    [Senate Hearing 118-566]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-566

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARINGS

                                    BEFORE A

                              SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

                COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                       on

                               H.R. 4821/S. 2605

       AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
    ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER
                        30, 2024, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                   __________

                          United States Forest Service
                           Department of the Interior
                        Environmental Protection Agency
                             Indian Health Service
                           Nondepartmental Witnesses

                                   __________

             Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                   __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    50-521 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025

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

                          COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

                       PATTY MURRAY, Washington Chairman

    DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California         SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Vice
    RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois              Chairman
    JACK REED, Rhode Island              MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
    JON TESTER, Montana                  LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
    JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire        LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 JERRY MORAN, Kansas
    CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware       JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
    BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii                 JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin             SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
    CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut          Virginia
    JOE MANCHIN, III, West Virginia      JOHN KENNEDY, Louisiana
    CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland           CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
    MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico          BILL HAGERTY, Tennessee
    GARY PETERS, Michigan                KATIE BRITT, Alabama
                                         MARCO RUBIO, Florida
                                         DEB FISCHER, Nebraska

                          Evan Schatz, Staff Director
                  Elizabeth McDonnell, Minority Staff Director

                                     ------

     Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related
                                    Agencies

                         JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon, Chairman

    DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California         LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska, Ranking
    JACK REED, Rhode Island                  Member
    JON TESTER, Montana                  MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
    CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland           SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
    MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico              Virginia
    GARY PETERS, Michigan                JOHN HOVEN, North Dakota
                                         DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
                                         KATIE BRITT, Alabama

                               Professional Staff

                               Melissa Zimmerman
                                   Ryan Hunt
                                  Rishi Sahgal
                                Anthony Sedillo
                                 Angela Caalim

                            Emy Lesofski (Minority)
                             Lucas Agnew (Minority)
                             Nona McCoy (Minority)

                             Administrative Support

                           LaShawnda Smith (Minority)

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                                    hearings

                           Wednesday, March 22, 2023

                                                                       Page

    United States Forest Service.....................................     1

                           Wednesday, March 29, 2023

    Department of the Interior.......................................    33

                             Wednesday, May 3, 2023

    Environmental Protection Agency..................................    93

                            Wednesday, May 10, 2023

    Indian Health Service............................................   143

              Statements and Letters of Nondepartmental Witnesses

    Nondepartmental Witnesses........................................   195

                                  ----------

                                  back matter

    List of Witnesses, Communications, and Prepared Statements.......   449

    Subject Index:

        United States Forest Service.................................   453

        Department of the Interior...................................   453

        Environmental Protection Agency..............................   454

        Indian Health Service........................................   454

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                                  ----------

                           WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
               Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The subcommittee met at 9:59 a.m. in room SD-124, Dirksen
    Senate Office Building, Hon. Jeff Merkley (chairman) presiding.
        Present: Senators Merkley, Tester, Murkowski, Hoeven,
    Fischer, and Britt.

                          UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE

    STATEMENT OF MR. RANDY MOORE, CHIEF, U.S. FOREST
                SERVICE

                   opening statement of senator jeff merkley

        Senator Merkley. Good morning. Chief Moore, welcome. And we
    will have other colleagues who will be joining us. This is an
    important hearing on the fiscal year 2024 President's Budget
    for the United States Forest Service. It is great to have you
    with us.
        This is our first hearing of the year. I am excited that
    the leadership on the Full Committee, Chair Murray and Vice
    Chair Collins, are working in a bipartisan manner to move our
    appropriation bills down the fiscal year 2024 path, through
    committee and to the floor. They believe our committee members
    have a lot of shared bipartisan priorities that will power us
    through to enact appropriation bills this year, and I think it
    is so important that we try to establish that rhythm. I think
    we all agree that a continuing resolution, or government
    shutdown, would be a disaster.
        So we are ready to get to work. And here we are at our
    first hearing.
        I know a lot has been made of the split between the defense
    and non-defense funding; it is something we grapple with every
    year. I feel strongly that if we want to build a safer, more
    competitive country, we can't give up on the need to invest
    right here at home. And funding for the Forest Service is a
    perfect example of why we need to invest in non-defense
    spending, to defend our communities from wildfire, improve
    public health, protect jobs, and increase the health and
    resiliency of our forests.
        Indeed, the budget request for fiscal year 2024 gives us
    another stark reminder that our forests are in peril, and that
    we need these investments. We know that climate chaos is
    unrelenting. It is working through a cast of henchmen, drought,
    invasive pests, diseases that, together, are causing an
    inevitable scourge of catastrophic wildfire.
        And we can no longer view these villains as natural
    disasters, what they really are, are human-caused unnatural
    disasters brought on by our collective failure to effectively
    confront climate chaos, and the carbon dioxide that is warming
    the planet.
        When these unnatural disasters strike people lose their
    homes, they lose their livelihood, they even lose their lives.
    People who live even hours away lose their municipal water
    source, suffer the health impacts of the smoke, and the
    particulate matter in the air, and lose the joy of recreation,
    and the peace of nature.
        I will never forget traveling on Labor Day 2020, over 600
    miles from the northern border to the southern border of Oregon
    and back again, and never getting out of the smoke. And we have
    seen town, after town, after town, burned to the ground, that
    looked like World War II firebombed cities, and it has really
    affected the psychology of my state, and concern of folks about
    increasing the fire resilience of the forest, through thinning,
    through mowing, through prescribed fire, and try to minimize
    the chance of these types of catastrophes happening again.
        Everywhere I go in Oregon I hear people say: Let us do
    everything we can to make the forest more resilient, to defend
    our communities, keep our towns from being wiped out by blow
    torch style fires, and preventing these catastrophes is much
    better than investing on the backend.
        Looking back over the last 10 years, we have about doubled
    our annual investments in the Forest Service. In fiscal year
    2013 funding was $4.5 billion, of which $2.1 billion was for
    fighting fires, and $2.4 billion for other forest management
    activities.
        Ten years later, fiscal year 2023, it is $8.2 billion, so
    that is a big change over a decade, $4.3 billion for fire, and
    $3.9 billion forest management. The entire pot is growing, but
    certainly firefighting costs just continue to rise
    exponentially.
        So we need to double down on other forest management
    activities critical to forest resilience and forest health,
    watershed and habitat restoration, control of invasive species,
    thinning, prescribed burns, and grants to states for their best
    efforts.
        There are three major pieces of legislation that will
    provide an additional $12.6 billion over the course of a decade
    on top of that annual funding; that will enable us to radically
    step up our campaign to reinvigorate the resiliency of our
    forested lands: The Great American Outdoors Act, the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act. All three
    provide transformative investment.
        Of course, they are not permanent, so we have to make the
    best use of every bit of those funds while they exist. And
    focusing only on responding to wildfires does not and will not
    help us take care of and restore our forests for the future. So
    we have to bring balance to our forests through collaboration,
    we need to work across the lines, the divisions of the timber
    wars of the past.
        I have to say, in Oregon, collaboration has greatly
    expanded bringing together the timber community, the
    environmental community, and the local stakeholders to work on
    the management of the forest. And that is why the Collaborative
    Forest Landscape Restoration Program is really such a success.
    We have many collaboratives in Oregon, but now five that are
    part of the Federal Program, and others that would like to be.
        When those various groups can work out a prescription for
    how to thin or treat the forest, their trust grows in each
    other, it gets easier over time, and the result is effective
    treatment of the forest, but also saw logs to the mill, and
    projects that are staying out of the courts.
        Hazardous fuels reduction continues to be very important,
    and between the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation
    Reduction Act, Congress invested more than $3 billion in the
    Forest Service's hazardous fuels work, huge increase over what
    we were doing a decade ago. It will at least double the impact
    of what we have done, even with just annual budgets alone.
        The Forest Service is prioritizing multiple high-risk areas
    in Oregon with these funds, around Mount Hood in the north,
    Malheur National Forest in the east, in Central Oregon, and in
    the Klamath Basin.
        There are other areas that need more treatment, like the
    Rogue Valley, and areas outside the wildland-urban interface,
    that those programs weren't designed to deliver to. So we will
    keep pushing for hazardous fuels reduction in the Interior Bill
    to keep up the momentum.
        One of the things I have talked to the Forest Service about
    is; where the location is of the acres that have gone through
    the environmental process and are ready for treatment, and
    those acres are often not near the towns because they are often
    the ones that were kind of the cheapest per acre to do. And
    this is why we really have to push to map the acres around our
    most vulnerable towns, and how we thin and treat those forests
    even if they are more expensive per acre, it is more important
    to slow down the fire close to town than it is far away.
        The budget also proposes a new program, it is a program--
    actually I can't say it is really new and that we funded it in
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act--but it will be new to our
    annual Appropriations, and that is Burned Area Rehabilitation.
    And when we see things like the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, we see
    just how important that is; post-wildfire restoration,
    improving the watershed and forest conditions over a three-year
    period after a fire.
        Finally, touching back on wildland fire, I appreciate the
    significant investment that the President proposes to properly
    support the Federal Wildland Firefighting Force. This effort
    really began with passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
    which boosted the pay of firefighters and built a more
    professional, year-round, firefighting workforce.
        And we are really looking at the model of how to keep
    people employed year-round, so that when they are not fighting
    fires they can be doing forest treatments, and thereby not have
    the massive turnover, and really retain the expertise that are
    developed. Our efforts in the Interior Appropriations Bill have
    built a more permanent backbone to sustain those investments.
        It is a credit to you, Chief Moore, for not just proposing
    better pay for firefighters, but also proposing investments in
    their health, and life--work, balance. Life--work, balance:
    that is something we struggle with here all the time.
        Our firefighters need support to combat the real danger of
    injury and fatigue, another consequence of the more
    catastrophic wildfires and never-ending fire seasons. While we
    need our authorizing committees to establish a special salary
    table, and other compensation reforms, we stand ready to
    continue working toward a better cared-for firefighting
    workforce.
        Chief, I appreciate that the request continues the Wildfire
    Suppression Reserve Fund at the authorized level of $2.65
    billion. I am concerned that the levels agreed to in 2018 may
    no longer be adequate based on the trend of wildfire costs in
    the years since. So this is why we included an additional $450
    million for Wildfire Suppression in the fiscal year 2023
    Omnibus, depending on what happens with the fires this coming
    summer, it may be very important for us to be able to do so
    again.
        And so I am looking towards the vision of planning for
    that. And then if it is not needed, though, that would be
    great. But we just don't know how this year is going to play
    out yet, we have got a lot of intensive firefighting months to
    come. So I hope we will have the administration's support for
    doing so.
        With all that, I will have a few questions about the
    investments after your presentation. I am sure my colleagues
    will as well.
        And now I will turn to Senator Murkowski, the Co-Chair, for
    any opening comments she would like to make.

                      statement of senator lisa murkowski

        Senator Murkowski. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Appreciate the
    opportunity to be back at work here on the Interior,
    Environment, and Related Agencies; and to kick off our hearings
    with the Chief of the Forest Service. So welcome to you.
        You have appropriately focused on the issues related to
    wildland fires and the impact that we see across the country,
    and certainly appreciate the challenges that that faces from a
    budget perspective, and how we do right there.
        Before I turn, though, to speak about some of those issues
    and the specifics in the fiscal year 2024 President's Budget
    Request, Chief, I just want you to hear directly from me again,
    on the record, my disappointment with the administration's
    decision regarding the management of the Tongass National
    Forest, our Nation's largest national forest.
        This January this administration reinstated, the 2001
    National Roadless Rule on the Tongass National Forest,
    basically abandoning the Alaska-specific Rule, and all the data
    and all the analysis that had supported it.
        So now, rather than providing the access needed to
    responsibly harvest timber, minimal amounts of timber, I might
    add, and as well as developing other natural resources on a
    fraction of the nearly 17 million acres within the Tongass, the
    administration has made it virtually impossible to have a
    sustainable, regional economy there, which is a far, far cry,
    from what Secretary Vilsack promised me, and the Alaska
    delegation, when he talked about a transition to harvesting
    young growth timber, in which he said, the Tongass was going to
    retain a small but a viable timber industry. That was the
    commitment there.
        We have come so far from that commitment unfortunately. And
    it seems, sadly, that all those years of work by good people
    has been cast aside, and it is especially bitter for those who
    took an early leap of faith, collaborated with the agency, with
    the environmental groups, and the tribes, and invested in his
    promise to transition.
        So all this work, all the timber program in the Tongass is,
    effectively, all but dead. I have long said that I do not
    believe that we have to choose between a healthy forest and a
    healthy economy. I just continue to be amazed that the
    administration does not agree that Southeast Alaska can and
    should be allowed to have both.
        So Chief, I am just going to ask you once again to work
    with me to provide some level of opportunity for the people of
    Southeast Alaska. I will be addressing that more in my
    questions to follow here. But as the Chairman has pointed out,
    certainly fire is at the top of his list of worries, certainly
    for us in Alaska, it is as well. Last year, in my state, we had
    the fastest start to the wildfire season on record, with over
    one million acres burning in June alone. By July that number
    leapt to well over two million acres.
        So we are this. We are seeing this impact, climate change
    has certainly focused--or manifesting itself through these
    wildfire threats, and we are seeing them, undoubtedly, evolve.
    All you need to do is drive through the Mat-Su Valley, or down
    on the Kenai Peninsula to see the impact of the beetle kill,
    the threat of fire that it poses to our Alaskan communities.
        I know that my colleagues in the Lower 48 are dealing with
    similar tree mortality issues, they have been long battling
    drought, so I, too, I am going to be interested in the wildfire
    outlook, and what the planning for this year looks like.
        One thing I do want to applaud the Forest Service for is
    working collaboratively with the Department of Interior on a
    proposal to modernize and reform Wildland Fire Workforce pay.
    It is so important that we make the pay competitive with other
    firefighting agencies, as well as doing things, like investing
    in housing, investing in mental health. We owe it to our
    frontline firefighters to have a plan, have a strategic plan to
    help them, and really to care for them as they engage in this
    dangerous line of work.
        In addition to a more full-time, permanent wildland
    firefighters across the country, each of my colleagues who
    interact with the Forest Service--are surely going to be
    identifying their agency needs in their states. In Alaska we
    need increased capacity to facilitate our robust recreation
    industry. You hear me talk about the need for those permits,
    support for critical mineral mining projects in the region,
    broadband access, and of course, again a timber supply for our
    withering timber industry.
        And we believe that we must empower our Tribes to be
    partners with the Federal Government as they are critical to
    expanding that capacity. And so that is why I am interested in
    hearing not only how the budget request proposes to address
    these capacity issues, but also what the Forest Service is
    actually, doing right, now to address them, especially in light
    of the billions of dollars in annual appropriations, what we
    have included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill as well as
    the Inflation Reduction Act.
        The agency has received a lot of money going in that
    direction, so interested in knowing: What are we seeing? How
    are we seeing those dollars translate into action? Also,
    knowing forward to hearing about your vision for the
    President's fiscal year 2024, and to learn more about your
    priorities for the Forest Service, and how those priorities can
    improve the health and resilience of our Nation's forest.
        So thank you for being here this morning; looking forward
    to the opportunities for questions back and forth.
        And with that, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much.
        And now, Chief Moore, we would like to hear from you.

                     summary statement of hon. randy moore

        Mr. Moore. Okay, great. Thank you. Chair Merkley, Ranking
    Member Murkowski, and Members of the Committee; thank you for
    inviting me to testify before you today.
        I appreciate the opportunity to share how the Forest
    Service is putting America's money to work. The fiscal year
    2024 request focuses on three primary areas: modernizing the
    wildland fire management system, confronting the wildfire
    crisis, and ensuring equitable access to and benefits from
    National Forest System.
        The people we serve deserve nothing less than to see the
    value of their money at work and to see their benefits,
    national forest and grasslands cover about 193 million acres,
    some 180 million people, and over 68,000 communities rely on
    these lands to capture and filter their drinking water. Our
    work contributes to over 373,000 jobs, $40.3 billion to the
    GDP, we work with tribes, states and local governments, private
    landowners, and many other partners across the country to keep
    forests and grasslands healthy and safe.
        Today, America's forests face dire threats from wildfire,
    climate change, and insects and disease, particularly in the
    West. This is an emergency situation in many places and we are
    acting with a sense of urgency in collaboration with
    communities and with our partners.
        Our top priority is to reduce wildfire threats by
    safeguarding communities and critical infrastructure, and
    creating healthy and resilient forests. Through our Wildfire
    Crisis Strategy, we have ramped up to treat the right places at
    the right scale using an All Lands/All Hands approach.
        This past January we announced investments of $930 million
    in 21 high-risk landscapes in the West, benefitting, roughly,
    200 communities and many other resources that people value. In
    addition, we have awarded nearly $200 million in Community
    Wildfire Defense Grants towards 100 projects, to 22 states, and
    seven tribes including $22.5 million in Oregon.
        Recent investments by Congress give us a historic
    opportunity to take bold and strategic actions. We are working
    to do just that, to put every dollar to good use. We are
    grateful to Congress and this Committee, in particular, for
    investing foundational funding to do this work.
        Sustained execution depends on continued Federal
    investments. The proposed fiscal year 2024 budget responds to
    this need. This budget also calls for a $1.4 billion investment
    in salaries, health, safe, and wellbeing for firefighters. A
    suite of new actions will permanently increase pay, improve
    options for housing, and provide better care and support for
    physical and mental health. It also increases the number of
    firefighters. While firefighters represent the backbone of our
    wildfire system we also need active and aggressive land
    management to confront the wildfire crisis.
        This budget invests $300 million in hazardous field
    treatments, it supports execution of the Wildfire Crisis
    Strategy, and it targets investments in burn area
    rehabilitation of $56 million to expedite recovery on wildfire.
    It supports use of the latest research, including grants to
    universities to support educational and technical assistance
    for innovative wood products.
        National forests and grasslands belong to every American.
    We are grateful for the Great American Outdoor Act funds that
    reduced our $7.7 billion maintenance backlog and ensure
    increase to--for public access.
        We are also invested in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds
    to repair historic cabins in Alaska. Every person should feel a
    personal invitation and connection to these lands. We remain
    committed to removing barriers to, so all people can enjoy
    National Forest System lands and services, particularly tribes
    and underserved community.
        We continue to focus policies, accountability, and training
    to ensure an equitable, respectful, and harassment-free work
    environment for all of our employees. We know what is at stake
    if we don't address the effects of climate change and the
    wildfire crisis, the health of our forests, and communities,
    clean water, a vibrant wood product industry, and jobs, and
    resources that Americans depend on.
        We need to act now to meet the challenges before us.
        Thank you. And I am grateful for your support. And I
    welcome any questions that you may have.
        [The statement follows:]
                     Prepared Statement of Hon. Randy Moore
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here today to testify on the
    President's fiscal year (FY) 2024 Budget request for the U.S.
    Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service.
        The fiscal year 2024 President's Budget for the USDA Forest Service
    discretionary appropriations totals $7.4 billion for base programs and
    $2.3 billion for the wildfire suppression cap adjustment (in the
    Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund). The fiscal year 2024
    request focuses on three primary areas: modernizing the wildland fire
    management system; confronting the wildfire crisis; and ensuring
    equitable access to and benefits from the National Forest System.
        The investments highlighted below reflect services the Forest
    Service delivers through work on National Forests, partnerships with
    State, Private, and Tribal landowners, and our Research and Development
    mission area. These investments enable the Forest Service to restore
    long-term forest health and resiliency across landscapes the American
    people rely-on while ensuring equitable access to the resources on
    National Forest lands. Alongside our partners, the Forest Service will
    continue to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires to communities in
    FY 2024 through investments in the highest priority landscapes
    identified within the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The Forest Service will
    maximize every dollar invested into our agency, making every dollar
    work for the American people. The people we serve deserve nothing less
    than to see the value of their money at work for their benefit.
    The President's FY 2024 Budget Request for Specific Priorities to
            Support Focal Areas
        The following investments align with and enhance the agency's
    efforts to modernize the wildland fire management system:

      --$1.4 billion for Wildland Fire Manage me nt Salarie s and Expe
            nses: Investing in our wildland firefighting workforce is a
            matter of national security as critical infrastructure, homes,
            communities, structures, and natural resources are at grave and
            growing risk of catastrophic wildfire. The FY 2024 budget funds
            a permanent increase in pay for the wildland firefighter
            workforce, providing a more livable wage, enhancing
            recruitment, and supporting retention. Specifically, this
            request includes:

        --$180 million for increasing base pay for Federal wildland
                firefighters to ensure that this crucial workforce does not
                face a pay cliff at the end of this year

        --$69 million to support cost of living increases for FY 2024

        --$259 million for increasing Federal firefighting capacity (an
                estimated 970 additional Federal firefighters and
                personnel) to expand our ability to address the wildfire
                crisis and reduce the strain on our current workforce

        --$10 million for vital health and well-being assistance to more
                comprehensively support our wildfire firefighter workforce;

        --$50 million to address the urgent need for wildland firefighter
                housing through necessary maintenance and repairs of Forest
                Service housing units that will support our recruitment,
                hiring, and retention efforts.

      --$323 million for Hazardous Fue ls Reduction: To mitigate wildfire
            risk on 4.2 million acres in high priority and high-risk
            firesheds, building on hazardous fuels funding from the
            Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and
            aligned with the agency's 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy.

        The following investments ensure that national forests and
    grasslands continue to provide experiences, services, and products to
    the American public by focusing on the restoration, enhancement, and
    resilience of the Nation's forests and grasslands:

      --$56 million for the Burne d Area Re habilitation: to build on
            capacity created with the $65 million per year seed money from
            the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rehabilitate burned areas
            and free up existing funding for more proactive forest health
            work.

      --$94 million for Recreation, Heritage, and Wilde rne ss: to increase
            support of critical recreation operations, planning, services,
            and improvements, with particular emphasis on creating
            welcoming, sustainable, and equitable recreation opportunities
            for all Americans with a focus towards underserved and Tribal
            communities.

      --$50.5 million for Vegetation and Watershe d Manage me nt: to
            support healthy and resilient watersheds and landscapes,
            sustain the production of clean and abundant air and water,
            assist with meeting the Administration's climate goals, and
            contribute to healthy and productive communities and Tribal
            Nations.

      --$45 million for Mine rals and Geology Manage me nt: to locate and
            prioritize orphaned oil and gas wells for remediation and the
            inventory, environmental analysis, and clean-up of mine
            reclamation sites.

      --$7.8 million for Grazing Manage me nt: to support post-fire
            restoration, provide for strategic incentives to grazing
            permittees, and build vibrant rural economies.
      --$55 million for Forest Health Management: to ensure healthy forests
            and functional landscapes on Federal and non-federal lands in
            support of the conservation priorities of the Administration.

      --$80 million for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program:
            to invest in communities and regions with a collaborative,
            common purpose in reducing wildfire risk and improving forest
            health and resiliency.

      --$1.7 billion for National Forest Syste m Salarie s and Expe nses:
            to support the agency's 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy as
            well as critical non-fire programs, which have decreased in
            funding over time as wildland fire response needs escalated.

        Further investments ensure that the Forest Service relies on the
    latest science and technology to deliver results on the ground and for
    the people:

      --$502 million for Information Technology Capabilitie s: to continue
            modernization of our Information Technology systems that allow
            the public to better access our services, sustain emergency
            communication systems, and provide our workforce the tools they
            need to carry out our conservation mission safely and
            efficiently.

      --$72 million for Zero Emissions Vehicle s: included across several
            program funding requests to invest in replacing vehicles within
            the agency fleet and to provide for employees and visitors with
            charging infrastructure.

      --$349 million for Forest and Rangeland Research: to continue
            investments in research priorities, with a focus on climate
            change-related research including reforestation, carbon
            accounting, and fire and fuels research.

      --$6 million for USDA Climate Hubs: to accelerate science production
            and technology transfer that will aid management agencies,
            private landowners, and agricultural producers adopt
            scientifically sound climate adaptation practices.
                        confronting the wildfire crisis
        The Forest Service's paramount focus continues to be combatting the
    threat and impact of destructive wildfire to our Nation's communities,
    critical infrastructure, forests, rangelands, water supplies, and
    wildlife. Changing environmental conditions have lengthened fire
    seasons into fire years and worsened wildfires across the West.
    Expanding development into the wildland/urba n interface (WUI)
    increasingly puts more homes into fire-prone landscapes and increases
    the challenge and complexity of wildfire suppression and fuels
    reduction work. Most wildfires that cause significant damage to a large
    number of homes and other structures are human caused; 97% of wildfires
    threaten homes; and almost one-third of American homes are within the
    WUI.
        The Forest Service has a historic opportunity now, between the
    investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation
    Reduction Act, and our annual appropriations, to implement solutions at
    a large scale. We are now entering our second year of carrying out our
    10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to
    increase science-based fuels treatments by up to four times previous
    treatment levels, especially in those areas at highest risk. By working
    in the right places at the right scale, our treatments can reduce
    wildfire risk and better protect communities, infrastructure, and
    natural resources while helping wildland firefighters respond to
    wildfires safely and effectively.
        The Forest Service cannot succeed in this alone. The highest risk
    firesheds are typically in multiple land ownerships. The Forest Service
    will continue to strengthen our long-standing work and relationships
    with Tribes, States, local communities, private landowners, and other
    stakeholders to adapt lessons learned into a coordinated and effective
    program of work as outlined in the 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
    Through government-to-government consultation with Tribes, expanded
    partnerships and co-stewardship, and broader community support, the
    Forest Service will increase the use of prescribed fire, fuel
    treatments, and the management of unplanned ignitions to reduce long-
    term wildfire risks. Fortunately, we have decades of experience working
    through collaborative partnerships based on common values and shared
    goals across shared landscapes as set out in the National Cohesive
    Wildland Fire
                              management strategy
      ensuring equitable access to and benefits from the national forest
                                     system
        The Forest Service will continue to invest in actions that create
    broad and efficient access to the vital resources our forests and
    grasslands provide. This effort is twofold. First, we must ensure that
    those who rely on these services and benefits can access those benefits
    safely. Therefore, we are committed to improving the operation and
    maintenance of our extensive infrastructure portfolio that includes
    buildings, dams, communication sites, recreation sites, roads, trails,
    and bridges. Second, to carry out this work effectively, the Forest
    Service is committed to continued intentional internal and external
    engagement with Tribal Nations whose ancestral homelands are within or
    adjacent to federally managed public lands, and communities that live
    by, visit, and depend on national forests. The Forest Service is
    committed to identifying and removing barriers to access Forest Service
    programs and services for historically underserved communities. This
    will be done by integrating equity-centered criteria in the design,
    funding, and prioritization of all policies, programs, and activities
    to center equity considerations as part of the decision process. The
    Forest Service will also work to advance mission critical work, remove
    barriers and boost economic opportunities through improved access to
    contracts, grants and agreements, and permits.
                   leveraging additional funding authorities
        Along with the tools and investments proposed in the FY 2024
    Presidents Budget, the Forest Service will leverage funding within the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act
    (IRA) to confront the wildfire crisis, create new markets and
    technology for wood products, promote economic development, and restore
    forest health and resiliency through partnerships and collaboration
    across landscapes.
        Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Congress provided
    a $1.4 billion down payment that greatly assists in putting our
    Wildfire Crisis Strategy into action with investments on 10 landscapes
    in eight Western States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
    New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington). Through work on these landscapes
    and others, we completed treatments on 3.2 million acres nationally in
    2022. We also accomplished these treatments in 118 of the 250 high-risk
    firesheds identified in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This work was
    accomplished despite numerous challenges including workforce capacity
    and high post-fire workloads from historic wildfire activity across the
    country the past several years. The work on these acres directly
    reduced risk to communities, infrastructure, and critical watersheds.
        The Inflation Reduction Act provides the Forest Service an
    additional $1.8 billion for hazardous fuels funding in the WUI. With
    IRA funding, we recently selected 11 additional landscapes for
    treatment in seven Western States (Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada,
    Oregon, Utah, and Washington). Combined with the initial BIL investment
    landscapes, our actions will span nearly 45 million acres across 134 of
    the 250 high-risk firesheds in the western U.S., with a total
    investment to date of $930 million on 21 landscapes in 2023. These
    investments will help reduce the risk of wildfire to at-risk
    communities, Tribal lands, critical infrastructure, utility corridors,
    and public water sources. We listened to our partners, the public we
    serve, Tribes and many others regarding what mattered most to them,
    where opportunity is, and where challenges remain. Their feedback and
    our experience on these landscapes helped us identify both challenges
    to implementation and enabling conditions for future success.
        Through Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) (Public Law 116-152)
    funding for the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund,
    the Forest Service continues to repair and upgrade vital infrastructure
    and facilities in the National forests and grasslands. The GAOA also
    permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), with
    which the Forest Service invests in conservation and recreation
    opportunities in public and private lands through the Forest Legacy
    Program and Federal Land Acquisition.
        According to the agency's 2020 economic analysis, Forest Service
    GAOA deferred maintenance projects are projected to support
    approximately 4,400 jobs and contribute $420 million to the Gross
    Domestic Product on an average annual basis over the 5-year
    authorization of the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration
    Fund. In FY 2024, the Forest Service proposes $94.3 million for the
    Forest Legacy Program, $123.9 million for Federal Land Acquisition, and
    $285 million for the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration
    Fund. The FY 2024 project lists are included in the FY 2024 Budget
    request.
        In closing, the President's FY 2024 Budget request for the Forest
    Service proposes a landmark investment in wildland fire, establishes
    funding priorities for risk-based wildfire reduction, and improves
    overall access and utilization of our National Forests System. The FY
    2024 Budget request underscores our commitment to long-overdue
    investments in our wildland firefighter workforce to provide them with
    the compensation that they deserve, along with critical investments to
    support health and wellbeing, and expanded options for housing. The FY
    2024 Budget also highlights the importance of restoring and creating
    resilient landscapes, improving infrastructure, and removing barriers
    to access. We look forward to working with this subcommittee to fulfill
    the President's goals and our key responsibilities for the long-term
    benefit of the Nation's forests and grasslands, and for all Americans.
    I will be glad to answer your questions.

