasing corruption and undermining the 
rule of law in the developing world. Trafficking and unregulated trade 
in species that can transmit dangerous zoonotic pathogens--wildlife-
borne pathogens capable of spilling over to the human population--also 
heightens the risk of future pandemics. OLE has played a critical role 
in working with law enforcement in developing countries and via broader 
regional efforts to heighten investigative and enforcement capacity and 
to help coordinate investigations and operations across multiple 
countries and regions that have disrupted international wildlife 
trafficking networks and resulted in large--scale seizures of illegal 
wildlife shipments and the arrest, prosecution, and sentencing of major 
wildlife traffickers, including in the U.S. USFWS has been able to 
provide significant support to these activities through the stationing 
of law enforcement attaches in a handful of strategic countries in 
Africa, Asia and Latin America. Additional funding is needed to 
increase OLE's number of personnel, including stationing international 
attaches in additional countries with dedicated support staff, to 
enhance investigative capacity and intelligence capabilities, such as 
the ability to make use of big data analytics and to address the growth 
in online wildlife trafficking. Additional resources will also allow 
OLE to fulfill its mandate to enforce the Lacey Act amendments of 2008, 
which expanded the law to cover plants and plant products. The 
harvesting and sale of illegal wood products from other countries has a 
major impact on the U.S. forestry sector through lost revenues and 
wages due to competition from these illegal products, including those 
imported and sold in the U.S. These illegal activities are estimated to 
cost the U.S. forestry sector by as much as $1 billion annually.\3\ 
Illegal timber trade is also a major driver of deforestation globally, 
which exacerbates both climate change and the spillover of zoonotic 
diseases from wildlife to people. Increased funding will be needed to 
ensure that OLE can meet existing mandates and expand its capacity to 
work with partner countries to prevent trade in illegal wildlife 
products and in wildlife species that have a high--risk of contributing 
to zoonotic spillover and the rise of future pandemics. WWF requests 
$115 million for the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in FY22, an 
increase of $28.1 million over the FY21 enacted level and $20 million 
more than the President's FY22 Budget Request. We also request that $15 
million of this amount be specifically directed towards implementing 
the 2008 Lacey Act amendments and preventing illegal timber trade.
                us forest service international programs
    Through its International Programs, the US Forest Service works to 
help partner countries improve the management of all forest types, 
including through the provision of technical assistance on timber 
tracking technologies, harvesting techniques that reduce ecological 
impact, and forest certification regimes. By promoting legal and 
sustainable global trade in timber and other forest products, they help 
ensure a level playing field for sustainable wood products and 
producers. The programs also help to address critical challenges such 
as combating invasive species and conserving habitat for migratory 
species, such as monarch butterflies, and have supported conservation 
of tigers and other iconic species by reducing pressure on their forest 
habitats. By helping to stop deforestation, these programs also 
contribute to efforts to slow climate change and prevent the spillover 
of zoonotic diseases from wildlife to people. WWF requests $20 million 
for US Forest Service International Programs in FY2022, an increase of 
$4 million over the FY2021 enacted level.
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    \1\ WWF (2020) Living Planet Report 2020--Bending the curve of 
biodiversity loss. Almond, R.E.A., Grooten M. and Petersen, T. (Eds). 
WWF, Gland, Switzerland. Available at: https://livingplanet.panda.org/
en-us/.
    \2\ R. Schoonover, C. Cavallo, and I. Caltabiano. ``The Security 
Threat That Binds Us: The Unraveling of Ecological and Natural Security 
and What the United States Can Do About It.'' Edited by F. Femia and A. 
Rezzonico. The Converging Risks Lab, an institute of The Council on 
Strategic Risks. Washington, DC. February 2021. Available at: https://
councilonstrategicrisks.org/the-security-threat-that-binds-us/
    \3\ https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42119.pdf

    [This statement was submitted by Will Gartshore, Director.]