        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Chief Moore. And we
    are going to have, I think, seven-minute rounds of questions,
    and we will be able to go back through.
        And a special welcome to Katie Britt, good to have you on
    this subcommittee.
        Let us dive into that firefighter workforce issue. Last
    year the Forest Service's target for firefighters was 11,300.
    How close did you get to that target? And what did we learn
    about that challenge that will help us improve recruitment for
    this coming year?
        Mr. Moore. Senator we got about 10,965, or roughly 97
    percent of that goal of 11,300 firefighters. What we learned is
    that, because of the pressures of recruitment and retention,
    that we were facing, really, an uphill battle. I would be happy
    to tell you that the proposed fiscal year 2024 President's
    Budget addresses a lot of the concerns and challenges we have
    with the recruitment and retention.
        Senator Merkley. So one of the issues I keep hearing about
    is housing; any insights on that?
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. In the President's Budget it does address
    a number of things. It addresses the housing issue, so we have
    money set aside there, about $45 million. It also looks at
    about $10 million for the Forest Service, and $10 million for
    Department of Interior to look at mental care and wellbeing.
    And it also addresses, you know, just the challenges with the
    pay gap between the Federal and non-Federal firefighters. So we
    think it addresses a number of those issues that was really
    affecting our ability to recruit, retain a lot of our
    firefighters going forward.
        Senator Merkley. So one of the things that we have talked
    about is trying to increase the workforce by not having the
    interruption of folks being on fires and then having to figure
    out the rest of their life during the non-fire season, and thus
    the potential synergy between being in the firefighter role and
    being in the role of forest management. What do you see as the
    prospects or possibilities for that helping to increase
    retention from year to year?
        Mr. Moore. Well, you know, my experience, you know, working
    in the Forest Service for 40-plus years, you know, it varied
    over the years. Lately, what we are seeing is, the primary
    reason that I have been hearing, personally from firefighters,
    is the pay gap.
        You know, it is easier when you are a beginning firefighter
    it used to be easier, I should say, but as you get older and
    have families the salaries become even more important. And
    Forest Service salaries--I should say, Federal salaries, in
    many of the locations across the country is not holding up to
    salaries in other non-Federal jobs.
        When you have a minimum pay of $15 per hour, you would have
    to be a minimum of a GS-5 to be comparable to that minimum
    wage. And many of our locations the minimum wage is not enough
    to sustain a fair way to live. And we are seeing more and more
    of that pop up, particularly across the West, but it certainly
    holds true all across the country, where the cost of living is
    continuing to rise, and our salaries are staying, fairly, the
    same.
        Senator Merkley. So last year we set the floor at $15, but
    are there plans for it to go higher than that?
        Mr. Moore. Well, what happened, that is a temporary fix, we
    looked at about a $20,000 bump in pay that stemmed the tide of
    a lot of our employees leaving. I think the challenge now is
    that if that is permanent, which is proposed in the President's
    fiscal year 2024 budget, we think that that is going to be a
    huge help.
        One of the other things we have, in addition to the health
    and wellbeing of our employees, is looking at the housing issue
    that we are trying to address, which we have a severe shortage
    in many of our small rural locations across the country. We
    think that the budget that is proposed really addresses that
    issue.
        And then the other piece that I think is really significant
    which I think will make a huge difference, is what we call
    portal-to-portal pay, and not only does that pertains to our
    full-time firefighters, but it is also what we call the Militia
    Workforce in the Forest Service, it is our wildlife biologists,
    our foresters who have certifications in certain parts of the
    fire program that goes out to fight and suppress fires. And
    that would pertain to all employees that have qualifications
    and certifications to participate in fire suppression
    activities.
        Senator Merkley. So I want to shift gears. The Bipartisan
    Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act provided for
    investment in high-risk firesheds, and the Forest Service has
    targeted areas of my State of Oregon in the North, South, East,
    and Central Oregon. The Rogue Valley is considered the highest
    risk fireshed, and it is not targeted by the Forest Service in
    part because there is not a lot of Forest Service land there.
    So a lot of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and other
    multiple land-ownership.
        The Forest Service does, however, have other funds that are
    available to work with states, with private landowners, for
    cross-boundary work with BLM. Is that flexible enough to
    provide help with the Rogue Valley fireshed?
        Mr. Moore. Yes. Senator, I am glad you have asked that
    question, because it comes up fairly often. And you know, we of
    course have focused on the 21 landscapes that have been
    identified, but we have other dollars in the budget where we
    work in other areas that are also at high fire risk, or those
    important areas. The Collaborative Forest landscape Restoration
    Program, we call it CFLRP, it is one of those areas where we
    have a community of people coming together to look at those
    areas that are important.
        And those projects or programs are funded. So we have a lot
    of work that has been done outside of the 21 landscape that
    really gets at the issue of reducing, not only the potential to
    high fire danger, but also for disease of insects, and some of
    the other types of issues that we are dealing with in our
    forest today.
        You know, Secretary Vilsack just announced earlier this
    week $197 million for Community Wildfire Defense Grants, six of
    those grants have been awarded in Southern Oregon, which goes
    directly into the areas that you have mentioned.
        Senator Merkley. And thank you very much.
        Mr. Moore. For the tune of $22.5 million. And so the point
    that I am making is that we have other opportunities to work in
    other areas outside of the 21 landscapes, because we know that
    there are some important issues all across the National Forest
    System. And that is why we are maximizing and utilizing our
    dollars to the best.
        Now, the other thing that I would just add on this
    particular piece too is that, you know, we are trying to
    leverage every dollar we get with partner-matching
    contributions. And so far, our work with our partners has
    really exceeded even the amount of money that we are getting
    now, whether it is through a BIL, or IRA, or the appropriated
    budgeted process, and even Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)
    dollars.
        You didn't ask this question, but I will say that even
    through GAOA dollars, our partners have brought in an
    additional $200 million towards backlog, and deferred
    maintenance, and restoration efforts.
        Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you. Well, forest issues are
    certainly an issue in Oregon and also in Alaska.
        And so we will turn to Senator Murkowski, as Ranking
    Member.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chief, I want to start my questions with some of the issues
    associated with tree mortality. As you know, we have been hit
    really hard in Alaska with spruce bark beetle. It has been
    observed on roughly 193,500 acres statewide, more than 98
    percent of those acres mapped in 2021, being in South Central
    Alaska, which of course is where our population is
    concentrated.
        The outbreak is estimated to be now in its seventh year, it
    has affected over 1.6 million acres since first being
    documented in 2016. It was around a lot earlier than that, but
    I think that was when we started really mapping it, but it is a
    huge issue, and one that we pay close attention to it because
    of what it means, for not only the mortality, but then what
    that might mean as regards to a fire threat.
        How is Forest Service utilizing the funding that we
    provided here through Congress to address the outbreak in
    Alaska? I thought that we were going to be a little more
    competitive, perhaps, in the Community Wildfire Defense Program
    Grant, and especially in view of the vast need that we have,
    but I have learned that only one community in Alaska has
    received benefits from that grant.
        So how do you get money to communities in these areas where
    the beetle kill really does pose significant threat? And if
    there is a challenge with the way we have written that, let me
    know. So if you can speak to some of the threat that we are
    seeing with the spruce bark beetle?
        Mr. Moore. Sure. Senator Murkowski, you are correct; the
    outbreak of the beetle has been devastating there in Alaska.
    Well, what we are seeing is a little bit of a challenge because
    even we are seeing a change, because even though last year's--
    look, it was 198,000 acres, or so; we also did survey, aerial
    survey analysis for fiscal year 2022, last year, and what we
    are seeing is a rapid decline in the amount of acres that has
    been affected. In fact, we only saw about 48,000 acres compared
    to 197,000 the year before.
        But even saying that, we have been working with some of the
    locals there, putting together a plan, and we are planning to
    work together to look and see: if there is really a continued
    concern of the beetle; has it reached its peak? So we are going
    to be monitoring that very closely. But what we are seeing is a
    trend down currently.
        In terms of the Wildfire Community Defense Grants, this was
    only the first round. We will have many more rounds coming up.
    In fact, this was the first $197 million, we have an additional
    $800 million, where we are going to be looking at opportunities
    to do a lot of work, and so I am sure Alaska will fit into some
    of those future projects.
        Senator Murkowski. So it is not necessarily a question of
    the criteria for the grants themselves. Was it a matter of how
    much was allocated in that first round and--it just, it is
    inconceivable to me; I mean when you talk about 1.6 million
    acres of a beetle kill, seems to me that our communities would
    be eligible for more than one of these Community Grant
    Programs.
        So if there is--again, if there is an issue with how we are
    competing for those let us talk about it. If it is an issue
    that we haven't done much to provide for a bigger grant funding
    pool, let us talk about that, or if it is, again, the criteria;
    you know: Is it based on population that might be impacted?
    Well, I will share with you, and if you haven't seen it, just
    driving down the road, driving down the road.
        Let me ask though, because I am talking about the impact in
    South Central because of the spruce bark beetle, but down in
    the Tongass we just--you know, spruce bark beetle really hasn't
    been a significant threat or concern, and in just the past few
    years now, we have seen the black-headed budworm that is just
    absolutely wreaking havoc on the coastal hemlock, and the
    spruce down there in southeast.
        So this is new for us. And what we are seeing, it is
    traveling like wildfire, and what you look at, as you are as on
    the coast, or flying above, you can visually see the movement
    there. Nobody is really talking about it, but it is an outbreak
    that I am really concerned about. And again, as we are seeing
    warmer temperatures, we never used to worry about wildfire in
    the Tongass because the Tongass is a rainforest. Well, that
    rainforest is not always wet, and if we are seeing this level
    of mortality brought about by a different invasive species,
    what is the plan here?
        Mr. Moore. So Senator, we do have our researchers looking
    at that area, particularly with the outbreak of insects, as
    well as diseases there in the area. So we will be paying close
    attention to that, and we will be working with the community
    there. So we have not, and will not forget Alaska, and how it
    fits into having some of these opportunities to get these grant
    proposals. And like I said this first round was really looking
    at high wildfire potential. And I hear you that there is
    potential there that didn't used to be there, particularly
    since it is supposed to be a rainforest, but not every year is
    the same.
        But just know that we are paying attention to Alaska, we do
    intend, and I would say that, for sure, that there would be an
    opportunity to fund some of those areas in Alaska. This was
    really only the first go-round, and we were really focused on
    high fire danger, and potential areas there.
        The other thing that--and Alaska is starting to do this, is
    working with community leaders, looking at areas to focus on.
    And so when you are applying for these grants, we are looking
    to see what the state has done to map out some of these areas;
    and where this first go-round it went--a lot of those projects
    went to states that have already done a lot of their mapping
    throughout the state.
        Alaska is working on that now. We have a group there that
    we are working with, and I am confident that Alaska will be
    competitive, going forward.
        Senator Murkowski. Chief, my time has expired. But I do
    want to impress upon you that right now the community leaders,
    the mayors of the Borough of the Kenai Peninsula, as well as
    within the Anchorage area, they are coming to me, not for more
    in appropriations, because they are not counting on that, they
    are counting on me for congressionally directed spending.
        They want me to take care of their number one priority,
    which is the fire threat to their region, very immediate, very
    real, and so I would ask that we have a little better
    understanding in terms of what more we can be doing to help
    these threatened communities.
        Thank you Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Britt.
        Senator Britt. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
    Ranking Member. It is a pleasure to be with you all today.
        Chief Moore, appreciate you being in front of this
    committee, and the important work that you do. I also want to
    say thank you for sending me a welcome letter, and welcoming
    me, obviously, to the Senate and to this Committee. I certainly
    look forward to being able to work with you.
        As you know, forests are incredibly important to Alabama,
    they are one of the main reasons our state is known by many as
    ``Alabama the Beautiful''. Alabama is home to over 23 million
    forest land acres, the third-most in the Continental United
    States. The people of Alabama are hard at work putting that
    land to good use. In fact, forestry contributes to 1,100 jobs--
    excuse me--over 100,000 jobs in our state. All of the work
    leads to a total economic output of about $27.7 billion.
        The state produces almost every wood product you could
    possibly imagine, from lumber, to paper, to cabinetry, to
    pallets, to flooring, to oriented strand board. These products
    are used by Alabamians, by our neighbors, and all across the
    globe. Thankfully, we are able to export about $1.3 billion in
    products overseas.
        With an industry this productive, and resources so crucial
    to our state, Alabama forest owners know that we have to take
    care of the gift that God gave us, and the greater forestry
    community in Alabama has demonstrated that principally,
    incredibly well.
        Private landowners know that they must take care of their
    land if they are going to leave things better than they found
    them, leave things better for their kids and their grandkids.
    And as I consistently say, there are no greater stewards of our
    lands than our farmers, foresters, and cattlemen.
        I think that is why over 91 percent of Alabama's forests
    are privately owned, and the state still continues to add 2 to
    2.5 percent of tree volume year over year. The administration's
    fiscal year 2024 Budget for the Forest Service includes $60
    million to install charging equipment for electric vehicles on
    public lands, which is clear that the Green New Deal has
    certainly made its way into the Forest Service budget.
        However, that very same budget cuts $3 million from
    Landscape Scale Restoration Grant funding. I believe this
    funding, obviously, has supported efforts to reduce wildlife
    fire risk, its improved forest conditions, and also mitigated
    disease, and blight conditions that are facing our Nation's
    forest. In Alabama we have found these funds to be useful to
    expand the use of drones, and train drones, pilots, to combat
    and prepare forest fires.
        In your experience how effective have we been in using
    drones to track the spread of forest fires? To use that
    information to assist us as we fight forest fires in their
    efforts in the future?
        Mr. Moore. So Senator Britt, again, welcome and thank you
    thank you question.
        Senator Britt. Thank you.
        Mr. Moore. I might add too, in terms of wood innovations,
    you know, one of the things that we bragged about Alabama last
    week, was that you also have a cross-laminated timber facility
    there as well. And so I know Georgia would like to have their
    own, but right now they are borrowing from Alabama, so good on
    Alabama.
        Senator Britt. Yes. We are proud to be a leader.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. The other part of your question, though, I
    think Alabama, but as well as the South, in general, plays
    prominently in how we look at wood, and how we look at the
    innovations of wood, but also, you know, looking at the use of
    drones.
        The Forest Service had just recently gotten into the use of
    drones to do a lot of different types of forest management,
    including wildfire suppression, prescribed burning as well. In
    fact, we call it: the southern region is right now it is
    leading the nation in prescribed burning, but also using drones
    to help with that facility. We know that there is always a
    safety risk when we use helicopters to look at increasing the
    amount of prescribed burning that we are doing, and so one of
    the alternatives to mitigating that safety issue is to look at
    drones to do prescribed burning.
        So we are moving into that arena in a really rapid way, and
    we have already started licensing and certifying a lot of our
    employees to operate the drones. And so we are headed in that
    direction, and we are going as quickly as we possibly can.
        Senator Britt. Well, thank you. I hope that we continue to
    use those resources to make smart decisions moving forward. And
    I want to thank you for the work that you and the Forest
    Service continue to put into Alabama and helping keep Alabama
    beautiful, and obviously, protecting the many livelihoods that
    you just referenced yourself.
        I was happy to see the emphasis you placed when you wrote
    me that welcome letter, on collaboration, and working to avoid
    these catastrophic events, wildfires, and other things in areas
    like Alabama, that would require robust local engagement to
    make good land management decisions.
        And so the Forest Service received about $10 billion in
    fiscal year 2023. How are you using those funds to address and
    mitigate threats of cross-boundary fires, you know, that start
    on Federal lands and obviously cross over into private forests?
        Mr. Moore. You know, one of the strategies of the plans we
    have in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy that we have developed, is
    to look at two pieces. We have said that we want to address 20
    million acres of Federal lands, of Forest Service lands, as a
    matter of fact, but an additional 30 million acres of other
    Federal, tribal, and private lands throughout the country.
        Senator Britt. Okay.
        Mr. Moore. And so when we look at addressing to scale, we
    are looking at landscapes, and when we look at landscapes it is
    multiple jurisdictions.
        Senator Britt. Okay.
        Mr. Moore. And so we want to be able to deploy the work in
    a way where it is effective. So we will be looking at
    strategically placed treatments across the landscape. In fact,
    our scientists are telling us that when you look at a fireshed,
    as an example, which is about a 250,000-acre block, we only
    need to treat anywhere between 20 to 40 percent of that to have
    a positive effect on how that fire behaves when it moves
    through that fireshed.
        Senator Britt. Okay.
        Mr. Moore. And so we are looking at that. We are using
    science as a foundation for making decisions of how we approach
    that, and we also know that the only way forward is to do it in
    a collaborative manner, where we invite a community of people
    into the decision space to talk about what we need to do out
    there together.
        Senator Britt. Thank you.
        Mr. Moore. And so that is the direction that we are headed
    in. We know that we need to invite the people into the decision
    space not just, you know, in the position of giving us their
    recommendation, but making them a part of the, deciding what
    the problem is, defining what the problem is, but also helping
    to pursue the solution together as well.
        Senator Britt. No. I certainly appreciate that spirit of
    collaboration, and letting everybody have a seat at the table.
    I see that my time has expired, and so I will submit my
    additional questions for the record, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. And if you have the time to stay
    approximately 15 minutes from now, you will get another
    opportunity.
        Senator Britt. Okay sounds good.
        Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you, Senator Britt.
        So I want to jump into the complexity of the funding to
    fight fires, we have the Base Funding, we have the Reserve
    Fund, we have the Supplemental, and we have Carryover, all of
    which can get very confusing. But the Reserve Fund is set up
    under a legislation that essentially increases it by $100
    million a year. So fiscal year 2024 request is $2.650 billion
    rather than $2.550 billion.
        And is it, given the accelerating costs of the wages, the
    investments in housing, the expansion of the fire season, the
    increased number of acres being burned, is that enough? Or do
    we need to fix the Fire Fix?
        Mr. Moore. First of all, I want to thank Congress for the
    Fire Fix, because it certainly helped in terms of limiting our
    ability, and really stopping our ability to use other non-fire
    dollars to use toward fire suppression when we have exceeded
    the cap. So we will always be grateful and thankful to Congress
    for the Fire Funding Fix.
        What we are seeing though, over the last 3 years, two of
    those years we have exceeded $3 billion for fire suppression,
    and when we looked at that legislation, Senator, we had no idea
    that we would reach this point this early in time. And we
    already are getting forecast from our researchers telling us
    that between now and fiscal year 2027, that we are going to be
    seeing those calls exceed, or up to $4 billion per year for
    fire suppression.
        And so if that continues, and if the legislation expires,
    then we may be returning back to fire borrowing as we did in
    the past, which would really be devastating to all of the
    efforts that we are trying to put forward now, looking at
    trying to reduce the wildfire crisis.
        Senator Merkley. Yeah, absolutely. We are determined to try
    to prevent that fire borrowing, which is why we are keeping the
    window open for a supplemental of another $450 million. When
    you have to shut down all the other things you do and then wait
    for us to do an emergency supplemental to refund you before you
    can pick up your other responsibilities; that is just
    unacceptable in terms of the stewardship and management of our
    forests.
        The Civilian Conservation Corps folks, we have a number of
    them in Oregon, and they really give a second chance to a lot
    of folks, 16 through 24, who are looking to get their feet back
    on the ground after maybe going off track. And the forestry
    programs they offer are quite significant and popular. The
    students can be paid when they work fighting fires, but they
    are not--the Forest Service is not authorized to pay them when
    they do non-fire work, in terms of forest stewardship, forest
    maintenance, and yet they are working right alongside others
    who are getting paid.
        Do you support Congress giving you the authority so these
    folks can be paid when they are doing forest management, as
    well as when they are doing firefighting?
        Mr. Moore. Yes. Senator I would always support justice and
    equality. Yeah, we currently have limited authority to
    compensate Job Corps students, primarily because they are not
    Federal employees, they are not contractors, nor are they part
    of a non-government organization. So our staff and our legal
    counsel, right now, are completing their review of the proposed
    language, and we will be responding shortly back to you on
    suggested edits, if needed.
        Senator Merkley. Great. We look forward to your suggestions
    on that area. I want to turn to tribal co-management. The
    Klamath Tribe in the southern part of Oregon, their reservation
    was taken back by the Government when the tribe was terminated.
    The tribe was restored but they did not get their reservation
    back, but they would like to have co-management ability on the
    Winema, and the Warm Springs Tribe would like to be able to do
    that on the Mount Hood Forest.
        What can we do to actually implement significant co-
    management work that I find completely appropriate and
    valuable?
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. I would like for you to know that I share
    your perspective on this. We have increased a number of shared
    stewardship agreements with tribes, we are looking at plenty of
    other opportunities where we can co-manage some of our
    facilities. We are looking at one now up on the Pactola, up in
    South Dakota, as an opportunity to co-manage that particular
    area there.
        So it is going to take time, but we agree with that
    philosophy, that approach, that we would like to do more
    working together with the tribes.
        Senator Merkley. Good. Well, I really hope we can see that
    unfold. I think it would be very significant to the tribe.
    After all, these forests are on the traditional tribal lands,
    and they have high unemployment rates, they have a lot of
    Klamath forest management knowledge to bring to bear. And so it
    could be a real win-win.
        You had mentioned the work on staff housing, but right now
    it is just kind of a line item. I mean we have buildings that
    have to be reopened, or we have to build new buildings. Is
    there a detailed plan? Certainly without places, where people
    can stay, or afford to stay, it is very hard to relocate in a
    lot of our rural areas where the Forest Service does its work.
        Mr. Moore. Yes, Senator. I will check to see if we have a
    detailed plan but we know that we have a lot of housing
    facilities that need some significant remodeling and investing
    in. And I am happy to report that the President's Budget has
    put aside $50 million to look at this issue, and we think that
    that is going to go a long ways in restoring a lot of our
    facilities.
        Senator Merkley. Great. I look forward to a detailed plan
    on how we can use that effectively to expand the availability,
    because I am just hearing from everyone that in terms of hiring
    people, and retaining them in remote areas, it is almost
    impossible, as there is no place to live. Somehow the prospect
    of working for the Forest Service while you live in your car is
    not such an entertaining one.
        I noted with interest a recent request for proposals from
    the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky where they
    required that all proposed designs utilize mass timber. Mass
    timber is a very significant product in Oregon. And it
    sequesters carbon in buildings, it has more earthquake
    resistance, it really is a fabulous kind of engineering
    advance. How about we make this requirement for all the Forest
    Service RFPs?
        Mr. Moore. Well, if Congress decides to do that we will
    certainly give it our best shot to make it happen.
        Senator Merkley. Well, I think it is actually something
    that you would have the power to do without legislation, just
    as we have seen the model in Kentucky, but I will keep raising
    it.
        Okay, let me turn to Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. I would like defer to, also another new
    member of our committee. It is nice to have Senator Fischer on.
    So before I go to my second round, I will defer to her.
        Senator Merkley. A pleasure to have you Senator Fischer.
    Sorry I didn't look over, and see you had arrived; welcome.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
    Senator Murkowski.
        Nebraska has experienced a significant number of wildfires
    the past couple of years, including the second-highest year on
    record in 2022. In a rural state like mine, where nearly 94
    percent of the fire departments, are entirely volunteer-run,
    programs like the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program are
    crucial.
        The Nebraska Forest Service helped hundreds of fire
    districts in my state, 475 in 2022 alone, improved their
    ability to prepare for and suppress wildfires. While we
    understand that this program did receive some Infrastructure
    Bill funding, I was disappointed to see the program level
    funded in your fiscal year 2024 budget request, along with
    other important programs, like the State Fire Assistance
    Program.
        Given the increased threat that wildfires pose, and the
    resources needed by these communities, like those in Nebraska,
    can you discuss how that decision was made to level that
    funding?
        Mr. Moore. I cannot, Senator, tell you what went into the
    decision to level that funding. What I can tell you, though, is
    that as we look at many places like Nebraska, and certainly
    Nebraska, there are many other opportunities where we are
    working with the State National Association of State Foresters,
    and in this case your State Forester, looking at other programs
    that we work through the state, with the state, to look at
    reducing the fire opportunities throughout.
        Now, if you have a particular area, then I would address
    that specifically, but I am not familiar enough with Nebraska,
    and what we are doing specifically there, but I would be
    certainly happy to work with you and to look further into this.
        Senator Fischer. We have tens of thousands of acres of
    Forest Service land, probably unusual from the Oregon land that
    they have, because ours are grasslands, and they are sparsely
    populated areas. So the Forest Service is very, very dependent
    upon neighbors for ranchers to come in and help control those
    fires, because as you can imagine, in the Sandhills of
    Nebraska, in the grasslands that we have when it is--when we
    are suffering drought, as we have been for several years, when
    the winds are blowing, when you have fires started, they don't
    just remain on Forest land.
        Mr. Moore. Right.
        Senator Fischer. They cover miles, and miles, and miles of
    acres. And so our volunteer fire departments are essential to
    helping to control fires that are on Federal lands as well. So
    I hope you could get back to us on why we are not seeing an
    increase in the funding to help those volunteer fire
    departments that would be helpful for us?
        Mr. Moore. Certainly.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you. In your written testimony you
    highlighted the fiscal year 2024 request for $72 million across
    several areas of the Forest Service, for zero-emission vehicles
    and charging infrastructure. When you think of all the
    challenges that are facing the Forest Service, do you think
    that electric vehicles and charging infrastructure should
    really be an area that Federal funds are prioritized for?
        Mr. Moore. So from my experience, Senator, you know, we try
    and serve the American people, and what we have noticed is that
    more and more people are buying electric cars and they are
    visiting the national forest. And the ideal that you would be
    able to visit the national forest and not worry about whether
    you need to charge your car to get back home, you know, it is
    an opportunity for us to try and respond to that part of
    America. And so that is the ideal there.
        Now, looking at the funding itself, it is for the
    infrastructure as well as for the vehicles themselves, and I
    believe the Federal Government is looking at: What are the
    opportunities to look at having some of our Federal vehicles
    that are electric, to look at this greener environment. So
    there is a lot of reasons to want to support that.
        Senator Fischer. You know, with all due respect, sir, I
    would point out that the first two programs that I mentioned
    were to help and prevent wildfires.
        Mr. Moore. Yes.
        Senator Fischer. I believe your duty is to properly manage
    the land that is held by the Federal Government, and be able
    to, as I said, manage it, and manage it properly. When we
    looked at those other two programs, dealing with managing
    wildfires which I pointed out in my area, can whip up in dry
    conditions, devastating wildfires across grassland and across
    private land as well. But yet we saw level funding, or a
    decrease in funding in your budget request for that. I am
    appalled by that.
        I respect the tough decisions that you have to make on
    where funds are allocated, but when you look at $72 million
    requested for Electric vehicles (EVs) and charging
    infrastructure, while only 21 million is being requested to
    assist these volunteer fire departments, that are vital in
    wildfire suppression, that does give me pause. And I will
    continue to advocate for more funding for programs that truly
    are able to take care of the land that the Federal Government
    has.
        We are looking at 97 percent of Nebraska's land that is
    privately owned, so when we have partnerships with our Forest
    Service, the state foresters, and local landowners, that is, to
    me extremely important in keeping that land healthy, in keeping
    that land productive.
        The Nebraska Forest Service was able to help over 1,300
    landowners receive educational or technical assistance in 2022.
    So that is over 40,000 acres that are now covered by new or
    revised forest stewardship plans, and 33,000 of those acres are
    identified as important forest research areas.
        So I was glad to be able to see the President's Budget
    request ask for a slight increase in that funding to $14
    million. As I said, my job I think is to be able to focus on
    the land, and the care of that vital resource that the Federal
    Government has control over. So I do thank you for that
    request.
        My time is up; but if I could submit a question for the
    record? Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Absolutely.
        Senator Fischer. Could you let us know how that program
    which I just referenced would help private landowners to
    develop management plans, and what you see as the importance,
    in your decisionmaking, and making that slight increase in
    funding? Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator.
        And Senator Tester.
        Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member
    for holding this, what is a very important hearing. And thank
    you for being here, Chief Moore.
        Montana, we rely on access to our national forest to help
    drive a $7 billion outdoor recreation economy. It is critically
    important because it employs a lot of people. I am in
    agriculture, and I am proud of the fact that agriculture is the
    number one industry, but it could be argued and pretty
    effectively, quite frankly, the outdoor recreation is the
    number one issue, and our public lands rely on that. Our
    forests, our watersheds, the collaborative relationships with
    your agency, with partners, and responsibility to manage
    timber, that drive the economy in many towns in Montana. And we
    rely, our communities rely on your agency to protect
    watersheds, shield them for the worst impacts of wildfire, and
    I do look forward to hearing how the Forest Service are going
    to do that.
        But I want to talk a little bit about categorical
    exclusions for a second. How do you see--Congress gave you
    categorical exclusions, how do you see the Forest Service using
    those?
        Mr. Moore. We are using them quite extensively, Senator.
        Senator Tester. Okay, for?
        Mr. Moore. Well, a range of projects. Whether it is
    primarily within the timber arena, we are certainly using
    categorical exclusions there. We also have the ability to look
    at, particularly where we have the emergency landscapes, to use
    some of the emergency authorities that had been granted to us.
    So the Secretary has given me the authority as Chief, to look
    at using the emergency authorities on projects within those
    high fire; firesheds.
        Senator Tester. So I would say, by your description you
    gave right now, that would be Congressional intent. That is how
    I believe categorical exclusions should be used too.
        Unfortunately, and I do say ``unfortunately'' with the
    strongest of terms, a categorical exclusion was used not to cut
    trees, or not to prevent forest fires, but to allow a
    corporation to set up in our forested lands, in our national
    forests, a facility that would include a lot of potential
    devastating impacts. And it was done using the categorical
    exclusion, which means no public input. Could you tell me why
    that was done that way?
        Mr. Moore. Well, categorical exclusion doesn't mean there
    is no public input, categorical exclusion means that generally,
    that the issues are not of a significant nature to warrant an
    environmental assessment, an EA or an environmental impact
    statement
        Senator Tester. A very good point. They didn't think it
    would have to have an environmental impact and what criteria
    did they use on that, to allow a corporation to come into
    Montana to set up and this was in the Seeley area--to set up a
    huge recreation resort, and I can tell you, unequivocally, the
    people were not heard and decisions were made by the Forest
    Service, by folks on the ground, without taking public input.
        And if the people wouldn't have stood up and said: Foul,
    this is baloney, this project would have been built. Using a
    categorical exclusion, by the way, that was meant for cutting
    trees not for recreational purposes, at least that is why I
    believe a categorical exclusion was put in.
        Mr. Moore. So Senator, I will look into this and get back
    with you. But you can use category exclusion for more than just
    cutting trees.
        Senator Tester. I got you.
        Mr. Moore. Okay.
        Senator Tester. The question is: Is that Congressional
    intent? And I am going to tell you that I would never, ever,
    ever have voted for a categorical exclusion for the purpose of
    making some corporation rich off our public lands, never
    happen, never going to happen. But if you want to use it to
    protect the community due to wildfire, now that is why you have
    a categorical exclusion.
        And that is the point I am trying to make here, is that I
    think--I will be honest with you, I am not saying it was you,
    but you are the boss, so you have got to take the heat for
    everybody below you. But I think somebody said they found a
    loophole here, and they cut a deal. And the Government should
    never be cutting a deal. They should be listening to the people
    on the ground, because it is really important, especially, in a
    state like Montana, where our national forests are so
    critically important to our economy in a number of different
    ways, both Recreation and through wood products.
        And so I want you to go out and find out. This has been
    something that has given Government a bad name. And it is in
    the Forest Service's lap, and folks need to step up and say
    look--and I think they have, but not without--it would never
    happen without incredible public input, letters to the editor,
    town hall public meetings. Where, by the way, Democrats,
    Republicans, and Independents. I mean the Forest Service did a
    great job uniting these folks, which is good we need--we have
    got too much division in this country, but this isn't how we
    should be doing it. Okay? And that is the point I am trying to
    make.
        So I appreciate you look into this, hold people
    accountable, make sure that the folks that are on the ground
    are listing to people on the ground because it is really
    important.
        Now, I want to talk a little bit about fuel mitigation and
    priority landscapes, which we are spending hundreds of millions
    of through IGA to proactively address the wildfire crisis
    because of climate change, it truly is a crisis. I mean, we
    have got beetle-killed trees, we have got longer and more
    intense fire seasons. And I appreciate the work that you are
    doing in the Kootenai, but at the end of the day we have got
    tremendous need for hazardous fuel treatments to protect
    wildland, urban interface, transmission lines, and municipal
    watersheds.
        And I would ask that that how were Montana landscapes, with
    significant Bowie municipal watersheds, and standing dead trees
    bypassed in this process, because they were bypassed? So how
    could that happen?
        Mr. Moore. So they were not bypassed. And this is not the
    only opportunity that we have to do work in Montana.
        Senator Tester. Yes.
        Mr. Moore. We are doing a lot of work in Montana.
        Senator Tester. Yes.
        Mr. Moore. We will continue to do work in Montana, Senator,
    and we just don't have, as good as the budget is, we don't have
    the amount of money to go around to everyone, and do all of the
    work that is really needed. And I would agree with you,
    Montana, but so many other communities, has so much work and so
    many areas that need attention.
        And while I would hate to ever say that we can't get
    everywhere, Senator, we can't go everywhere, but we are going
    to try. We are paying attention to Montana. We are doing a lot
    of work in Montana.
        Senator Tester. So I would just say this. The Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Bill that the Ranking Member and I helped write,
    with eight other people, gave significant money to the Forest
    Service. And for the forest in Montana, and we have many of
    them, and you are intimately familiar with them to be bypassed
    in this last round is--of IIJ dollars, does not does not make a
    lot of sense to me, quite frankly, but I have got, you know,
    this is, I am looking at it from a Montana point of view.
        But I would just tell you, I look forward to working with
    you, and the Kootenai, and Basin Creek, and all sorts of other
    places, to get more hazardous fuel reduction, because I think
    it is critically important. We have got too many dead trees.
        I want to thank the Chairman for letting me go over. Thank
    you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Senator Tester. And a
    lot of your forest issues are similar to what we have
    throughout the West, including Oregon.
        Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chief, I want to discuss the issue of opportunity between
    the Forest Service and many of our tribes, specific to tribal
    co-management. As you are aware, we had the this blueprint for
    Southeast Alaska that was developed a couple years ago, issued
    actually April of 2021, but it had a lot of actionable
    priorities, including some strategies to extend to the 19
    tribes in the region more decisionmaking through tribal
    management and co-management opportunities, specifically to 638
    contracts.
        We are looking at the Farm Bill, moving forward and
    different initiatives within that measure right now. But we
    have got a situation with regards to opportunities with 638
    contracts that we may need to address some of the language.
        In the 2018 Farm Bill it authorized the use of Indian Self-
    Determination and Education Assistance Act's Agreement, the 638
    ISDEAA, for a few projects under the Tribal Forest Protection
    Act, but under this Act tribes are restricted to contracting
    only for projects on Federal lands that quote, ``Border or are
    adjacent to the Indian forest or rangeland.''
        So of course, this doesn't work in Alaska, and it is also
    restrictive in the Lower 48. We have got folks in Alaska,
    again, that are interested in this. We are going to have a
    hearing in Indian Affairs this afternoon, it is a roundtable on
    Farm Bill. But one of the witnesses there, Richard Peterson,
    who is the President of Tlingit & Haida, Central Council, is
    going to be speaking specifically to how the 638 Authorities
    will be important for workforce development, for food security,
    for increased economic opportunities. They are looking specific
    to what can be done with regards to tribal management there at
    Mendenhall Glacier.
        So there is a lot of interest in this, but we have heard
    that the 638 contracting needs to be broadened, as well as
    including some technical assistance. Can you speak to this
    issue on whether or not you see this as an opportunity?
        Mr. Moore. So Senator, you described it accurately in terms
    of what the concerns are, and what the issues are under the
    2018 Farm Bill. And we will be more than happy to work with you
    on this issue, looking at a potential new Farm Bill.
        Senator Murkowski. So do you think then that we need to
    address this language that limits it to these Federal lands
    that are either bordering or adjacent to, because it is not
    just Alaska, it would be throughout the Lower 48, where you
    have got some challenges there.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. Senator, I think the word that was used
    specifically there, is that they would have to have trust lands
    that are adjacent to or border national forest, and since my
    understanding, with the exception of one tribe, there are no
    trust lands in Alaska. So as you look at the new Farm Bill that
    is where we would be happy to work with you going forward on
    this issue.
        Senator Murkowski. Okay. So maybe you can work with us on
    some of this TA that we are looking for?
        Mr. Moore. Yes, absolutely.
        Senator Murkowski. Okay. I appreciate that. Let me ask,
    back to Southeast here, as you know, pretty much that entire
    region is, thankfully, powered by hydropower, it helps with
    offsetting some of the other high costs that they have right
    there, but hydropower projects in the region are hard to
    develop of course the Roadless Rule makes it even more
    difficult.
        One example is Thayer Creek. This is a hydro project that
    needs limited road development that relies on rights-of-way
    granted by the Forest Service to access the project, so what we
    have got going now, is we have got state and Federal highway
    funding that is available for the road development, but the
    funds can't be used for roads with controlled access, which is
    the very condition that Forest Service requires in order to
    grant the necessary right-of-way.
        So it puts everything at an impasse. We need some help
    working through this because obviously you want to be able to
    have these--I mean these are very small hydro projects which
    are able to take communities off of their present power
    generation which is diesel, which is nobody's alternative.
        Mr. Moore. Right.
        Senator Murkowski. But yet we have got this impasse. So I
    don't know, again, if you can give me somebody to help us
    through this. But if we are going to be looking at a situation
    where the Roadless Rule is going to be this wet blanket on top
    of us, we can't be in a situation where we have got an impasse
    like this; would you agree?
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. I certainly would agree. And I can give
    you someone to work with, as we work through that. And let me
    say, too though, we recognize that with the Federal lands that
    is in Alaska that we need to be working across the aisles to
    make sure that Alaskans have the necessary way of life, if you
    will, to exist.
        And so we will look into that. I will give you a point
    person to work with, or your staff, and we will see what
    opportunities we may have to pursue.
        Senator Murkowski. Okay. Well, we don't want a project like
    that to be the poster child for what most would look at and
    say: There is a common sense, straightforward solution here to
    getting communities off diesel power generation. And it is our
    own policies that are blocking or impeding that.
        As we are talking about opportunities within southeast, we
    have got one project there that, again, kind of defies
    understanding as to why we can't advance something as small as
    this. The Hoonah Indian Association, working with the
    Southeast--excuse me--the Sustainable Southeast Partnership,
    and this is exactly what these things are designed to do. They
    have they have got this idea that they can take the Icy
    Strait's Lumber Mill, a small, little lumber mill to handle
    young growth to establish locally sourced lumber for housing,
    and a housing manufacture facility there in Hoonah.
        So super-small scale, but basically designed to get a
    little bit of product to meet the housing issues that the
    Chairman has noted, are just very, very problematic, and
    certainly within this region.
        The bipartisan Infrastructure Bill provided 400 million for
    financial assistance to facilities that use ecosystem
    restoration byproducts. It is exactly what we are talking about
    here. So I am not asking you to put your finger on the scale,
    but projects like what we are talking about in Hoonah, the Icy
    Strait's project would seem to me are just tailor-made for what
    we are talking about with that program.
        So I am hoping that Forest Service could potentially look
    to projects like this. And again, if what we are trying to
    address are some of the housing needs in the area we have the
    opportunity for a locally sourced product there.
        What more can we be doing working with Forest Service and
    USDA for projects just like this? It is not only the housing it
    is the jobs that come associated with a small mill project like
    this?
        Mr. Moore. You know, Senator, while I am not familiar with
    this particular project, I am familiar, and I am aware that
    there are many small communities, particularly small rural
    communities in Alaska, that is having challenges to affordable
    housing. And the conversation that you are bringing is one that
    I think we need to have.
        You know, what are the opportunities we have to really
    address this whole affordable housing issue? And while I don't
    have the answers yet, I would be keenly interested in working
    with you, or your staff, to see what flexibility we might have
    to look at addressing this issue, because I think that if we
    can come up with a solution, it is a more widespread than
    Alaska.
        So I am very interested in seeing what is possible. And if
    we can move the dial a little bit on this issue, I am in for it
    100 percent.
        Senator Murkowski. Mr. Chairman, I have I have two more
    quick ones. But I will defer to you if you are going to go
    forward with more rounds.
        Senator Merkley. I will go ahead and do my final two.
        Senator Murkowski. Okay. Go ahead.
        Senator Merkley. And I will turn it back to you.
        So Chief Moore, the budget proposes to move the Hazardous
    Fuels Program from the National Forest System Account to the
    Wildland Fire Management Account, and yet if I turn the clock
    back a few years, the request was the reverse. And given that
    year-round wildfire is becoming the norm, it is difficult to
    understand how fuels projects would be completed if
    firefighters are routinely called up for wildfire duty. Can you
    just comment on this philosophical change, that would be
    involving returning the fuels line to wildland fire management?
        Mr. Moore. So Senator, I think, you know, you are you are
    hitting on something that puzzles me as well. We have gone back
    and forth on this issue, and each time we have gone back and
    forth we have had really good rationale for making that
    decision, and I do believe that no matter which way you go
    here, if that is a good rationale for it.
        One of the things that I support is putting it back into
    the NFS side, because when you look at prescribed burning as an
    example, it is about more than just the firefighters. We have a
    large militia part of the workforce that are qualified and
    certified to do the different fire activities. And so I think
    we have to look at: how do we continue to cross integrate all
    of our employees into an area that we are trying to increase a
    lot of growth in? That is prescribed burning.
        When we look at the Wildfire Crisis Strategy we say we need
    to do a couple of things: One, we need to go in and do a lot of
    forest thinning, and after the thinning we need to run a
    prescribed burn through it. The Bootleg Fire is one of those
    examples where we hold up as a model for how we should treat
    the landscape to really get at this wildfire crisis issue.
        And I don't know if you have seen the poster, or not, but
    it is three, and it is a really good display of the different
    treatment methods, or versus non-treatment methods, what helps
    us most is our, what we call ADs Administrative Determined
    employees. But also our non-firefighter workforce who has a lot
    of skill sets to make that happen
        Senator Merkley. Well, I can see the argument both ways,
    and we will continue in that discussion. Certainly, the idea
    that many folks do, it is appropriate for them to move into
    forest management work when they are not fighting fires. It is
    just one direction, your point, that these are two separate
    functions. One, and sometimes separate training in which you
    are doing the work to prevent fires versus fighting fires is
    the other, and it is clear that that argument is going back and
    forth.
        Northwest Forest Plan Revisions. I understand the Forest
    Service intends to establish a Federal Advisory Committee to
    advise and recommend revisions of the current management plan.
    And we were asked to nominate individuals. I have nominated
    several. Can you tell me when the committee will be formally
    seated to begin work on this important planning process?
        Mr. Moore. Yes, we have just finished up our part of that
    nomination, and we sent it over to the Secretary's Office for
    him to make the final decision.
        Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I had mentioned in my last question there, Chief, the
    Southeast Alaska Sustainable Strategy, $25 million spent so far
    and, it is always described as quote, ``An initial
    investment''. So I don't know if you have any update for me on
    what more might be included. Will those funds be targeted
    towards long-term economic sustainability?
        It kind of ties into my question about the Hoonah modular
    housing and manufactured Lumber proposal. You know, maybe
    something like this, again, could be part of what you are
    thinking about in terms of the Southeast Alaska Sustainable
    Strategy (SASS).
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. I don't have any information at this
    point, Senator. But I would be happy to follow up with you to
    go into a little bit more specifics on the SASS.
        Senator Murkowski. Right. I would look forward to that. I
    had an opportunity to meet with some folks from the Southeast
    Alaska Economic Council, and part of Alaska Municipal League
    (AML), talking about exactly, the initiatives that would be
    available through the Sustainability Strategy.
        So there is a lot of interest in knowing: All right, what
    comes next? Because if what you are saying is that you are
    going to take the entire Tongass off limits when it comes to
    economic activity because of application of the Roadless Rule,
    and you are saying $25 million is it. If we are talking initial
    investment which is what the administration had indicated, then
    let us talk about what comes after the initial investment. So I
    would like to have more conversation with your team about that.
        I do want to thank you for your assistance in finalizing
    the Chugach Region Land Study, appreciate that. As always,
    there is always one more thing to do after that, so I am hoping
    that we can count on the same kind of can-do working
    relationship on the Chugach land, exchange proposal, it may end
    up requiring legislation.
        The hope is that we can reach agreement on the contours of
    the exchange in the coming year. So I would just really ask for
    your commitment to work with me and Chugach to make this a
    reality.
        Mr. Moore. Absolutely, yes.
        Senator Murkowski. Good, I thank you for that. And then a
    project that I have been interested in and believe me there is
    a lot of excitement about the prospects for the Alaska Long
    Trail. This is a 500-mile trail to connect between Seward and
    Fairbanks, a portion, includes the Southern Trek of the
    Iditarod in the Chugach.
        But a lot of our small communities are excited about this.
    The businesses that depend on tourism and outdoor recreation
    are excited about that. So as we do have portions of the trail
    that cross Forest Service lands, just looking for a commitment
    to work with me to maintain and improve the recreation
    opportunities within this exciting project.
        Mr. Moore. Yes. We are committed to working with you, and
    particularly looking at improving recreational opportunities.
        Senator Murkowski. Good. And then last point is the things
    for what we are doing there, particularly in the Tongass, but
    the Chugach as well, with regards to public use of cabins;
    again, very, very popular in the region. This came to my
    attention because the cabins were being destroyed, or removed
    if they needed maintenance, instead of allowing for a more
    cooperative effort.
        So the $20 million that was included within the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Bill is important. I am hoping that you are
    going to be able to provide us a little bit more of a plan, a
    detailed plan so we can share with people in the region what
    the status of those public-use cabins will be going forward?
        Mr. Moore. Yes. We will be happy to provide that to you.
        Senator Murkowski. Good, thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator.
        And thank you, Chief Moore. Obviously a lot of
    responsibilities that end up affecting many different
    communities, and many different forests, and look forward to
    continuing the partnership and working with you and your team.
    Any final comments you would like to make?
        Oh, well. Here we are seconds from the gavel which was just
    coming down.
        Senator Hoeven. He thought he was safe.
        Senator Merkley. Well, Senator, we will turn it over to
    you.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I know the
    Chief thought he was in great shape, all done. I know he had
    mastered all the questions just right. But one of the things I
    want to start with.
        And please--thank you, Mr. Chairman; and Ranking Member for
    allowing me to ask my questions.
        We are unique in terms of the Forest Service, and then we
    have the grasslands in North Dakota, and it is very important
    that you come out and see them because--just to get an
    understanding, because it is different than traditional forest,
    obviously. But also I think it is incredibly important for the
    people that live, and work, and ranch out there, and because we
    have the multiple uses out there, everything from, you know, of
    course ranching, but also incredible energy development, like
    the Ranking Member is very involved with, but also tourism, and
    other things as well.
        So I would like to ask you to work with us to bring you out
    to--of course now it is spring--so you know, we haven't quite
    gotten rid of winter yet, but we are getting to a real nice
    time of year. And I would very much like you to come out. And
    it is not only important in terms of your understanding of the
    grasslands, but also they the folks out there need to see you.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah.
        Senator Hoeven. And know that you are finding out what is
    going on, and listening to them. So that is kind of a long
    invitation, but I would like you to come out to North Dakota,
    and spend some time in the grasslands.
        Mr. Moore. Senator, can I say that I would love to come out
    to North Dakota. And you might be pleased to know that I used
    to live in North Dakota.
        Senator Hoeven. No way. Did you say that to every member,
    that you used to live in their state?
        Mr. Moore. I started my career in North Dakota, in
    Dickinson, Lakota, lived that whole area. So I contoured North
    Dakota. I was just out there about six weeks ago as well.
        Senator Hoeven. Oh; fantastic.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. But I am very fond of North Dakota. It
    used to be my home.
        Senator Hoeven. Well, that is great. Then, you know how to
    get there, and you will be welcomed. And it really is important
    that, it makes such a difference in terms of the folks that
    live and work out there, as you know, having been out there.
        One of the things that we worked on is, we have really
    worked to secure some funding and find ways to bring the
    grazing associations together with the counties and the
    townships, and your folks, the Forest Service folks, the State
    of North Dakota, in an effort to make improvements out there.
        And that is a bit of a challenge, because some folks want
    improvements for ranching, some folks want improvements for
    tourism. And you know, so there is a natural tug and pull
    there. And we have set up a working committee to kind of
    oversee some of the funding that we have put together for that
    which includes both Federal, state, and local funding. And so
    are you willing to commit to work with us on that?
        Mr. Moore. Yes, I am; absolutely.
        Senator Hoeven. Good. And so that that just dovetails very
    well with a trip out there.
        Staffing, how are you doing on your--I know you have real
    challenges on staffing--how are you doing there? How can we be
    helpful?
        Mr. Moore. So you know, it is a really great question. I
    will give you an ideal of the staff. And last year we hired
    about 3,500 employees, but we lost 2,700 through attrition. And
    so all of that hiring we did only netted about 800 in terms of
    capacity. And so we are seeing that, we don't know how much of
    a trend that is, but we are going back out again to advertise
    for about 2,500 additional employees to see if we can't look at
    getting our capacity up to really look at implementing the
    Wildfire Crisis Strategy, but also to look at, say, implement
    other parts of the program like, Great American Outdoor Act
    Funds, as well as IRA and BIL Funds.
        Senator Hoeven. Okay. And you feel you are going to make
    some progress?
        Mr. Moore. I do feel that we will make progress. Yes.
        Senator Hoeven. The other thing I want to ask you, the
    Joint Chiefs Program. So Senator Bennett and I, on a bipartisan
    basis, have legislation, and it really provides for this
    coordination, I think out there. And in respect of fire, for
    example, as well as, the landscape restoration, actually we
    called our legislation the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration
    Partnership Act, but again it is about, you know, a kind of a
    joint effort out there. Because again, there is different
    ideas, in terms of, if you are really tourism focused in some
    of those groups they want a certain approach, and then our
    grazers need another approach.
        And so that was really the effort behind the Joint Chiefs'
    Legislation that Bennett and I have. So talk a little bit how
    that works, and particularly in regard to fire resilience, as
    well as the, you know, the landscape restoration, and
    maintenance, and so forth.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. So I will start by saying that Secretary
    Vilsack has insisted that USDA operate as one, that fits quite
    nicely with the Joint Chiefs' projects, my colleague, Chief
    Cosby, for NRCS, and I, we have regular meetings to look at
    opportunities to have Joint Chief projects.
        So we just looked at a round of projects just not too long
    ago to fund, and I don't have, at my fingertips, the number of
    projects or the location of them yet, but we do feel that this
    is an opportunity to really work across boundaries, to look at
    both Federal, state, and private lands trying to improve the
    work, that particularly those areas have been affected by fire,
    or disease, and insects for some of those types of problems.
        Senator Hoeven. And you would be supportive of
    reauthorization of the Joint Chiefs' Program in the Farm Bill?
        Mr. Moore. Yes.
        Senator Hoeven. And the other thing we do a lot of, is we
    were doing a lot with unmanned aerial systems, unmanned, and so
    in terms of, you know, the grasslands, fire suppression, fire
    management, any thoughts on you using some of that new
    technology? But then also, are you really committed to work
    again with the ranchers out there, because the control burns,
    and that kind of thing can be a real problem if you are not
    coordinating closely. And you know, most of the emergency
    response out there is volunteer.
        Mr. Moore. Yeah. So we are really moving into using the
    drones for a lot of different purposes, fire is one of those
    purposes. But just looking at natural resource management, we
    are looking at how can we use drones more? We currently have
    about 100 employees that have been certified for drones, and we
    are going to continue to look in that arena, and to expand our
    opportunities to utilize that type of equipment. We do believe
    that that is the future, and we really want to lean into it.
        Senator Hoeven. And close coordination with the people on
    the land out there on fire management?
        Mr. Moore. Absolutely, close coordination.
        Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Chief, appreciate it very much. And
    again, Thank to the Chairman and Ranking Member.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator. You timed it just
    perfectly.

                         ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

        If there are no other statements, and I don't think there
    are, the hearing record will be open until the close of
    business on April 5th, 2023.
        Thank you very much, Chief Moore.

                              SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

        This hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:35 a.m., Wednesday, March 22, the
    subcommittee was recessed to reconvene subject to the call of
    the Chair.]

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                                  ----------

                           WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
               Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., in room 124, Dirksen
    Senate Office Building, Hon. Jeff Merkley (chairman) presiding.
        Present: Senators Merkley, Murray, Tester, Van Hollen,
    Peters, Murkowski, Capito, Hoeven, Fischer, and Britt.

                             DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

    STATEMENT OF HON. DEB HAALAND, SECRETARY

                   OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY

        Senator Merkley. The Interior Subcommittee of the Committee
    on Appropriations will come to order. This hearing is titled, A
    Review of the fiscal year 2024 President's Budget for the
    Department of the Interior. And we are most privileged to have
    with us today Secretary Haaland, welcome.
        And we have with her also the Principal Deputy Assistant
    Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, Joan Mooney,
    welcome. And also, the Department's Director of Budget, Denise
    Flanagan. So, welcome to you. Today's hearing will review the
    Department of Interior's fiscal year 2024 budget request.
        As I commented at our first hearing, I fully support Chair
    Murray and Vice Chair Collins in their resolve to move
    appropriation bills through committee and onto the floor this
    year. And I appreciate the aggressive schedule that they have
    laid out with that goal in mind and look forward to getting to
    work with my partner in this effort, Ranking Member Senator
    Murkowski.
        We must recognize as a Congress that non-defense funding is
    just as important as defense spending. Non-defense funding
    means investing in Americans, investing in childcare, in
    housing, in transportation infrastructure. And in this
    subcommittee, it means supporting tribal Governments,
    preventing catastrophic wildfire, protecting our land and
    waters from pollution and degradation. Madam Secretary, thank
    you so much for journeying to Oregon two weeks ago.
        It seems like longer, but we had quite an opportunity to
    travel around the State. And you took the time not just to
    travel, but to listen to various communities within Oregon and
    the challenges they face.
        It was very meaningful. Thank you for taking that trip. It
    was fitting that, as we began our travels through the ancestral
    homeland of many tribes, you visited with Oregon's tribal
    leaders, leaders of tribal bands that struggled to survive a
    century of devastating national policies and wars.
        You listened to their concerns about public safety and
    housing and health care and water infrastructure and heard how
    their traditional ecological knowledge influences the tribe's
    modern practices in forest management and land conservation,
    and how it can inform better policies across the State of
    Oregon and across the country.
        Your position as the first Native American Cabinet
    Secretary is historic, but the time that you took to make
    personal connections with the community, including a special
    session with the Klamath tribal community, was absolutely
    inspiring and made a big impact on all present.
        You also met with Oregon leaders in outdoor recreation to
    discuss improving access to our Federal lands and outdoor
    recreation as an economic driver. Outdoor recreation is indeed
    an economic force in Oregon, generating $13 billion in our
    economy. You took the opportunity to visit two of Oregon
    special places, Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in
    North America, and a reminder of the extraordinary power of the
    Cascade volcanoes.
        And you visited the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument,
    where because of its location at the crossroads of the Cascade,
    Klamath and Siskiyou Ranges, the monument is an ecological
    wonder and absolutely deserving and needing protection.
        It is a product of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a
    critical tool for creating pathways to protect habitat for
    animals moving between these mountain systems such as deer,
    elk, bear, cougar, foxes, and so forth. And over 100 different
    butterflies in that monument, which is an indication of the
    extraordinary diversity of those different ecosystems,
    including the Great Basin that comes in there. And so, the
    monument will increase public access, but we have to work to
    make it so, and we heard a lot of suggestions on how to make
    that happen. I appreciate the Interior Department's work on the
    revised monument plan, the management plan for the monument,
    and the scheduled completion by October of 2024. I certainly
    urge, if anything, earlier, if possible.
        One of the aspects of that planning will be wildfire risk
    reduction. Wildfires are having such a big impact on our
    natural lands and our communities, and Congress has provided
    significant funding for wildfire risk reduction.
        One of my goals, and I think it is shared by Senator
    Murkowski, is that we invest on both ends on making our forests
    healthier and more fire resilient on the front end with forest
    management, and also investing to make sure we have the
    resources to fight the fires on public lands as needed because
    our fire season is longer, hotter, and more savage.
        The funding was provided for this effort in the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and in our
    annual appropriation bills. But the Interior Department is
    charged with making sure the funding is spent in the right
    places. And one of the things that I wanted to just mention is
    that the Rogue Valley is the highest risk fire shed in the
    State of Oregon.
        It desperately needs those investments from the Department,
    and I will certainly be working with you towards that goal. A
    factor aggravating the ferocity of these fires is climate
    chaos, longer, hotter fire seasons, smaller average snowpacks
    that affect the size and temperature of our streams and rivers.
        It has a big impact, with smaller, warmer streams hurting
    our trout and or our salmon, and it means a lot less water for
    our ranchers, a lot less water for our farmers, and that has
    just been a huge challenge in multiple regions suffering multi-
    year droughts. And I wanted to show a picture from our visit to
    Crater Lake.
        We met with two volunteer park rangers, and I must say,
    being assigned, and you get these volunteer park rangers work
    for a period of several months, 3 months at a time, and they
    have housing and food covered and work every day and have a
    phenomenal experience.
        I was kind of envious of their jobs. And this is a picture
    of Ellie Paxson, and she was joined in a presentation by Cassie
    Padula.
        They both were incredibly knowledgeable about the ecosystem
    of Crater Lake and about the impact of climate change, and
    pointed out many of the changes that we could observe just from
    where we were standing.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        And then Ellie provided this chart, which is an indication,
    and I have seen many, that the average snowpack in the Cascades
    is dropping decade after decade, which is why we are having
    troubles with our streams and with our irrigation water.
        And she really dramatized it with this chart that I had not
    seen before, where 90 years ago the average snowfall over the
    decade was 614 inches, and it just drops decade after decade
    after decade. We are down to now about 370 inches or
    approaching half of what it was 90 years ago.
        And that amount of water stored, and when we think about
    some--well, we are looking at 240 inches lost. That is 20 feet
    of snow, 20 feet of water stored that isn't there now that was
    there before. And, of course, the IPCC report paints an even
    bleaker picture of the challenges worldwide.
        So, it is so important that we quickly and dramatically
    pivot from a fossil fuel energy economy to a renewable energy
    economy. I am disappointed that the Administration has issued
    new leases for oil and gas or new projects, because it is so
    important as we try to tackle this challenge that America lead
    the way. And to lead the way, we have to have the power of our
    example.
        And we also need to be thoughtful about how we build out
    the new energy economy. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
    BOEM, it has a top-down process, and this is really a difficult
    system for offshore wind because off the coast of Oregon, we
    have all of these stakeholder communities. We have folks who
    are trawling for groundfish, for whiting, for salmon, and for
    shrimp.
        We have a robust crab industry. And the concept of floating
    turbines, which may end up being a huge contributor to
    renewable energy, is untested and not well understood. And we
    are being told that the anchors will have a 7 to 1 ratio, which
    means if you go a mile deep in the ocean, you have a seven-
    mile-long anchor.
        How does that affect all these other industries? These
    other industries are absolutely terrified. And we don't have
    transparency. We don't have an understanding of the technology,
    and how to make these various pieces fit cleanly together.
        And so, my argument here is, let's have a process that
    develops a full understanding of what those floating wind
    turbines would look like and how to make them completely
    compatible and in partnership with the existing stakeholders on
    our offshore or sea life stakeholders.
        So, appreciate any help you can give to develop a better,
    more collaborative approach in that regard. Again, thank you
    for your deep concern for our public lands, how to make them
    accessible, how to protect them for the next generation.
        And, I know you are working every moment of every day
    towards that goal. Let me turn to the Ranking Member of the
    subcommittee, Senator Murkowski.

                      STATEMENT OF SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI

        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning.
    And good morning, Madam Secretary, to you and to your team. I
    join Senator Merkley, the chairman here, in welcoming you back
    to the committee.
        I am pleased to have the opportunity this morning to
    discuss the President's budget request, along with some of the
    issues that are very important to me and to my State. And to
    begin with, I will begin with a topic that you and I have
    shared conversation on most recently.
        Just last week, you have heard me express my deep, deep
    frustration and concern with regards to the people of King Cove
    and the fact that they lack a lifesaving road. And Madam
    Secretary, I want to acknowledge first the appreciation that I
    have that you and your team joined me in King Cove last year so
    you could not only see, but you could hear directly from the
    people there.
        You could hear their concern, try to walk in their shoes
    for a brief moment in time. I also acknowledge the fact that
    your Deputy Secretary and Rayna Thiele, I believe, are out
    there. If not today, they were out there this week. In
    fairness, I hadn't heard what the weather was like and whether
    they have made it in and out.
        But I know that this was an effort for them to do follow
    on, to have further discussion. But as you know, the
    announcement that was made last week to withdraw from the
    litigation was shocking to the people of King Cove, and I
    appreciate the fact that you had a direct conversation by Zoom
    with them.
        I have had subsequent conversations and I will share with
    you, they are somewhat confused. They don't know who to believe
    anymore. That is the problem. And I think part of this stems to
    a lack of trust.
        A lack of promises made and promises unfulfilled. A little
    bit of a pulling the rug out from underneath us. Lucy and the
    football, take your analogy, but a concern that once again this
    might not be anything more than a false promise and that
    deeply, deeply concerns them because they need action that
    helps solve problems, not actions that further delay solutions.
    They need to be respected for the care that they have shown to
    their lands, and I think you heard that. You saw that.
        They need to have these medevacs as nothing more than a
    memory, not a life-threatening reality in times of crisis. And
    Madam Secretary, I use the word to you in our private meeting,
    and I will repeat it here at this hearing, they need you to be
    a warrior for them. They need to know that you recognize the
    long-standing suffering that they have faced and that you will
    stand with them to work with them.
        And I take you at your word that you were prepared to do
    this for this community. But know the reservation that they
    have. I will have an opportunity to ask a question in more
    detail about that, but I do want to acknowledge the voices of
    some extraordinary, extraordinary coalition of Alaska native
    leaders and the individuals that came together to make their
    voices heard about the importance of the reapproval of the
    Willow Project, not only to those who work and raise their
    families on the North Slope of Alaska, but to our nation's
    economic security, our energy security, and our national
    security.
        And I am so very grateful and appreciative that the
    President listened to the voices of those Alaskans and took
    another step towards making this project in the National
    Petroleum Reserve a reality.
        Now, unfortunately, those who are disappointed in this
    decision are going to try to mire the project down in the
    courts in an attempt to prevent production, but it is my hope
    that this environmentally sound and balanced domestic project
    will not be delayed too much longer. I truly believe our
    national security requires that we increase our domestic supply
    of resource, including from our offshore areas.
        And speaking to that, I would like to raise the recently
    leaked memo regarding the Cook Inlet Outer Continental Shelf
    lease sale that was required by the Inflation Reduction Act.
    Mr. Chairman, we are going to submit a copy of that memorandum
    for the record.
        [The information follows:]

    https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23695673/doi-0001.pdf

        Senator Merkley. Without objection.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you. Like many of my colleagues, I
    was dismayed. I was really actually stunned by the
    recommendations that were contained in that leaked memo and the
    direction that it represents for this Administration when it
    relates to energy policy. According to the memo, Principal
    Deputy Assistant Secretary for Lands and Mineral Management
    signed off on a plan that rejected the option that would have
    improved energy reliability and affordability for Alaskans.
        This was stated in the memo, in favor of an alternative
    that was admittedly aimed at discouraging development. Admits
    that that was the intended purpose here. This obviously
    represents the exact wrong direction for Alaska, certainly the
    wrong direction for a country. And when you think about the
    message that it sends about this Administration's desire for
    energy security, again, it is almost mind boggling to me.
        Right now, within the South-Central area that relies on
    natural gas to keep our lights on, to keep the economy moving
    here, we are looking at a situation where the region that hosts
    about one half the population of the State of Alaska is looking
    at brownouts as a reality of diminishing supplies there in Cook
    Inlet.
        And the thought that we may be importing LNG from Canada.
    To me, as an Alaskan, from a State that has extraordinary
    natural gas reserves, the fact that we would even be uttering
    these words is almost inconceivable to me.
        A failure to have meaningful oil and gas programs,
    including in the 1002 area where the Administration is
    illegally disregarding the law, will reduce domestic investment
    at the worst possible time for our country and our global
    allies.
        Domestic supply matters to our energy security and also
    matters to our mineral security. And I have long pointed to the
    dangers of our growing dependence on foreign minerals and
    advocated for a strong domestic supply for our national
    security, economy, and competitiveness.
        Like offshore oil and gas, one of the keys to permitting
    this challenge is for the Department to actually make mine
    permit determinations in a timely manner. If we want to be
    competitive in the global market, a producer and not just an
    importer, we cannot afford for it to take 10 years to permit a
    mine on our public lands. Alaska is willing and able to
    increase our Nation's and our allies energy security.
        All we need is permission from the Federal Government,
    access to our Federal lands, and the timely approval of our
    permit applications. And when we do get those approvals,
    Alaskans, we get it. We cherish, we respect our lands, our
    waters, while developing these resources and doing it in a
    responsible manner.
        So, to turn to other areas here and certainly areas the
    chairman has noted we have agreement on, and that's working
    together to provide resources for our tribal communities. Our
    subcommittee plans to have a hearing with Assistant Secretary
    for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and IHS Director Tso regarding
    tribal programs where I am going to go in-depth on our shared
    tribal commitments.
        But I do also want to join the Chairman in thanking you for
    your efforts on behalf of tribes. Whether it is public safety
    and justice, natural resources, or construction programs,
    working to address the tribal needs has always been a
    bipartisan, bicameral priority. We know that the appropriations
    process is never easy.
        It is never quick, that is for sure. But it is important
    for us to continue our bipartisan approach to these issues to
    ensure success across Indian country. Public lands, certainly a
    key attraction for visitors to Alaska and drivers of economic
    activity. And while we have not seen a complete return to pre-
    COVID tourism numbers, visitation is certainly increasing.
        I am pleased the Department is working to get Alaska's
    national parks and preserves ready to welcome visitors this
    summer. But our parks are far more than playgrounds. They are
    set aside for harvesting wildlife as laid out in Alaska
    National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), and the
    Department is improperly trying to interfere with subsistence
    hunting practices.
        So, these are just a few of the issues that are on my mind
    this morning as they relate to Alaska, but we have of course,
    broader and shared interests at the national level. Madam
    Secretary, I do appreciate your willingness to work with me on
    areas that we have agreement.
        As you continue to hear from and listen to Alaskans, I hope
    that we can even find greater areas of how we can be working
    together to grow Alaska's role in our nation's economy or
    energy or mineral security, while also cherishing and
    protecting our lands, our people, and our culture.
        So, again, look forward to the questions this morning.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Madam Secretary, the floor is yours.

                     SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. DEB HAALAND

        Secretary Haaland. Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski,
    and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity
    to testify in support of Interior's fiscal year 2024 budget
    request. Our 2024 budget totals $18.9 billion in current
    authority, an increase of $2 billion from the 2023 level.
        First, I want to highlight several important proposals.
    These include significant reforms to support the wildland fire
    workforce. Mandatory funding for future Indian water rights
    settlements, expanding good neighbor and stewardship
    contracting authorities to include Fish and Wildlife Service
    and National Park Service, reclassifying legally required
    tribal sovereignty payments, contracts, and leasing costs from
    discretionary to mandatory funding, and $6.5 billion over 20
    years from the Department of State to fund economic assistance
    under the Compacts of Free Association.
        Let me begin with our Indian Affairs budget request. This
    Administration has made a steadfast commitment to strengthen
    Government to Government relations with our country's Indian
    tribes. With a total request of $4.7 billion for Indian affairs
    programs, investments will address missing and murdered
    indigenous peoples, the legacy of Federal Indian boarding
    schools, and the native language revitalization.
        Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) budget includes $48 million
    for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program to support climate
    resilience planning, including relocation. In response to
    concerns by tribal leaders for public safety in their
    communities, the budget includes an increase of nearly $86
    million above 2023. We also request $1.6 billion for Indian
    education programs.
        Notably the 2024 request for Bureau of Indian Education
    (BIE) construction will support seven school projects. Turning
    to Wildland Fire, the 2024 budget honors President Biden's
    commitment to address this issue and to assist firefighters
    supporting an additional 370 Federal and 55 tribal fire
    personnel.
        Complementing Wildland firefighter pay reforms, we also
    include $293.3 million for fuels management activities, an
    increase of $46.3 million above 2023. These investments are
    crucial as wildfires were noticeably higher in 2022 than the
    10-year average.
        Stewardship of our natural resources is a core mission for
    us as Interior manages about 20 percent of America's lands. Our
    request covers $3.2 billion in annual funding for conservation
    efforts that supports key initiatives such as wildlife
    corridors and youth corps partnerships.
        The request also includes $140 million for Fish and
    Wildlife Service partnership programs that support voluntary
    conservation on public and private lands, which is a key focus
    of the America the Beautiful Initiative. To complement the $681
    million in mandatory funding for the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund, I am proud to propose $12 million in
    discretionary funding for a new tribal Land and Water
    Conservation Fund (LWCF) program, which is a top priority for
    tribes.
        At the Department, science is our foundation. The United
    States Geological Survey works with partners across the country
    to maintain 20,000 groundwater monitoring wells, 11,800 stream
    gauges and 3800 earthquake sensors and directly monitor 70
    volcanoes. The budget includes $128 million that supports nine
    regional climate adaptation science centers with university
    partners.
        We are also looking forward to the Landsat Next mission
    that will take advantage of new technologies for global imaging
    data. When it comes to energy, we are excited to be on our way
    to achieve the Administration's goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of
    offshore wind capacity by 2030. As of last month. Bureau of
    Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has conducted 11 energy lease
    sales for areas in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
        That is more than the 2.5 million acres of commercial wind
    energy lease areas. The budget includes over $64 million for
    BOEM's renewable energy program, including a $12 million
    increase for permitting. Onshore, the Bureau of Land Management
    (BLM) is also making progress to permit 25 gigawatts of
    renewable energy on public lands by 2025.
        BLM has permitted more than 126 renewable energy projects,
    processed many more, and is willing to support much needed
    transmission lines. To meet these needs, we include $72 million
    for BLM's renewable energy program. At the end of 2020,
    Interior staffing was at a 10 year low of around 60,500.
        When fully enacted, the budget would support an increase of
    4,000 personnel to over 68,000. Regarding infrastructure, our
    request includes more than $3 billion for operations and
    maintenance. In addition, there is, $1.6 billion in mandatory
    funding available each year through 2025 through the Legacy
    Restoration Fund.
        At the end of 2023, our Legacy Restoration Fund program
    will have initiated 276 projects, touching all 50 States,
    Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Those projects will address $3.4 billion of our deferred
    maintenance backlog, creating an average of 17,000 jobs each
    year.
        Overall, the President's budget for Interior invests in
    programs to strengthen our nation for all Americans. I look
    forward to doing this work together. Thank you, and we are all
    pleased to answer any questions that you have today.
        [The statement follows:]
                     Prepared Statement of Hon. Deb Haaland
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the
    Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of
    the Interior Department's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request.
        It is an honor and privilege for me to be here with you today to
    speak on behalf of the President's 2024 Budget for the Department of
    the Interior. I value and appreciate Interior's long tradition of
    working together with the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to
    accomplish great things for the American people. This Subcommittee
    plays a vital role in the success of the Department of the Interior
    (DOI). As the 118th Congress begins, I look forward to working with the
    Members of this Subcommittee this year, both new and returning, in
    continued collaboration to address some of our country's most pressing
    challenges.
        As the steward of 20 percent of America's lands, the DOI serves
    several important roles for America. Interior's programs are important
    to the Nation's economy: generating jobs, supporting local economic
    growth, building resilience to our changing climate, and man aging
    important natural resources. Interior is also charged with unique
    responsibilities and legal obligations to protect Indian trust assets
    and resources and provide direct services to federally recognized
    Tribes, Alaska Natives, and individual Indian beneficiaries to honor
    the Nation's Federal Indian trust responsibilities.
        The Department's 2024 budget totals $18.9 billion in current
    authority--an increase of $2.0 billion, or 12 percent, from the 2023
    enacted budget. For programs within the jurisdiction of this
    Subcommittee, our request is $16.9 billion in net discretionary
    authority--an increase of $2.0 billion or 13 percent from the 2023
    enacted appropriation. The net discretionary request assumes Contract
    Support Costs and 105(l) Tribal Leases are reclassified as mandatory
    funding in 2024 and are not included in the total. An additional $350.0
    million is accessible through a budget cap adjustment for wildfire
    suppression to ensure funds are available in the event the regular
    annual appropriation is inadequate to meet suppression needs. Within
    the increase for 2024, $438.5 million will be used to cover fixed-cost
    increases, such as rent and Federal salary adjustments needed to
    maintain Interior's core operations carried out by close to 70,000
    people living and working in every corner of the country.
        This budget allocates important mandatory funding available through
    the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), including $1.6 billion for
    deferred maintenance projects through the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF)
    in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), and the Bureau of Indian Education
    (BIE). The budget also allocates $681.9 million in mandatory funding
    for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) programs.
        The President's 2024 Budget complements the landmark investments in
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act
    (IRA). Those funds are providing the significant boost needed to
    address long-standing challenges, from reclaiming lands to tackling
    critical drought and threats of wildland fires. These targeted
    investments address specific objectives, but they do not supplant the
    need for the annual appropriations supporting our on- going base
    programs and operations.
                           2024 legislative proposals
        The 2024 President's Budget includes several important legislative
    proposals and technical budget adjustments.
        Wildland Firefighting Workforce--The budget proposes legislation
    and funding to implement significant reforms to better support the
    wildland fire management workforce. The Administration proposes
    legislation to establish a special base rate salary table for wildland
    firefighters, create a new premium pay category that provides some
    additional compensation for all hours a wildland fire responder is
    mobilized on an incident, and establish a pay cap that provides waiver
    authority to the Secretary using specific criteria. The budget supports
    this legislative proposal with funding for these Federal pay reforms
    and similar pay increases for Tribal personnel. These proposals build
    upon the historic reforms in BIL to ensure wildland fire personnel
    receive the enhanced support they need to meet evolving mission demands
    as both the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires are
    expected to continue to increase due to climate change.
        Indian Water Rights Settlements--Building upon investments in the
    BIL, the budget proposes $2.5 billion in mandatory funding over 10
    years to expand the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund to
    cover the costs of enacted and future water rights settlements and
    $340.0 million in mandatory funding over 10 years for ongoing costs
    including operations and maintenance costs associated with enacted
    water settlements managed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation).
    Providing a stable, dedicated funding source for Indian water rights
    settlements helps to ensure these commitments are honored and Tribal
    communities have safe, reliable water supplies to support public and
    environmental health and economic opportunity.
        Good Neighbor and Stewardship Contracting Authority--The budget
    proposes to expand Good Neighbor and Stewardship Contracting
    authorities currently available to BLM and the U.S. Forest Service
    (USFS) to include FWS and NPS. Including these bureaus would allow them
    to enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with States, Tribes,
    and counties to perform watershed restoration and forest management
    services on bureau lands. Expanding stewardship contracting authority
    would enable FWS and NPS to enter into stewardship contracts or
    agreements to achieve bureau land and resource management goals. These
    contracts enable agencies to apply the value of timber or other forest
    products removed from the lands as an offset against the cost of land
    and resource management services provided through the agreement. The
    budget also proposes appropriations language to extend current Good
    Neighbor Authority for BLM and USFS which expires at the end of FY 2023
    by 1 year.
        Contract Support Costs and Payments for Tribal Leases--The budget
    proposes to reclassify funding for payments required by law to
    reimburse Tribes for costs associated with carrying out Federal
    functions under a self-determination contract or self-governance
    compact, from discretionary to mandatory funding in 2024. Contract
    Support Costs funding is a critical Tribal sovereignty payment enabling
    Tribes to assume responsibility for operating Federal programs by
    covering the costs to administer the programs. Section 105(l) of the
    Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act provides that
    Tribes and Tribal organizations carrying out contracted or compacted
    Federal functions may enter into a lease agreement with the Department
    of the Interior for the tribally owned or rented facility used to carry
    out those functions. These legally required critical Tribal sovereignty
    payments bring Tribes closer to meeting the full cost to administer and
    operate Federal functions, including costs associated with the use of
    Tribal facilities.
        Compacts of Free Association (COFA)--The Administration supports
    funding the renewal of our COFA relationships with the Federated States
    of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and
    the Republic of Palau. The 2024 budget will seek $6.5 billion in
    economic assistance over 20 years to be provided through a mandatory
    appropriation at the Department of State, with language calling for
    continued implementation by the Department of the Interior. The total
    amount requested as part of a COFA mandatory proposal will also include
    $634 million for continued U.S. Postal Service services to the Freely
    Associated States (FAS). Funding for postal services will be requested
    as a direct payment to the Postal Service Fund. The United States
    remains committed to its long-standing partnerships with the
    governments and the people of the FAS as we work together to promote a
    free and open Indo-Pacific.
        Injurious Species--The budget supports congressional efforts to
    amend Title 18 of the Lacey Act to return the longstanding authority of
    FWS to prohibit interstate transports of injurious species. Recent
    incidences of injurious species, such as invasive mussels contaminating
    commercial products, demonstrate the need to restore this authority.
                          strengthening tribal nations
        This Administration has made a steadfast commitment to honor our
    Nation's Tribal trust responsibilities and strengthen government-to-
    government relationships with Tribal Nations. This budget maintains
    that commitment to support and expand this work with a total request of
    $4.7 billion for Indian Affairs programs, an increase of $690 million
    from 2023. The 2024 budget makes significant investments to strengthen
    Tribal Nations, their sovereignty and revitalization, providing new and
    expanded funding opportunities and resources for Tribes to manage and
    support their lands, waters, and communities. These investments include
    continuing support addressing matters deeply important to Native
    Americans to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, the
    legacy of the Federal Indian Boarding Schools, and Native Language
    Revitalization.
                        investing in tribal communities
        The request includes $3.0 billion for Bureau of Indian Affairs
    (BIA) programs, an increase of $482.8 million above 2023 enacted. The
    BIA budget contains several significant investments in Tribal
    communities, including $78.1 million for the Tiwahe Initiative, an
    increase of $33.5 million from 2023. Under Tiwahe, a portion of the
    funding assists Tribes at selected sites to implement a tribally driven
    approach to deliver essential services more effectively and
    efficiently. Since 2015, the Tiwahe Initiative has focused primarily on
    promoting family stability though several Human Services programs. The
    Department's 2024 budget further expands Tiwahe in Social Services,
    Indian Child Welfare Act, Housing, Tribal Justice Support, and Economic
    Development programs.
        Tribal leaders across the country have expressed increased concern
    for public safety in their communities. Their elevated level of concern
    is coupled with emerging needs to expand services to address the McGirt
    v. Oklahoma decision and the needs of 31 Tribes that have been eligible
    for but have not received BIA public safety and justice funding.
    Interior's 2024 budget submission includes $717.1 million for Public
    Safety and Justice Programs and related construction, an increase of
    $85.8 million above the 2023 enacted level. That amount includes $316.3
    million for Criminal Investigations and Police Services programs, an
    increase of $42.2 million above 2023. At the increased 2024 level, all
    Tribes currently receiving funds would receive an equal share of the
    increase--including those newly participating Tribes that elect to
    receive BIA law enforcement services available in 2023. The budget
    includes $154.6 million, an increase of $18.3 million above the 2023
    level, to support the operational needs of detention and corrections
    programs encountering growing personnel, equipment, and technology
    costs.
        Complementing those operational increases, the budget includes
    $75.3 million for construction supporting public safety and justice
    programs, an increase of $23.8 million.
        The budget includes $385.9 million, an increase of $52.7 million
    above 2023 enacted, for Trust Natural Resource Management programs
    which includes Tribal forestry, irrigation, energy and minerals, water
    resources, climate resilience, co-stewardship, and other activities. In
    a separate account, the 2024 budget includes $12.0 million for a new
    Tribal LWCF Land Acquisition program. During LWCF listening sessions
    last year, one of the top priorities sovereign Tribes identified was
    having direct access to LWCF funding for conservation and recreation
    projects without partnering with or applying through States. Through
    this BIA program, Tribes would have the opportunity to acquire lands or
    easements to protect and conserve natural resource areas, which may
    also be of cultural importance to the Tribe or have significant
    recreational benefits for Tribal communities, consistent with the
    purposes of LWCF funding.
        During Tribal consultations and listening sessions on Federal
    Subsistence Management programs, Tribal participants consistently
    pointed to the adverse impacts the changing climate is having on Alaska
    Native subsistence practices and Alaska Native communities and the need
    to expand Tribal co-management partnerships and incorporate indigenous
    knowledge into subsistence management. In response to these
    recommendations, the 2024 budget proposes to transfer the functions of
    the Office of Subsistence Management from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service to the Office of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, along
    with an increase of $2.5 million for the program. The budget includes
    additional increases in the land management bureaus--FWS, NPS, and
    BLM--to support resource management associated with Alaska Native
    subsistence.
                           advancing indian education
        The 2024 budget includes $1.6 billion for Indian Education
    programs, an increase of $209.2 million above 2023 enacted. Native
    students face stark inequities in access to education, many of which
    were highlighted and exacerbated by the pandemic. To help address that
    gap, the budget invests in the day-to-day operations of BIE-funded
    elementary and secondary schools. The budget includes $508.7 million
    for Indian Student Equalization Program formula funds, which provide
    the primary support for academic activities in the classroom,
    instructional services, and teacher training, recruitment, and
    retention. The budget includes resources to operate and maintain BIE-
    funded schools and fully funds the estimated $98.7 million requirement
    for Tribal Grant Support costs to cover the administration costs for
    Tribes that choose to operate BIE- funded schools.
        The budget includes $189.6 million for postsecondary schools and
    programs, including $133.5 million for Haskell Indian Nations
    University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and for Tribal
    colleges, universities, and technical colleges; and $56.1 million for
    expanded Tribal scholarships and adult education programs.
        Addressing BIE-funded school facilities in poor condition and
    deferred maintenance backlogs at more than 180 schools in the BIE
    school system continues to be a top priority for the Department--45
    percent of BIE schools are currently identified as in ``poor''
    condition. The 2024 budget includes $416.2 million in annual funding
    for Education Construction, an increase of $148.3 million over the 2023
    enacted level. The 2024 request for School and Facility Replacement
    Construction will support seven school projects. The budget also
    includes $160.1 million for facilities operation and maintenance, to
    help maintain the condition of schools. An additional $95.0 million in
    mandatory funding for BIE school construction through the GAOA will be
    available in 2024 to support the replacement of two additional school
    campuses. The continued emphasis on BIE school infrastructure
    conditions has produced tangible results, with two new campuses opened
    to students in 2022.
                meeting financial tribal trust responsibilities
        The budget includes $109.1 million to support the Tribal financial
    functions managed by the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA).
    BTFA currently serves as the financial manager for more than $8 billion
    of Indian Trust Funds and provides services for 4,100 Tribal accounts
    and roughly 408,000 Individual Indian Money accounts. The 2024 budget
    continues to propose BTFA as a stand-alone bureau with critical
    independent functions for effective management of Indian assets and
    service to Indian Country. The Department held listening sessions on
    the future of BTFA, and the input received showed Tribes did not want
    to eliminate BTFA or its functions, and some Tribes would like to have
    expanded services from BTFA. The Department looks forward to working
    with Congress to ensure BTFA is fully recognized as a bureau to allow
    the organization to focus on its mission of serving Indian Country.
             addressing climate challenges and building resilience
        The United States faces a profound climate crisis that is rapidly
    changing how we consider the future, evaluate risk, and protect
    resources. Together with agencies across the Federal Government,
    States, Tribes, and other partners, the Department of the Interior is
    working in real time to address the immediate and long-term needs
    driven by the changing climate. Catastrophic fire, flood, and drought
    events brought about by the climate crisis are increasingly top-of-mind
    considerations. These events demand immediate attention and resources,
    but long-term success requires more work to build resilience to better
    meet these challenges.
                             wildland fire reforms
        The National Interagency Fire Center reports 68,988 wildfires
    occurred across the United States in 2022, burning 7.5 million acres.
    The number of wildfires was noticeably higher than the 10- year
    average, which has been consistently increasing. The 2024 President's
    Budget expands the Nation's response to the impacts of wildland fire
    beyond the near term to include aggressive longer-term actions. The
    2024 budget honors President Biden's commitment to wildland
    firefighters by taking significant steps forward in ongoing bipartisan
    efforts to build a more professional, year-round workforce, better
    aligned with the challenges of today's wildfire activity.
        Enacting these reforms is essential to meet the challenges posed by
    longer and more intense fire seasons while providing wildland
    firefighters a more livable wage, addressing long-term competitiveness
    and equity issues, helping prevent burnout and fatigue, and ensuring
    stable recruitment and retention. The cornerstone of these long-term
    reforms is a permanent increase in pay. The Administration proposes
    legislation to establish a special base rate salary table, create a new
    premium pay category to provide additional compensation for all hours a
    wildland fire responder is mobilized on an incident, and institute pay
    cap authority that provides waiver authority to the Secretary of the
    Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture using specific criteria. The
    budget funds these Federal pay reforms and similar pay increases for
    Tribal fire personnel.
        The 2024 budget request for the Department's Wildland Fire
    Management programs is nearly $1.7 billion, including $1.3 billion for
    the Wildland Fire Management account and $350.0 million for the
    Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. This request is an
    increase of $243.1 million, or 17 percent above the comparable 2023
    enacted amount for base fire programs. Of this, $72.0 million supports
    the pay increases for Federal and Tribal wildland firefighters. In
    addition, the 2024 budget provides an increase of $45.0 million more
    than the comparable 2023 enacted amount to increase firefighting
    capacity by an estimated 325 Federal and 55 Tribal full- time
    equivalents (FTEs). In total, DOI's request for wildland fire
    management will support an additional 370 Federal and 55 Tribal FTEs.
        The 2024 budget also addresses challenges concerning recruiting and
    retaining wildland firefighters with an increase of $10.0 million for
    Interior (and another $10.0 million for the Department of Agriculture)
    to establish a comprehensive joint Interior-Agriculture program to
    enhance firefighters' mental and physical health and well-being. The
    budget also includes a $22.0 million increase to repair, renovate, and
    construct housing for wildland firefighting personnel, which can be
    inadequate or unaffordable in certain geographic locations. To further
    build fire program capacity, the budget increases funding for aviation
    contracts and uncrewed aerial systems support by $20.0 million, program
    management for incident support by $18.3 million, and increases funding
    for Tribal contract and administrative support and Reserved Treaty
    Rights Lands projects by $9.0 million.
        The President's 2024 Budget, featuring this suite of workforce
    reforms, will transform interagency Wildland Fire Management by
    improving recruitment and retention and laying the foundation for
    further advancements. The Administration looks forward to working with
    Congress to enact this important legislation and the requested funds
    needed to implement these reforms in FY 2024.
        Complementing this wildland fire package of reforms, the budget
    includes $293.3 million for Fuels Management activities, an increase of
    $46.3 million above 2023 enacted. This request maintains Interior's
    strong support for a pro-active Fuels Management program to reduce
    wildland fire risk from burnable plant materials which can pile up and
    make fires burn hotter, larger, longer, and faster.
                        supporting community resilience
        Persistent drought conditions across the West are exacerbating fire
    risk and increasing concerns for water availability. Prolonged drought
    in much of the West and low runoff conditions accelerated by climate
    change have led to historically low water levels in Lakes Powell and
    Mead, and many other reservoirs are also being affected by drought. In
    the Colorado River Basin, the period from 2000 through 2022 was the
    driest 23-year period in more than 100 years of record-keeping. Extreme
    drought conditions across the West are forcing very difficult
    challenges and choices to manage available water supplies. Although the
    Bureau of Reclamation, which comes before the Energy and Water
    Appropriations Subcommittee, is at the forefront of Interior's drought
    response, mitigation, and resilience efforts, the historic drought
    conditions facing our country is a concern shared across the agency.
        As a land and resource manager for more than 480 million acres of
    lands across the United States, climate related challenges from
    drought, wildfire, floods, invasive species are real day-to- day
    considerations. Interior's significant stewardship mission requires us
    to be an active partner in ongoing efforts to understand, mitigate, and
    build resilience to these climate impacts on our natural resources and
    resident species. The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) programs are key
    contributors to this effort.
        The 2024 budget includes $120.3 million for the USGS Groundwater
    and Streamflow Information Program, which maintains a nationwide
    network of streamflow and water level information collected from more
    than 31,000 sites. The information from the network is available online
    to help States, Tribes, natural resource managers, scientists, and
    emergency managers across the country with monitoring for floods and
    drought and with forecasting water availability for crops and natural
    resource management. The USGS request also includes $74.7 million for
    Water Availability and Use Science programs, which includes funding to
    apply fire and drought science to support natural resource management.
        The budget includes $63.0 million for the USGS Coastal and Marine
    Hazards program, which leverages field research, high-resolution data,
    and modeling to help communities plan for and respond to changes in
    coastal landscapes. Agencies and communities use this science to plan
    evacuation notices, inform city planning, and construct storm-resistant
    infrastructure. Others use program information to restore coastal
    ecosystems, developing infrastructure that can buffer future storm
    damage and coastal erosion.
        Interior is also working to address climate resilience in Tribal
    communities. The BIA's 2024 budget includes $48.0 million for the
    Tribal Climate Resilience program to support climate resilience
    planning, assessment, and adaptation activities. The program also
    provides funding for planning and design work for Tribal communities
    evaluating the need for or pursuing climate- related relocation.
    Building on the success of this program, Interior has leveraged BIL and
    IRA funding to join with the Federal Energy Management Agency and the
    Denali Commission to launch a new Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation
    Program.
        The budget includes $120.8 million for Assistance to Territories,
    which supports the Insular Areas through the provision of basic
    services and targeted investments related to climate change, including
    $3.5 million for work related to coral reef ecosystems and other
    natural resource needs and $15.5 million to promote renewable energy
    and grid infrastructure in the Insular Areas.
                         conservation and healthy lands
        Interior manages more than 480 million acres of lands across the
    United States and is responsible for the protection and recovery of
    more than 2,375 endangered and threatened species, of which 1,678 are
    in the United States. This significant stewardship mission requires
    Interior to be among the leaders as an active partner in ongoing
    efforts to understand and mitigate climate impacts on natural
    resources, promote biodiversity, and ensure these valuable assets
    remain available for the public to experience and enjoy. Interior's
    conservation and adaptive management work relies heavily on
    partnerships and interagency collaboration to leverage information and
    resources.
        Interior's work to strengthen the resilience of natural resources
    through conservation, restoration, recovery, and adaptive management is
    a fundamental part of our mission. The Department estimates the budget
    includes $3.2 billion in annual funding for conservation efforts. This
    includes dedicated funding increase to expand natural resource program
    in the NPS, BLM, and FWS totaling $2.5 billion for critical restoration
    and improvements supporting healthier lands, waters, and ecosystems and
    their resident species. Within that amount, the budget supports key
    conservation and ecosystem management initiatives such as the National
    Seed Strategy, Migration Corridors, and youth corps partnerships.
        The 2024 budget also invests in conservation programs which greatly
    leverage Federal efforts by engaging a wide variety of partners. The
    request includes $140.3 million, an increase of $34.2 million from 2023
    enacted, for FWS partnership programs including Partners for Fish and
    Wildlife, Candidate Conservation, Coastal Programs, and Migratory Bird
    Joint Ventures programs. These programs support voluntary conservation
    on public and privately-owned lands--a key focus of the America the
    Beautiful initiative.
        The Great American Outdoors Act established permanent, mandatory
    funding totaling $900.0 million a year for Land and Water Conservation
    Fund programs to advance conservation and outdoor recreation. These
    funds are allocated to the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture
    for a combination of Federal land acquisition and grant programs. The
    LWCF programs support a wide variety of Federal, State, and local
    conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities in communities large
    and small across our country.
        The 2024 budget proposes $681.9 million for Interior's mandatory
    funded LWCF programs. This includes $306.2 million for Interior land
    acquisition and $375.7 million for grant programs. Interior's land
    acquisition programs prioritize projects as authorized for the National
    Parks, National Wildlife Refuge areas, and BLM public lands, which
    feature strong local partner engagement, protect at-risk natural or
    cultural resources, and advance the mission of the bureaus. In addition
    to the mandatory LWCF funding to be allocated in 2024, another $117.9
    million in GOMESA oil and gas revenue is estimated to be available for
    LWCF State formula grants.
        The 2024 budget also proposes $12.0 million in discretionary
    funding to establish a new Tribal LWCF Land Acquisition program in BIA.
    The program will enable Tribes to directly participate in the LWCF for
    the first time to acquire lands for the purposes of natural and
    cultural resources conservation and recreation access. It is envisioned
    this program would provide funds for eligible land acquisition projects
    submitted by Tribes, although BIA plans to hold formal Tribal
    consultation on the establishment of the program. This new program,
    together with the proposed mandatory funding allocation, and
    anticipated GOMESA revenue, increases Interior's total LWCF funding to
    $811.7 million in 2024.
                               leveraging science
        Interior actively incorporates science to inform and enhance
    delivery of core mission activities. The 2024 budget includes roughly
    $1.5 billion across Interior for scientific work and research. This
    commitment to science is evident in Interior's collection of natural
    resource data from years of day-to-day field measurements and recorded
    land, water, and species conditions, which help inform resource
    management decisions at Interior and a wide range of partners, States,
    Tribes, and the public. Interior is leveraging this information and
    applying new technologies and understanding to develop forecasting and
    modeling tools to inform and improve how we manage challenging
    conditions, such as water supply and demand or increasingly severe
    wildland fires. Interior also conducts basic and applied research to
    better understand and identify solutions to emerging challenges, such
    as harmful algal blooms, invasive carp, white nose syndrome in bats,
    and avian influenza.
        The 2024 budget includes $1.8 billion for USGS programs and
    operations, an increase of $288.3 million from the 2023 enacted amount.
    To provide timely, relevant, and useful information about the Earth and
    its processes, USGS works with a variety of partners across the country
    to maintain roughly 20,000 groundwater monitoring wells, more than
    11,800 stream gages and 3,800 earthquake sensors, and USGS directly
    monitors 70 volcanoes.
        The 2024 budget includes $128.0 million for the USGS Climate
    Adaptation Science Centers and Land Change Science Program, which
    provide information, tools, and science applications to meet current
    and emerging challenges that threaten the sustainability of natural
    resources and our cities, infrastructure, and rural communities. USGS
    has nine Regional and one National Climate Adaptation Science Centers
    across the country, which are affiliated with university partners. The
    centers work with a wide range of resource managers and other partners
    to address specific climate-related challenges to natural and cultural
    resources.
        Through the Landsat program, the country has maintained a 50-year
    observational record of the Earth's surface, providing invaluable
    scientific information. The Department of the Interior continues to
    work closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    (NASA) to develop the upcoming Landsat Next mission, which will involve
    launching a constellation of three satellites into orbit at the same
    time. The Landsat Next mission concept will take advantage of new
    technologies, such as smaller satellites and improved sensors, to
    sustain consistent imaging data and deliver far more capabilities than
    Landsat 8 and 9, meeting more user needs with improved spatial
    resolution and faster revisit times. The USGS will also establish a
    commercial data pilot program to augment data from the Landsat
    satellites. The FY 2024 budget includes an increase of $17.0 million to
    support these efforts.
         creating jobs and meeting energy and environmental challenges
        Interior's programs create jobs and spur economic growth in a
    variety of areas--energy and minerals, recreation and tourism, grants
    and payments, and infrastructure investment. The 2024 budget maintains
    a consistent strategy to emphasize investment in areas that better
    position the country to be more competitive in the changing economy and
    environment.
        Congress has enacted historic investments launching Federal and
    private-sector infrastructure projects that will build climate
    resilience and create more American jobs. The focus now is on project
    implementation to put those funds to work as soon as possible. The
    Administration is coordinating efforts across Federal agencies to
    streamline processes as appropriate to responsibly get these projects
    underway. Interior is actively engaged in those efforts, primarily as
    they concern statutorily required Endangered Species Act (ESA) permit
    reviews.
        The FWS budget includes $171.4 million, an increase of $50.5
    million from 2023, to increase the bureau's environmental permitting
    capacity to accelerate and improve environmental reviews supporting
    responsible development of priority infrastructure projects funded
    through the BIL and IRA. In addition, the budget includes a new
    government-wide General Provision to expand authority beyond existing
    reimbursable and Economy Act authorities by enabling Federal agencies
    to more effectively transfer funds provided under the BIL to FWS and
    the National Marine Fisheries Service to complete permitting
    activities. This authority in concert with existing authorities will
    improve efficiencies and increase capacity for environmental planning
    and consultation to better support the implementation of infrastructure
    investments now underway.
        FWS will continue to advance electronic permitting efforts in 2024,
    and the budget proposes to consolidate all ePermitting efforts into a
    single activity to better manage the program's resources and provide
    additional visibility to this important effort. The program helps
    applicants properly identify and submit complete application packages
    and supports more efficient and effective processing. Although FWS has
    achieved a secure and modern system that enables permit applicants to
    apply and pay processing fees for permits online, work remains to be
    done to build and optimize features to better achieve efficiency and
    streamlining.
                        moving forward with clean energy
        The 2024 budget includes increases in offshore and onshore
    renewable energy programs building upon the tremendous growth
    accomplished by these programs the past year. We are on our way to
    achieve the Administration's goals to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of
    offshore wind capacity by 2030, 15 GW of floating wind by 2035, and
    continued growth thereafter. In FY 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy
    Management (BOEM) approved the South Fork project, initiated
    Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for two projects, published
    draft EISs for two projects, and began the environmental review process
    for the construction and operation of offshore wind projects in the New
    York Bight.
        As of February 2023, the BOEM has conducted 11 competitive wind
    energy lease sales for areas in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
    representing more than 2.5 million acres of commercial wind energy
    lease areas offshore California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New
    Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and
    Virginia. Together, leases from these sales have the potential to
    support 43.5 GW of offshore wind. BOEM conducted the first renewable
    energy lease sale ever off the California coast on December 6, 2022,
    and the agency plans to hold the first renewable energy lease sale in
    the Gulf of Mexico in FY 2023. The bureau is in the planning stages of
    identifying additional areas in the Gulf of Maine, and offshore the
    Central Atlantic, Hawaii, and Oregon. BOEM has also received
    unsolicited lease requests for areas offshore Washington and will
    continue to assess interest in those areas.
        As of February 2023, BOEM has approved two construction and
    operations plans, and those projects are under construction. BOEM is
    actively processing 16 additional plans and expects to receive one more
    plan in 2023. If fully approved, these 19 projects have the potential
    to support more than 30 GW of generation capacity and power 10.6
    million homes. The IRA authorized BOEM to conduct offshore wind leasing
    in the U.S. Territories. In FY 2023, BOEM will move forward with its
    lease planning process in Puerto Rico, and the 2024 budget includes an
    increase of $6.0 million to continue this planning in the U.S.
    Territories.
        The 2024 budget includes $64.5 million for BOEM's Renewable Energy
    program, an increase of $21.6 million above the 2023 enacted level.
    This request includes a $12.0 million increase to support permitting.
    The budget includes $92.8 million for BOEM's Environmental Programs, an
    increase of $10.4 million, which includes funding for environmental
    review associated with renewable energy projects.
        The budget for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
    (BSEE) includes $8.4 million to continue to support offshore Renewable
    Energy deployment and oversight. BSEE anticipates receiving more than
    40,000 wind engineering, construction, and other technical reports for
    review through the end of FY 2024. BSEE is working closely with BOEM to
    develop the necessary framework to ensure offshore renewable energy
    projects are implemented safely and responsibly.
        BLM's onshore renewable program is also making tremendous progress
    to achieve the Energy Act of 2020 goal to permit 25 GW of renewable
    energy on public lands by 2025. The BLM has permitted more than 126
    renewable energy projects in solar, wind, and operating geothermal
    power plants. They are processing 68 priority utility-scale onshore
    clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United
    States, including solar, wind, geothermal, and associated interconnect
    transmission line projects that are vital to grid connection. If
    approved, these projects would provide more than 35 GW of renewable
    energy to the western electric grid.
        In addition to the 68 priority projects currently underway, BLM has
    over 120 pending ending applications for processing when transmission
    capacity is available, with the potential to support 50 GW of solar and
    wind energy. The BLM is taking additional steps to prepare for this
    increase in demand, including working to revise seven interstate
    transmission corridors designated under Section 368 of the Energy
    Policy Act of 2005. This effort involves amending 19 land use plans to
    remove barriers or conflicts in the currently designated corridor
    network to improve the siting, permitting, and review of electricity
    transmission projects.
        The bureau is also initiating a programmatic environmental impact
    statement in support of utility-scale solar energy planning. In light
    of improved technology, new transmission, and ambitious clean energy
    goals, the BLM is updating the 2012 Solar PEIS and considering adding
    more States, adjusting exclusion criteria, and potentially identifying
    new or expanded areas to prioritize solar deployment.
        The 2024 budget includes $72.5 million for BLM's Renewable Energy
    program, an increase of $31.6 million from the 2023 enacted level. This
    funding supports the bureau's Renewable Energy Coordination Offices and
    includes increases to build staffing capacity and support planning and
    permitting efforts to accommodate the surge in demand and workload. The
    request supports proactive programmatic assessments and consultations
    with FWS under Section 7(a)(1) of the ESA. This work will review
    ecological regions for appropriate renewable energy deployment
    scenarios in key areas where substantial renewable energy development
    interest exists. This approach is an efficient alternative to project-
    by-project consultation. BLM estimates using the ecological region
    assessment approach will result in ESA project-consultation reviews
    completed up to 90 percent faster and deliver substantially improved
    species conservation outcomes.
                              conventional energy
        The budget for BOEM provides $72.3 million for conventional energy
    programs to support Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning, leasing,
    and oversight, including inventorying oil and gas reserves, overseeing
    ongoing activities, ensuring adequate financial assurances for
    decommissioning liability and risk management, developing and
    implementing the National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National
    Five-Year OCS Program), reviewing and administering oil and gas
    exploration and development plans and geological and geophysical
    permits, and conducting economic analyses and resource evaluation. The
    budget also includes $92.8 million for Environmental Studies,
    supporting conventional and renewable energy activities.
        As directed by the IRA, in 2022, Interior reinstated bids from
    Lease Sale 257 and on December 30, 2022, held Lease Sale 258 in Cook
    Inlet offshore Alaska. BOEM is proceeding with congressional direction
    to prepare two lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, Lease Sales 259 and
    261. The bureau is on track to meet the statutory requirements that
    Lease Sale 259 be held by March 31, 2023, and Lease Sale 261 by
    September 30, 2023. BOEM is continuing development of the next National
    OCS Leasing Program.
        The 2024 budget for BSEE includes $217.1 million for conventional
    energy programs to support OCS permit application reviews, regulation
    and standard development for offshore activities, verification and
    enforcement of operator compliance with all applicable environmental
    laws and regulations, technical reviews of planned operations and
    emerging technologies to properly identify and mitigate risks, a robust
    inspection program employing an annual inspection strategy that
    includes risk-based inspections, and incident investigations. BSEE's
    budget also includes $30.0 million to fund the decommissioning of
    orphaned offshore oil and gas infrastructure. This funding, along with
    funding from other sources, will be used to address the most immediate
    and urgent well, pipeline, and platform decommissioning needs to help
    reduce the risks to environmental health and safety.
        The 2024 budget includes $123.5 million for BLM's Oil and Gas
    Management program, an increase of $10.6 million from the 2023 enacted
    amount. The BLM budget also includes $51.0 million for Oil and Gas
    Inspection Activities and proposes to offset the cost of this program
    through the establishment of onshore inspection fees. Increases in the
    2024 budget support increased program capacity and support to implement
    requirements in the IRA, which modernized the Mineral Leasing Act and
    mandates collecting royalties on all extracted methane. In addition to
    administering oil and gas leasing and ensuring environmentally
    responsible development, the budget request includes funding to
    remediate legacy well sites in the National Petroleum Reserve--Alaska.
        The 2024 budget includes $13.8 million for onshore and offshore
    carbon sequestration programs in BLM, BOEM, and BSEE. Incentives
    included in the IRA are expected to rapidly increase interest in carbon
    sequestration, and Interior's bureaus are laying the groundwork to help
    ensure that these efforts are implemented responsibly and safely. BOEM
    and BSEE are working together to develop and publish a carbon
    sequestration notice of proposed rulemaking for review and public
    comment. While the rule is under development, BOEM and BSEE will
    continue to develop their carbon sequestration programs to facilitate
    program implementation upon final rule publication.
                                reclamation jobs
        To complement significant BIL investments in abandoned coal mine
    reclamation projects, the 2024 budget provides annual ongoing support
    for other related reclamation activities addressing State and Tribal
    reclamation needs associated with abandoned hardrock mines, legacy
    pollution on Interior's lands, and economic development projects with a
    nexus to abandoned coal mine lands. These projects address legacy
    pollution--which harms the environment and often risks the public
    health of communities--while creating good-paying jobs, advancing long
    overdue environmental justice, and restoring lands for other uses.
        The budget includes $30.0 million for the Abandoned Hardrock Mine
    Reclamation Program authorized in the BIL to support State, Tribal, and
    Federal efforts to inventory and address legacy sites on their lands.
    Many States, Tribes, and Federal land programs do not have good
    inventories or strong programs to manage Abandoned Hardrock Mine sites.
    This program targets the need to build capacity and begin to address
    these long-standing risks to health and safety.
        The 2024 budget includes $62.8 million for BLM's Abandoned Mine
    Lands and Hazardous Materials Management program, an increase of $5.6
    million more than the 2023 enacted amount, which will operate in tandem
    with the national Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program to
    increase efforts to inventory and remediate those sites on BLM lands.
        Interior has also spearheaded an Interagency Working Group on
    Mining Regulations, Laws, and Permitting (IWG) to examine the existing
    statutory and regulatory framework for hardrock mining. The group will
    identify and recommend potential improvements to Federal mining laws
    and mine permitting processes, while better ensuring new mining
    activity engages local and Tribal communities and meets strong
    environmental standards. These efforts will help promote sustainable
    and responsible domestic production of critical minerals that are vital
    to achieving a clean energy economy. The IWG has hosted extensive
    listening sessions to solicit input from a multitude of stakeholders
    and will be releasing its report with recommendations in FY 2023. The
    Administration looks forward to working with Congress in FY 2023 and FY
    2024 to implement much needed mining reforms that will ensure strong
    social, environmental, and labor standards while making improvements in
    the efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness of the Federal mine
    permitting system.
        Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
    (OSMRE) works with States and Tribes to regulate active coal mines to
    ensure mining is done in an environmentally- responsible manner occur
    and to remediate abandoned coal mines to address health and safety
    hazards. High priority abandoned mine land problems pose an immediate
    threat to health, safety, and the general welfare of communities and
    can include clogged streams/stream lands, dangerous piles or
    embankments, dangerous highwalls, and underground mine fires, and
    polluted water. OSMRE manages the State and Tribal abandoned mine
    reclamation grant programsauthorized by the Surface Mining Control and
    Reclamation Act and the BIL. In 2022, OSMRE invested nearly $1 billion
    in coal communities, including making nearly $725 million available to
    22 States and the Navajo Nation for reclamation as part of the BIL and
    $144.0 million available through the traditional, fee-funded, mandatory
    AML grant program.
        The 2024 budget includes $135.0 million for the Abandoned Mine Land
    Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grant program, which administers grants
    to 6 States and 3 Tribal Nations to return legacy coal mining sites to
    productive uses and foster economic and community development. The
    AMLER program has made more than $750 million available to the Nation's
    current and former coal communities to provide economic and community
    development and achieve reclamation of historic abandoned mine sites.
     promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion of underserved communities
        Interior continues to work across the Department to expand equity,
    diversity, and inclusion beyond day-to-day management policies to
    incorporate this concept in the delivery of our missions. This effort
    is consistent with the Administration's whole-of-government approach to
    advance equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity.
    Interior's 2024 budget request supports the actions needed to recognize
    and redress inequities and to proactively advance diversity, equity,
    inclusion, and accessibility within the Department's workforce. The
    Department seeks to ensure that everyone, no matter their background or
    ZIP Code, can enjoy the benefits of green spaces and the outdoors.
                    increasing representation and inclusion
        Reflecting the Administration's commitment to accessibility and
    inclusion, the budget includes an additional $10.0 million as part of
    the Increasing Representation in Our Public Lands initiative. Funding
    is included in the budgets of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at
    $4.0 million; the BLM at $3.0 million; and the NPS at $3.0 million. The
    initiative will provide support for recent or potential new
    designations that preserve important places and tell the stories of
    those that have been historically underrepresented, such as the recent
    designations of the New Philadelphia and the Blackwell School National
    Historic Sites.
        The Administration remains committed to efforts to strengthen
    Tribal Sovereignty including Tribal and Federal co-stewardship of
    Federal lands, waters, and wildlife, through collaborative and
    cooperative agreements with Tribal Nations. At the end of 2022,
    Interior and the USDA Forest Service had signed more than 20 new co-
    stewardship agreements with Tribes, Alaska Native corporations, and
    consortiums. Interior's 2024 budget includes targeted increases to
    expand Tribal co-stewardship across the Department. The NPS budget
    includes $7.1 million to directly support Tribal participation in
    management of Federal lands and waters with cultural and natural
    resources of significance and value to Indian Tribes and their
    citizens, including sacred religious sites, burial sites, wildlife, and
    sources of indigenous foods and medicines.
        The budget for the FWS includes increases of $3.5 million to
    advance improved co-stewardship and engagement with Tribes on
    Indigenous Knowledge research and conservation planning.
        Implicit in the Marine Mammal Protection Act is the realization
    that cooperative management of subsistence harvests between FWS and
    Alaska Native organizations is more likely to achieve the goals of the
    Act than management by a Federal agency alone. The budget provides
    strong support to continue to build these relationships with partners
    such as the Eskimo Walrus Commission and Alaska Nannut Co-management
    Council, which is the FWS co-management partner for polar bears.
        Many of Interior's bureaus have dedicated Tribal liaison services
    to support Tribal engagement. The NPS 2024 budget proposes separate
    funding for Tribal Heritage Grants within the Historic Preservation
    Fund to support Indian Tribes, Alaska Native villages and corporations,
    and Native Hawaiian organizations for the preservation and protection
    of their cultural heritage, in addition to other important ongoing
    Tribal programs. The USGS budget includes an increase of $7.2 million
    for Tribal climate adaptation science as well as geospatial and
    geologic research focused on Tribal lands.
                   ongoing commitment to diversity and equity
        The Department is responsible for protecting and preserving the
    treasures of this Nation and aims to build a workforce that represents
    the treasures of this Nation--its people.
        In 2022, the Department published its first Equity Action Plan,
    which outlined efforts to advance equity through all DOI operations,
    remove barriers to equal opportunity, and deliver resources and
    benefits equitably to the general public. The Equity Action Plan is a
    key part of Interior's efforts to implement Executive Order 13985,
    Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through
    the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing
    Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The
    Federal Government, which calls on Federal agencies to advance equity
    by identifying and addressing barriers to equal opportunity that
    underserved communities may face as a result of some government
    policies and programs.
        In support of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
    (DEIA) Action Plan, the 2024 budget includes program increases of $11.1
    million for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights;
    Office of Human Capital; and Office of Collaborative Alternative
    Dispute Resolution to do the following:

      --Provide resources to the Department's first-ever DEIA Council to
            coordinate, develop, and implement policies and initiatives
            promoting the integration of DEIA across the agency.

      --Conduct barrier and workforce analyses and increase equal
            employment opportunity (EEO) and DEIA training to employees
            across the agency.

      --Address EEO adjudication resourcing and compliance gaps identified
            by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission resulting from
            two technical assessments of DOI's EEO program.

      --Improve the Department's Public Civil Rights reporting and tracking
            capabilities.

      --Strengthen the Department's Affirmative Employment Programs,
            including the development of diversity and recruitment
            flexibilities and assessment of hiring programs to improve
            recruitment results.

      --Expand capacity for alternative dispute resolution and EEO
            complaint mediation.

        The budget also includes $2.0 million to coordinate and manage
    Departmentwide Justice40 efforts to help deliver at least 40 percent of
    the overall benefits from certain Federal investments to disadvantaged
    communities.
                            building agency capacity
        Interior is strengthening the Department's delivery of core
    programs and services for the American people. Efforts related to
    improving Interior's workforce and operations and better leveraging
    technology and information are underway across the Department.
                    interior's workforce and infrastructure
        Interior's mission activities rely on a talented and dedicated
    workforce, and many bureau operations are labor intensive and complex.
    At the end of 2020, however, Interior's staffing was at a 10-year low,
    with 60,558 FTE. Despite the pandemic, by the end of 2022, staffing had
    increased to 61,857 FTE. When fully enacted, the Department's 2024
    budget would support an estimated 68,329 FTE, an increase of 4,009 FTE
    from the estimated 2023 level. As the Department rebuilds its
    workforce, Interior is working to recruit, hire, and train the next
    generation of talented people who will reflect the diversity and
    strength of the United States.
        The NPS depends on a talented staff to carry out its mission at
    national park areas across the country. Over time, full-time staffing
    across the National Park system has eroded due to absorption of fixed
    costs and other challenges. As part of a multiyear effort, NPS is
    working to build up its full-time Federal staff across the park system.
    The 2024 budget includes an increase of $25.4 million to continue this
    support to build operational capacity across all park areas, the
                    u.s. park police, and nps special agents
        Interior manages an infrastructure portfolio valued at more than
    $400 billion, which includes a variety of structures, including dams,
    storage buildings, and national icons. The Department is responsible
    for roughly 43,000 buildings, 115,000 miles of road, and 83,000
    structures.
        Operations, maintenance, renewal, and modernization of
    infrastructure are a significant focus of Interior's funding that
    directly help to create jobs and benefit local economies.
        The 2024 budget includes more than $3.0 billion, $40.5 million
    above the 2023 level, to address the Department's infrastructure
    operations, maintenance, renewal, and modernization needs.
        Interior's annual request for infrastructure funding is in addition
    to $1.6 billion in mandatory funding available to Interior each year
    through 2025 through the National Parks and Public Land Legacy
    Restoration Fund (LRF) included in the GAOA. Those funds are available
    to address the Department's deferred maintenance backlog in the NPS,
    FWS, BLM, and BIE schools. The USFS also receives up to $285 million in
    LRF funding each year.
        At the end of 2023, Interior's LRF program will have initiated 276
    projects touching all 50 States; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and the
    U.S. Virgin Islands. When completed, those projects are estimated to
    address $3.4 billion of Interior's deferred maintenance backlog, create
    an average of 17,000 jobs each year, and contribute an average of $1.8
    billion each year to the overall gross domestic product. The 2024
    budget proposes another $1.6 billion in identified LRF projects across
    the country.
        In addition, the budget includes $53.6 million across multiple
    bureaus to support a multi-year plan to fully transition the
    Department's light duty fleet acquisitions to zero-emission vehicles
    (ZEVs). This funding will be used to conduct fleet planning (including
    ZEV integration), electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) site
    evaluations, EVSE installation, and ZEV acquisition. This planning
    helps to ensure ZEVs are integrated into Interior fleet plans;
    prioritize facilities for deployment; determine infrastructure needs,
    such as increased electrical supply and access for EVSE; and coordinate
    installation to ensure Interior can maximize the use of the charging
    stations across the bureaus and other Federal agencies.
               investing in technology and information management
        The 2024 budget includes $4.5 million in the Appropriated Working
    Capital Fund, complemented with $200,000 in BTFA, to help improve
    Interior's customer service by better understanding our customers,
    reducing administrative hurdles and paperwork burdens, and redesigning
    compliance-oriented processes to improve the customer experience.
    Interior is targeting these efforts in four specific programs: Bureau
    of Indian Affairs probate activities; Bureau of Trust Funds
    Administration management of Individual Indian Money accounts and
    beneficiary services; FWS trip planning through fws.gov; and NPS
    digital experience and volunteer services.
        The 2024 budget includes $10.1 million to enhance data management
    practices and conduct program evaluations to inform evidence-based
    decisions. That amount includes $2.1 million to establish a robust data
    management program to organize data through an enterprise data
    inventory to better support analysis and evaluation across the agency.
    Another $6.1 million will support evidence and program evaluations of
    programs, initiatives, and processes across Interior to assess how well
    they are working to achieve the intended goals.
        To better support that data-driven work, the 2024 budget includes
    $59.7 million for the operation and maintenance of the Financial and
    Business Management System (FBMS), an increase of $5.3 million from the
    2023 enacted amount. The request includes funding required for ongoing
    operations and maintenance of the Department's integrated FBMS system
    of record.
        Modernizing Interior's core business system to ensure a strong
    administrative backbone is critical to the continued execution of
    Interior's mission activities.
        The 2024 budget includes $67.8 million to fund cybersecurity
    efforts, an increase of $23.4 million. The budget continues to fund
    extremely high-priority, recurring operations and maintenance costs for
    incident remediation activities and provides resources to be directed
    against emerging threats. The request includes an increase of $23.4
    million to support a Zero Trust (ZT) architecture, which will advance
    Interior's adaptation of a modern security model founded on a principle
    requiring all devices and users, regardless of whether they are inside
    or outside an organization's network, to be authenticated, authorized,
    and regularly validated before being granted access. Within the $23.4
    million increase is $5.0 million for a secure access service edge
    (SASE) solution, which focuses on securing access points to meet the
    required ZT security and performance standards.
        The 2024 budget proposes appropriations language to establish a
    nonrecurring expenses fund (NEF), which will allow the Department to
    transfer unobligated balances of expired discretionary funds from 2024
    and subsequent years, no later than the fifth fiscal year after the
    last fiscal year of availability, to the NEF as no-year funds to
    support specific purposes. The NEF will provide funding for critical
    infrastructure projects that may require significant one-time
    investments, such as information technology modernization projects.
    Those requirements often do not coincide with the timing of the budget
    formulation process and are difficult to forecast. In many cases, those
    costs either cannot be accommodated within existing funds or are
    emergency requirements that would otherwise require the Department to
    reprogram existing funds from other priority projects.
        The 2024 budget includes $185.4 million for the Office of Natural
    Resources Revenue (ONRR) to ensure revenue from Federal and Indian
    mineral leases is effectively, efficiently, and accurately collected,
    accounted for, analyzed, audited, and disbursed in a timely fashion.
    The request will fund additional staff and counsel support and
    strengthen ONRR's audit and compliance activities as well as expand
    ONRR's Tribal audit program to include agreements with two additional
    Tribes. The budget includes an increase of $5.0 million to address new
    royalty rates and other changes enacted in the IRA, which are expected
    to increase the complexity of royalty reporting and audit requirements.
        Interior's operations rely heavily on field communications which in
    some places, the Department's legacy land mobile radio system, a
    technology largely unchanged since the 1950s, is the first and often
    only source of communication. The 2024 budget includes $32.2 million
    for DOI's Field Communications Modernization (DIFCOM) as part of a
    multiyear investment which includes the BIA, BLM, FWS, NPS, and USGS,
    and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
                                   conclusion
        The 2024 President's Budget for Interior invests in programs to
    strengthen our Nation for all Americans, protect our environment, and
    ensure our future generations continue to not only enjoy, but improve
    our way of life. I look forward to doing this work together. Thank you
    again for having me, and I am pleased to answer any questions you may
    have.

                         PUBLIC SAFETY ON TRIBAL LANDS

        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. And
    we are going to have seven-minute rounds of questioning. I am
    going to try to get through three tribal questions during that
    seven minutes.
        And I wanted to start with the issue of the importance of
    public safety and justice funding for our tribes. We have a
    complicated system of jurisdiction over law enforcement on
    tribal lands. Sometimes the tribe is responsible. Sometimes the
    Federal Government is responsible.
        We also have a complicated system of funding for tribal,
    public safety and justice programs. There are tribes that are
    eligible for receiving Federal funding but are not able to kind
    of get inside the club, if you will, including five tribes in
    Oregon and some 30 tribes nationwide.
        For this reason, I advocated for and we included in last
    year's funding bill $7 million for startup funding for the
    Department to begin consultations with tribes to determine the
    extent of the problem and to provide a small amount of base
    funding to the tribes that now want to participate who would
    otherwise be eligible but have been excluded so far. Can you
    update us on how the consultation is proceeding and how the
    money will be spent under this program?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you, Chairman, and we appreciate
    the support on that. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is finalizing
    the list of eligible Tribes, and we expect to deliver that to
    Congress in the coming weeks. As soon as that list is provided,
    we will announce the consultation with the impacted tribes
    regarding how the funding should be allocated.
        Senator Merkley. And do you have some sense of how the
    allocation formula might work?
        Secretary Haaland. We are happy to get back with your
    office on those specific details.
        [The information follows:]
        tribes not subject to public law 83-280 that do not receive law
      enforcement services or funding from the office of justice services
        The table below identifies the Tribes eligible for the additional
    funds provided by Congress in FY 2023. BIA held a consultation
    regarding this issue, including on how the funding should be allocated,
    on May 23, 2023. Of the 31 Tribes invited, 10 Tribes attended. The
    deadline for Tribes to request a portion of this funding was extended
    from June 6, 2023 to June 23, 2023. The deadline for submission of
    written comments was also extended to June 23.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Tribe                                State
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town...........................              OK
    Catawba Indian Nation...................................              SC
    Cayuga Nation...........................................              NY
    Chickahominy Tribe......................................              VA
    Chickahominy Tribe-Eastern Division.....................              VA
    Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians...............              OR
    Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians........................              ME
    Jena Band of Choctaw Indians............................              LA
    Kialegee Tribal Town....................................              OK
    Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana.......              MT
    Mashpee Wampanoag.......................................              MA
    Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Potawatomi Indians of                MI
     Michigan...............................................
    Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut.................              CT
    Monacan Indian Nation...................................              VA
    Nansemond Indian Nation.................................              VA
    Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi...................              MI
    Oneida Indian Nation....................................              NY
    Onondaga Nation.........................................              NY
    Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.............................              UT
    Pamunkey Indian Tribe...................................              VA
    Pueblo of Sandia........................................              NM
    Rappahannock Tribe......................................              VA
    Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa..............              IA
    San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe..........................           AZ/UT
    Seneca Nation of Indians................................              NY
    Shinnecock Indian Nation................................              NY
    Thlopthlocco Tribal Town................................              OK
    Tonawanda Band of Seneca................................              NY
    Tuscarora Nation........................................              NY
    United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians...............              OK
    Upper Mattaponi Tribe...................................              VA
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT: CRIME PREVENTION

        Senator Merkley. Great. Okay. I am going to turn to the
    second question, which is the budget you have put before us
    proposes $642, I am rounding off, million for Bureau of Indian
    Affairs' public safety and justice programs.
        And boosting the boots on the ground, if you will, across
    Indian country seems to be a central tenet of this request. The
    Tribal Law and Order Act report shows an unmet need of $3.5
    billion for public safety, so we obviously have a huge
    disparity or a huge challenge in that regard. But in addition
    to boots on the ground, is this a goal of, well, preventing
    crime before it happens.
        Always better if a problem never occurs, a crime is never
    committed. Can you describe how your budget addresses not just
    the need for law enforcement, but also crime prevention and the
    Tiwahe Initiative?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, thank you so much for that
    question. First, I will just say that tribal public safety and
    justice are one of the top priorities of Tribes across the
    country. And so, we understand the need for this. I just want
    to say that there is always a need to make sure that we have
    the staffing in those areas.
        And, part of that is making sure that the benefits and pay
    for these tribal communities are at a level that helps them to
    want to stay where they are. We have had a problem with
    retention, you know, we train tribal police officers up and
    then they find a better paying job elsewhere.
        And so, we are working very hard to retain the staff that
    we have in those areas. And I think that is one of the largest
    issues.
        Senator Merkley. And this particular initiative that began
    in 2015, as I understand it, Tiwahe, means family in the Lakota
    language and symbolizes the interconnectedness of all beings,
    and was launched with a series of pilot projects in six
    communities with the goal of reducing crime on the front end.
    Any update on how those pilot programs are going?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, we will be happy to update your
    staff specifically on the Tiwahe initiative, if that is okay
    with you. I will get with you soon.

                  INDIAN AFFAIRS SECTION 105(1) LEASE PROGRAM

        Senator Merkley. Thank you. That would be great. And then I
    am happy to see the President's budget requests reclassifying
    contract support costs and 105(l) building leases as mandatory
    funding. And you know, that is a mouthful, contract support
    costs and 105(l) leases. And what are those?
        Well, essentially, they are the administrative overhead and
    leasing costs that a tribe bears when it options to self-
    Government. And twin court cases have affirmed that the Federal
    Government is required to reimburse tribes for these costs, and
    I want to emphasize that word, ``required''.
        And so, what are these costs, really? Well, what they are
    is the cost of a tribe exercising its sovereignty to run their
    own programs. And for this reason, the term that I have been
    encouraging is to call these tribal sovereignty payments
    because they are required, and therefore, it makes sense that
    they are done as mandatory funding.
        And so, I don't know if that term is one that resonates
    with you, but I thought I would ask you in terms of its role.
    And if you would like to elaborate on this goal of having those
    two required expenses classified as mandatory funding.
        Secretary Haaland. I appreciate your support of this,
    Chairman. And yes, I mean, you said it all. They are required
    by law. These costs are not optional. And so, it stands to
    reason that there is no option for this, so we have to pay.
        So, for example, if a Tribe requests compensation for the
    use of law enforcement facilities they built and paid for, the
    BIA must develop a 105(l) lease agreement and provide the
    associated funding. So, these are things that we have to do.
    So, we appreciate the support on that. And thank you for
    supporting Tribes.
        Senator Merkley. Do you like that term, tribal sovereignty
    fees?
        Secretary Haaland. I think it is great.
        Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you. I will turn this over to
    Senator Murkowski.

                               KING COVE, ALASKA

        Senator Murkowski. Madam Secretary, let's begin with the
    first part of my opening statement, which was reference to the
    people of King Cove. And I talked about the medevacs. We want
    to put that into just nothing more than bad memories.
        But there have been more than 200 medevacs that King Cove
    has endured over the past 9 years, 28 of those by the Coast
    Guard. Risks their crew lives, costs tax taxpayer dollars. You
    have heard it all.
        You have not yet had an opportunity to speak on the record
    yet about what your Department is doing with regards to the
    situation in King Cove and why. So, if you can this morning say
    to the committee about why your Department withdrew from the
    land exchange agreement, and more importantly, what can you
    tell the Alaska Native people of King Cove to assure them that
    you will finally be the Secretary that protects their health
    and safety?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much, Senator, for that
    question. So, the land exchange that we withdrew, as I
    mentioned to you when we spoke, was essentially flawed. And we
    felt that by the time it wound its way through, that it would
    take a very long time and that perhaps we could work toward a
    better solution in a quicker timeframe.
        With respect to the people of King Cove. Yes, I have
    visited there, like it happened yesterday. My time there with
    them and with you last year resonates with me, and I have met
    twice with them virtually and once in person. So, I have heard
    the stories and I understand how difficult it is for the people
    there to get the services they need.
        We also visited the clinic. There is no way for them to--it
    can't be, Anchorage General Hospital on King Cove. The medical
    services they get there are limited, so we completely
    understand that, too. And the weather.
        So, doctors can't even get into the community at times. So,
    we understand all of those challenges, and I really want to
    find a solution for the people of King Cove so that they don't
    have to worry about getting the medical care that they need.
        You know, what I said in my last meeting virtually with the
    leadership at King Cove was that, I know that people tell them,
    move to Anchorage. Why don't you move somewhere where you can
    get the health care you need? And that is not for us to decide.
        We have, our Department has, an obligation to our nation's
    Indian Tribes. We have a trust and treaty obligation. That
    absolutely includes health care, education, housing, and so
    forth. We are committed to ensuring that the people of King
    Cove can once and for all find a solution to this terrible
    tragedy in so many ways.
        And so, I just want you to know that two of my high level
    staff were just there in King Cove yesterday. As promised, we
    are following through with our commitment to meet with them, to
    keep them informed.
        We want to make sure that we are informing them every step
    of the way. And so, I just want to let you know that I am
    committed to a solution there.
        Senator Murkowski. And Madam Secretary, I appreciate that
    you say you are committed to a solution. Are you committed to a
    land exchange that will allow for the ten-mile, one lane
    gravel, noncommercial use road that will allow the people of
    King Cove to gain access to transportation, to take them to the
    public health facilities that they need?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, all of these things are pre-
    decisional and I don't want to cause any part of this to fail
    on my part. So, I just want to assure you that we are committed
    to a viable solution for the people of King Cove. And we will
    keep them informed of that.
        Senator Murkowski. You and I recognize that processes like
    a land exchange cannot be done with a snap of a finger. Cannot
    be done overnight. They take time. We can all count backwards
    from the end of a term.
        We can all look at steps along the way when it comes to a
    required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and how long the
    process takes. And I would suggest to you that we do not have
    unlimited time to do this under your watch. And if you are
    committing to the people of King Cove and you are committing to
    me that you will find a solution that will address their public
    safety concerns. We don't have the luxury of time.
        And so, the promise to just keep us informed, in my view,
    is not satisfactory. If we are going to accomplish this, if we
    are going to address the wrongs that have been, have literally
    been perpetuated on these native people by a Government that
    basically came in and said this area that you have utilized,
    that you have used for access, for hunting, for your cabins, we
    are going to designate as a wilderness, as a refuge area, and
    no consultation, no input whatsoever, just cut off. You know
    that is not right. They know that is not right.
        And we need to rectify this. We have been working on this
    now for over 30 years. Two hundred medevacs, people died and
    you have talked to, you have heard from those whose lives have
    been forever changed by the inability to gain access to a
    simple, one lane gravel, and noncommercial use road. It ought
    to not be this hard.
        I need you to be this warrior. I want us to be looking at
    how we can legislate, because we know that that will be the
    quicker route. Mr. Chairman, my time has expired. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Senator. I am going
    to turn to the chair of the Appropriations committee, Senator
    Murray.

                       STATEMENT OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY

        Senator Murray. Well, thank you very much, Chair Merkley
    and Ranking Member Murkowski. I am really pleased that both of
    you are leading this important subcommittee, because I know
    both of you understand, like Vice Chair Collins and I do, that
    we have a responsibility to work in a timely fashion, in a
    bipartisan way, to pass these funding bills that keep our
    families safe and our nation strong and competitive.
        So, I look forward to working with both of you to do just
    that as we return to regular order. And this hearing is an
    important reminder on how these issues this subcommittee deals
    with are critical to all of our families back home. For one, we
    have to make sure our nation lives up to its commitment to our
    tribes, providing the necessary Federal support and honoring
    our commitment to their sovereignty.
        That is why I want to underscore my support for Chair
    Merkley's efforts on tribal sovereignty payments. We also have
    a moral obligation to leave the next generation a world in
    better shape than we found it. So, we have to keep in mind
    defense spending isn't the only way that we protect our nation.
        The critical issues we are talking about here today are
    directly connected to the security of our country and the
    strength of our economy. We have to protect and restore our
    environment so we can pass on to our kids clean air and
    thriving forests and healthy ecosystems that support strong
    communities.
        And we must ensure that our kids have safe drinking water
    free of lead contamination and harmful chemicals like Per- and
    polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Our national parks are
    national treasures, bringing in tourists and dollars from
    around the world to local communities in every corner of our
    nation, and giving our families a great place to see the
    outdoors and explore our country.
        They also remind us that our security and our strength
    directly connected to how well we care for our environment, our
    ability to tackle the climate crisis, for instance, because
    families are less safe when climate disasters become more
    frequent, when wildfires devastate our communities.
        Any Western State can tell you that when ecosystems are
    upended by invasive species, like we are dealing with European
    green crab in Washington State right now, or when rising
    temperatures create prolonged droughts impacting our farmers
    and our wildlife and our day-to-day life.
        And when we fail to prevent and respond to those disasters,
    we are weaker and less competitive in the world as well. In my
    home State of Washington, salmon is a way of life. They are a
    huge part of our economy, our history, and our culture.
    Protecting and restoring salmon habitat and increasing salmon
    runs is key to our state's strength and its future. And saving
    salmon is also a part of meeting our obligation to our tribes.
        And there are so many other examples like this that make
    clear why protecting our land and our water and our air and our
    environment is so important to our country's future. So, I am
    very glad to have this opportunity to just discuss how we can
    invest in doing just that, to strengthen our nation. So,
    Secretary Haaland, welcome to the committee.

                               SALMON HATCHERIES

        Senator Murray. As I mentioned, salmon is a way of life in
    my home State. Can you talk about how this budget will help
    with salmon recovery and what investments will support hatchery
    maintenance and operations?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much, Chair Murray. And
    yes, salmon is a way of life for so many communities, and I
    have been able to visit many of those communities, so I
    understand that it is not just the food you eat, but it is a
    cultural way of life for so many people.
        I am very proud of our fish hatcheries. In fact, I went to
    a fish hatchery when I was in Oregon just a couple of weeks
    ago. Around 1 million to 2 million salmon now return to the
    Columbia Basin annually. Of those, a majority are hatchery
    fish. Those are important entities that we want to make sure
    that we support.
        The budget maintains support for hatchery operations and
    includes a significant increase of $15 million to address
    hatchery deferred maintenance work. The budget proposes an $80
    million for national fish hatchery operations, a $7 million
    increase including $23 million for hatchery maintenance and
    equipment.
        Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you. Well, this is something I
    follow very closely, as I know both of our committee chair and
    ranking member will as well. I wanted to ask you about the
    European green crab.
        It is a globally damage invasive species that is of
    particular concern in my home State. We need to get ahead of
    this now to protect the native crab populations. How does U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service intend to work with National Oceanic
    and Atmospheric Administration to address this threat?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you. Invasive species, of course,
    across the country is a giant concern for all of us. The Fish
    and Wildlife Service continues to coordinate and participate in
    European green crab control efforts.
        And we work with partners, they work with partners to
    develop a draft national control plan, and that is expected in
    April. And also, the Fish and Wildlife Service conducts early
    detection, monitoring, control, and removal of these crabs on
    Pacific Northwest refuges, the refuges that Fish and Wildlife
    Service manages.
        It also provides grants to States to implement statewide
    aquatic nuisance species management plans. We will work with
    States to make sure that we can help with this invasive
    species.

                            DOI-WIDE DROUGHT EFFORTS

        Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you. We will be working with
    you on this as we move forward. And finally, in the west,
    wildfire and droughts are actually two sides of the same coin.
    While this year's atmospheric rivers have given us a lot of
    rain, we know that climate change is impacting the long-term
    hydrology across our country.
        I recently spoke with Commissioner Townsend about
    reclamation work on drought. So, I wanted to ask you about
    agencies within Interior, how do they work in tandem to deal
    with the issue of drought?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you. So, we take an all of
    Department of Interior approach to address drought,
    specifically in the West, because we know we need to build long
    term resilience. And that includes making sure that we are
    working not only with States, local communities, but also with
    Indian tribes.
        The Geological Survey, as well as the Fish and Wildlife
    Service, both play a critical role in working to remedy these
    impacts of our changing climate. And they provide actionable
    science for land and water managers that inform resource
    management activities.
        In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey proposes $6.5 million
    to provide resource managers with decision support tools to
    better understand this issue.
        Senator Murray. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Chair Murray. And we
    are going to turn to Senator Fischer.

                        AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL INITIATIVE

        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking
    Member. Madam Secretary, thank you for being here today. I
    would like to start by discussing the Administration's America
    the Beautiful Initiative. Could you tell us to date how much
    funding has DOI spent on implementing the America the Beautiful
    Initiative?
        Secretary Haaland. I appreciate the question. And I would
    actually, if it is okay with you, Senator, we can get back to
    your office with the exact funding. I don't have that in front
    of me at the moment.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. For example, can you tell me if
    staffing resources have been used to plan for it, coordinate,
    implement, or track the initiative?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you so much. The America the
    Beautiful supports public/private conservation partnerships for
    example we have $140 million, which is an increase of $34
    million for Fish and Wildlife Service partnership programs. I
    apologize, I just got the list.
        If that is okay, I will tell it to you. $182 million, which
    is an increase of $8 million for Fish and Wildlife Service
    Conservation Grant Programs, where people can apply for those
    grants to help their projects. And $306 million for National
    Park Service (NPS) Land and Water Conservation Fund grants.
        Senator Fischer. Now, is that funding that has been
    currently spent or what you are planning to spend?
        Secretary Haaland. Well, we are asking for increases in our
    going partnership programs and conservation grants.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. I know in in your request, you have
    listed the America the Beautiful Initiative at least 86 times
    throughout the budget justification. I just wanted to bring to
    your attention that Nebraska is a private property State.
    Ninety-seven percent of our land is privately owned.
        And as we look at this initiative, the fact that there is
    no clear authorization or appropriations from Congress means
    that there is no guardrails that is there, and I don't believe
    there is any accountability for how you would spend those
    funds. So that has caused a lot of concern with my
    constituents.
        In fact, we have at least 70 counties in Nebraska that have
    issued resolutions of disapproval for the 30 by 30 initiative.
    Nebraskans are concerned that this effort is an attempt at a
    land grab by the Federal Government at worst, and it is a
    failure of the Administration to recognize that private
    landowners are the best managers of their land at best.
        So, given the level of concern that we see from Nebraskans
    and the majority of Nebraskans, can you tell me how the
    Administration and how you are defining conservation in
    relationship to the goal that is listed with the America the
    Beautiful Initiative, and how much land today would meet that
    definition?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you. First of all, I will say that
    we are working on an atlas that would essentially, count the
    land and track conservation efforts. We also want to mention
    that the America the Beautiful initiative, is really based on
    locally led conservation.
        There are a lot of private landowners who feel very
    strongly about conserving resources on their lands, and they
    designate certain areas for certain things or animals. And so,
    we are happy to work with private landowners.
        We know that they are the best stewards of their own lands
    as well, and we respect and appreciate that. So, it supports
    locally led conservation partnerships. Those are the
    conversations we are having now. I recognize that there might
    be a concern, but the America the Beautiful Initiative is based
    on a voluntary opportunity for----
        Senator Fischer. Right. But I would point out, as you are
    working on this and working with mapping, Congress hasn't
    provided any funds for this initiative. And I believe your job
    is to implement programs that Congress has provided funds for.
        So, I would appreciate an accounting of any past or planned
    expenditures that you have, salaries, programs, IT,
    reprograming, and the whole thing. That is going to, I think,
    be very helpful as we look at the Interior appropriations bill.
    So, I hope that you do follow up with my staff.
        Secretary Haaland. We absolutely. Thank you, Senator.
        [The information follows:]
               america the beautiful expenditures--past & planned
        The America the Beautiful is an interagency initiative to support
    locally led, partnership driven conservation and restoration
    nationwide. Interior is an active Federal partner in supporting the
    initiative driven by our mission and responsibilities for land and
    resource management. DOI's participation in America the Beautiful comes
    through established DOI programs which support the goals of the
    initiative, but the Department does not track funding for it as it
    would a formal program.
        During the hearing, Secretary Haaland gave examples of funding
    requested for several DOI programs which help to support the objectives
    of America the Beautiful including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
    Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The budget proposes $79.7
    million in FY 2024 for the Partners program, an increase of $19.5
    million above FY 2023 enacted. The program is authorized by the
    Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act (16 U.S.C. 3771- 3774) to establish
    a program that works with private landowners to conduct cost-effective
    habitat projects for the benefit of fish and wildlife resources in the
    United States.
        The Partners Program works in all 50 States and territories, to
    consult with landowners to help them conserve and improve wildlife
    habitat. Landowner conservation is important because nearly 70 percent
    of land in the United States is privately owned. Public and private
    landowners are critical partners in ensuring the health and
    sustainability of America's fish, wildlife and plant species. Projects
    are voluntary and customized to meet landowners' needs. Participating
    landowners continue to own and manage their land while they improve
    conditions for wildlife.
        Many Partners for Fish and Wildlife projects take place on working
    landscapes such as forests, farms and ranches. FWS efforts focus on
    areas of conservation concern, such as upland forests, wetlands, native
    prairies, marshes, rivers and streams and designing projects to benefit
    Federal trust species including migratory birds, endangered, threatened
    and at-risk species.
        All private landowners interested in restoring wildlife habitat on
    their land are eligible to participate. Current partners include
    farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, recreational landowners,
    corporations, local governments and universities. In addition to
    private landowners, the program partners with other Federal agencies,
    State agencies and non-governmental organizations to complete projects
    on private lands. Participating landowners do not forfeit any property
    rights and are not required to allow public access.
        Another example mentioned at the hearing is the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund State Grants program managed by the National Park
    Service, which was permanently reauthorized in the Great American
    Outdoors Act. The program receives mandatory funding which is allocated
    annually by Congress through Appropriations. The budget proposes $305.5
    million in FY 2024 for these competitive and formula matching grants to
    States.
        The State grants support the acquisition and development of land
    and facilities that will provide the public with access to new
    opportunities to engage in outdoor recreation. Grants to States also
    provide for continuing State planning efforts to address outdoor
    recreation needs. Since 1965, more than $5.2 billion has been
    apportioned to the States, resulting in the award of over 45,000
    grants. States, Tribes, and localities have matched this amount at
    least dollar-for-dollar, doubling the Federal investment.
        This program has successfully allowed States to take greater
    responsibility for the protection and development of open space and
    outdoor recreation resources. The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
    of 1965 (54 U.S.C. 2003), provides funds and authorization for funding
    to the States in planning, acquisition, and development of needed land
    and water areas and facilities.

                            ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING

        Senator Fischer. Thank you. Thank you very much. Also,
    within the President's budget request, it includes one $171.4
    million to increase the environmental permitting capacity of
    the Fish and Wildlife Service.
        And DOI has requested Congress to provide legislative
    authority for other agencies to transfer funds from the
    bipartisan infrastructure bill to the Fish and Wildlife Service
    for Endangered Species Act consultations. I voted for the
    bipartisan infrastructure bill, and I voted for it to build
    infrastructure, not to fund Federal Government permitting. And
    I want to be very, very blunt about this.
        I will strongly oppose moving any of those taxpayer dollars
    from the bipartisan infrastructure bill that we passed on a
    bipartisan basis to increase any more Federal permitting. I am
    curious on what actions you have taken to streamline the
    Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations to ensure that they
    are not holding up bipartisan infrastructure dollars.
        Secretary Haaland. Endangered Species Act, yes. Thank you.
    First of all, we are happy to get back with you on all of the
    things that you asked us about. We are happy to contact your
    staff as soon as we get back to the office. The Endangered
    Species Act, is 50 years old and has been a godsend to so many
    animals. The animals--you know, what we try to do really is
    recovery.
        We work with communities, people on the ground, local
    Governments to ensure that we recover species. And we really
    don't want to lose species. We want to make sure that we are
    doing the work ahead of time so that they don't get to that
    level.
        Senator Fischer. Right. But you should not be using
    bipartisan infrastructure bill dollars in order to do that.
    That should be, in my opinion, a separate line item for that
    agency to take care of the Act. So, I see my time is up. If we
    can follow up with my staff, I would sincerely appreciate.
        Secretary Haaland. Yes, we will. Thank you.
        [The information follows:]
                 streamlining esa consultations on bil projects
        The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working diligently to
    help Federal action agencies advance their BIL and IRA projects on
    schedule, which includes meeting their statutory ESA section 7
    responsibilities in a defensible manner. To handle the large,
    anticipated increase for Section 7 consultation services, FWS is
    focused on building the capacity needed to carry out the consultations
    and environmental reviews to assist agencies consistent with their
    project schedules. For FY 2024, the President's budget for FWS requests
    $171.4 million for planning and consultation activities, an increase of
    $50.5 million which would support an increase of 225 FTEs to address
    the anticipated demand.
        FWS is also working to develop funding agreements with BIL-funded
    agencies. Division J of the BIL authorized the Forest Service (USFS) to
    transfer funds to the FWS to ensure adequate staff capacity to provide
    ESA section 7 consultation to support Wildfire Risk Reduction
    activities. The USFS and FWS developed an interagency transfer funding
    agreement that provides the funds to hire dedicated consultation staff,
    establishes standard national processes for coordinating on workload
    and funding needs, and clarifies expectations around deliverables,
    accountability, reporting, and issue resolution. The dedicated staffing
    established through this agreement ensures FWS can adequately assist
    the USFS to deliver on their specific priority projects and
    implementation schedule. FWS has successfully developed similar funding
    agreements with the DOI Office of Wildland Fire and the BLM and is
    actively pursuing other funding agreements with additional BIL-funded
    agencies.
        While authority already exists to enter into reimbursable funding
    agreements with other BIL- funded agencies, the FY 2024 President's
    Budget also proposes appropriations language to provide BIL-funded
    agencies funds transfer authority to support agreements with the FWS to
    carry out ESA section 7 consultations. This additional authority would
    help expedite interagency agreements for section 7 activities and
    minimize processing time and overhead costs as compared to other forms
    of interagency funding agreements.
        FWS is also working to facilitate environmental reviews and
    consultations by continuing to invest in and enhance a web-based
    project planning and consultation tool called IPaC (Information
    Planning and Consultation system). IPaC streamlines the environmental
    review process. One of the most active public uses for IPaC is to
    receive an official species list as part of early project planning and
    design. Through IPaC, Federal agencies or partners can draw a polygon
    over a specific area in the U.S. and receive a list of all of the
    federally listed, proposed, and candidate species that may be present
    in that location. In FY 2022, the IPaC program generated over 103,500
    species lists in response to user requests. This online system allows
    FWS biologists to work in real-time with project managers from other
    Federal agencies as they review documents and identify areas of concern
    during the environmental review process.
        Additional investments can tailor IPaC functionality to the needs
    of specific action agencies and greatly streamline consultations on
    many types of routine predictable agency actions.

        Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Fischer. Senator
    Peters.

                       GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE

        Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Haaland,
    it is great to see you here today, and thank you for all of the
    work that you are doing in a very important position.
    Secretary, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was
    established in 2009 to accelerate efforts to protect and
    restore one of the largest systems of fresh water on the
    surface in the entire world, and that is the Great Lakes.
        And as Michiganders, the Great Lakes are not only in our
    DNA, but are a critical resource for drinking water. In fact,
    over 40 million people drink water out of the Great Lakes,
    economic growth as well as job creation. And since 2010, the
    GLRI has provided over a $2.9 billion to fund more than 6,000
    projects throughout the Great Lakes region, including $762
    million for 880 projects just in Michigan alone.
        As one of 16 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
    regional working group members, the Department of the Interior
    awards competitive grants to assist organizations and
    communities who are taking very creative approaches to improve
    habitats as well as overall water quality.
        So, my question for you, ma'am, is can you speak to how the
    Department of Interior utilizes GLRI funding to help improve
    water quality, and in the process will accelerate Great Lakes
    protection, as well as restoration?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much for the question,
    Senator. Our bureaus work closely with the Environmental
    Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Great Lakes--as part of
    this initiative. It is an important program for us, and we are
    grateful that we can partner on those things.
        The United States Geological Survey (USGS) work through the
    Great Lakes Restoration Initiative focuses on research to
    prevent the establishment of invasive carps in the Great Lakes.
    And as you mentioned, invasive species is an issue across the
    country.
        Our scientists, the USGS scientists are also leading
    efforts in the Great Lakes to adaptively manage common reed,
    improve control of zebra and quagga mussels, and control
    invasive crayfishes.
        So, with our budget, we propose $104 million for work in
    the Great Lakes including USGS Research, Fish and Wildlife
    Service Conservation restoration work, refuges and facility
    operations and National Park operations.
        Senator Peters. Wonderful. Well, we appreciate your
    continued focus on that. The other issue that I am particularly
    interested in discussing with you involves National Park
    employee wages, specifically looking at them at a more granular
    level to better reflect the cost of living that they face based
    on where they may be working.
        You know, for instance, employees working at the Sleeping
    Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, located in Northern Michigan,
    might be paid a lower rate than those working at a Park Service
    site, say, in Detroit.
        But the cost of living, especially for seasonal workers, is
    extremely high. So, when I was up there recently visiting you,
    you have an amazing park facility there. But it is a fairly
    remote area and the only housing available is immediately
    around the park. And especially in peak season with tourism,
    that is prime, prime real estate.

                     PARK EMPLOYEE HOUSING AND RECRUITMENT

        Senator Peters. And it is difficult for folks to find
    housing, particularly in Michigan, which is very seasonal as
    they come up in the summer. Trying to get employees and workers
    is incredibly difficult given the cost of living just around
    the confines of the park, that they would have to travel very
    long distances in order to be there and it causes a real
    problem.
        So, I would hope that the panel will take a closer look and
    deciding how to the pay needs are different depending on park
    locations and in a more granular level than is currently used,
    and would hope to get your commitment to look at that and
    certainly welcome any thoughts you have on how we might
    approach it.
        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. Housing is an issue across
    the country, and in many of our national parks, the gateway
    communities we know are expensive. And so, we work with
    partners.
        And not only that, but climate change has been an issue as
    well. Some housing was washed away, quite frankly, at
    Yellowstone in the last flood they had. So, we are working on
    the housing issue and we are working to bring people together
    to figure that out.
        But also, I just want to assure you that we have Government
    wide recruitment and retention incentives available, and those
    are available to all agencies, and so we are working hard to
    make sure that we can offer those incentives, those pay
    incentives to the folks who take these important jobs in those
    remote areas.
        So, we will keep you informed, but appreciate you caring
    about that. And we know that there are two sides to that, the
    housing plus the pay, so we are working on both.
        Senator Peters. Right. Good. Good to hear. We will look
    forward to continuing to work with you as well. National
    heritage areas have also proven a record of fostering job
    creation and advancing economic, cultural, historic, natural,
    as well as community development.
        And in addition to creating jobs, national heritage areas
    generate valuable revenue for local Governments and help
    sustain Governments through revitalization efforts, as well as
    heritage tourism, which is a larger growing industry.
        They have enjoyed very long-standing bipartisan support,
    and through an innovative public, private partnership, NHAs
    have effectively leveraged Federal resources, attracting on
    average of $5.50 of private funding for each dollar
    appropriated, providing nearly a 6 to 1 return on investments
    for taxpayers, which is a pretty powerful investment.
        Having spent a lot of years in the investment business
    prior to being in public service, if you tell investor for
    every dollar you invest, you get six people are usually very
    happy with that. And Michigan Motor City's national heritage
    area alone has created an economic impact of nearly $490
    million.
        My question for you, Madam Secretary. Last year's passage
    of the National Heritage Area Act authorizing seven new NHAs,
    could you speak to the importance of ensuring that this program
    has the necessary funding to be effective and successful in all
    of these new areas?

                            NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS

        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. Well, we always appreciate
    locally driven partnerships and (NHAs) are one way that people
    invest there, so thank you for that. The 2024 budget maintains
    funding for NHA's at the 2023 level. It is $29 million.
        The funding includes initial support for the areas
    established in 2023, at $150,000 each, and reduces amounts for
    areas which received more than $500,000 in 2023. So, we are
    working to balance out funding. We will support them as much as
    we can and appreciate your support as well.
        Senator Peters. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Mr. Chairman,
    thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Peters. Senator Britt.

                            WARRIOR MET COAL PERMIT

        Senator Britt. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member.
    Madam Secretary, thank you for being here today and testifying
    before this committee. Our nation's public lands are an amazing
    resource and we have a responsibility to manage them
    effectively.
        Effective stewardship, however, does not mean simply
    closing them off from all humanity. Stewardship of our public
    lands includes finding appropriate economic development to
    sustain local businesses and our national economy.
        Warrior Met Coal is one of our U.S. companies trying to
    work with the Federal Government to be a good steward of our
    public lands. Warrior Met Coal is an important economic driver
    in the State of Alabama.
        They employ 1,000 people and are the largest customer of
    our port of Mobile. The company focuses on mining met coal. And
    as you know, met coal is a specific type of coal needed to make
    specialty steel used for roads, bridges, automobiles, renewable
    energy components, and a wide array of other critical uses.
        The Department currently has a moratorium on the mining of
    thermal coal, which is used for energy production. However, we
    know that met coal is not the same as thermal coal, and the
    Department of Justice has stated that met coal is not subject
    to the reinstatement of the Federal coal moratorium.
        Warrior Met Coal has had an application with the Department
    of Interior to develop 24 million tons of met coal on Federal
    lands right next to their current operations in Tuscaloosa
    County, Alabama. Warrior Met developed their application in
    cooperation with the Department, a process they started in 2009
    and then restarted in 2014.
        They have jumped through every hoop that the Department has
    asked because they want to make sure that they are good
    stewards of our public lands. Frustratingly, it has been nearly
    a year since they have received a substantial update from the
    Department. We believe that enough is enough.
        We find the lack of transparency and communication entirely
    unacceptable, as do many Alabamians negatively impacted by this
    bureaucratic stonewall. The only feedback the company has heard
    is, ``the environmental analyst for this application is
    currently under technical and legal review.''
        Madam Secretary, how long do you think a complete
    application should take to review? It would seem to me that
    this is something that we could commit to finishing in a few
    weeks, and if not, months.
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much for the question,
    Senator. And I know that these things can be frustrating some
    time. What I will say that the BLM has made me aware of the
    importance of this project to you and the State, and I
    understand that it is under review and ongoing now.
        An important part of the BLM's review is ensuring that it
    is consistent with any and all court decisions, recent court
    decisions, and so I know that they are working through all of
    those issues as well.
        We are more than happy to make sure that you get updated,
    that we get in touch with your staff and update you on the
    status of this project. I wish there was more that I could
    report now, but as soon as we can, you know, get a firm update,
    we are happy to get back in touch with you. I know that is not
    what you want to hear, but we will do our best.
        Senator Britt. Madam Secretary, I appreciate it. And what I
    hear from you is a commitment to keep me updated on this. I
    would love to have your senior staff come over and brief me on
    any problems with the application.
        We have a lot of jobs and people who are working to achieve
    the American dream and all of that is hanging in the balance on
    this decision and we want to be good stewards of the land. We
    want to make this work in a way that works with the Department.
    We are doing our part.
        We need you all to do yours. So will you commit to me that
    you will send senior staff over to brief me on any type of
    impediments that we are having so that we can find a way to
    work through those and get this back on track.
        Secretary Haaland. One of my staff will be in touch with
    your staff very soon and we will figure out a time and day that
    suits you.
        Senator Britt. Thank you. I very much appreciate that.
    Completing that application would mean a great deal not only to
    the hardworking men and women at Warrior Met, but obviously the
    community and the Port of Mobile and our State, so I appreciate
    that.
        Also, we want to make sure that everyone understands that
    the status quo just keeps the Chinese Communist Party in
    control and they produce the same kind of coal with obviously
    without environmental standards that we have in the U.S., so I
    think improving this lease would elevate our economy, keep
    production of this critical met coal in the U.S., and provide a
    cleaner solution than what we are doing for what they are doing
    there in China. So, I believe it is a win for everyone.
        So, look forward to meeting with your staff and figuring
    out how we can cut through the red tape. Madam Secretary, I
    want to flag for you that the Biden Administration's new Waters
    of the U.S. rule is particularly harmful for the State of
    Alabama.
        This new rule is going to negatively impact over 64,000
    small businesses in the great State of Alabama. Did you have a
    chance to review the rule during the interagency review
    process?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, I apologize. I will have to get
    back with you about that rule, and we are happy to be in touch
    with you about that.
        [The information follows:]
               interagency review of the waters of the u.s. rule
        The Department of the Interior Department was provided the
    opportunity to review the Waters of the United States rule during the
    rule making process; and did not provide feedback.

        Senator Britt. Okay.
        Secretary Haaland. And noted your opposition to it.
        Senator Britt. Yes. I just, I am hopeful that it wasn't
    rushed through for political purposes. This has significant
    impact. Alabama has a lot of private landowners adjacent to
    public lands.
        And as I consistently say, there are no greater stewards of
    our lands than our farmers, our foresters, and our cattlemen.
    And when we increase the burdens on these private landowners,
    we make it hard for them to care for their lands.
        And when their lands are harder to steward, I believe it
    has a negative impact on taking care of our public lands.
        So, I hope that you will consider taking a look at this. I
    would love to have further dialog so that we can make sure that
    protecting our public lands by defending private landowners
    from unnecessary burdens that our Government places on them.
    One last final question, since I have a few more seconds.
        I am also concerned about the Biden Administration's
    consistent opposition to oil and gas. I want you to know that
    the Green New Deal policies and the foot dragging have
    downstream impacts for the people of Alabama. Two years ago, a
    gallon of gasoline in Alabama cost less than two bucks. Since
    then, prices have risen over 50 percent.
        Alabamans depend on affordable gas to get groceries to
    drive to work, to pick up their kids from school, and to go to
    church. I hope that you and the rest of this Administration
    will start considering how the Green New Deal policies are
    failing the American people. Thank you very much for your time,
    and I look forward to following up on these important issues.
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you.
        Senator Tester. Senator Van Hollen.

                                 CHESAPEAKE BAY

        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Tester.
    Madam Secretary, great to see you. Thank you for your service.
    I know you have got a lot of territory to cover at the
    Department of Interior of the entire United States, but I don't
    think you will be surprised that I focus on the Chesapeake Bay
    watershed.
        And when it comes to protecting this national treasure and
    natural treasure, the EPA has a very important role when it
    comes to water quality. But the Department of Interior also has
    important roles through the Fish and Wildlife Service, through
    the National Park Service, and some of the other agencies.
        So, one of the things we created in Congress on a
    bipartisan basis years ago was the Wild Program under the Fish
    and Wildlife Service to protect habitat around the Chesapeake
    Bay and also protect the water quality of the bay.
        It was also consistent with President Biden's America the
    Beautiful plan, protecting 30 percent of our lands. So, Madam
    Secretary, I will say I was very disappointed, very
    disappointed that the budget that was submitted by the Biden
    Administration zeroed out the funding for this program.
        It was $8 million provided by Congress last year. In your
    budget submission, it was zero. You have given lots of vocal
    support to protecting the bay, but you are in front of an
    appropriations committee.
        We tend to measure commitment by whether it is backed up by
    resources and investment. So, could you just talk about that
    decision and whether you remain committed, nevertheless, to
    protecting the Chesapeake Bay?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much, Senator. And yes,
    we are committed to the Chesapeake Bay. Personally, I have been
    going there since I was a kid, so I completely understand that.
    It is an important resource.
        The ecosystem is important. Our budget includes $36 million
    for work in the Chesapeake Bay, including restoration
    activities and management of parks and refuge lands. And the
    goals of the Chesapeake WILD are consistent with the
    Administration's emphasis on locally driven conservation and
    equitable access to the outdoors. So, we will absolutely
    continue to make sure that Chesapeake Bay is a priority for us.
        Senator Van Hollen. All right, Madam Secretary. I be
    working within this committee with my colleague, Senator
    Tester, the chair, the ranking member, and others, and I am
    confident we will restore it.
        But it does not send a good signal about the Department of
    Interior's commitment to the Chesapeake Bay that that program
    got the zeroed out. I understand there are other issues there.
    I do want to commend you and the National Park Service for the
    work done by the National Parks Services Office in Annapolis.
        We are working here on the Hill to establish a Chesapeake
    National Recreation area, and the superintendent there and the
    Department of Interior have provided important technical
    assistance to our efforts.
        Congressman Sarbanes, in the House and I in the Senate,
    hope to introduce legislation to establish the Chesapeake
    National Recreation Area in the coming months and look forward
    to working with you and your team to get that done. Do we have
    your commitment to work with us on that?
        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. Yes, we will work with you
    on everything, Senator.
        Senator Van Hollen. Yes. No, I look, I understand the
    budgets have to go through OMB. I get that. But I was
    surprised. I just have to say, on the zeroing out the Wild
    program.

                           NPS CHEASAPEAKE BAY OFFICE

        The other issue regards the Chesapeake Bay office of the
    National Park Service, because in last year's budget, you
    provided an increase in that budget to help it with its
    operations, which also include administering right now what is
    called the Chesapeake Gateways and Trails Program.
        After we passed the budget, that additional increase for
    the Annapolis National Park Service was not implemented. So,
    this year, we are going to be working with you and your team to
    make sure that the increases that are reflected in your own
    budget are passed on.
        And we think this is a priority. So, do we have your
    commitment to work on that?
        Secretary Haaland. Yes. And the budget for the Chesapeake
    Bay office in 2024 is $1.05 million. So, we will make sure that
    that office gets the----
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you. No, yes, as I said, what
    happened with last year was the number in the budget was one
    thing, but when it was actually implemented, that increase for
    that office did not go through.
        So, when we see the number of increase, we really need to
    make sure that office is funded. They are taking on a lot of
    responsibility right now. Let me just turn finally to offshore
    wind deployment. Maryland has a very ambitious offshore wind
    program, and I shouldn't say ambitious because we are actually
    implementing it.

                           OFFSHORE WIND IN MARYLAND

        We are going to have two major offshore wind projects which
    will power, provide power for over 600,000 Maryland homes and
    is estimated to provide 10,000 jobs. In fact, the Department of
    Commerce has already been providing grants on apprenticeships
    and workforce training. This is all very, very real.
        So, we want to make sure that we maximize the ability to,
    you know, catch wind power. There will be issues coming up
    around the total expanse of area that will be available for
    wind power. And we look forward to working with you to try to
    achieve, make sure we can maximize that.
        And I just want your commitment that you will work with us
    to expand the reach of our wind power operations in Maryland
    and the mid-Atlantic.
        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. Yes, we would love to have
    your support and appreciate it very much.
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you. Thank you and your team. And
    thank you for your service. And look, on this budget issue, I
    know you have to make choices, but this is one that we had been
    led to believe was something that the Department was fully
    committed to. I know you are, but budgets matter.
        Secretary Haaland. I understand. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Hoeven.

                        FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASE SALES

        Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Secretary, earlier
    this week, a Federal judge issued a preliminary injunction and
    ordered the Department of Interior to resume quarterly Federal
    oil and gas lease sales in North Dakota, Federal District Court
    judge in North Dakota, finding that the BLM failed to follow
    the law and hold lease sales in 2021 and 2022. And so, my
    question to you is, will you commit to complying with the
    court's ruling and within two weeks provide a schedule of 2023
    lease sales for North Dakota on BLM land?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you for the question, Senator. And
    I know that ruling was very recent. We are reviewing that
    ruling and what impact it will have. And of course, we are
    happy to keep you informed as to how we move forward with that
    and appreciate it. But we will follow the law.
        Senator Hoeven. So, you commit to complying with their
    ruling, and will you, within two weeks provide a schedule of
    2023 lease sales for North Dakota on BLM lands?
        Secretary Haaland. I can say that we are committed to
    following the law and we are moving forward with regular
    onshore lease sales.
        Senator Hoeven. When can we anticipate getting a schedule
    from you?
        Secretary Haaland. As soon as we get back to my office, I
    will ask my staff and we are happy to keep you informed.
        [The information follows:]
            status of 2023 blm lease sale schedule for north dakota
        The 2023 North Dakota oil and gas leases are scheduled for the
    following dates:

      --2nd Quarter: June 27, 2023
      --3rd Quarter: September 12, 2023
      --4th Quarter: December 5, 2023

        Senator Hoeven. We would like that schedule so we can
    inform our people.
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much, Senator.

                          APPROVAL OF PREMITS TO DRILL

        Senator Hoeven. Last week I joined Senator Mullin and
    others in sending a letter to BLM Director Tracy Stone Manning
    requesting clarification on the bureau's accounting for
    approval of permits to drill (APD). As you know, BLM recently
    lowered the number of unused APDs from 9,000 to 6,600.
        That puts into question the use of the Biden
    Administration's using erroneous data as a reason not to follow
    the statutory requirement for timely lease sales. Gas prices
    are 41 percent higher nationally than when the President, the
    current President, took office.
        U.S. oil production is down nearly a million barrels a day
    since the current Administration took office. In general, do
    you agree that prices are higher for a product when demand is
    greater than supply?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you for the question, Senator. I
    just want to say that on Federal lands, permits are high. There
    is more production on Federal lands than any time in history,
    right now.
        Senator Hoeven. Do you agree with Energy Secretary
    Granholm's call on oil and gas companies to increase production
    to help minimize harm to American families?
        Secretary Haaland. I appreciate the question. I want you to
    know that we are moving forward with the permitting. And yes,
    the permitting count difference was due to a database failure.
    And since that has been fixed, we still have thousands of
    permits that are unused. So, production is moving forward at a
    very high rate.
        Senator Hoeven. Do you acknowledge that you took--first you
    had a moratorium on production on all Federal lands, then you
    came back and agreed to only 20 percent of the lands being
    available, and you increased the royalty rates by 50 percent.
    Now, do you think that would help increase production or deter
    production in your opinion?
        Secretary Haaland. What I can say is that production is up.
    It's at an all-time high.
        Senator Hoeven. So, you think by restricting access, by
    slowing down permits, and by increasing royalty rates, that
    increases supply? Now, remember, gas prices are almost 50
    percent higher today than when you came into office. And you
    are telling me that you think those actions helped increase
    supply, when we are down a million barrels a day in production,
    domestic production?
        Secretary Haaland. If I could just say, with all due
    respect, Senator, we are moving the permits through, since I
    have been in this position. Our office has continually moved
    permits through and there was a lot of land leased. We are
    moving those permits through. Those are being processed and
    production is at an all-time high currently.

                        ON SHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

        Senator Hoeven. Do you think restricting access to Federal
    lands and increasing royalty rates helps or hurts production
    and supply, which?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, I really just want to let you
    know that we are moving those permits through and that
    production is at an all-time high.
        Senator Hoeven. And that is why production in this country
    is down a million barrels a day, right, because of what you are
    telling me.
        Secretary Haaland. The production on Federal lands is not
    down. It is actually up.
        Senator Hoeven. When you talk about Federal lands, very
    often out there, there is a split estate. In other words, there
    is private minerals or minerals owned by non-Federal entities,
    but also owned by Federal entities.
        Because the BLM and other Federal entities are continuing
    to hold up these leases that disenfranchises the other mineral
    owners. Do you think that is fair to those mineral owners and
    what should be done about it?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you for the question, Senator. I
    know that creating efficiencies is helpful all the way around.
    We really want to help solve problems. The BLM's core
    responsibility is to ensure development on Federal lands is
    done in compliance with Federal requirements.
        We are always going to follow the law. Of course, we want
    to be helpful where we can, and we will help to solve problems
    where we can. We are happy to discuss this with you in detail
    and see how we can work together.
        Senator Hoeven. Do you think it is better for our country
    to get oil and gas from Federal lands in this country with our
    environmental standards, or is it better to get it from places
    like Venezuela, Russia, Middle East, and other places with
    vastly inferior environmental standards? Where would you prefer
    that that oil and gas come from?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, what I can say is that
    President Biden is dedicated and committed to making sure that
    we have an energy independent nation.
        Senator Hoeven. But the response to my question, where
    would you prefer to get that oil and gas?
        Secretary Haaland. As I have mentioned many times, the oil
    production in this country is up on Federal lands. We are
    moving those permits through. We are doing our jobs. And I
    appreciate the question.
        Senator Hoeven. Well, but you do acknowledge that you have
    restricted access as far as production on Federal lands and you
    have raised royalty rates. Do you at least acknowledge that?
        Secretary Haaland. We are working to make sure that the
    work on our public lands is balanced, and we care deeply about
    the energy future of this country.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

                              TRIBAL PUBLIC SAFETY

        Senator Tester. I want to start by thanking Senator
    Murkowski and Senator Merkley for having this hearing. I want
    to thank you for being here, Madam Secretary, and your crack
    staff. I appreciate you appearing in front of the committee.
        Normally I would have to explain this situation but you are
    a Native American, I think you understand the situation. I am
    from Montana and I literally hear every week about law-and-
    order issues on the ground due to lack of officers and due to
    four facilities. Most recently, it has been the Northern
    Cheyenne.
        But the truth is, it happens in every reservation where we
    don't have adequate facilities and we certainly don't have
    enough law enforcement officers. I understand the BIA has been
    working with the Northern Cheyenne tribe to improve public
    safety. Which, by the way, from my perspective, is a disaster.
        Public safety is a disaster. And I appreciate the BIA
    working, I appreciate you working to try to improve this
    situation. During a meeting with the tribe in January, BIA
    committed to doing everything it can to fill the vacant
    positions, increase community recruitment at the Rocky Mountain
    Regional Detention Facility, and hire a chief of police. Can
    you tell me where the BIA stands in fulfilling those
    commitments?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, thank you so much for your
    commitment to tribes as well. And yes, Tribal public safety and
    law enforcement is probably the most prioritized issues of
    Tribes across the country. So, we hear about it often and we
    work very hard to remedy these situations.
        The BIA, Office of Justice Services (OJS) team is working
    closely with the Indian Affairs Office of Human Capital on
    several strategies to support recruitment and retention. That
    is really one of the big issues. The foremost strategy is the
    pay parity initiative, which will bring BIA law enforcement pay
    levels in line with other Federal law enforcement agencies.
        Senator Tester. And we will get into that in a second. Can
    you tell me, as per the Northern Cheyenne tribe, where we, from
    a BIA perspective, are so fulfilling the commitments. And look,
    Bryan was out there a month or so ago, and I appreciate the
    fact that he was out there multiple times.
        But and I don't have to tell you this because I think you
    know this, literally every day that goes by without them having
    the police that they need, people are dying. And it is not just
    a couple, it is a lot.
        Do you know where the BIA is in the commitment to
    fulfilling the Northern Cheyenne's needs?
        Secretary Haaland. With all due respect, Senator, we will
    get back with you on those specific details of Northern
    Cheyenne, but I want you to know that we all care deeply about
    this.
        [The information follows:]
              addressing northern cheyenne's law enforcement needs
        There are currently 19 filled law enforcement positions at Northern
    Cheyenne including a newly hired Chief of Police. The Bureau of Indian
    Affair's (BIA's) foremost strategy to increase staffing for the highest
    priority locations like Northern Cheyenne is a pay parity initiative,
    to bring BIA law enforcement pay levels in line with other Federal law
    enforcement pay. This change can result in up to an additional $30,000
    in annual pay for BIA law enforcement officers.
        BIA is already experiencing public safety attrition rates at
    roughly half the level experienced this time last year and we believe
    this trend represents an early signal of the pay initiative's
        success. BIA is also working with the DOI Human Capital office and
    the Office of Personnel Management to explore the possibility of direct
    hire authorities and is conducting an analysis of hiring data for law
    enforcement positions for the last 2 years to provide documentary
    evidence of the need. In addition, BIA is using the Schedule A non-
    competitive hiring authority for Indian Preference (IP) eligible
    candidates for recruitment activities during events like the Gathering
    of Nations. This strategy allows BIA to move forward with interviews
    during recruiting events for qualified IP candidates.

        Senator Tester. Okay, so, as do. I mean, and then the
    problem is, this isn't an isolated case. This is a case that
    continues. If it isn't Northern Cheyenne, it is going to be
    Blackfeet, or it is going to be Fort Peck, or it's going to be
    somebody else. But I think Northern Cheyenne has the most acute
    problems right now.
        So, I would appreciate your attention to this. Now, I want
    to talk about what you were talking about, and that is your
    budget in regard to workforce recruitment and retention. You
    have got about $641 million in this request, fiscal year 2024
    request, $470 million going to staffing, recruitment, retention
    efforts, police services, detention and corrections. You put
    the number in. Is this your number or is this OMB's number?

                TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

        Secretary Haaland. After careful consultation, with OMB, it
    is our number.
        Senator Tester. So, do you believe that this will
    adequately put you in a position to be able to not only recruit
    new officers, but retain the ones you have?
        Secretary Haaland. We think that it will be a good start
    and a good help. Of course, tribal justice and law enforcement
    has been underfunded for decades and decades.
        Senator Tester. It has. And we have had crime in Indian
    Country due to a lot of things, poverty included, that has put
    us in a situation where it is unacceptable. It is just flat
    unacceptable.
        And I don't care what Administration it is, it is
    unacceptable. You happen to be Native American. I don't have to
    explain the situation to you. I would hope that you would put
    the resources necessary to make sure that we do our level best
    and make the trust responsible as we have to make sure these
    tribes are safe.

                         FORT BELKNAP WATER SETTLEMENT

        Let me talk a little bit about Fort Belknap water
    settlement. It is the last water settlement in Montana. It is
    almost ready for prime time. It is my understanding that the
    tribe and the DOI are ironing out details now.
        The notch has been removed. And I know that was not an easy
    decision and probably not a popular decision in Fort Belknap.
    But because of that, they were able to get Senator Daines and
    Phillips County on board.
        I believe that is true. That is what my notes tell me. I
    haven't been told that directly. If that is the case, I think
    there is a real possibility that this bill can pass and we can
    finish the last water settlement we have for Montana.
        I don't think this is going to happen without somebody like
    you in your position as Secretary of interior intervening and
    making this a priority. It has been waiting a long time. I
    voted and we passed the Blackfeet water settlement when I was
    in the State legislature 20 years ago. We are still working on
    it at the Federal level now.
        So, can I get your commitment that you will do your best to
    make sure this is a top priority for not only the Department
    but for you to get this water settlement approved?
        Secretary Haaland. Yes.
        Senator Tester. That is an easy answer. Thank you very
    much. I have only got 44 seconds left, and if I got into what
    happened at the park last year, it is just going to require a
    lot of resources. And I would say this as long as I got 30
    seconds left, the disasters that are being caused by climate
    this year is just absolutely devastating in. And I am going to
    tell you that that one incident in Gardner was $1 billion.
        And I don't know if that is a conservative figure or not.
    And so, and we have got another year coming now where we going
    to have the snow starting to melt as we speak, as spring and
    summer comes on, but resiliency is really important. And I know
    you know that. And we have got to do everything we can. Last
    thing I would say is, St Mary's project is important.
        They had a study for ability to pay it. It came back, said
    they had no ability to pay. I would hope that you continue to
    look at that project too, along with Fort Belknap project
    because they are connected, so we can get these projects done
    in Montana. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam
    Secretary.
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you, Senator.

                           ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING

        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Tester. And Madam
    Secretary, about ten miles from my house, there is a Maya Lin
    designed bird blind on the Columbia River, where Lewis and
    Clark camped. And that bird blind is constructed so that as you
    are inside of it, you really can't see out.
        But what you do see is on the slats of the bird blind, it
    has the species that were recorded in Lewis and Clark's journal
    and then it says whether they are endangered or whether they
    are extinct. And it is really quite stunning to think that in
    the very modest amount of time since Lewis and Clark came to
    the region, how many species that they saw have become
    endangered or extinct.
        And we know that's an ongoing process. And climate chaos is
    aggravating it even more, along with the development of our
    industrialized world. The Endangered Species Act is an effort
    not just to focus on a species, but on an ecosystem that
    supports that species.
        And your budget for the Fish and Wildlife Service includes
    $133 million for the recovery and listing of species, or $15
    million more than fiscal year 2023.
        Funding is used to minimize or remove threats that led to
    species listing in the first place. Can you explain how the
    proposed funding level would be used to address the extinction
    crisis?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, thank you--or, Chairman, thank
    you so much for the question. As you probably know, the ESA is
    50 years old this year, and we are very proud of the work that
    we have been able to do to protect species. One of the main
    things, of course, is recovering so that the species don't have
    to be listed.
        Since the ESA became law in 1973, more than 99 percent of
    species listed under law are still with us today, so that is
    something to be proud of. The budget includes a $19 million
    increase for recovery planning, monitoring, and management in
    close coordination with service partners.
        And Fish and Wildlife Service's Recovery Program works with
    partners to address threats to the species and improve their
    status so that protection under the Act is no longer necessary.
    So, we recognize this. It is a priority for us, and we will
    continue to work on it.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And I think if I had a magic
    wand, I would, you know, throw a couple more billion dollars
    into these key ecosystems that are threatened. But I don't have
    a magic wand. But we do have a collaborative process to point
    out the challenges. And one of those challenges is to insects.
        And I have told many people the story of how when I was a
    kid and we would drive North and South through the Willamette
    Valley, we would stop at every gas station to take all the
    insects off our windshield. And that now if there is a single
    insect in the windshield, it is rare.

                              MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

        And I was really struck by a letter to the editor in a
    newspaper last week that told exactly the same story from
    another individual about how insects have vastly disappeared.
    And one of those insects that you and I have been engaged in,
    it is such a charismatic species, is the monarch butterfly.
        And can I just tell you I really love your earrings today
    that represent the monarch and that the Department of Interior,
    under your leadership was so helpful in holding a monarch
    summit to bring together the scientists, all the collaborators
    on what is going on there.
        We were down for the Western monarch in 2022, less than
    2,000 surviving butterflies, which is incredible. When we were
    talking about many, many millions in the 80s and 90, just
    2,000.
        But they have rebounded in the last few years. When they
    have a good year, they can rebound, but they are still 90
    percent down from the historic numbers. And I am waiting to get
    a report now on the freak snowstorms that hit the coast in
    California because they may have dramatically devastated once
    again the overwintering butterflies.
        Those overwintering butterflies cannot survive in cold
    weather and so they hover along the coast to get more temperate
    air, to be less likely to freeze. But a snowstorm, well, that
    doesn't belong in Southern California, and it certainly could
    have devastated them once again.
        So, they are deeply endangered, but they are not recognized
    as endangered. Is it possible for us to--well, I know there is
    a long list of species that are under consideration, but is it
    possible for us to get the monarch into kind of the top of the
    list for consideration?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you, Chairman. I don't think there
    is any person in this world that doesn't care about monarchs.
        So, you have a whole Department who really understands the
    value of these beautiful butterflies, and so we absolutely will
    work with partners to enhance the inventory, monitoring of
    these pollinator populations across the national wildlife
    refuge systems. That is where we can really give monarchs and
    other insects and species opportunities to flourish.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. Because I know there's hundreds
    of things under study, but sometimes the dramatic change is so
    evident.
        And when you go from millions down to just 2,000
    butterflies and have an overwintering population that a freak
    storm could devastate the remaining population because--it is
    just like, they need to be put at the top of the list for
    consideration of being labeled as endangered. And there is so
    much we learn from studying their migration and the impacts
    along the way.
        There was $7 million in the last appropriation bill for the
    Western monarchs and other pollinators. Can we ensure that the
    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), collaborative
    model continues its momentum?
        Secretary Haaland. Yes, Senator, we will do whatever we
    can.
        Senator Merkley. Okay. There is a lot of power in that and
    the ability. I have used up my entire seven minutes on the
    monarch, which I am proud to do, because can you imagine the
    next generation of children growing up that never see a
    monarch? And actually, right now in Oregon, it is extremely
    rare to see one.
        And so, this is kind of a last ditch five alarm fire, but I
    have a lot more questions to come following my colleague and
    partner, Senator Murkowski.

                  ALASKA NATIVE VIETNAM VETS ALLOTMENT PROGRAM

        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary
    let's talk about the Alaska Native Vietnam Vets Allotment
    Program. This is something that is also very challenging. You
    certainly have a legal obligation to Alaska Native Vietnam era
    vets to ensure their allotment applications are completed in a
    timely and an efficient manner.
        And I am really concerned about where we are in the
    process. There have been different iterations, different ways
    to try to advance this, but I am really concerned that right
    now BLM, BIA don't have the capacity to meet this task. The
    program expires in December 29th of 2025.
        That is actually not that far away. And we are in a place
    right now where potentially about 2,900 applications could be
    received. I know for a fact that there is over 500 in the
    Southeast region down in the Tongas. That are not participating
    because they don't feel that there are lands that are
    accessible to them.
        So, excuse me, right now, eight, eight veterans have
    received their allotment under the program. In fiscal year
    2023, we got almost $5 million to implement the program and you
    are continuing this funding level for fiscal year 2024.
        But how are we going to do it? How are we going to do it?
    How can you assure me that not only we have the resources, but
    what are the nonmonetary challenges that BLM is facing? Thank
    you. Please go ahead.
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you, Senator. And yes, we are
    working very hard on this issue as you know, there's roughly 29
    million acres of public lands for selection. We recognize that
    some lands are were not included in the law.
        So, it is unfortunate for those veterans who want lands in
    areas where they weren't included. So as of March, the BLM
    received 266 Alaska native, Vietnam era veterans' allotment
    program applications. A lot of the veterans who were eligible,
    we didn't have the right contact information. We reached out to
    Veterans Affairs. They are helping us with that.
        So, we are doing what we can to make sure that all veterans
    have this opportunity. And I just want to assure you that it is
    a priority for me. It is a priority for the BLM. And we will
    continue to work on this as quickly as we possibly can. I think
    that part of the issue was that we weren't able to reach them
    all, but we found some help with Veterans Affairs, so we feel
    like, you know, it is an all of Government approach.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, and Madam Secretary, if I may,
    because I was at that roundtable with Secretary McDonough.
    Senator Sullivan had brought together a group of Vietnam
    veterans and they had the Secretary of the VA in front of them.
    They could have talked about anything.
        They could have talked about health care, they could have
    talked about housing, education. But all they talked about was
    the injustice that they felt in having been denied their native
    allotment and a fear that they were dying off, they were
    leaving this earth before the promise was going to be kept to
    them.
        And so, I think I think it actually motivated the Secretary
    to see what more he could do in his capacity, so I am glad to
    know that he visited with you and he shared a follow-on call
    with me and said he discussed this with you. We need to
    identify.
        But when you say, yes, there is 29 million acres that have
    been made available. When you are in a State that is one fifth
    the size of the United States of America, and you tell a native
    veteran and in Hoonah that they are able to select lands up in
    the interior, it may as well be telling them that they can
    select lands in Iceland.
        It is just not feasible and not possible. So. I am deeply
    frustrated because even with the good intentions of those who
    want to see these allotments move, advancing eight through this
    process out of a potentially close to 3,000 it doesn't work. It
    doesn't work for the veterans. It doesn't work for any.
        And so, we have so much more to do. I think, you know, that
    the answer is going to be making more lands accessible in areas
    where our veterans are. And that is going to require some
    cooperation with the Department of Interior. So, I am just
    asking you to keep your foot on the gas with this on because
    these honored veterans are passing every day. I want to ask
    about the tribal LWCF fund that you mentioned.

                TRIBAL LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND PROGRAM

        You are proposing an additional 12 million in discretionary
    spending for land and water conservation under a new fund for
    tribal land acquisition. What I don't understand on this is why
    Department of Interior did not propose this under the mandatory
    $900 million from the Great American Outdoors Act, and kind of
    what the plan is for this.
        This is the first time that I have heard about it was in
    this budget presentation, so I am not quite sure why it was
    such a big priority, why it wasn't incorporated in the LWCF
    initially, maybe as a tribal set aside. But now you are adding
    $12 million on top of a $900 million mandatory spending.
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, thank you so much for the
    question. And so, of course, we have done more tribal
    consultation in this Administration than likely for a very long
    time. This is something that tribes spoke with us about.
        It is important for them to have a dedicated program, and
    it is carved out of discretionary funding to avoid competition
    between new and established programs. The funds will support
    tribal acquisition of lands for conservation and outdoor
    recreation consistent with the purposes of LWCF.
        I mean, I apologize. I don't know of the precise reasons
    why it was done this way. Of course, we are happy to be in
    touch with your office with complete details about how this
    came about and what the thinking was behind all of it.
        [The information follows:]
                      fy 2024 tribal lwcf program proposal
        The FY 2024 budget for the Bureau of Indian Affairs includes $12.0
    million in discretionary unobligated LWCF funds to establish a new
    Tribal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) land acquisition
    program. During LWCF listening sessions with Tribes held in 2022 and in
    ongoing meetings of Interior's Tribal Budget Council, Tribes have
    identified direct access to LWCF funding for conservation and
    recreation LWCF projects without the existing requirements to partner
    with or apply through States, as a top funding priority.
        For this reason, the President's 2024 budget request proposes to
    fund this new program with discretionary funding which allows for full
    consideration of the importance of Tribal inclusion in the LWCF without
    concern for the potential impact on funding for the established LWCF
    programs. Including Tribes in LWCF as direct applicants for funding is
    a meaningful opportunity to not only strengthen conservation and
    outdoor recreation opportunities in Indian Country but to demonstrate
    the Administration's strong commitment to Tribal sovereignty and self-
    determination. This new program will further enhance the ability of
    Tribes to address the climate crisis, support Tribal sovereignty and
    self-determination, and provide another important tool to support
    Tribal co-stewardship.
        With regard to the structure of this program, the Department
    expects BIA would award the funding competitively for land acquisition
    projects or easements which advance conservation and outdoor recreation
    on Tribal lands. The bureau is working to hold Tribal consultation this
    Fall on the proposed structure of the program as well as the criteria
    and program requirements.

        Senator Murkowski. Well, my time is expired, but know that
    we do want to follow up with you on this. I am just not certain
    that there is a plan there with the distribution and what the
    process would be, how you are identifying willing sellers and
    the like. So, we will need to do some follow up. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.

                               MONARCH BUTTERFLY

        Senator Merkley. Madam Secretary, back to monarchs for just
    a moment. One of the things that came out of that gathering of
    the summit that we held was that families want to plant
    pollinator safe plants in their gardens.
        But when they go to the nursery, most of those plants you
    buy in a nursery carry such a heavy level of pesticide on them
    that they are not safe for the pollinators and could actually
    kill them. And it's also true for the milkweed.
        And so, one of the goals was to develop a program that
    would provide labeling so you have pollinator safe according to
    certain standards that have been raised without pesticides,
    that remain on the plants and would be deadly to bees and
    butterflies and so forth. Has there been much progress in
    actually implementing a program for pollinators safe labeling?
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, I love that idea, and I will
    have to get back with you as to how that is coming along.
        [The information follows:]
                            pollinator safe labeling
        Interior supports efforts to encourage the use of plants that are
    safe for wildlife, including those safe for pollinators as well as for
    invertebrate communities, many of which are necessary for healthy soil
    and water. This issue--the availability of trusted labels around
    pollinator-friendly plants--is important to many Americans and is
    frequently raised in many venues, including the Monarch Butterfly
    Conservation Summit last summer.
        Interior does not exercise broad labeling authority to regulate the
    sale of plants as ``pollinator friendly.'' While we do have some
    authorities to regulate impacts on protected species, we do not have
    regulations to manage an overall plant labeling program more generally
    for wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using its newly
    established Center for Pollinator Conservation to engage other
    influential partners or agencies with authorities to determine
    potential avenues to implement credible pollinator friendly labeling
    practices. This topic will be the subject of a virtual workshop series
    the Center is currently planning and will be hosting this summer.

        Senator Merkley. Thank you. There are two routes to doing
    this. One is kind of a voluntary effort through the Xerces
    Society, but the other is for us to have a regulation that says
    you can label these plants pollinators safe if they have been
    raised in this manner. And people are just, families they want
    to plant pollinator gardens. And it is not just, you know, I am
    using the monarch, but we are really talking about honeybees,
    all kinds of pollinators that are important. So, I will follow
    up with you on that. Thank you. Turning to staffing in the
    National Park Service.

                         NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STAFFING

        Of the 10,000 employees of the Department lost between the
    decades 2010 to 2020, 23,000 of those were in the National Park
    Service. And last year we were able to restore about 500 of
    those positions. How is progress going on hiring for those
    positions?
        Secretary Haaland. We are so appreciative of your support
    for this and we are with you. We know it's important. So, the
    2023 funding increases will support permanent long-term
    staffing for ongoing park operations.
        Funding is helping NPS to staff new and critical
    responsibilities of parks. Birmingham Civil Rights and Freedom
    Riders National monuments, a major national historic site.
        I mean, we are moving forward with it and appreciate if you
    would like, we are happy to give you a readout on where, you
    know, where these staff are and how we have been able to build
    them.

                             PARK EMPLOYEE HOUSING

        Senator Merkley. Thank you. It is an incredible national
    parks system, but it only works if we have people staffing it.
    And one of the things I am hearing is about the housing crisis,
    that so many accommodations that might have been available for
    people to work for the National Park Service and live in are
    now Airbnbs.
        And so essentially, folks are turning down jobs even at
    Yosemite, the crown jewel of the park system, people are
    turning down the opportunity to work there because there is no
    place to live.
        Your fiscal year 2024 request includes an increase of $7
    million to improve housing construction, nearly doubling the
    program, and to upgrade housing at a number of sites, Mesa
    Verde, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, Great Sand Dunes--
    but it is housing across the system that is a challenge. Will
    this funding make a difference?
        Secretary Haaland. Yes, absolutely. It will make a big
    difference. The $7 million increase, as you mentioned, will
    address housing needs in Mammoth Cave, Sequoia, Kings Canyon
    and Rocky Mountains National Parks. And we are using $32.7
    million in construction and Legacy Restoration Funding to
    rehabilitate the housing at Mesa Verde, Chaco Culture, Great
    Sand Dunes, etcetera.
        We are also leveraging private sector leasing for seasonal
    housing. The National Park Service will use $2 million provided
    in 2023. As of February, parks hope to add more than 100 beds
    with this particular funding. We are working with partners to
    find solutions. At Acadia National Park, for example, we are
    leveraging $5 million in partner donations with Centennial
    Challenge funds to construct new seasonal employee housing for
    the park.
        Senator Merkley. It is essential. People can't take jobs if
    they can't afford a place to live. Turning to the Great
    American Outdoors Act, it provided $1.9 billion for the legacy
    restoration funding, for deferred maintenance on our public
    lands, and at the Bureau of Indian Education Schools.

                         GAOA: LEGACY RESTORATION FUND

        And we are finding that the costs have gone way up and a
    number of projects are over budget. We know that there is a lot
    of upheaval in the markets, an upheaval in our supply chains.
    This is happening in every area where construction is involved.
        And our teams worked together to provide a contingency fund
    to help cover that challenge. But digging a little deeper on
    this, can you share a little bit about the factors that are
    causing the cost estimates to go up beyond the original
    estimates?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you for the question. And so, what
    our bureaus are seeing is a more competitive bidding climate,
    and sometimes we don't receive any bids for the work that we
    need done, so we have to re-compete those bids. It costs more.
    There is problem in remote areas.
        Sometimes there are not the folks you need to do the work.
    We have a lot of specialized needs with a lot of really unique
    assets, and sometimes we don't find the specialized people to,
    or materials, for example, to work on those projects.
        There has also been an increased cost of construction
    materials that is actually outpacing inflation. There are a lot
    of price swings. And so, we are working through a lot to try to
    keep these projects on track. And so, we will just keep working
    at it.
        Senator Merkley. You know, it is clear that the purchasing
    power of the strategy has diminished significantly. And it is
    frustrating, which is just a reality of the market. Do you
    support extending the Legacy Restoration Fund for at least
    another 5 years given the backlog of projects that need to be
    accomplished?
        Secretary Haaland. We love the Legacy Restoration Fund. So,
    yes, we would love to see it continue to do the work that it
    does for so many areas in our country.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. Senator Capito.

                            SECTION 7 CONSULTATIONS

        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And welcome to the
    committee. I have a question on Fish and Wildlife. Our Fish and
    Wildlife office in West Virginia has brought on just recently a
    number of new biologists mostly through reimbursable
    agreements, to help with the backlog of the Endangered Species
    Act Section 7 consultations.
        It has been helpful, but what I am really looking for is
    some substantive feedback on how we can improve the Section 7
    process, minimize project delays. We are just getting a lot of
    complaints consistently in our State.
        So, in a reaction to this, I was able to put into the
    appropriations bill, a fiscal year 2023 bill that would direct
    the Fish and Wildlife Service to report to Congressional
    committees within 90 days on the Section 7 consultation and
    provide recommendations on ways to improve and expedite the
    process.
        Trying to get rid of the backlog because there is a big
    backlog there. And so, we are right at the time of this around
    the deadline. So, I wondered when we could expect to see this
    report, and can you shed some light on some of those
    recommendations made to improve those consultations?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you so much, Senator. I mean, we
    will get back with your office about when to expect that. But
    please know that the Fish and Wildlife Service is making the
    most of limited staffing, funding, and other resources for the
    Section 7 and other reviews.
        Our budget request includes a proposal to authorize
    agencies to transfer Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
    funding to support this Fish and Wildlife staffing needs. So,
    we are working on this issue and happy to report back to you as
    soon as we have some--well, they might have specific details.
    Unfortunately, I don't have those specific details in front of
    me right now.
        Senator Capito. Okay. We will follow up. We will follow up
    with them. I am curious to know, I know I mentioned that we
    have a lot of frustrations in our State. Is this a nationwide
    problem with the backlog? I am assuming that it is, but and the
    process taking so long and project delays.
        Secretary Haaland. Senator, with all due respect, they
    reminded me that the goal for the report is today.
        Senator Capito. Right. So, it will come out today.
        Secretary Haaland. Yes, that is our goal. It is today, so
    hopefully we can make sure that is in your hands before the end
    of the day.
        Senator Capito. Okay. Perfect.
        Secretary Haaland. Okay. Thank you. I apologize.
        Senator Capito. So, in response to is it a nationwide
    issue, you are hearing this from other States with the backlog?
        Secretary Haaland. I am not certain. Of course, I will get
    back with Fish and Wildlife Service and make sure that they can
    provide you with that specific----
        Senator Capito. I would like to say the Director of Fish
    and Wildlife, in response to my concern, did come to the State
    with me to try to establish better communications, and I am
    very appreciative of that. It has resulted in slightly better
    communications, not so much with my office, but with whatever
    the stakeholder is, is who is interested in trying to move
    together project.

                   ABANDONED MINE LAND ECONOMIC REVITALIZAION

        So please pass that along to her. Let me ask you about
    another program, the Abandoned Mine Land Economic
    Revitalization, is called AMLER Program. It administers grants
    to, this is reading from your statement to six States, three
    tribal nations to return legacy coal mining sites to productive
    uses and foster economic and community development.
        You have made through the AMLER program $750 million
    available to coal communities, obviously critical in my State,
    and we have taken advantage of the AMLER program.
        There has been here, and this goes to the bureaucracy as
    well, kind of a moving of the football of what the parameters
    of this program are, so that there been delays in getting
    monies that have been approved by the Governor, because I do
    believe it has to go through the Governor for the Governor's
    approval for certain projects.
        And because of that, I guess I would just ask that the
    takeaway from my comments are, that the consistency on what is
    required, what qualifies as a Coal community--you know, we had
    a trail in one of our State forests, the back side of it was
    where the abandoned coal mine lay in what seemed like a lay-up
    to me.
        I mean, you know, the conservation project. It is great
    wild use of recreation. It is also an economic generator
    because a lot of people will go and come and visit. So, you
    know, there was a lot of communication issues.
        So, I would just ask, in particular on the AMLER program
    that maybe leaving here, you might take a look to make sure
    that the guidance is consistent from year to year so that
    people can know what they are applying for and how to make
    their applications successful.
        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. We want the program to work.
    And you are right, your State is perfect for these projects.
        Senator Capito. All right. Thank you.

                         WESTERN OREGON OPERATING PLAN

        Senator Merkley. Senator, you bring up a topic and you get
    the report the same day. I need some of that. Thank you for
    demonstrating how that is done. Madam Secretary, I want to turn
    to the Western Oregon operating plan (WOOP), as it is referred
    to, and this is a plan that coordinates the approach to
    wildfire response, coordinated between the State, the tribes,
    the communities, the Bureau of Land Management.
        And we have this incredibly complex checkerboard that was
    established when every other square mile was essentially
    designated to the railroads and etcetera, etcetera. And it is
    no way to design a landscape for management and so requires
    this sort of cooperation.
        And after you have been to Oregon, I know you have heard
    and seen what we face in Western Oregon and the concerns of the
    constituents. The key is that we maintain this agreement, when
    it comes up for renewal in 2024 and we have heard some concerns
    that BLM may not be that excited about this agreement.
        But given the checkerboard lands and the need for
    collaboration on the wildfire front, to me it is essential and
    you may have gotten a better sense of it from your trip. Are
    you familiar with the WOOP? And can we count on your support to
    reauthorize it in 2024?
        Secretary Haaland. Mr. Chairman from meetings we had in
    Oregon, we absolutely know that these fire partnerships are a
    key success to Western Oregon and to the entire State, quite
    frankly. BLM is confident that they will find an agreement with
    the State. I trust that they will, and so we will absolutely
    keep working at it.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. I will continue to be in dialog
    with you all about it. And speaking of fire, one of our highest
    risk fire sheds, actually, the highest risk is the Rogue Valley
    in Oregon, and it is affected by this checkerboard. And most of
    the forest land is not Department of Forestry, but it is BLM
    land.
        And so, we need to really reduce the risk of fire and that
    means directing resources to do forest management, reducing the
    fuels on the forest floor. The combination of thinning and
    prescribed burns and mowing.
        And we had a significant amount of hazardous fuels funding
    in the annual appropriations, but also in the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Act for high-risk fire sheds. I want to make
    sure that a significant share of these funds goes as intended
    to help out the Rogue Valley. Can we count on that happening?
        Secretary Haaland. Yes, Senator. And so, if I may, they are
    providing close to $1 million in BIL funding this year for
    Jackson, Josephine, and Curry Counties.
        Senator Merkley. I will follow up with you in that regard,
    because I don't have the specific numbers with me for the need.
        Secretary Haaland. Yes.
        Senator Merkley. But it is a big deal. And, after having
    seen the Labor Day fires of 2020 and town after town burned to
    the ground, this is in everyone's mind about the risk and the
    need for intense collaboration. That is where the WOOP comes
    in, and that is where this funding comes in to be directed to
    these efforts. Okay, fish passage. Very important to fish
    passage in the Pacific Northwest is the Fisheries Restoration
    and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA).
        It is a cooperative partnership between, again, like WOOP,
    between the Federal Government, local, State, and tribal
    entities, and they work to design and implement, construct fish
    screens and fish passage strategies, solving the problem, the
    culverts put on many of our streams.
        And for the first time, we provided $5 million specifically
    for FRIMA activities. And I want to make sure it does not get
    lost in a larger funding pot. Can you give me an update on the
    FRIMA funding?
        Secretary Haaland. Thank you very much, Chairman. The Fish
    and Wildlife Service will publish a notice of funding
    opportunity to award the funds through grants. The notice will
    detail eligibility, project criteria, and so forth, and
    requirements for the selection process.
        And the Fish and Wildlife Service will also work directly
    with the five eligible States and tribal representatives and
    encourage partner outreach to develop project submissions. The
    awards will be determined by a panel of subject matter experts.
    That is moving forward, and we care about it.

                                FISH HATCHERIES

        Senator Merkley. That is great. Thank you. And my last
    question is related to the opportunity we had to visit the Gone
    Fishin' Hatchery, known formally as the Klamath Falls National
    Fish Hatchery, and we were able to hold in our hands both the
    c'waam and koptu fish.
        And those two species were like the core of the diet that
    supported the tribes from time immemorial, but they have not
    been able to harvest any since before the turn of the last
    century because they are so endangered.
        And a few years ago, I held a sucker summit. These are, in
    the English vernacular, they are suckers, sucker fish. And we
    held a conference to talk about these two species and how are
    we going to save them, because what we heard was that the
    youngest fish left in the lake were 25 to 30 years old and that
    the life span is only 30 years.
        And I had no idea their lifespan was that long and had no
    idea that the youngest were that near extinction. And so, we
    launched this hatchery as well as a Klamath Tribe hatchery, two
    separate projects. And you and I were able to visit the one.
        And I must say I was so excited about that stop, because
    initially when the hatchery produced year old fish and we put
    them back in the lake, they all died, and they were dying
    because the algae is growing in the warmer, phosphorous
    polluted water and when it dies it strips the oxygen out of the
    lake, and then a second species of algae takes the nitrogen
    from the first species, and then that is a toxic algae.
        So older fish could survive, younger fish could not. And
    then we tried two-year-olds and basically almost all of them
    died. But what we just saw was that some of the three-year-
    olds, two and three year olds are starting to survive in the
    lake, which is great.

                               KLAMATH ECOSYSTEM

        While we go under many decades of trying to clean up the
    lake and the phosphorus in it and address the algae problem,
    but also that they had three-year-old fish now at the hatchery,
    and technically it is not yet a hatchery, they are catching the
    minnows or the newly formed farmed fish and taking them to the
    fishing basins. But they said by the time they reach 5 years,
    they will have a reserve population that will be able to
    harvest the eggs and actually turn it into a hatchery.
        And it is like we may save these two fish because of this
    collaborative effort launched over the last couple of years. So
    that is going to be an extraordinary story if this succeeds.
    And it was the first time I heard, like we may have acted in
    time, barely in time. Could you comment on the importance of
    these investments and saving these fish?
        Secretary Haaland. Absolutely. Chairman, thank you. I was
    equally as moved by that stop that we made, and, gosh, no
    amount of money could ever bring those fish back.
        Senator Merkley. Yes. Once we lose them there, they are
    gone. And we know how hard it is to get the phosphorus out of
    the lake.
        We have had local engineering students who have developed
    basically sunlight powered, photovoltaic powered rafts that put
    oxygen back into the lake. That didn't actually seem to work.
        And we explored and are continuing to explore ways to try
    to remove the algae and with removing the algae, remove the
    phosphorus in the algae to try to reduce the phosphorus load in
    the lake.
        That proves to be extraordinarily difficult. We don't have
    a strategy there yet. But if we can raise older fish and get
    those older fish that can survive in the lake in while we
    continue to work on the phosphorus loading over the decades to
    come, we have a shot at reversing a near extinction event.
        Secretary Haaland. Yes. And we have many dedicated career
    staff to move those issues along. I mean, for some of these
    things, it is every tool in the toolbox, right. And we are not
    going to turn down any good ideas.
        So, we have to continually explore ways that we can protect
    these ecosystems, because that is the way we protect these
    species.
        Senator Merkley. Madam Secretary, thank you. The diversity
    of topics that have been raised today demonstrate what an
    enormous range of issues are inherent in the management of the
    Interior Department that you are living and breathing every
    day. So, thank you for addressing them. So many offers to
    follow up on details. I believe my colleague is not returning.
    We are wrapping up. Okay. It is a pleasure to work with Senator
    Murkowski.
        Two States in the West that have different perspectives on
    some key issues as reflected by our opening statements, but we
    are just engaged in a lot of collaboration on our public lands
    and the work of the Interior Department.

                         ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

        So, thank you. And the hearing record will remain open to
    the close of business on April 19th. If there are no further
    comments, this hearing is adjourned.
                Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
        Question. Secretary Haaland, I understand that the Forest Service
    was able to achieve 97 percent of its staffing target for firefighters
    (GS-09 and below), perhaps due in part to salary increases in the
    bipartisan infrastructure law.
        Secretary Haaland, was the Department of the Interior able to
    achieve full firefighter staffing last year, both nationwide and in
    California specifically? What are the current wildland firefighter
    staffing levels nationwide and in California specifically?
        Answer. The Department of the Interior achieved 98 percent of our
    2022 wildland fire hiring target nationwide. The Department employed
    more than 5,460 personnel, including firefighters and support
    personnel. In California, the Department employed more than 580
    wildland fire personnel during 2022, compared to a target of 639.
        As of the end of May 2023, the Department had 4,145 total Federal
    wildland fire personnel nationwide. Considering the number of temporary
    and permanent seasonal employees within the wildland fire management
    program, who are typically hired in early summer, we expect to reach
    peak employment in July. Our target is to reach a total of 5,800
    personnel over the course of the year.
        In California, as of the end of May, the Department employed more
    than 400 wildland fire personnel. The target for California this year
    is about 670 personnel.
        Question. Recent Department of Interior appropriations have
    provided significant increases for efforts to manage wild horses and
    burros across the West, doubling the funding in the past five years.
    Nevertheless, humane management of these wild horse herds remains a
    problem, with the size of these herds impacting the native landscape
    and the health of the horses themselves. Based on a model developed by
    the Bureau of Land Management, PopEquus, fertility control measures are
    the most cost-effective ways to keep herd sizes at an appropriate level
    once the herd has been condensed to the Appropriate Management Level.
    However, the vast majority of the budget for the Wild Horse and Burro
    Program still goes toward removal of horses from public lands and
    upkeep of those horses.
        Secretary Haaland, how much of the funding allocated for the Wild
    Horse and Burro program has gone toward cost-effective fertility
    control measures?
        Answer. Over the last five years, the BLM has spent approximately
    $2.8 million directly on fertility control treatments. Additionally,
    the BLM spent approximately $4.2 million on capture and handling costs
    needed to conduct those treatments, and over $3.5 million on new
    research related to advancing humane and longer-lasting fertility
    control methods for wild horses and burros.
        Population growth suppression methods, including fertility control
    treatments, are most effective once a herd management area is at its
    appropriate management level (AML), though the Bureau considers
    fertility control efforts as vital to helping curb the previously
    compunding growth rate. In FY 2022, only 37 out of 177 Herd Management
    Areas were at AML. The removal of excess animals from overpopulated
    herds is a valuable tool to minimize threats to the health of our
    public rangelands from overgrazing, as well as for preventing risks of
    starvation and thirst for wild horses, burros, and other wildlife. The
    program continues to maximize humane care and opportunities for private
    care placement of these excess animals through adoptions, sales, and
    transfers as a way to manage off-range costs over time.

                                     ______

                Questions Submitted by Senator Chris Van Hollen
        Question. The Great American Outdoors Act permanently authorized
    funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund to support our efforts
    to conserve lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities across
    the Nation. Unfortunately, I understand that the appraisal process
    remains lengthy, with delays and complexities that can risk the loss of
    critical conservation opportunities.
        Can you provide details on the agency's efforts to address this
    problem?
        Answer. The Department is committed to the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund (LWCF) programs and has taken strong action to
    improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Interior's land acquisition
    functions which are fundamental to implementing the LWCF.
        Interior has established a Department-wide Land Acquisition Working
    Group (working group) of realty specialists, appraisers, attorneys, and
    program officers, focused on making improvements in key areas impacting
    Interior's Federal land acquisition and appraisal processes. The
    working group is actively addressing issues identified in the FY 2023
    Consolidated Appropriations Bill, P.L. 117-328, to improve uniform
    Departmental appraisal policies, utilizing third-party contracting,
    clarifying the roles and responsibilities of Federal and non-Federal
    parties' as well as evaluating options for returning some appraisal or
    valuation functions to the bureaus.
        A two-day session is planned this Spring (May 23-24) to expressly
    discuss options for returning appraisal functions currently managed by
    Interior's Appraisal and Valuation Services Office (AVSO), to
    interested bureaus. On this subject, the working groups' initial
    efforts focused on identifying issues most likely to result in
    operational efficiencies; and tackling those with the potential for
    nearer-term benefits first. This included evaluating options to raise
    the current $25,000 threshold ceiling to waive the need for an
    appraisal allowed in the Uniform Act regulations, up to $400,000 with
    the landowner's approval. Increasing the waiver valuation threshold
    will allow bureaus greater flexibility to conduct waiver valuations for
    more of their land acquisition needs without requiring appraisals for
    uncomplicated cases.
        The working group initiated a discussion with the Federal Highway
    Administration (FHWA) which has jurisdiction over this requirement.
    FWHA has proposed a new rule to raise the threshold to $50,000 which
    could make 14% of Interior land acquisitions eligible for an
    acquisition waiver. A change in the waiver threshold should help to
    reduce processing times since more than 50% of the overall valuation
    time is taken up by the appraisal itself and another 17% is consumed by
    contracting. For simple, low risk acquisitions under the threshold, it
    could cut valuation processing time by approximately 67%. AVSO supports
    an increased use of waiver valuations as allowed by regulation and
    currently provides training to bureau realty staff in conducting waiver
    valuations.
        The working group has also identified policies and procedures that
    need to be modified, clarified, or rescinded including a 1995 policy
    memo issued by the Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management, and Budget
    that addresses the roles of non-Federal parties in Department of the
    Interior land acquisition. As part of this work, Interior's land
    acquisition working group reached an initial agreement that when
    appraisals are paid for by non-Federal parties, bureaus can request the
    non-Federal party be named as an intended user of the appraisal report
    and AVSO will execute such requests. Interior will memorialize its
    final decision and other related operational changes in the form of a
    new policy memo that defines guidelines for real estate transactions
    involving non-Federal parties.
        The Department is also taking action to strengthen Interior's
    appraisal capacity including realigning appraisal operations on a
    regional basis to improve efficiency and service. With the help of
    Special Pay Rate authority for appraisers provided in the FY 2022 and
    FY 2023 Interior Appropriations bills, as of May 2023, AVSO increased
    the number of appraisers on-board 22 percent from 2021. AVSO has also
    secured dedicated legal support and is standing up an appraiser
    apprentice program to build internal capacity. AVSO is collaborating
    with the working group to improve its automated systems and processes
    to simplify how appraisals are requested by the bureaus and to provide
    bureaus with status tracking reports of pending appraisal actions.
        These are examples of the work underway to reevaluate and improve
    Interior's Federal land acquisition activities. The Department will
    continue this comprehensive review and will keep the House and Senate
    Interior Appropriations Subcommittees informed as more progress is
    made.

                                     ______

                   Questions Submitted by Senator Deb Fischer
        Question. To date, how much funding has DOI spent implementing the
    America the Beautiful Initiative?
      --Please include what staffing resources have been used to plan,
            coordinate, implement and track the initiative.
      --Please also cite the congressional authorization used to justify
            any expenditures.
        Answer. America the Beautiful is an interagency initiative to
    support voluntary, locally led, partnership-driven conservation and
    restoration nationwide. Interior is an active Federal partner in
    supporting the broader initiative driven by our mission and
    responsibilities for land and resource management. A variety of DOI
    programs--authorized by Congress--support the goals of the initiative.
    As such, the Department does not track funding for it as it would a
    formal program.
        During the hearing, Secretary Haaland gave examples of funding
    requested for several DOI programs which help to support the objectives
    of America the Beautiful including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
    Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The budget proposes $79.7
    million in FY 2024 for the Partners program, an increase of $19.5
    million above FY 2023 enacted. The program is authorized by the
    Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act (16 U.S.C. 3771-3774) to establish a
    program that works with private landowners to conduct cost-effective
    habitat projects for the benefit of fish and wildlife resources in the
    United States. The projects provide other benefits to the local
    communities, such as enhancing drought resilience through water
    conservation projects, strengthening resilience to wildfire, and
    supporting habitat and migration corridors for game and other plants
    and animals of cultural significance.
        The Partners Program works in all 50 States and territories, to
    consult with landowners to help them conserve and improve wildlife
    habitat. Landowner conservation is important because nearly 70 percent
    of land in the United States is privately owned. Public and private
    landowners are critical partners in ensuring the health and
    sustainability of America's fish, wildlife and plant species. Projects
    are voluntary and customized to meet landowners' needs. Participating
    landowners continue to own and manage their land while they improve
    conditions for wildlife.
        Many Partners for Fish and Wildlife projects take place on working
    landscapes such as forests, farms and ranches.  FWS efforts focus on
    areas of conservation concern, such as upland forests, wetlands, native
    prairies, marshes, rivers and streams and designing projects to benefit
    Federal trust species including migratory birds, endangered, threatened
    and at-risk species.
        All private landowners interested in restoring wildlife habitat on
    their land are eligible to participate. Current partners include
    farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, recreational landowners,
    corporations, local governments and universities. In addition to
    private landowners, the program partners with other Federal agencies,
    State agencies and non-governmental organizations to complete projects
    on private lands. Participating landowners do not forfeit any property
    rights and are not required to allow public access.
        Another example mentioned at the hearing is the Land and Water
    Conservation Fund State Grants program managed by the National Park
    Service, which was permanently reauthorized in the Great American
    Outdoors Act. The program receives mandatory funding which is allocated
    annually by Congress through Appropriations. The budget proposes $305.5
    million in FY 2024 for these competitive and formula matching grants to
    States.
        The State grants support the acquisition and development of land
    and facilities that will provide the public with access to new
    opportunities to engage in outdoor recreation through a variety of
    projects such as parks, sports and playfields, swimming and boating
    areas, trails, and campgrounds. Grants to States also provide for
    continuing State planning efforts to address outdoor recreation needs.
    Since 1965, more than $5.2 billion has been apportioned to the States,
    resulting in the award of over 45,000 grants. States, Tribes, and
    localities have matched this amount at least dollar-for-dollar,
    doubling the Federal investment.
        This program has successfully allowed States to take greater
    responsibility for the protection and development of open space and
    outdoor recreation resources. The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
    of 1965 (54 U.S.C. 2003), provides funds and authorization for funding
    to the States in planning, acquisition, and development of public
    outdoor recreation areas and facilities.
        Question. How does DOI define conservation in relation to the
    America the Beautiful Initiative?
      --For private landowners, does the Department only consider land
            conserved if a landowner is participating in a Federal program?
      --What is the baseline percentage of land that the Department
            considers to already be conserved?
        Answer. Interior is working with our other Federal partners to
    engage the public in this question of how do we define conservation.
    Many uses of lands and waters can be consistent with the long-term
    health of natural systems and help address climate change, and the
    Department appreciates the continuum of conservation activities
    occurring across the Nation.
        The America the Beautiful initiative relies on broad engagement
    across the country, including agricultural and forest landowners,
    fishers, outdoor enthusiasts, Tribal Nations, States, territories,
    local officials, and other important partners and stakeholders working
    to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities.
    Integral to this approach is the voluntary conservation work of
    fishers, ranchers, farmers, and forest owners which takes place as part
    or independent of participation in a Federal program. Voluntary
    conservation work that occurs independently of Federal programs is an
    important part of America the Beautiful, and recognizing such efforts
    is best accomplished by building partnerships with individuals or
    organizations that would like their efforts to be included in the
    initiative.
        With regard to a baseline of land considered to be conserved, the
    interagency team collected public comments in 2022 and continues to
    work on next steps.

                              SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

        Senator Merkley. [Whereupon, at 11:41 a.m., Wednesday,
    March 29, the hearing was adjourned, and the subcommittee and
    recessed, to reconvene at a time subject to the call of the
    Chair.]

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                                  ----------

                             WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
               Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m., in
    room SD-124, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Jeff Merkley
    (chairman) presiding.
        Present: Senators Merkley, Murray, Reed, Tester, Van
    Hollen, Peters, Murkowski, Capito, Hoeven, Fischer, and Britt.

                        ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

    STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL S. REGAN, ADMINISTRATOR
    ACCOMPANIED BY: FAISAL AMIN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

                   OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY

        Senator Merkley. Administrator Regan, and colleagues,
    constituents, welcome to this Appropriations Hearing on the
    fiscal year 2024 President's Budget Request for the
    Environmental Protection Agency.
        I want to welcome, also, Faisal Amin, EPA's Chief Financial
    Officer, who is joining the Administrator.
        Administrator Regan, climate chaos is here. We are seeing
    the impacts everywhere: The longer fire seasons, the more
    intensity of those fires, the decreased snowpacks, now the
    impact of that on our rivers, and on our irrigation waters, the
    more severe weather events, from the atmospheric rivers we have
    heard so much about on the West Coast this year, to warmer
    algae-infested lakes across the country, to droughts, and
    record-shattering heat waves.
        Every part of the world is experiencing these impacts, and
    the damage is staggering. And it is going to increase
    exponentially unless we act decisively. I believe that to meet
    this moment we have to accelerate our transition from fossil
    fuel energy to renewable energy; that we have to tackle that
    crisis both from the supply side of fossil fuels as well as
    from the demand side.
        This is why I adamantly oppose the Biden administration's
    approval of fossil fuel projects, one project after another.
    Not only does such approval slow the transition here in
    America, but it undermines our moral authority in the world. It
    is very hard to ask the rest of the world to transition off of
    coal, or other fossil fuels, to renewables, when we are
    continuing to approve one fossil fuel project after another.
    The world needs American leadership and to lead we have to have
    the power of our example.
        While I believe that we are headed in the wrong direction
    in that regard, I do commend your Agency for taking meaningful
    actions over the last several months. First, the cars and
    trucks emission rules are critical to decreasing our carbon
    footprint. The transportation sector is the largest source of
    carbon emissions in the United States, and that means we can't
    make meaningful progress without addressing those emissions.
        I am a strong supporter of building and deploying more
    electric vehicles to reduce our greenhouse gases from
    transportation, and those proposed rules go a long way toward
    aggressively pushing our production in that direction.
        Recent press reports about EPA's plans for reducing power
    plant emissions also indicate a step in the right direction,
    power plants another major source of carbon pollution. And this
    latest rulemaking prioritizes the reduction of carbon emissions
    while promoting clean energy.
        In March, the Energy Information Administration forecasted
    that by the year 2050 wind and solar will account for 56
    percent of electricity generation. Newly built gas plants will
    become stranded assets unless they have the most feasible new
    technology.
        The Inflation Reduction Act provides important incentives
    to clean up our power sector, and these rules leverage those
    new authorities and investments. These actions are commendable,
    common sense, and should be finalized as quickly as possible,
    which I am sure you are thinking about every day.
        Today, we are here to discuss the fiscal year 2024 Budget
    Request for EPA, which is $12.1 billion, a 19 percent increase
    from fiscal year 2023. This funding level would make up much
    needed grounded EPA after the past decade of budget caps, and
    the 4 years that the Trump administration spent gutting the
    Agency.
        The budget includes $5 billion to support the work of
    reducing emissions, increasing resilience, and engaging other
    nations in this shared challenge. It builds upon the work we
    made to remedy environmental injustice, the work we have done
    together over the years, including a huge step up from just $11
    million to $105 million in fiscal year 2022, was an important
    effort to tackle historic disparities in the burden of
    pollution.
        And I am impressed that the EPA budget request again
    prioritizes environmental justice by including an additional
    $267 million increase to tackle this challenge. And I will look
    forward to understanding the ways that you would see these
    funds spent to achieve that goal.
        You have also highlighted in this request that the EPA is
    working with the Forest Service on prescribed burns and a
    particulate matter standard for exceptional events. And this is
    critical back home in my State of Oregon, where wildfires are
    growing hotter and more devastating year after year, on the
    wildfire front and on that particulate matter piece, and the
    key is that we have to be able to do the prescribed burns which
    sometimes will violate standards. And I know fitting that into
    the overall framework is important.
        On the wildfire front, I was especially pleased to see the
    Agency release its Notice of Funding Opportunity for Wildfire
    Smoke Grants, which will close in less than a week, after
    communities across my state and much of the West were blanketed
    in smoke for weeks that was caused by historic wildfires a few
    years ago, I created this program to support local efforts
    prepare for, and protect against wildfire smoke hazards.
        I am looking forward to seeing some real results to provide
    relief from pervasive smoke that threatens businesses and
    public health.
        Even with the increases proposed in this budget, the EPA
    budget is still less than it needs to be because there is even
    more that needs to be done, as I am sure, you know, you are
    pondering.
        We are behind in rebuilding the Agency's workforce. The
    fiscal year 2024 staffing levels are still short of fiscal year
    2009; we must make progress in hiring EPA's ecologists,
    hydrologists, toxicologists, and water infrastructure
    specialists, who can meet the challenges we face with a
    changing climate, a chemical based economy, and crumbling
    infrastructure.
        Finally, I look forward to talking more in depth about
    plastics. Just this year in East Palestine, Ohio, and in
    Richmond, Indiana, we had two horrific disasters that resulted
    in no small part from our addiction to plastics, and we are
    learning more and more about the problems plastics present both
    to human health, and to damage to our ecosystems. And the
    fossil gas industry is seeking to use plastics as a way to
    expand their production, even as they are contributing
    enormously to climate chaos.
        So much more to be done about plastic pollution, from
    wellhead, to combustion, to where it piles up; and I do
    appreciate your response to my April 5th letter about reports
    that the EPA has expedited the approval of chemicals that are
    produced through the pyrolysis of plastics.
        The articles written about that were very concerning. I
    appreciate your response and without--if there is no objection
    I will enter to the record, both my letter to you, and your
    response.
        So entered, without objection.
        [The Information follows:]
       [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Merkley. I am still concerned that the EPA is
    failing to protect frontline communities already overburdened
    with toxic chemicals and other forms of pollution when it comes
    to that process.
        The report by ProPublica and The Guardian shed light on a
    troubling approval process that EPA used for products from that
    so-called chemical recycling, while the April 21st strategy
    contains a testing requirement for new pyrolysis oils, a small
    step forward, the air pollution that may result from the new
    facilities may, in fact, increase the damage in already
    burdened communities.
        Similarly, approval expanding a fossil fuel pipeline in my
    state is contrary to the steps that Oregon has taken to build a
    clean energy future. I hope and expect the EPA to work with the
    Federal family, and FERC in particular, to respect the wishes
    of Oregonians, as well as Californians, and Washingtonians, to
    stop that process from moving forward.
        According to FERC's analysis, the GTN XPress Project would
    emit 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent
    emissions each year until at least 2052. Over the next 28 years
    it will cause $9 billion in climate-related damage. And that is
    using a methodology that systematically minimizes the
    pipeline's climate impacts.
        Adding new emissions through pipeline expansions, like the
    GTN Xpress, is incompatible with President Biden's pledge, and
    it would undermine Oregon's efforts for a clean energy future.
        Now, I am delighted that our Ranking Member is here, Lisa
    Murkowski. And we will turn the microphone over to her;
    welcome.

                      STATEMENT OF SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI

        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, good morning.
        And Administrator Regan, welcome back to the committee,
    good morning to you; glad that we are able to discuss EPA's
    fiscal year '24 budget request with you this morning.
        I am going to start off by just acknowledging and thanking
    you for the working relationship that you and I have built
    within your time in office, and your team working with mine.
        Before I turn to more Alaska-specific issues this morning,
    I must note my concern over the direction that I believe the
    Agency is taking with regards to recent and planned national
    regulatory actions. In particular, I believe the Agency is
    engaging in regulatory overreach with WOTUS, which the Senate
    has expressed its disapproval on, as well as the newly proposed
    Auto Emission Rule.
        If press reports are true, EPA's soon-to-be-released Power
    Plant Rule will follow the same unfortunate pattern, and these
    broad national regulations often have a disproportionate impact
    on the State of Alaska as we have had an opportunity to
    discuss. With WOTUS, a very significant percentage of Alaska is
    considered a wetland; the finalized WOTUS Rule fails to
    consider special characteristics in Alaska, such as permafrost,
    and will harm much needed economic development within my state.
        And while I have serious concerns about how these national
    policies will negatively impact Alaska, I would like to focus
    on some more positive matters.
        And Administrator, I want to, I want to thank you,
    sincerely, for your and your Agency's leadership on the issue
    of ANGSA contaminated lands. This is an environmental injustice
    that we have discussed, it is an environmental injustice caused
    by the Federal Government. It has been left without action for
    far too long.
        But thanks to you, and the supportive colleagues here on
    the committee, we now have a new grant program within EPA to
    finally begin making a difference, and remediate these
    contaminated lands.
        For colleagues' information, under the promise and the
    commitment to Alaska Native peoples with the Native Claim
    Settlement they were entitled to certain lands. We have worked
    to make good on that commitment but, unfortunately, what
    happened over the course of years, where contaminated lands,
    lands that had been contaminated by our own Federal Government,
    are conveyed to the Native people in settlement for their
    lands. So what they receive is not only of questionable value,
    but in many times, the lands that they have received are making
    them ill, are making them sick.
        And so this was an injustice that must be corrected, and we
    are making a difference here. The Agency's fiscal year 2024
    request continues the new ANGSA Contaminated Lands Grant at 20
    million, and I truly appreciate that.
        What happened with the EPA was considerable, because the
    EPA stepped forward into the leadership role on this ANGSA
    contaminated lands. I don't mean to put one department against
    the other, but the fact of the matter is the Department of
    Interior has failed, failed to be helpful on that issue.
        And so there were some key members on your team, Mr.
    Sixkiller, there were some others that, again, have just put
    their shoulder into this, and really advanced this in a way
    that has been positive and remarkable.
        And I want to make sure that others know that you deserve
    this public commendation now. These efforts are going to
    directly improve the health and well-being of so many
    communities, and this work cannot be understated in its
    importance.
        So I hope, and I know, Administrator Regan, that there is
    more that you and I can do together to right this injustice in
    our Alaska Native community, so I am looking forward to finding
    further creative funding solutions with you. I certainly invite
    you to come to Alaska at any time to meet in some of these
    communities with me, and I know that we are looking forward to
    doing that at a point in time.
        I now want to turn to an issue that we have had opportunity
    to discuss before, and this is the Agency's Wood Heater
    Certification Program. I get that this is a problem that you
    have inherited, but unfortunately, it is really coming to a
    head for communities of Fairbanks, and North Pole, and the
    interior part of my state.
        Earlier this year, the EPA partially accepted and partially
    rejected the State of Alaska's State Implementation Plan for PM
    2.5. I believe that the Agency, fundamentally, misunderstands
    the role that its flawed Wood Heater Certification played in
    higher PM 2.5 emissions within the region.
        In fact, in February of this year, the EPA Inspector
    General released a report heavily criticizing the Agency's
    handling of its Wood Heater Program. The IG's report states
    that: EPA's mismanagement has led to elevated PM 2.5 emissions
    even though Congress has provided almost $100 million for wood
    stove changeouts over the last 8 years through the Targeted
    Airshed Grant.
        I have worked hard on that, I think you know. I secured
    tens of millions of dollars for wood stove changeouts in the
    Fairbanks area through this grant, which should be good, it
    should be a positive, so I am really very frustrated by the IG
    Report's findings.
        By failing to properly certify and test wood heater
    emissions the EPA has frustrated Congress' investments and
    intended goals.
        So Administrator, I am calling on your Agency to fix its
    handling of the Wood Heater Certification and Testing Program,
    and to internally provide whatever resources are needed to
    achieve that.
        To show my commitment, last year we provided a $1 million
    increase for staffing, and other efforts to help right the
    program, but it really is just not fair, that my constituents
    in Fairbanks and in North Pole are going to face increased
    energy prices, or perhaps even worse than that, actual energy
    insecurity due to potential enforcement actions that the Agency
    may take against them for the Agency's own mismanagement.
        I am going to be up in Fairbanks this weekend, and I can
    tell you this is going to be a hot, hot, hot topic there.
        Lastly, I want to discuss with you the Agency's handling of
    congressionally directed spending projects. I do appreciate
    that the Congress rather rapidly revived a significant workload
    for the agencies when we brought back CDS projects in fiscal
    year 2022. But I don't think that that excuses the Agency's
    performance, so far, in executing these important and needed
    investments. The Congress has provided additional resources for
    the Agency to implement a revived program, but I don't think
    that more staffing alone is going to fix the problem. I think
    that the Agency has not made this a significant enough
    priority.
        In fiscal year 2022 and 2023 the Congress funded over 1,000
    CDS projects for the EPA to manage, and to my knowledge, so far
    only a small percentage of the projects have been awarded. So I
    am concerned about the pace, particularly since Congress looks
    poised to continue CDS projects for EPA into the future, as I
    think that they should, but the Agency has got to do better
    here.
        And to show you that I am going to be your partner in this,
    I am certainly willing to work with you on any initiatives that
    you may have, any suggestions that you think can improve the
    speed of processing. This delay impacts projects nationally,
    but also significantly in my State of Alaska.
        I want to thank you for your help with several of those CDS
    projects, like the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANGSA)
    contaminated lands, but also the Polaris Building in Fairbanks.
    But just generally, I am somewhat bewildered that critical
    water and wastewater infrastructure projects are lagging
    severely behind. So I hope that you and your team will be able
    to explore ways in which CDS projects can be awarded faster,
    including any creative solutions which we can help secure in
    our Bill.
        I know that implementing these CDSs isn't easy, so I thank
    you for your work, and all the Agency personnel that are
    working on this, hopefully, we can make these the success
    stories that we know they should and could be.
        I have given you a lot here in my opening statement, Mr.
    Administrator, but know that these are issues that are so
    important across the State of Alaska. We have got a good
    working relationship, I think a strong working relationship,
    and that is why I am very comfortable raising these issues with
    you, personally, because I think that we can make a real
    difference for the State of Alaska, and we can make a real
    difference across the country.
        So it doesn't mean that I am going to stop knocking on your
    door anytime soon. We are going to work together. And again,
    look forward to the opportunity to be able to show you,
    personally, some of the challenges that we are facing and what
    more we can be doing to address them.
        With that, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Reed. Thank you, Senator Murkowski.
        On behalf of Chairman Merkley, let me recognize Director
    Regan for his open statement. Mr. Director.

                    SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL REGAN

        Mr. Regan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
    Murkowski, and Members of the Committee, I appreciate the
    opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the necessary
    vision laid out in the United States Environmental Protection
    Agency's fiscal year 2024 Budget Request.
        In this request we lay out an ambitious but transformative
    plan for the EPA with the goal of building a healthier, more
    prosperous nation while ensuring global competitiveness, energy
    independence, and energy security.
        President Biden's proposed fiscal year 2024 Budget Requests
    for EPA provides $12.1 billion to advance key priorities
    including protecting air quality, upgrading our nation's aging
    water infrastructure, tackling the climate crisis, and
    rebuilding core functions at EPA.
        Over the last year EPA has made significant progress
    towards many of these goals. We have taken action to cut smog
    and hazardous air pollution, which will reduce the risk of
    cancer in nearby communities by almost 96 percent--in some
    communities about 96 percent. We have taken strides to ensure
    that all people have clean water by proposing the first ever
    legal limits for PFAS, and investing billions of dollars to
    remove 100 percent of lead pipes across this country.
        And we have accelerated our transition to a clean
    transportation future by proposing the strongest ever standards
    for cars and trucks, while awarding 2,400 Clean School Buses to
    school districts all across the country. I am proud of the
    foundation that we have laid and the partnerships that we have
    underpinning our successes.
        But there is still so much more work to do so that all of
    our children have safe, healthy places to live, learn, and
    play, to build a stronger more sustainable economy, and to
    advance American innovation and ingenuity. Simply put,
    investing in EPA is investing in America.
        Across the country poor air quality still affects millions
    of people perpetuating harmful health and economic impacts. In
    fiscal year 2024, the Agency will protect air quality by
    cutting emissions of ozone-forming pollutants, particulate
    matter, and air toxics.
        The President's budget includes $1.4 billion to improve air
    quality and set standards that reduce pollution from mobile and
    stationary sources. EPA's work to set these standards provides
    certainty to industry, builds on advances in technology, and
    reinforces the market movement towards a cleaner energy system
    that provides reliable and affordable energy.
        A thriving economy also requires clean and safe water for
    everyone in this country, although progress has been made many
    still lack access to healthy water, face inadequate wastewater
    infrastructure, and suffer from the effects of lead pipes.
    America's water systems are also facing new challenges,
    including cyber security threat, climate change, and emerging
    contaminants such as PFAS.
        The budget proposes more than $4 billion to upgrade
    drinking water and wastewater infrastructure nationwide with a
    focus on underserved communities.
        Over the last year, I have had the privilege of traveling
    across the country, from Jackson, Mississippi, to East
    Palestine, Ohio. I have visited communities and seen first-hand
    environmental and public health challenges many of your
    constituents continue to experience.
        I have spoken to families who have been sickened by the air
    they breathe. I have met with people who live with toxic waste
    in their backyard. And I have seen conditions that are simply
    unacceptable in the United States of America. From investing in
    our Nation's climate resilience, to cleaning up contaminated
    land and water, there is absolutely no shortage of important
    work to be done.
        Senators of the committee, EPA is up for the task. We are
    eager to work with all of you to deliver for our fellow
    Americans, and to secure our Nation's global competitiveness,
    but we need your support. Both the urgency and economic
    opportunity presented by climate change require that we leave
    no stone unturned.
        I would also like to take a moment to remind folks that we
    must keep moving forward, 2024 will undoubtedly present a
    unique set of challenges, and moving backwards, certainly, is
    not an option.
        Reverting back to the fiscal year 2022 budget would force
    the Agency to make very difficult decisions. EPA would have to
    cut hundreds of millions of dollars from programs that protect
    communities all across America, impacting our ability to hire
    critical staff, including toxicologists, engineers, scientists,
    and others who play a crucial role in protecting the people of
    this country and our planet.
        With a reduced budget EPA may be forced to delay fixing
    America's aging water infrastructure, it might endanger our
    efforts to address climate change, and it might roll back our
    progress that we have made on environmental justice.
        President Biden's budget positions EPA to create durable
    environmental policy, invest in America, and set our Nation on
    a path to win the 21st century. It will also allow us to
    address the environmental concerns of millions of Americans,
    and fundamentally improve people's lives for the better.
        Thank you for the opportunity to be here today, and to
    submit this testimony for the record. And I look forward to our
    continued partnerships to achieve these ambitious, yet
    necessary goals. And welcome all questions.
        Thank you all.
        [The statement follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Hon. Michael S. Regan
        Thank you, Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members
    of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you
    today to discuss the bold vision laid out in the U.S. Environmental
    Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Budget
    request. Before turning to FY 2024, I also want to express my
    appreciation for the targeted increases included in the FY 2023 enacted
    appropriation and all of the work that went into accomplishing this
    year's budget. Building off that foundation, in our FY 2024 Budget
    request, we lay out an ambitious plan for EPA that provides the
    resources needed to advance a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable
    Nation where all people have equal access to safe and clean water, air,
    and communities.
                     the fy 2024 president's budget request
        The President's FY 2024 Budget for EPA provides $12.1 billion to
    advance the key priorities outlined in the FY 2022-FY 2026 EPA
    Strategic Plan, including tackling the climate crisis, delivering
    environmental justice, protecting air quality, upgrading the Nation's
    aging water infrastructure, and rebuilding core functions at EPA. EPA
    is committed to providing robust support to our tribal, state, and
    local partners through grants that directly reach these communities.
    Nearly half of our Budget, over $5.8 billion, is to support state,
    tribal and local partners to advance the critical mission we can only
    accomplish by working together. The Budget requests approximately $1.2
    billion to support implementation of grant programs authorized in the
    Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA). The Budget
    also includes more than 1,900 additional Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
    across program and regional offices, bringing EPA back to 17,000 FTE,
    to ensure EPA has the capacity to protect human health and the
    environment across the Nation.
                          tackling the climate crisis
        In FY 2024 EPA will continue to prioritize climate mitigation and
    adaptation, which are both essential components of the strategy to
    reduce the impacts of climate change. EPA's budget will support Federal
    partners, tribal governments, states, territories, local governments,
    environmental justice organizations, community groups, and businesses
    to address climate change. EPA will provide an additional $45 million
    and 26 FTE for climate adaptation efforts to strengthen the adaptive
    capacity of tribes, states, territories, local governments,
    communities, and businesses. In addition, EPA also will provide $400
    million in grants, an increase of $151 million, to help expand the
    efforts of state and local air pollution control agencies to implement
    the Clean Air Act. We will leverage an additional $65 million to
    implement the American Innovation in Manufacturing Act to continue
    phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). EPA will direct an additional
    $37 million to improve knowledge of the impacts of climate change on
    human health and the environment through our research programs.
                          enforcing environmental laws
        Enforcing and ensuring compliance of our Nation's environmental
    laws is central to achieving EPA's mission. EPA holds, and will
    continue to hold, bad actors accountable for their violations, with a
    particular focus on communities with multiple pollution sources. This
    Budget invests $246 million for civil enforcement efforts, such as
    increasing enforcement efforts in communities with high pollution
    exposure and preventing the illegal importation and use of
    hydrofluorocarbons in the United States. The request also includes $165
    million for compliance monitoring and additional resources to implement
    a coal combustion residuals compliance program. The Budget also directs
    $75 million for criminal enforcement efforts to pursue investigations
    of the most egregious environmental cases and to support a specialized
    Criminal Enforcement Initiative focused on addressing environmental
    justice issues in partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
               ensuring clean and healthy air for all communities
        Poor air quality still affects millions of people across the
    country, perpetuating harmful short- and long-term health and quality
    of life impacts. In FY 2024, EPA will improve air quality for
    communities by reducing emissions of ozone-forming pollutants,
    particulate matter, and air toxics. The President's Budget includes
    $1.4 billion to improve air quality and reducing localized pollution,
    reducing exposure to radiation, and improving indoor air for
    communities across the country. The Budget dedicates $180 million to
    the development and implementation of national emission standards to
    reduce air pollution from vehicles, engines, and fuels. EPA's work to
    set these standards provides certainty to industry, builds on advances
    in technology, and reinforces market movement towards a cleaner energy
    system that provides reliable and affordable energy. The Budget
    provides $150 million, a $50 million increase above the 2023 level, to
    expand the availability of Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants
    and rebates.
        The Budget includes $367 million to assist tribal, state, and local
    air pollution control agencies in the development, implementation, and
    evaluation of programs for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards
    (NAAQS) and to establish standards for reducing air toxics. EPA will
    continue to build on its historic progress in protecting human health
    and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution and work
    to assure clean air for all Americans, with a particular focus on those
    in underserved and overburdened communities.
               achieving clean and safe water for all communities
        Clean and safe water is a foundation for healthy communities and a
    thriving economy, and EPA is committed to ensuring clean and safe water
    for all. Although immense progress has been made across our Nation,
    many still lack access to safe and clean water and suffer the effects
    of aging infrastructure and legacy lead pipes. America's water systems
    also are facing new challenges, including cybersecurity threats,
    climate change, and emerging contaminants of concern, such as PFAS.
        In FY 2024, EPA will continue our work with Federal, tribal, state,
    and nongovernmental partners to advance water quality science, provide
    clean and safe water for all communities, and protect our Nation's
    waterbodies from degradation. The Budget provides more than $4 billion
    for water infrastructure, an increase of $1 billion over the 2023
    enacted level. The Budget funds all of the authorizations in the
    original Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 and
    maintains funding for EPA's State Revolving Funds (SRF) at the total
    2023 enacted level, which complements funds provided for water
    infrastructure programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. To
    further the President's goal of replacing all lead pipes within the
    next decade, the Budget proposes $219 million for two grants dedicated
    to remediating lead contamination in water-- Reducing Lead in Drinking
    Water and Lead Testing in Schools.
        Also included is $80 million to support the Water Infrastructure
    Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program. As of February 2023,
    EPA has issued 100 WIFIA loans to communities across the country
    totaling over $17 billion in credit assistance to help finance more
    than $36 billion for water infrastructure projects. WIFIA loans for
    these projects have saved communities nearly $5 billion, which can be
    used for additional infrastructure investment and to keep rates
    affordable for water system users. These WIFIA-financed projects have
    created over 123,000 jobs and benefited more than 50 million people,
    demonstrating that WIFIA credit assistance is an effective tool to help
    address a variety of water infrastructure needs to support communities
    nationwide.
        In FY 2024, EPA will continue to work across environmental programs
    to advance agency efforts to tackle Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
    (PFAS) pollution. As part of the President's commitment to tackling
    PFAS pollution and EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the FY 2024 Budget
    provides EPA with the resources to increase its understanding of PFAS
    and their human health and ecological effects; restrict PFAS use to
    prevent new PFAS pollution from entering the air, land, water; and
    remediate PFAS that have been released into the environment. The FY
    2024 Budget provides $279 million for the Section 106 Grants Program,
    which funds state, interstate, and tribal water pollution control
    programs, and is a critical funding source to establish, expand, and
    implement water quality programs to protect and restore water
    resources. More than $60 million in additional funding is provided
    across the budget to accelerate progress on EPA's PFAS Strategic
    Roadmap, and enable EPA to move more quickly on policy, regulatory, and
    enforcement actions across multiple statutory authorities. EPA will
    continue its efforts in FY 2024 to develop analytical methods, drinking
    water health advisories, toxicity values, effluent limitation
    guidelines, as well as risk communication and other tools to support
    states, tribes, and localities in managing PFAS risks in their
    communities.
        From the Great Lakes to the Chesapeake Bay, from Lake Pontchartrain
    to the Puget Sound, the United States is home to water bodies of
    ecological, cultural, and economic significance. The Budget invests
    $682 million to continue strong support for EPA's Geographic Water
    Programs to protect and restore these water bodies of special
    ecological and economic importance to the Nation. EPA's Geographic
    Programs deliver technical and financial assistance to solve problems
    and support healthy resilient ecosystems and to maintain, restore, and
    improve water quality, which yields environmental, economic, and
    recreational benefits to their communities.
                   safeguarding and revitalizing communities
        Preventing and cleaning up environmental pollution that harms
    communities and poses a risk to public health and safety continue to be
    a top priority for the Administration. The FY 2024 Budget enables EPA
    to collaborate with Tribal, state, and local partners to improve the
    livelihood of all residents of the United States by addressing
    contaminated sites, including Superfund, brownfields, leaking
    underground storage tanks, and other waste sites and restoring them to
    productive use.
        An estimated $2.5 billion in Superfund tax receipts that will be
    available to EPA in FY 2024, combined with IIJA funding and
    appropriated resources, will enable the Superfund program to continue
    with a renewed urgency cleaning up some of the Nation's most
    contaminated land and respond to environmental emergencies and natural
    disasters. This historic level of funding will allow EPA to advance
    critical Superfund pre-construction work such as site characterization,
    construction design, and community outreach/engagement. Additionally,
    this funding will allow the Superfund Emergency Response and Removal
    Program to effectively and efficiently address situations that require
    emergency response and removal actions such as chemical releases, fires
    or explosions, natural disasters, and other threats to people from
    exposure to hazardous substances, including from abandoned and
    uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The Budget also includes $217
    million for EPA's Brownfields programs to provide grants and technical
    assistance to communities so they can safely clean up and reuse
    contaminated properties, as well as $20 million for the new Alaska
    Contaminated Lands program. Taken together, these investments will
    ensure EPA is cleaning up sites and fully engaging the communities we
    serve in the process.
        ensuring the safety of chemicals for people and the environment
        Chemicals and toxic substances are ubiquitous in our everyday lives
    and are often released into the environment from their manufacture,
    processing use, or disposal. EPA has significant responsibilities under
    amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ensure the
    safety of chemicals in or entering commerce and addressing unreasonable
    risks to human health or the environment. The FY 2024 Budget includes
    $131 million and 534 FTE to support the TSCA Program, an increase of
    $48 million and 174 FTE over the 2023 level. EPA will continue to
    emphasize quality of work, adherence to statutory intent and timelines
    applicable to pre-market review of new chemicals, chemical risk
    evaluation and management, data development and information collection,
    and review of Confidential Business Information (CBI) claims. These
    resources will support EPA-initiated chemical risk evaluations, issue
    protective regulations in accordance with statutory timelines, and
    establish a pipeline of priority chemicals for risk evaluation.
        The agency also has significant responsibility under the Federal
    Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to screen new
    pesticides before they reach the market and ensure pesticides already
    in commerce are safe. In addition, EPA is responsible for complying
    with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and ensuring that federally
    endangered and threatened species are not harmed when the agency
    registers pesticides. To continue making progress toward meeting ESA
    mandates in FY 2024, the Budget includes an additional $27 million in
    our environmental pesticides program, including an additional $10
    million to support Endangered Species Act Pesticides Review to improve
    EPA compliance in pesticide regulatory activities and develop improved
    methodologies for ESA review.
                        elevating environmental justice
        The development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental
    laws, regulations, and policies has not always ensured the fair
    treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race,
    color, national origin, or income. To help address these inequities,
    EPA created a new national program in September, the Office of
    Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, to lead our efforts in
    this area and embed environmental justice practices into EPA programs.
        In FY 2024, EPA requests more than $375 million and 265 FTE for the
    Environmental Justice Program to expand support for community-based
    organizations, indigenous organizations, tribes, states, local
    governments, and territorial governments to identify and develop
    solutions to environmental justice issues through multi-partner
    collaborations. This includes $130 million in four environmental
    justice grant programs and $91 million and 50 FTE to build out
    community- centered technical assistance hubs. The Budget provides a
    total of $31 million, an $18 million increase, to build civil rights
    capacity across EPA and to reduce the backlog of civil rights cases. In
    the long term, the vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws will
    address historical and systemic barriers that contribute to the
    environmental injustice affecting vulnerable communities. The Budget
    proposes additional funds and FTE to increase protection of fenceline
    communities with disproportionately high pollution exposure through
    improving inspections, compliance assistance, and monitoring capacity
    in those communities.
      continuing to restore epa's core capacity and following the science
        The Budget adds more than 1,960 FTE relative to the 2023 enacted
    level, for a total of more than 17,000 FTE, to help rebuild EPA's
    capacity. The Budget also will dedicate resources to continue
    strengthening the agency's ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote,
    and retain top talent and remove barriers to equal opportunity at
    management and staff levels to strengthen and advance diversity,
    equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
        Ensuring EPA has the work force it needs to carry out its mission
    to protect clean air and water, tackle the climate crisis, and promote
    environmental justice is essential. A commitment to follow the science
    underpins EPA's work, and this budget includes $968 million for the
    Science and Technology account, an increase of more than $165 million
    above current levels that will ensure programs have the best available
    data to inform decisions.
                                   conclusion
        All people in this country deserve clean air, clean water, and safe
    land on which to live. This is the core of EPA's mission and is a
    worthy investment of Federal resources. The FY 2024 President's Budget
    positions the EPA to advance our vital mission of protecting human
    health and the environment, championing environmental justice, and
    tackling the climate crisis. With these investments we lay the
    groundwork to ensure the benefits of a cleaner environment for future
    generations.
        Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I look forward to
    our continued partnership to achieve our goals and welcome any
    questions you may have.

        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much. Now, we are going to
    have seven-minute rounds, and I will ask everyone to wrap up
    their questions as their time run out, so we can make sure
    everyone gets a chance to ask their insights, and we will have
    probably an opportunity for several rounds.
        I will just begin, Administrator Regan, by asking you about
    the House Majority proposal to freeze funding to fiscal year
    2022 levels, and consequence as it would translate to EPA State
    Tribal and Local Grant and Infrastructure accounts by nearly--
    it would cut it by nearly a billion dollars, including a $600
    million cut on the program that would replace lead pipes, and
    upgrade drinking water systems, and support other water
    infrastructure.
        It seems like that is at odds with bipartisan support for
    water infrastructure. But I wanted to see--or give you an
    opportunity to clarify what that House proposal would do?
        Mr. Regan. Well, thank you, for the question. And our job
    is fundamentally about keeping people safe, to safeguard the
    very things that we all as Americans hold dear, like the
    insurance that when our children turn on their tap water the
    water they drink will be clean, or when they play outside the
    air that they breathe will be safe. Undoubtedly, if we were to
    roll back the budget to 2022 levels, it would force us to make
    some very difficult, difficult decisions in terms of protecting
    the health and safety of all Americans.
        It would also cut hundreds of millions of dollars from
    programs that impact the market. We understand that there are
    pesticides and herbicides that need to make it to the markets,
    to give all of our farmers the tools that they need to be
    successful to feed this country.
        And so there will be significant impacts on the EPA's
    ability to put significant products on the market, to continue
    to help this country be competitive from a global economic
    standpoint, but more importantly sacrifice, potentially, the
    health and safety of some of our fellow citizens.
        Senator Merkley. So if I can simplify, just to the lead
    pipes issue, since that is a condition affects the developing
    brains of our babies and our children has been a big concern.
    Would that proposal significantly cut the removal of lead
    pipes, resulting in more damage to more children?
        Mr. Regan. It absolutely will.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. In April 21st, President Biden
    signed an Executive Order for a whole-of-government approach to
    environmental justice, and you have significant
    responsibilities under that order. It directs the Agency to use
    science and data to make determinations about project
    permitting. Can you share what the most important tools are
    that EPA gained in that Executive Order, and how you plan to
    use them to directly impact environmental justice communities?
        Mr. Regan. Well, you know, thanks to the President's
    leadership he made environmental justice a pillar of this
    administration from day one. And so we moved very quickly,
    thanks to your partnership, and others, to create a new
    national program. And by what I mean by ``new'' is we
    reorganized with the resources that we had. We put three
    offices together to focus on environmental justice and external
    civil rights.
        There are a number of tools in that Executive Order that
    have been adopted by the White House that will be used across
    the Federal family, so that we can ensure that our regulations
    match with the direction that the White House and other
    agencies are pursuing, so that we can protect every single
    person in this country, equally, under the law.
        We have made a lot of strides in environmental justice, I
    am proud of our environmental justice record, I am proud of the
    tools that we have at our disposal, but now we have an entire
    Federal family that is rowing in the same direction to ensure
    that all people in this country are protected.
        Senator Merkley. And you have proposed a very significant
    increase in the Environmental Justice Funding, can you
    translate just in common language, what that will mean for
    communities that have been burdened by high levels of toxic
    chemicals?
        Mr. Regan. It will be tremendous. You know, I believe as a
    former state regulator, that states know their communities
    quite well, and communities know them even better. And many of
    the solutions that communities have had for decades, on helping
    to reduce pollution, and remove themselves from the frontlines,
    need to be matched with funding. With the request that we have
    asked, it gives us more personnel to be out in the fields,
    engaging with the communities, looking at those solutions and
    matching those with the significant grants, and resources that
    the Agency can bring to bear.
        In some cases because of income, and because of race,
    because of ZIP code, we are seeing an undue and unfair burden
    on our constituents, whether it is Lowndes County, Alabama, or
    whether it is McDowell County, West Virginia, this is an issue
    that plagues this country, and it is our job to be sure that
    every single person in this country has access to clean air
    clean water.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. I am very pleased to see the
    proposal for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, or the Green
    Bank that EPA is starting to implement as part of the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Oregon certainly has ambitious
    renewable energy goals, and there is an opportunity for that
    kind of funding. Oregon does not have its own Green Bank in
    place, however.
        Will you commit to making sure that Oregon and other states
    that don't have their own Green Banks can still have access to
    the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund?
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And what is your plan for
    ensuring that funding actually makes it to environmental
    justice communities?
        Mr. Regan. Well, at EPA we have built environmental justice
    into our very DNA, and so number one, we have some very
    concrete metrics that are attached to this $27 billion to be
    sure that disadvantaged communities and those who are
    disproportionately impacted have access to this capital. We
    have planned to make two to three awards under the National
    Clean Investment Fund, an additional to seven awards under the
    Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, which will definitely
    partner with more grassroots organizations, community
    development banks, and the like.
        And then we have about $6 billion to focus on--or $7
    billion to focus on a Solar for All Competition. And so we are
    going to build in the metrics to be sure that those who need
    these resources the most have a seat at the table and have an
    opportunity to invest in this new clean energy economy.
        Senator Merkley. In 25 seconds, do you want to explain the
    Solar for All?
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Regan. You know, this is an opportunity to provide up
    to 60 grants to states, tribal governments, municipalities, and
    non-profits, to expand, specifically, the number of low-income,
    and disadvantaged communities that are prime for investments in
    residential and community scale solar.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. Perfect.
        Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Administrator Regan, I mentioned at length in my comments
    my concern with regards to the Wood Heater Program and the
    certification, and have suggested that it is--it is
    unacceptable that the communities of Fairbanks and North Pole
    are effectively going to bear this burden for actions where the
    Agency has failed, and that the program has to be fixed. I
    think we recognize that it has to be fixed, and I think it has
    to be done at whatever expense necessary.
        So I appreciate the engagement that you and your staff have
    led on this, to right this, I am certainly following this very
    carefully. But I do understand that you have recently responded
    to the Inspector General Report. Can you tell me what steps the
    EPA is taking, internally, to improve the wood testing and
    certification standards, and the enforcement of those
    standards?
        Mr. Regan. Well, thank you for the question. And we are
    absolutely taking the OIG's report very seriously, and in
    implementing some of those recommendations we are strengthening
    our commitment to work with the Alaska DEC, Fairbanks North
    Star Borough, and other key people in the community. We are
    also designing a program using $15 million in funding from IRA
    for testing and other activities to address these emissions
    from the wood stoves.
        I want to let you know, Senator, that this issue has my
    attention. We will continue to prioritize it with these IRA
    dollars, with the OIG Report, and with enforcement discretion,
    I believe that we can resolve this issue.
        Senator Murkowski. I appreciate that. I appreciate the
    commitment that you have made to reform this program and making
    that a priority. You have also heard my thanks for EPA's
    leadership in the ANGSA contaminated lands effort. I think you
    would agree with me that this is one of those situations when
    we talk about environmental injustice, you can you can park
    this program here, right there under that category.
        So I am going to continue to be a very zealous advocate for
    our Alaska Native communities, and in righting this. We have
    made some good progress, but I think we recognize that there is
    so much, so much that has to be done in this area.
        So I would like your commitment that the Agency will
    maintain its leadership role on the issue, and to continue to
    work with me on all avenues so that we can move the needle on
    ANGSA contaminated lands.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely. And we are really excited, in the
    Inflation Reduction Act there is a couple of programs there
    that we can access through that environmental justice lens to
    help expedite some of the work that we have partnered on. So I
    am really excited about that. And thank you for the inclusion
    of the 20 million in the fiscal year 2023 annual appropriation.
    I think we are going to leverage all these resources to finally
    bring some justice to this situation.
        Senator Murkowski. Good. Well, that is excellent, excellent
    to hear, and to think--to know that you are looking at the
    opportunities within IRA, so I would love to have further
    conversation with you. I know we had hoped to have a call
    before this hearing, perhaps we can do it as a follow on. But I
    thank you for.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely.
        Senator Murkowski. I also mentioned my concern with how the
    rollout, or how the implementation of CDS projects is coming
    through the Agency, and I have suggested, and would strongly
    encourage EPA to explore some creative solutions to expedite
    these project awards; whether it is co-management with states,
    programmatic, NEPA, or categorical exclusions, any of these
    other ideas. I am not convinced that funding for hiring more
    personnel is the sole solution, and may not even be the most
    efficient.
        But know that I am ready, willing, and able to help secure
    new authorities in appropriations bills if it is needed. So I
    guess what I would like to hear from you this morning, is
    whether you also are concerned about the execution and the
    process, going forward. And whether or not we need to speed up
    project awards, and make it a top-tier priority like I do.
        Mr. Regan. Yes. It is a top-tier priority. I am concerned
    with the speed of getting these resources to these communities.
    So we are looking at innovative ways to do so, while
    maintaining, or staying within those lines that would be
    sufficient for oversight. We are also--many of these
    communities have never received this level of funding before.
        Senator Murkowski. Right.
        Mr. Regan. And so we are having to deploy a lot of
    technical assistance in new programs to be sure that they are
    prepared to receive these dollars, and stay within the bounds
    of the law. I believe with the $15 million received last year,
    a fresh approach to looking at how to streamline this, and
    pushing out more technical resources, we can begin to get this
    program on the right track.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, I would ask that we have an
    opportunity to have a follow-on meeting with your team and in
    our committee staff, to discuss some of the ideas on how we can
    really improve this, especially ones outside of asks for more
    funding for staff. So if you can commit to working with us on
    that?
        Mr. Regan. I do.
        Senator Murkowski. Good, very good. PFAS, everybody is
    talking about PFAS, rightfully, and certainly in Alaska we
    remain very, very concerned. We had included 10 billion in the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to begin tackling PFAS, I think
    that is a good investment. When I talk to communities in my
    state, they very much want to take on PFAS, but they are
    concerned about national regulations, and how they could,
    potentially, amount to new unfunded mandates.
        They also expressed that the State of Remediation
    Technology is not as advanced as it should be. And we have got
    some groups in Alaska that I think are being innovative, and
    working on some cutting-edge PFAS remediation technology, that
    is encouraging there.
        But how do you view the concerns of communities that are
    going to have to meet these stringent drinking water and CERCLA
    Standards, with no further financial help from the government?
    And I mean, are we are we in a good place with testing and
    remediation technologies? Are they affordable for the water
    systems; ready to be applied at a national scale? Everybody is
    talking about this.
        Mr. Regan. Yes. I can say, coming from North Carolina and
    facing this firsthand, a lot of small communities, that is
    first and foremost on my mind, of the $10 billion for PFAS, and
    BIL, we know that 5 billion is dedicated specifically for
    small, disadvantaged rural water systems. We want to continue
    to match those dollars with our traditional budget, and dollars
    from USDA, and other places, to be sure that our small,
    disadvantaged and rural communities aren't left behind.
        We do believe, and we are investing in new testing methods
    to detect this. We also know that there are existing
    technologies we are hoping that those costs will come down. But
    we want to engage with communities, like the ones you have
    mentioned, that have some innovative ideas for mitigation, and
    detecting, because we are in that research and development
    mode, and all options should be considered.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, hopefully we will have an
    opportunity for you to meet some of the folks that are moving
    out on some of these good ideas. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Regan. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Reed.
        Senator Reed. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        And thank you, Director, for joining us today. And like
    many of my colleagues, I am still reeling from the proposed
    House Republican budget which would substantially cut EPA. In
    fact, I think from your letter, you indicated it would be the
    lowest funding level since 2013.
        In 2013, I was Chairman of the committee, and Senator
    Murkowski was the Ranking Member. A lot has changed since 2013.
        Mr. Regan. Yes.
        Senator Reed. And a lot of new problems have emerged, and
    would be requiring resources to deal with those problems. One
    of the issues we have all spoken about, is the lead pipe
    challenge, and making sure everyone has clean, drinking water.
    The proposed Republican budget would slash $626 million from
    that program, would set it back tremendously.
        But there are so many other areas, and one area that I
    think would be also hit would be appropriate staffing levels
    for EPA, so it could do its job. Is that a concern you have?
        Mr. Regan. It is a concern. It is a concern, whether it be
    thinking through our enforcement capabilities, to help
    disadvantaged communities that are impacted by lead, or by
    PFAS, or by, you know, chemical facilities. Or again, whether
    it is, in my engagements with our agriculture community, the
    courts have taken away so many tools from our farmers. They
    have taken so many pesticides and herbicides off the shelves.
    We need the staff and the resources to get new products on the
    market so that farmers can have all the tools that they need.
        Senator Reed. Well, I think also from your experience as a
    state regulator, you know that one of the most frustrating
    things is to go to a regulatory agency, and because they are
    understaffed, underfunded, they are not able to respond to a
    request for permit, or anything else.
        And what that does is undercut, frankly, the faith in the
    institution. And I am beginning to think more and more that
    this approach of budget cutting, is not just about saving money
    it is about devaluing the institutions that are necessary to
    compete, and succeed in this world. That might be more
    commentary than question, but any thoughts you have?
        Mr. Regan. I think that is absolutely correct. Listen, I
    have spent more time than any administrator with our
    agriculture community. I just did a session with a bunch of
    CEOs and executives from the auto industry, you know, I have
    met with all of our CEOs in the power industry, we have staff
    that are working with their staffs to be sure that we are
    taking advantage of the latest technologies. And we have forged
    a relationship so that we can keep this country globally
    competitive. Reduction in staff really does reduce our ability
    to help our economy grow, and help us to be sustainable.
        And with respect to the lead pipe issue which we talked
    about, I can't emphasize enough how critical, as you know,
    because exposure to lead in a child has extreme consequences,
    neurological development, cognitive development, and there are
    a lot of young people, because they have been not fortunate
    enough to live in wealthy communities, have been exposed to
    lead-infected, perhaps water, and their ability to function is
    impaired for a lifetime.
        So this is a--I think not just an issue of cost-benefit
    analysis, it is also a moral imperative, and I think we have to
    do much more. And cutting these monies seems to me to be, not
    just inefficient, but rejecting a commitment we should have.
        Mr. Regan. I absolutely agree. We received, fortunately,
    $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but over
    the past year we have worked with every state in the country,
    we have developed a more robust inventory, we know that we have
    9 million lead service lines in this country, we know that is
    close to $40 billion in needs, we have to close this gap. There
    is absolutely no acceptable or safe level of lead exposure, for
    our children, or for anyone.
        Senator Reed. Thank you very much, Director. Director, one
    of the programs we were able to pull together was the
    geographic programs of EPA, and we were fortunate enough to
    create one that dealt with the Southern New England, that is
    the Southern New England Program, or SNEP, and one of the
    critical reasons it is a problem that Senator Murkowski doesn't
    have, because Alaska is pretty big, but Narragansett Bay
    occupies a large portion of our state, but its waters come from
    two adjacent states, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
        So unless we have a regional approach to issues of
    pollution, et cetera, we can't, literally, effectively control
    the quality of water in Narragansett Bay, the quality of water
    throughout Rhode Island. So we have this program, which is
    extremely effective, and it is one of several programs
    throughout the United States, and again that they are in severe
    jeopardy of being eliminated, underfunded, or understaffed. Can
    you speak to the importance of these programs, and also the
    efficiency?
        Mr. Regan. I can. Very important program; and listen, in
    the President's budget there is an increase of $78,000 above
    2023 that we would like to help ensure--in both this program.
    The SNEP Program, as you said, serves as a hub to enable
    protection and restoration of coastal watersheds of the
    Southeast New England. Protecting these watersheds and
    ecosystems, ecosystem services provide and help sustain the
    region's communities' and environmental assets well into the
    future.
        And I will say that we recognize this program draws on a
    network of stakeholders, and experts that seek out, and support
    innovative practices, that complement the work that all of us
    are doing to protect this watershed; so extremely, extremely
    important. And also a great organization and a great program
    that does a lot of good work, not just for the ecosystem, as
    you know, but for the economy in our New England states.
        Senator Reed. Yeah. Well, thank you, very much Mr.
    Director. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Britt.
        Senator Britt. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Administrator, thank you for being in front of our
    committee today. I appreciate your work and your interest in
    Alabama. Your reference to Uniontown is something that I
    appreciate. It is something that I have been working on for
    years. Actually, as a staffer in this very building, got to
    work under Senator Shelby's leadership to help secure a $23.4
    million grant from USDA Rural Development, to get to work on
    this very issue.
        Additionally, we added that to Congresswoman Terri Sewell's
    work on the outside, with a $1.8 million revenue stream moving
    to help fix this problem. We certainly know and believe that we
    have to upgrade, and repair these systems, and so certainly
    look forward to working with you moving forward.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely.
        Senator Britt. As you know, Congress disapproved, a few
    weeks ago, of EPA's new WOTUS Rule, and I am grateful that
    Alabama is currently protected from its impacts by a Federal
    Court ruling.
        When Farmers wake up early in the morning to take on their
    day, from feeding their cows, to mending fences, to planting,
    to harvesting, they have enough on their plate. They should not
    have to worry that ponds, ditches, or mud holes on their
    private land are federally regulated.
        The uncertainty of Biden's WOTUS Rule has created, and
    continues to create unsustainable state of shifting permitting
    in this country. The cost is hundreds of thousands of dollars
    for Americans to comply with ever-changing regulations.
    Alabamians shouldn't need to pay a lawyer to find out if a
    ditch on their land is now federally regulated.
        Mr. Administrator, when the EPA calculated the economic
    cost benefits of the new Biden WOTUS Rule, did the EPA consider
    the impact of that uncertainty that was created by the
    ambiguity?
        Mr. Regan. You know, thank you for the question and, you
    know, I think that I would like to say that I have tried my
    best. I have met with more of our AG constituency than any
    administrator prior to me.
        Senator Britt. Appreciate that.
        Mr. Regan. And I also know though, that the ambiguity isn't
    just solely on EPA. I think multiple Supreme Courts have
    weighed in on this, at least three to four administrations have
    tried to get this right. What we have done is we have taken a
    look at what the courts have ruled prior, what the Supreme
    Court has said prior, and we attempted to put a rule in place
    that was much more durable, legally, than we have seen in the
    past.
        Senator Britt. Do you think it had an economic impact?
        Mr. Regan. Well, I think that everything that we do can
    have a plus or minus economic impact, which is why we work so
    hard to provide the certainty that other administrations have
    failed to provide so far.
        Senator Britt. So on the primary economic analysis on this
    WOTUS Rule that said it would have no economic impact, and you
    signed off on that. Do you agree with that assessment?
        Mr. Regan. I think that your question in terms of
    uncertainty of the economic impact is one that we--I would not
    say reject the premise of the question, but the economic
    assessment that we do is based on our legal assessment of what
    the law requires, and what we put in place so that farmers do
    have the certainty to comply with the rule. And I will say
    that, worked very closely with Secretary Vilsack at USDA, to be
    sure that as we implemented the rule, we will be able to
    leverage resources across the Federal family.
        So we believe that the economic impact would be positive
    because we thought that the farmers and the farmer community
    would have some certainty.
        Senator Britt. Well, I can assure you that there are
    economic impacts, and unfortunately many of those have been
    negative. In Alabama alone, SBC says over 64,000 small
    businesses have been impacted by this, and that is 165,000
    employees. So I am of the belief that our cattlemen, our
    foresters, and our farmers, have tended their land for
    generation upon generation, and they actually depend on the
    fruitfulness of that land to continue to do the job that they
    love.
        And I believe that food security is national security, and
    if we can't feed or clothe ourselves, nothing else matters. So
    I appreciate your attention to the negative economic impacts
    that have come as a result of this.
        I have noticed a pattern of concern from people coming to
    my office discussing the EPA. Many have feared that the EPA is
    regulating past what science will support, or technology that
    is available. Just to put it bluntly, Alabamians fear that EPA
    regulations are more predicted based on the Green New Deal
    ideology, than that of the Science and Technology before us.
        With PFAS, the current EPA proposal stretches the limits of
    what can be consistently tested. Complying with the levels
    proposed, even if possible, would divert millions of dollars
    from needed infrastructure upgrades, and worse, the term that I
    continue to hear from people is ``bankruptcy''.
        For power plants there are fears that the EPA will impose
    technologies that are not readily available, or that can
    actually not be implemented at this time. And of course there
    is pesticides; in 2021 your Agency eliminated the use of
    chlorpyrifos for soybeans, cotton, and for other crops.
        In the past, you have said you agreed with USDA on the
    science of this pesticide, and actually the Secretary of USDA
    has personally written that there are safe uses to this
    product. Since then there has been--blame that has been shifted
    to the Band on the Ninth Circuit Court, for quote, ``Setting
    the bar too high.''
        I understand that the Band was consistent with obviously
    the platform, with the Democratic Party in 2020, but I get the
    political dynamics, but I am asking you, what I don't
    understand is: Do you think that there are good uses for this?
    And if so, how can we get back to utilizing them?
        Mr. Regan. Well, I think that Secretary Vilsack and I are,
    number one, working very closely together.
        Senator Britt. That is great to hear.
        Mr. Regan. Number two, we both believe in shared science. I
    think what Secretary Vilsack has said a number of times,
    publicly, and I will repeat it, is that, you know: USDA has its
    perspective, EPA has its. But I am the one that has to show up
    in front of the judge. And when the Ninth Circuit set the bar
    so high, that EPA had a burden of proof that, historically, has
    never been placed before, we had to make a decision to follow
    the law. So I think there is a way that you can follow the law
    and the science. And they may not agree----
        Senator Britt. What about the 11 safe uses? Do you feel
    like we can allow growers--can EPA find a way to allow growers
    to use those?
        Mr. Regan. I think that what the EPA has done, and will
    continue to do, is try to meet the bar that the Ninth Circuit
    has set. I think we can talk science for days, and I think we
    can get to some agreements on sort of impact science. But I
    think when the courts give you a mandate----
        Senator Britt. Has EPA appealed that mandate?
        Mr. Regan. I think EPA presented the best case it could.
        Senator Britt. But you have not appealed?
        Mr. Regan. So let me just be clear. That the courts, in its
    writing expressed serious frustrations with the Agency's
    decisions in the past, and expressed serious frustrations with
    where we were on chlorpyrifos, on endangered species, and the
    like. So, you know, you can only tempt fate for so many times,
    and what I pledge to do, as Administrator, is respect the
    letter of the law.
        Senator Britt. I would hope that you would consider
    repealing that, and helping farmers find a way to use the
    eleven safe uses of this.
        Thank you so much for your time. I have run out. Thank you.
        Mr. Regan. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Murray.
        Senator Murray. Sell, thank you very much, Chair Merkley,
    and your Ranking Member, Senator Murkowski.
        It probably feels like everybody has heard me say this a
    million times, but it matters, so I am going to say it again.
    As we continue our progress to return to regular order, this
    hearing provides another critical opportunity to look at why it
    is so important to families, that we all work in a timely
    bipartisan way, to pass our funding bills and make sure we are
    actually providing the resources necessary to keep people safe,
    because safety is about more than just how strong our military
    is, families want to know if they have clean air and clean
    water, and that their kids aren't being sickened by pollution.
        Fishers and our farmers want to know the ecosystem that
    they rely on, that our economy relies on, is not being harmed
    by dangerous chemicals, and communities want to know we are
    making meaningful progress to cut emissions, and fight the
    expansive existential threat, that is the climate crisis.
        The bottom line is that if we want to make sure people in
    this country are safe, we need to make sure they aren't
    breathing smog, or drinking contaminated water, or being
    exposed to chemicals, like PFAS, and by the way, we are
    learning more and more about just how serious a threat PFAS is
    to public health.
        So I hope and expect this committee will work in a
    bipartisan way to deliver solutions. PFAS or ``forever
    chemicals'' aren't just toxic, they are everywhere, to the
    point where they can even be found in our blood. We need to
    make sure we are cutting down on pollution, not cutting the
    funding EPA needs to protect our kids. So I am glad we have
    this opportunity today to talk about the critical issues that
    are threatening our environment, our economy, and our families.
    And how we can get EPA the resources it needs to keep our
    country safe, healthy, and competitive.
        With that, Mr. Administrator, thank you for being here. I
    am going to talk about Pacific Puget Sound recovery, and
    salmon, and steelhead recovery, remains, as you know, an urgent
    undertaking in my home state. And EPA's geographic programs,
    and National Estuary Program plays an important role in habitat
    restoration for those foundational species.
        The fiscal year 2023 Omnibus included robust funding for
    those programs, and that Congress authorized the new Puget
    Sound Recovery National Program Office in EPA, and a Puget
    Sound Federal leadership Task Force.
        I am really glad to hear that the first task force meeting
    is actually taking place tomorrow. But can you give us an
    update on the work that EPA is doing to stand up both those
    entities, and what resources may be necessary to better
    coordinate restoration and protection in Puget Sound?
        Mr. Regan. Well, first of all I want to thank you for your
    leadership on the Puget Sound. And we have been a partner for a
    long period of time. I believe Deputy Assistant McCabe recently
    visited. Of the fiscal year 2023 increase of $20 million, 17
    million of that is immediately going towards the Strategic
    Initiative Lead Cooperative Agreements we have for safe
    shellfish habitat and stormwater projects in Washington.
        For our tribal partners, the Northwest Indian Fisheries
    Commission is working to finalize the work plans for each of
    the tribes in the next couple of months for ongoing tribal-led
    projects. And so we plan to announce a second round of funding
    in the coming months.
        We also have an RFA of up to $30 million out to support
    riparian habitat and climate resilient projects. And so there
    is a number of resources; a number of strategies put in place
    to be sure that our partnership is strong on the Puget Sound.
        Senator Murray. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
    Administrator Regan, as you know, House Republicans last week
    voted for very deep across-the-board cuts to discretionary
    spending over the next 10 years. Can you talk about how those
    steep cuts would undermine EPA's ability to respond to an
    address PFAS contamination already in our environment?
        Mr. Regan. Well, thank you for that. And we know that PFAS
    is such a visceral issue that we are all having to address, and
    we can't ignore the science. We have put in place a PFAS
    strategic roadmap, we have about $10 billion from BIL to
    address PFAS, but we all know that that is not enough. Many of
    our small, rural communities are struggling with this issue.
    And so, we are working very strategically with the resources we
    have on R&D, partnering with our Federal family, to determine
    the safe levels, and how to regulate this ``forever chemical''.
        And as we do such, we are also leveraging billions of
    dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure that
    disadvantaged communities and rural water systems have access
    to those resources, so that they can keep pace with these
    regulations.
        Listen, it is our job to keep people safe, and we recognize
    that there are technologies on the market, and they are
    expensive, and so we are trying to work on a path where we can
    bridge that gap between safety, and technology, and detection.
    And that is what we are doing on behalf of the American people.
        Senator Murray. And how would the House budget that they
    passed affect that?
        Mr. Regan. It would significantly set us back. The House
    budget cuts on PFAS, on lead, on chemical detection in this
    country would significantly set us back. And as I said in my
    opening statement, we are moving forward, we need to continue
    to move forward, because there is so much more work that needs
    to be done, we shouldn't be moving backwards, especially on
    TSCA, PFAS, lead, and getting tools out there as herbicides and
    pesticides for our farming community.
        Senator Murray. Okay. And I was really pleased to see the
    recent $400 million notice of funding opportunity for the Clean
    School Bus Grant Program that we established in the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law, and I was glad that you were actually out
    in Washington State last October to highlight this, and the
    difference it is going to make.
        This is a program that is so great, it is really going to
    improve the health of kids and communities across the country,
    and cut costs for our schools, and reduce emissions, and
    support good-paying jobs. So I was pleased to see that.
        I want to ask you, during the application phase, and in the
    review process, how is EPA going to work to make sure that our
    underserved communities, including those on the prioritized
    school district list, are competitive in this program?
        Mr. Regan. We have been doing that from day one. Of the
    billions of dollars that have hit the streets so far, 99
    percent of the grants have gone to rural, disadvantaged, or
    low-income communities. And I have to say some of my best
    visits around Electric Yellow School Buses have been in some of
    our rural communities. Rural places like Alma, Kansas, where
    they are using these school buses, not only to transport
    children to and from school, but those batteries are serving as
    backup capacity for the rural electric cooperatives. So these
    communities are being very strategic in how we use this
    technology beyond the yellow school buses. And it is really
    exciting to see our rural communities do that.
        Senator Murray. That is great. Thank you so much.
        Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Well, thank you. Senator Fischer.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Administrator Regan, I was glad to see that the EPA issued
    an Emergency Fuel Waiver last week to allow E15 to be sold this
    summer. Providing access to E15 helps families save money at
    the gas pump, it is better for our environment, and it boosts
    our nation's energy security.
        While the Emergency Fuel Waiver is a good thing, I believe
    we need a permanent fix, and I have a bipartisan bill for that,
    to be the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, it ensures a
    nationwide permanent access to E15.
        Mr. Administrator, will you commit to working with me to
    get this bill out there and, hopefully, enacted so that we can
    ensure that we have that E15 for our consumers in future years?
        Mr. Regan. The President has pledged that biofuels,
    especially advanced biofuels, would play a part in this economy
    as we move forward. So I look forward to partnering with you
    and your staff, with technical assistance to be sure that we
    can make E15 more accessible.
        Senator Fischer. Great. We look forward to working with you
    on that. Thank you, sir. I would like to also discuss a
    proposed rule on reporting requirements for emissions from
    animal waste under Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
    Know Act (EPCRA).
        In 2019, when EPA proposed to the current exemption for
    animal waste, air emissions, the national association that
    represents State Emergency Response Commissions, the Tribal
    Emergency Response Commissions, and local emergency planning
    committees was supportive of this narrow exemption.
        In a letter to EPA in 2017, they stated about EPCRA
    Emergency Release Reports for animal waste emissions, quote,
    ``These reports are of no particular value to LEPCs, and first
    responders. And they are generally ignored because they do not
    relate to any particular event.''
        EPA has requested an additional $8.4 million for state and
    local prevention and preparedness under your EPCRA authorities.
    Do you believe that that is a good use for EPA resources to
    require reporting of animal air waste emissions, or to put it
    more frankly, manure smells, that local emergency planning
    commissions have stated are of quote, ``No particular value''?
        Mr. Regan. I would say that we are responding to a couple
    of things. The first is we have had some of our states, request
    that we take another look because technology has evolved,
    access to data has evolved, a number of communities on the
    ground have requested this, so this isn't a rulemaking, this is
    our desire to reevaluate, sort of how this plays into the
    broader decisionmaking at the state and Federal level.
        Senator Fischer. Have you reached out to all states to the
    Department of Environmental Quality, for example, have you
    reached out to all states on that? Or are you, basically,
    hearing just from the states that want to have a new look at
    it?
        Mr. Regan. Let me circle back and see----
        Senator Fischer. Okay.
        Mr. Regan [continuing].--if we have heard from all 50
    states on this, and how we have been communicating with all of
    our states on this, revisiting this. I can follow up with you
    on that.
        Senator Fischer. Okay. That would be great. Because I know
    there are probably just as many states that would take an
    opposite view, on it, and as you said earlier, to one of the
    questions that my colleagues ask: It is important to follow the
    science on it, and make sure that we are promoting fact-based
    policies that have a tremendous impact on each individual
    state, depending on their situations.
        The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I supported, it
    made historic investments in water infrastructure, and in many
    cases targeted those resources towards disadvantaged
    communities. The law continue to defer to states on how to
    define a disadvantaged community for many programs, including
    those state revolving funds.
        This flexibility to tailor resources towards an individual
    state needs, I believe is definitely a benefit and it is not a
    flaw of the state revolving funds. I have heard both concerns
    and also a lot of confusion on how EPA is overseeing these
    programs, or how you might oversee them in the future.
        I think some of the confusion has grown because of various
    memos that have been put out, and guidance from the EPA, and
    from administrative executive orders. For example, Justice40
    Initiative, created by the administration states, ``A goal of
    providing 40 percent of the benefits of Federal investment
    towards the disadvantaged communities.''
        Can you tell me just how the Justice40 Initiative squares
    with explicit statutory considerations, such as in distributing
    the State Revolving Funds? For example, does EPA have their own
    disadvantaged community definition? Do you require 40 percent
    of the state's project to meet that definition, if you do have
    that?
        Mr. Regan. So I can answer it, in terms of the way you have
    framed it with the State Revolving Loan Fund, you know, by law,
    49 percent of those resources go to disadvantaged communities.
    And I think we were quick out of the gates to partner with our
    states. I am a former state regulator so I understand the
    importance of that.
        And listen, there were people that had doubts, but I can
    say that working with Senator Capito in West Virginia and some
    of our southern states were the first to revamp their
    definition of disadvantaged communities, so that we could get
    this money out the door much quicker than needed.
        And so I believe that Justice40 is perfectly aligned with
    the traditional construct of this program. And I was very
    pleased, in the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law, that many of our states brought their definitions up to
    speed. These definitions look different in different states
    because of different makeup, and lots of other issues, but I
    believe that our states have a critical role to play.
        And the last thing I will say is, that is true with this
    budget request, 85 percent of the increase in our budget goes
    to states and tribes. Our states are very strong partners with
    this Agency. And I am very proud of that.
        Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Tester.
        Senator Tester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I want to thank you for being here, Administrator. I want
    to talk to you, broadly, about the Superfund Program. There are
    17 active sites in Montana, 1,300 nationally that are in the
    process of being cleaned up. Your budget says nationally, 22
    percent of our population lives within three miles of a
    Superfund site. And you also talk about how successful,
    impactful the work of the program is on the health of families,
    and children, who live and grow up in these areas.
        In the last Congress, we worked together, members of this
    committee, in a bipartisan way, to provide EPA one of the
    largest funding increases for any Federal Agency, largely, to
    accelerate and expand the work of the Superfund Program.
        In your opening statement, you talked about moving forward,
    not moving backward. However, your budget request for the
    coming fiscal year is only 25 percent of the fiscal year '23
    allocation.
        Now look, I have sat on this committee for a while, I have
    chaired a few committees, and I have been in Democrat and
    Republican administrations, and they both tend to play games.
    The truth is we don't play games with Superfund sites. There
    was a lot of funding made available through a process called
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, and the regular
    appropriations. We did that to address Superfund problems
    quicker, not to reduce annual appropriations.
        Can you explain to me how the hell you can justify a 75
    percent decrease from last year, because we haven't had a 75
    decrease in Superfund demand?
        Mr. Regan. Well, Senator, thank you for the question; and
    absolutely, I agree with you that we don't need to move
    backwards, and don't need to play any games. The budget for
    this year is based on the transition of the traditional program
    to the Superfund Tax Receipt Program.
        And so this was based on Treasury's forecast that a
    collection of 2.5 billion in Superfund tax receipts would be
    achieved in 2023 which will be available for use in our 2024
    Superfund Program. So we shifted from a traditional program
    that would ask for these allocations to the----
        Senator Tester. So let me ask it to you this way. So you
    are going to get it from self-funding methods, this is what you
    are saying, the tax that you guys apply to Superfund sites?
        Mr. Regan. Yes.
        Senator Tester. So your overall top dollar figure that you
    are going to spend on Superfund cleanup, this next year it is
    going to be as high or higher than what you spent last year?
        Mr. Regan. Predictions would say that it is going to be
    higher than what we did last year, which is why in this budget,
    we are asking for a few more staff so that we can keep going.
        Senator Tester. I appreciate that.
        Mr. Regan. Yeah.
        Senator Tester. And we are going to hold you accountable to
    it, okay?
        Mr. Regan. Okay.
        Senator Tester. Administrator Regan, I want to talk
    specifically about Waste In Place remedies for Superfund sites.
    We have got a lot of these sites in Montana, Butte and
    Riverstown, there are others; I can tell you that a lot of
    folks in these communities and across the state are really
    concerned about Waste In Place remedies.
        Last year, when you testified before this committee, I
    discussed this issue with you. I sent you a detailed letter
    outlining my concerns about this remedy. Guess what? I didn't
    get a response. So we are going to start again, okay?
        Can you tell me how community members concerned about Waste
    In Place remedies can raise concerns with your agencies and
    receive honest answers, and answers that don't come from the
    corporation that is responsible for the Waste In Place in the
    first place?
        Mr. Regan. Well, number one, we should definitely get you
    that response in a much quicker time, and we will do that. I
    will circle with staff.
        Senator Tester. Even a response, period. Not only in
    quicker time. I didn't even get one, okay?
        Mr. Regan. All right; point taken.
        Senator Tester. All right.
        Mr. Regan. Community engagement, we have beefed up our
    community engagement. We, at EPA, need to be on the ground in
    these communities walking through.
        Senator Tester. Gotcha. And we are going to get to that
    point in a second on the community engagement. Tell me how,
    short of community engagement, that if I am a concerned citizen
    about Waste In Place, and I could actually get an answer from
    the EPA, when the senior U.S. Senator couldn't get an answer
    from the EPA.
        Mr. Regan. Well, number one, I will check with my staff.
    But I believe we have been on the ground. And I and I believe
    we have beefed up our community engagement opportunities.
    Because we want to be able to explain the science, the specific
    science, these are specific remedies on a case-by-case basis.
    And listen, I agree with you 100 percent, people need to feel
    confident----
        Senator Tester. If they are not bought in, you can't do
    your job.
        Mr. Regan. I agree with that.
        Senator Tester. Okay.
        Mr. Regan. I agree with that.
        Senator Tester. So tell me how the EPA verifies Waste In
    Place remedies are actually going to be viable over the long
    haul?
        Mr. Regan. Well, number one we believe and stand by the
    science in the Waste In Place, right? Number two, we have to
    explain the science.
        Senator Tester. So where is the science coming from?
        Mr. Regan. Well, number one it is from the programs, the
    Superfund Program.
        Senator Tester. Okay----
        Mr. Regan. We have some of the best scientists, and the
    best remedial experts in the world.
        Senator Tester. Does it include feedback from universities?
        Mr. Regan. It absolutely does, it includes feedback from
    universities.
        Senator Tester. Neutral parties to verify the science?
        Mr. Regan. Neutral parties, stakeholders, I am not saying
    that--we take all this information in, and no, we don't take
    everybody's advice 100 percent because we are the experts.
        Senator Tester. Does the verification include things like
    test wells that are being drilled, and sampling that is being
    done, and how flood mitigation is being planned for?
        Mr. Regan. Let me let me get back to you. Because the
    answer from my vantage point, is it should be, and I believe it
    is, because we have to do all of these things to ensure that
    when you store waste in a place for hundreds of years that it
    is safe for every community.
        Senator Tester. Yes. And by the way, this is in the middle
    of a prairie with no water around them, most of these Superfund
    sites are on water.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely.
        Senator Tester. Okay. Now, I want to talk about community
    engagement, specifically as Butte comes about, the Butte
    Superfund Site. Two nights ago, there was a community meeting,
    where residents of Butte had the opportunity to express
    concerns about a lack of progress, and effectively, cleaning up
    the community.
        The readout from that meeting it couldn't be clearer. Folks
    in Butte are frustrated with the process, and that is being
    kind when I say just ``frustrated''.
        I will be blunt, Mr. Administrator, you need to fix it, you
    need to make sure this Agency is listening to folks on the
    ground. If it is happening in Butte it is happening everywhere.
    I am going to tell you, I could read you the news report from
    that meeting in Butte, there was nobody that stepped up and
    patted the EPA on the back, and said you guys are doing a good
    job. If they did, it was never reported.
        And quite frankly, this has been going on a long time, man.
    I mean Butte wired this country in copper, and it created one
    of the largest, if not the largest Superfund Site in this
    country. And you have got Butte who is an incredibly resilient
    community that are really sick and tired of being jacked
    around.
        And so I need your commitment that we will do, you will do,
    your people under you will do, the people in the communities,
    the people in the region are going to do their best, not only
    to listen, but to react to what they are hearing. Could I get
    that?
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely. Absolutely. And our people came back
    from that meeting on the 1st of May with that feedback taken to
    heart. So we are prepared to engage, and we are engaged
    Senator.
        Senator Tester. So I just want to tell you, this has been
    going on for a while. I mean, like a long time, like before I
    got here, and even longer. And I don't think the EPA has done a
    good job of listening to people for any time in that period.
    And now, you know, because there are two ways to listen: You
    can listen and ignore, or you can listen and take that feedback
    and try to do something positive for the community. That is
    what I want you to do.
        Mr. Regan. Well, and let me just, in defense of the staff,
    right. I am proud of this staff. And let me say, before the $5
    billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure allowed, which we
    really appreciated from you all, this program was underfunded
    just like every other program. And so our ability to do
    outreach, and attend to all of these Superfund sites, all
    across the country.
        Senator Tester. We are way over. But I am just going to
    tell you something. The Forest Service came in and talked about
    underfunding, we fixed that. We are moving forward, we are not
    moving backward.
        Mr. Regan. I agree with you.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Capito.
        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Thank you, Administrator Regan. It is nice to see you over
    here on in a different venue. We usually see each other over on
    EPW. I know you have been asked this question, but I wanted to
    reemphasize the issue, that on the CDS Funding delay; we have
    heard a lot of complaints at home. You know, you inform folks
    that they are going to be able to get a certain amount,
    particularly in the water projects area, you know, they can't
    move forward with their financing without the assurances and
    timeliness of the funding.
        And so we heard our office was notified that the fiscal
    year '23 community recipients of CDS, did receive instructions
    to assist them in planning and preparing for their application
    process. I am glad to see that this is moving much faster than
    the fiscal year 2022. What is the status? I mean it has a
    single fiscal year '22 CDS funding possibility, has any of any
    of those dollars gone out yet?
        Mr. Regan. Well, Senator, the percentage is much smaller
    than I would like, and any of us would like.
        Senator Capito. So has any gone out? Is the percentage
    bigger than zero?
        Mr. Regan. Yes. We have a number that is bigger than zero
    that has gone out?
        Senator Capito. And what is that number?
        Mr. Regan. The number is 25.
        Senator Capito. Mm-hmm.
        Mr. Regan. 25 awards, 117 applications, only 30 of those
    applications were complete; and 25 of that 30 have gone out the
    door. What we saw, number one, in the beginning was that EPA
    was significantly under-resourced and unprepared for this. But
    number two, many of these recipients we have had to go above
    and beyond and provide technical assistance to, because they
    have never received this level of Federal dollars before. So to
    keep everyone in compliance, we have doubled down on our
    technical assistance.
        So again, 30 completed applications, 25 of those went out
    the door, but we recognize we need to do better.
        Senator Capito. Okay. Good. And I assume by putting out the
    guidance, or the instructions a little bit earlier this year,
    you are moving in that direction. You just mentioned under-
    resource. But I would point out that the EPA received more than
    $10 billion in fiscal year 2023, and more than 40 billion in
    additional funding through the Inflation Reduction Act.
        Certainly, that has got to have impacts on your ability to
    move through all these--what we are just talking about, and
    other projects, like Senator Tester was talking about.
        Mr. Regan. Well, you know, we have been hiring up since we
    got some of those BIL dollars, and in some cases we are looking
    at cross-pollination opportunities for those staff members. But
    again, we received significant resources under BIL and IRA,
    focused on specific projects. And so we have put people forward
    to complete those tasks, and where we can leverage staff, we
    are.
        Senator Capito. I want to talk to you about the EPA
    modeling that shows a direct and very dramatic decline in coal-
    fired power over the next 17 years, based on the Inflation
    Reduction Act. It is 43 percent more coal retirements than EPA
    projected originally, without the law.
        This recent modeling does not account for the EPA's
    upcoming Clean Power 2.0 Rule, which I would like to find out
    where that is. Or the rules that you have issued in the last
    few months, whether it is new standards on wastewater from coal
    plants, or mercury emissions. You and I have talked numerous
    times about this issue of how--what the impacts of some of this
    is to our state, my State of West Virginia.
        So are you going to update your modeling once you put out
    your new Clean Power Plan, and other rules? Will you continue
    to update this so we can see what the real impacts are going to
    be? Have you looked at what those would be in terms of the
    economic impacts, and the job impacts in certain areas?
        Obviously that is going to impact my state a lot. So where
    are you on updating, in terms of, as you are rolling out new
    and more stringent requirements through your regulations?
        Mr. Regan. Well, as we look at our power plant regulation,
    which should be coming in the coming weeks, it will have the
    corresponding modeling and cost-benefit analysis with that
    rule. I would love to have my team come and sit down with yours
    to walk through all of the modeling, and all of the cost-
    benefit analyses for those rules that are currently out, and
    after we finish with interagency review on the power plant
    rule, do the same thing with that regulation as well.
        Senator Capito. Does the cost-benefit analysis include the
    number of jobs that would be lost, and what the impacts that
    would be to the community?
        Mr. Regan. Let me get back to you on the cost-benefit
    analysis in all of our rules are very complex, and I am sure
    you can tease out a number of things in that analysis. So what
    I would like to do is have my team spend some time with you on
    all of the impacts, positive and potential adverse impacts, for
    any of these categories, on any of the rules that we put out.
        Senator Capito. Let me ask you about the Class VI well
    applications for individual projects, that is the state primacy
    applications for the CCUS technology. I know my colleague here
    to my left, Senator Hoeven, and I are very, very interested in
    making sure that we are moving forward on, not just the
    technology.
        And I know your state regulator has done--because you have
    primacy, don't you?
        Senator Hoeven. Yes.
        Senator Capito. Yeah. Has done a lot, so you have, at the
    EPA you have 70 individual permit applications for Class VI
    injection wells, but I don't know that any have actually been
    permitted. Louisiana just got their Class VI state primacy
    application. I think West Virginia is very much in the queue
    here. What measures has the EPA taken to ensure that Class VI
    Sequestration Permits are prioritized and are done in a timely
    manner?
        And how do you account for--I know in North Dakota because
    we had their state regulator before our Committee over on EPW,
    said that the time that--they can move their applications
    through much quicker, and have actually had successful
    applications, you know, meet success.
        Whereas, the ones that are still at EPA are still
    languishing. How do you account for that? And what is your plan
    to make sure that those move quicker?
        Mr. Regan. Well, so our Class VI Well Application Program
    is absolutely a priority. I think the President has indicated
    that CCS is something that this administration supports. We
    have learned a lot of lessons from states like North Dakota. We
    have just approved Louisiana's. And Louisiana's actually will
    serve as a model for all of the states that we plan to move
    forward with.
        We have got a very productive relationship with the
    Governor of West Virginia, in the State of West Virginia, on
    their Class VI well application. And that application is going
    through the process. So I think we have got some uniformity
    across all of our regions, to be sure that all of our states
    are submitting similar applications so that we can put them on
    an expedited time line.
        Senator Capito. Well, I would hope that--yes, thank you,
    Mr. Chair, I know I am out. I hope they would move quicker, I
    think that state primacy issue is absolutely critical to move
    forward, to cleaner environment, to capturing, and
    sequestering, and utilizing the carbon. Thank you.
        Mr. Regan. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Capito.
        Senator Peters.
        Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Administrator Regan, it is good to see you here today.
    Thank you for your testimony.
        Administrator, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was
    established, as you know, in 2009, to accelerate efforts to
    protect and restore the largest system of freshwater in the in
    the world, the Great Lakes. As Michiganders, the Great Lakes
    are not only in our DNA, but are a critical resource for
    drinking water, in fact, 40 million people drink water out of
    the Great Lakes, but also in terms of economic growth and job
    creation, they are incredibly important.
        Since 2010, the GLRI has provided over $2.9 billion to fund
    over 6,000 projects throughout the Great Lakes region,
    including $762 million for 880 projects in my State of
    Michigan. The GLRI has been a catalyst, without question, for
    unprecedented Federal Agency coordination through the
    Interagency Task Force, and the Regional Working Group, which
    is led by the EPA.
        GLRI resources have been used to fund thousands of
    projects, to restore and improve water quality, to protect
    native habitat, and prevent and control invasive species, and
    as well as other environmental problems we face.
        So my question for you, sir, as Chair of the Great Lakes
    Interagency Task Force, can you speak to how the Task Force,
    through its Regional Working Group, selects the best
    combination of programs and projects to help improve water
    quality as well as accelerate the protection and restoration of
    the Great Lakes?
        Mr. Regan. Well, thank you, Senator, for that. And thank
    you for your leadership, and Senator Stabenow's leadership on
    this issue. You know, this initiative was allocated a billion
    dollars under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in fiscal year
    2022, and in our budget for 2024 we are requesting the same
    level that we requested in 2023, because we want to keep up the
    critical work, keep the momentum.
        You know, on the Task Force, our Great Lakes National
    Program Office chairs one of the regional working groups, which
    consists of representatives from 16 Federal partners, so we are
    seeing a lot of partnership, and we are seeing a lot of
    excitement, especially with this infusion of capital.
        We take the lead on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
    (GLRI) planning and budgeting, which is done 2 years in
    advance, to help plan for the President's budget. So we believe
    that we have a lot of momentum, we have a lot of participation
    across the Federal family, and we have the resources to tackle
    this issue.
        Senator Peters. Great. Wonderful. PFAS contamination
    exposure has devastated many communities in Michigan, as well
    as across the country, and for far too long. PFAS
    contamination, as you are well aware, is not just an
    environmental threat but it is a danger to public health, and
    devastates local economies, and we have to do everything we can
    to address the impact of these toxic chemicals.
        And that is why I want to, first off, say I was pleased to
    see the EPA designate two of the most notorious PFAS compounds,
    PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Superfund
    Program last year. I was also pleased to see last month's
    announcement that EPA is considering expanding the list of PFAS
    that are designated as hazardous under the Superfund.
        So my question for you, sir, is: Can you speak to the
    importance of classifying PFAS under Superfund? As well as what
    the EPA's plans are to ensure that state agencies and affected
    communities are actually part of these cleanup decisions that
    are being made?
        Mr. Regan. Well, absolutely. And I can say as former state
    regulator in North Carolina, the relationship that the states
    and the Federal Government have is so important. Many of our
    state agencies have the delegated authority to implement on
    clean air and clean water statutes. And so having that state
    and local and Federal cooperation is extremely important, not
    just on the implementation side, but definitely on the planning
    side.
        We have taken important steps in proposing to designate to
    PFAS under CERCLA, and we believe that it is not only our jobs
    to prevent this ``forever chemical'' from entering and
    polluting, but also if it does, we have to clean it up. And so
    we are excited about where we are in that interagency process.
    We have worked hand-in-hand with USDA, and the Department of
    Defense as well.
        And we believe we are making a significant progress. Not
    just setting drinking water standards, but to the point you are
    making, setting up the cleanup standards as well.
        Senator Peters. Well, I appreciate that. And again I
    appreciate that two of those substances were part of your
    action. But as you know, PFAS encompasses hundreds of different
    variations of that chemical, and we would assume that they also
    present significant hazards as being part of that family.
        So my question for you is: Can you commit to establishing
    national primary drinking water regulations for additional
    types of PFAS, as soon as possible? Or give us some idea of how
    you plan to progress on dealing with the broader issue of a
    very large family of dangerous chemicals?
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely. I can commit to saying this, which
    is, we have designated six, we have got twenty-nine additional
    on our radar. As we get the science, and as we get the data in,
    and we will continue to work across our Federal family
    especially with CDC, and others, to determine the health
    impacts, we will continue to move forward designating these
    dangerous chemical compounds, and regulating them accordingly.
        Senator Peters. Good, good. So I appreciate that effort. It
    is a big job. And appreciate your focus on it.
        Mr. Regan. Thank you.
        Senator Peters. The next question is that Federal research
    efforts have often been fragmented at various Federal agencies,
    and have struggled to address, really, the full scope of the
    problems of PFAS. That is why I introduced the Federal PFAS
    Research Evaluation Act. It is cosponsored by a bipartisan
    group of Senators Moran, Shaheen, and Durbin, to direct a study
    by the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine
    to help inform decisions by the Federal governments, state
    governments, industry, and other stakeholders as to how we deal
    with these complex substances.
        So my question for you is: Would you please, or can you
    speak to the importance of having a more comprehensive Federal
    research approach to better inform PFAS mitigation efforts? And
    ultimately, to help families, and first responders, and our
    environment, that are all impacted by these substances?
        Mr. Regan. It is absolutely imperative that we have
    additional research into this chemical compound, and into the
    technologies, that will deter this from entering our bodies.
    That is why we have asked for about $170 million in the budget
    for 2024, so that we can keep pace with the research and
    development being done with our Federal family counterparts. As
    well as what is happening in academia and at the state level.
        We need to get a handle on this science and the health
    impacts. We are going to work across the Federal family, state
    and local agencies as well, and academia, to be sure that we
    are competitive. And the $170 million that we are requesting
    for the budget will go a long way.
        Senator Peters. Great. Thank you, Administrator. Thank you.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Hoeven.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Recently the
    Congress--good to see you Mr. Administrator, thanks for being
    here.
        Mr. Regan. Thank you.
        Senator Hoeven. Recently the Congress voted on a bipartisan
    basis to overturn the WOTUS Rule put forward by the Biden
    administration. Also, then shortly thereafter a judge issued a
    preliminary injunction that affects 24 states, including my
    state of North Dakota, staying the new rule.
        So given that Sackett v. EPA is in front of the Supreme
    Court, and it is likely to provide clarity as to what EPA's
    authority is over states and landowners, in regard to
    regulating the waters of the U.S., doesn't it make sense to put
    a nationwide pause on your WOTUS Rule until the Supreme Court
    has ruled in the Sackett case?
        Mr. Regan. Where we see in those 26, or so, states that the
    courts have----
        Senator Hoeven. 24.
        Mr. Regan [continuing].--weighed in, there is an active
    stay, and we will be implementing WOTUS under the 2015 regime,
    where the states that don't have a stay in place, we will
    continue to move forward. We do believe that--number one, I
    engage significantly with our agricultural industry, and I
    appreciate you.
        Senator Hoeven. Well, you have been out to our state, and
    you have seen our concerns about the WOTUS Rule?
        Mr. Regan. Yes, I have. And what we attempted to do was
    take those concerns, match them with the laws that we are
    required to follow, and we codified a number of exclusions and
    exemptions that we were really proud of, that many of the AG
    community asked us to do.
        Unfortunately, in the states where that stay is in place,
    and we go back to 2015, those exemptions and exclusions are not
    as clear and available to our farming community. But we will
    work, continue to work around that.
        I think the Sackett case will provide some clarity on all
    the questions that we have. The good news is we won't be
    starting from scratch. We will be starting with a rule that we
    put in place that some states have stayed, we will take the
    Sackett case, we will adjust the rule and we will be able to
    move forward, and we won't be starting from 2 years behind.
        I want to just say that the previous administration's WOTUS
    Rule was vacated, and so we felt compelled to move forward and
    engage with our agricultural community, to try to put a durable
    rule in place that will provide some certainty, and codify many
    of these exclusions and exemptions that we attempted to move
    forward with.
        Senator Hoeven. The current rule doesn't do that, and you
    recognize and acknowledge that the Congress, on a bipartisan
    basis, voted against the rule. You do acknowledge that?
        Mr. Regan. I acknowledge that for three or four
    administrations multiple courts have weighed in, the Supreme
    Court has weighed in, no one has ever been pleased with WOTUS,
    and I recognize that. I will say that we did our level best to
    learn from all of what we have seen in the past to put forward
    a doable rule, and we find ourselves where we are.
        Senator Hoeven. Sackett should provide some clarity, but we
    are very concerned about protecting private property rights. I
    also want to ask you about the MATS Rule, actually the EPA,
    existing EPA Regulatory Rule has--and then your own study
    indicates that the rule you have in place, prior to issuing
    this new MATS Rule, has the mercury emissions below levels of
    concern, has reduced it to below levels of concern, from a
    public health standpoint.
        That is that is your own study, determination. So why are
    you proposing new rules that put additional burdens and costs
    on electric plants when we very much need that electricity?
        Mr. Regan. I think when we took a look at the necessary
    aspect of that rule, we came to the conclusion that there
    needed to be further reductions of mercury to protect human
    health. And we also took a look at, and I believe that many of
    the power sector industry would agree that that the control
    technologies that exist to control mercury to the levels that
    we would like to see to protect public health, exist in a very
    cost effective way.
        Many of them already have various aspects of those
    technologies on their plants. And so we believe that in
    following the law and following the science, in a cost-
    effective way, we could continue to drive mercury emissions
    down to protect public health.
        Senator Hoeven. Well, the whole point is, your own study
    shows that we are already doing that, and now you are adding
    additional regulation, and cost, to a coal-fired electric
    industry that is working widely to capture and store CO2, which
    you know we are doing in our state. That new technology, so
    whether it is been SOx, NOx, mercury, and now CO2, the industry
    is undertaking investment to capture those emissions, and
    address them, and now with CO2, which is very, very expensive.
        So you are adding regulatory burden out at a time when they
    are investing and working mightily to provide base load
    electricity to the grid which is very much needed, and capture
    CO2 as well. And you need to keep that in mind.
        And I am going to give you another example, and ask you to
    respond to it. You now are looking at lignite coal, and
    subbituminous coal, and trying to apply the exact same
    standards to both, when they are very different. And so we need
    you to work with our industry to make these investments to
    capture the very emissions that that you want to see--like CO2,
    that you want to see captured and stored. You have got to work
    with the industry if you want that to happen.
        Mr. Regan. You are absolutely right in terms of having to
    work with the industry which, you know, I think we are doing a
    fairly good job of that. And I think many of the examples that
    you cited, North Dakota is doing a good job, in pursuing some
    of those advanced technologies, like CCS, and other
    technologies. And so I think you and I are saying--singing from
    a similar sheet of music, which is, these technologies that are
    already being deployed in many of our states, do have a lot of
    co-benefits, which prove we can drive some of this pollution
    down.
        We have got some in the industry that are lagging behind,
    and not performing as well as some of the utilities in your
    state. We would like for them to pursue some of these cost-
    effective technologies, like CCS, like you know, advanced
    mercury scrubbing technologies to ensure that the industry is
    keeping pace at a unified level.
        Senator Hoeven. We are already capturing millions of tons
    of CO2, but we need help and regulatory certainty in order to
    keep doing that, and do more of it.
        Mr. Regan. And that is why we have worked really hard, and
    this is something that I have spoken with the industry about at
    length, for the last year-and-a-half, 2 years, this is why we
    are putting all of our rules out together. The industry has
    asked for these to be bundled so that they can look at all of
    the impacts, the potential co-benefits, from investing in
    technologies, and make those longer term investments.
        And what this EPA has done and pledged, is that we would
    put these rules out together; and that is what we have done.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Administrator.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Van Hollen.
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
    Murkowski.
        Mr. Administrator, great to see you and your team here
    today; and let me start with a thank you, I want to thank you
    and your team for keeping me and my team regularly apprised of
    the progress on the implementation of the Greenhouse Gas
    Reduction Fund.
        As you know, this has been something I have worked on for
    well over a decade, starting during my time in the House of
    Representatives, with what was then called The Green Bank.
    Senator Markey and I then introduced the National Climate Bank
    Legislation. It has been called the Clean Energy Accelerator.
    We are pleased to see the President embrace it. And now,
    obviously, we are in the work of implementation, which is
    absolutely critical that it be successful.
        So thank you for those consultations. I just want to affirm
    that we are on the same page with respect to the goals. Number
    one, to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions that were
    allocated and targeted for this particular fund; number two, to
    ensure it as a multiplier effect. I mean the idea is that this
    will be matched by private sector and other funds, so that we
    have up to a five-time multiplier effect, that would ensure
    sustainability, which is another key factor; this is not a pot
    of money for grant funding that we turn around one day and it
    is all gone.
        And fourth, and very importantly, that we make sure that
    the funds are invested to help underserved communities as part
    of this transition to a clean energy economy. I just want your
    assurance today that those remain principles that you are
    committed to.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I want to take this
    time to thank you and your team I think but for you, and
    Senator Markey, and others we wouldn't have this significant
    opportunity, $27 billion is a lot of money, but in the full
    scheme of things, it is not a lot of money, and we need to have
    that multiplier effect. And we need to be sure that we are
    putting programs in place that can be leveraged by those who
    invest, you know, as their day jobs right.
        And we also want to be sure that every single person in
    this country benefits from it. So we share those goals, and we
    have enjoyed the conversations with your team. Our product is
    better because of those conversations.
        Senator Van Hollen. I appreciate that Mr. Administrator.
    And as you know, my view is that this can be most effective by
    creating, you know, at most, a few national networks that have
    to be national in scope, that include, you know, existing Green
    Banks, but also include CDFI and other lenders.
        We want to make sure that it has that ability to
    coordinate, because we do want to be able to, you know, come to
    you a couple years from now and say: Hey, how are we doing in
    terms of our greenhouse gas emission reductions' goal? How are
    we doing in terms of meeting our goal of ensuring low-income
    communities or participating in the transition? And I think
    that is much better achieved by having at least a national
    network that is coordinating all of this.
        Let me, just another thank you, because for years Maryland
    worked to try to get the EPA to adopt the Air Pollution Good
    Neighbor Rule, because we receive lots of air pollution
    transiting from other states into our air, into the Bay, so
    just a thank you, for having moved forward on that.
        Let me talk briefly about the Back River Wastewater
    Infrastructure. As you know, the Maryland Senators and our
    Congressional Delegation from Baltimore objected to the
    proposal to transfer some of the wastewater from the East
    Palestine derailment, through the Back River Plant in
    Baltimore. And I am glad that that plan did not go forward.
        The reason we objected, as you know, and your team knows,
    is that because Back River Plant has had a history of problems,
    chronic problems itself, and we didn't want to take any
    additional risk that more pollution would enter our waterways
    as a result of that contaminated water from Palestine.
        That said, we are continuing to work on Back River, and
    obviously the funds in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill for
    the Revolving Fund are important. But just ask for your
    commitment today, Mr. Administrator, that you will work with us
    on Back River, because that has had a series of problems and we
    want to make sure we work in partnership with you and your team
    to correct them.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely, you have my commitment. And our team
    has been paying close attention to that. I have actually talked
    with Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox about that particular
    facility. So you have our commitment.
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, because it is an ongoing
    project, as you know. Let me now turn to the Chesapeake Bay and
    the EPA Program. Very gratified to see that the administration
    requested the full authorization of $92 million, this has been
    an ongoing and urgent priority for our region. And I would
    argue very important for the country as well as the nation's
    largest estuary.
        I am also pleased with the current proposed settlement to
    the lawsuit that was brought to ensure enforcement of the goals
    to clean up the Bay. As you know, unfortunately we are falling
    short of the targets. We had a plan to try to achieve the
    reductions in what we call the total maximum daily load into
    the Bay by 2025.
        We are not hitting that target, everyone sees that. It is
    vital that we re-establish aggressive pollution reduction
    targets, and dates. And I do think that this proposed
    settlement, which I expect will be finalized shortly, will help
    accomplish that.
        But if you could just comment on why this is important;
    this is a multi-state--you know, the Chesapeake Bay obviously,
    its watershed encompasses multiple states including
    Pennsylvania. There is no secret that we have been very
    concerned about pollution coming down the Susquehanna River.
    Part of this settlement is designed to address that through
    greater enforcement. Can you talk about EPA's commitment to
    making sure that this settlement is enforced, assuming it goes
    forward?
        Mr. Regan. Well, absolutely I will say that, I proudly
    serve as the current Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Executive
    Council, and have been enjoying the engagements, and look
    forward to engaging this multi-state body. You know, once the
    settlement is achieved, and hopefully, we will get the
    resources we are requesting in this budget, I believe that we
    can effectively execute on the settlement, but also enhance our
    engagement with our agriculture community, and others, who are
    contributing in a negative way to the Chesapeake Bay.
        I think we also had a meeting where we needed to
    recalibrate those 2025 goals. So I am committed. I am chairing
    this Executive Council. I am committed to recalibrating the
    2025 goals. And I am committed to bringing us all together to
    ensure that we restore the health and vibrancy of the
    Chesapeake Bay.
        Senator Van Hollen. Mr. Administrator, thank you, music to
    my ears. It requires resources, yes, but it also requires a
    political commitment from the Federal Government and EPA. So
    thank you.
        Mr. Regan. Yes.
        Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Van Hollen.
        And we are going to try to do a speed round here in which I
    have several questions that you can feel free to give very
    short answers to. And Senator Murkowski has a couple as well.
    And then we are dashing to the vote that is currently underway.
        So here we go: Can I have your assurance that any
    permitting reform that you support will not allow higher levels
    of toxins to be released in frontline communities?
        Mr. Regan. Yes.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And does that include the
    permitting of any new so-called chemical recycling facilities
    that vent off significant toxins that might increase pollution
    in frontline communities?
        Mr. Regan. And the way you will see both of those is, our
    technical advice to the legislation. Obviously, we will weigh
    in as mightily as we can, we know that we need to see
    permitting reform, but in that technical advice that we provide
    to Congress, we will be sure to flag those things because they
    are important to us.
        Senator Merkley. These will be issues I will be paying
    close attention to. And do I have your support in figuring out
    how we allow prescribed fires, while also being very strong in
    regarding generalized PM 2.5 pollution?
        Mr. Regan. Yes. We can do both.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. I will have more questions for
    the record.
        But let me turn this over to my colleague from Alaska.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Administrator Regan, I know that Senator Capito had
    discussed with you, or raised the issue about EPA's Class VI
    Wells Program for carbon sequestration, it is something that
    Alaska is obviously very interested in. We have got a strong
    commitment to responsible stewardship, and we have got
    geological storage potential. So we look at this with real
    opportunity.
        I have expressed some concern, again, about the pace of
    processing the individual permits. I just want to know that you
    also view the Agency, Class VI Wells Program as an
    Administration priority?
        Mr. Regan. I do. Yes.
        Senator Murkowski. Good. We look forward to working with
    you on that. Very quickly, we know that EPA is moving forward
    with the new standards on both light- and medium-duty vehicles,
    and heavy-duty truck emissions. It is a pretty aggressive time
    line there. In fact, it is even more aggressive than President
    Biden's stated goal that EVs are going to make up 50 percent of
    the new cars sold by 2030. We all recognize that these goals
    are going to require a significant increase in minerals needed
    to supply the EVs.
        Did the EPA conduct a needs assessment on the amount of
    minerals that would be required if these rules move forward and
    go into effect?
        Mr. Regan. We are very cognizant of the need, and we are
    very cognizant of the broader Federal family approach to
    minerals, to domestic manufacturing, and the tax incentives,
    and the like, so our rules are, technology standards, we have a
    limited scope that we are allowed to look at. But you can rest
    assured that the broader Federal family goals resulting from
    IRA and BIL were taken into consideration as we move forward.
        Senator Murkowski. I think we recognize we not only--we not
    only need the minerals but we are going to have to do more to
    promote some efficiencies, and deal with the permitting issues;
    something that we are all talking about here on a bipartisan
    basis.
        And then lastly, and this should be the real easy one, is I
    appreciate the progress that we have made on our Alaska-
    specific issues. I would like to, again, encourage that we have
    set quarterly calls with senior staff from the Agency. We call
    it ``The All Things Alaska Call''. We have had these agreements
    with previous administrations. And I even just like your
    commitment to have your team meet with mine on a quarterly
    basis.
        Mr. Regan. Absolutely.
        Senator Murkowski. Very good. Thank you.
        With that, Mr. Chairman, thank you so much.

                         ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

        Senator Merkley. Well, thank you. And if there are no other
    statements, the hearing record will be open until close of
    business on May 17th, 2023.
        Administrator Regan, you have covered a huge range of
    topics in this hearing. And I am sure there will be a few more
    in some follow-up questions. So thank you, for your service to
    our country.

                              SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

        Senator Merkley. And with that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:51 a.m., Wednesday, May 3, and the
    subcommittee recessed, to reconvene at a time subject to the
    call of the Chair.]

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
               Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                       Washington, DC..
        The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:02 a.m., in
    Room SD-124, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Jeff Merkley
    (chairman) presiding.
        Present: Senators Merkley, Murray, Reed, Tester, Heinrich,
    Peters, Murkowski, and Collins.

                             INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES

    STATEMENT OF HON. BRYAN NEWLAND, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
                FOR INDIAN AFFAIRS
    ACCOMPANIED BY ROSELYN TSO, DIRECTOR

                   OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY

        Senator Merkley. This subcommittee will come to order.
        Welcome, Assistant Secretary Newland, and Director Tso,
    terrific to have you. Welcome to this hearing on fiscal year
    2024 President's Budget for Indian Country.
        And a special welcome to Jillian Curtis, good to have you,
    from IHS, Indian Health Services; and Jason Freihage from the
    Department of Interior, who are accompanying today's witnesses.
    Thank you for being here to contribute your expertise.
        Today is unique because we are holding a single budget
    hearing covering nearly all of the Tribal programs within the
    Interior Appropriations Bill, the budgets of the Indian Health
    Service and the Department of Interiors Indian Affairs Programs
    totaled $10.9 billion in fiscal year 2023, a full one-quarter
    of the spending in the bill.
        Appearing together, for the first time in many years, will
    help us cover a wide range of topics that are vitally important
    upholding our trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribes. It
    is imperative to look at a wide range of topics, because those
    topics are so interwoven.
        The social determinants of health, for example, are often
    reflections of the conditions in which people are born and
    live, they are heavily influenced by factors such as education,
    employment, housing, community, culture, clean air, clean
    water, safety, access to transportation. This is where we see
    the critical interplay of Indian Health Services and the
    Department of Interior's funding support for Tribal
    communities.
        Starting with Indian Health Services, IHS, the request is
    $9.7 billion for fiscal year 2024, and $2.5 billion, or 36
    percent increase, a staggering amount reflecting the reality
    that the health care gap is serious and needs to be eliminated.
    A major driver is a $742 million increase to expand access to
    health care across all IHS Direct Service lines, to reduce
    health disparities, and improve health care.
        The IHS budget also includes $13 million increase to offer
    additional IHS scholarship and loan repayment awards to bolster
    recruitment and retention.
        I want to take a moment to highlight the significant
    achievement we made in fiscal year 2023, providing advance
    appropriations for IHS. I am quite pleased that we had that
    legislative achievement, and I hope the advance helps with the
    predictable and stable funding for years to come, and I look
    forward to working with you to ensure implementation functions
    as intended.
        Turning to DOI's Tribal programs, the request includes $3
    billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a $483 million
    increase, and $1.6 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education,
    a $209 million increase. These investments are building blocks
    for continued economic devel0opment for the well-being of
    Tribal communities.
        For example, the budget request includes $2.3 billion, $350
    million above the enacted level for the BIA operation of Indian
    programs. This funding will support the stewardship of natural
    resources and energy resources facilitating the delivery of
    community services, and spurring economic development.
        For the Bureau of Indian Education, I am happy to see a
    proposed increase of $61 million for the operation of Indian
    Education programs, this funding will help improve student
    academic outcomes, address maintenance needs, expand Native
    language revitalization efforts.
        Teachers across the country dedicate each day to kids to
    provide them with the tools to succeed. I can think of teachers
    in my own experience who have helped shaped my education, and
    my life, as I am sure all of us can. And I am pleased to see an
    effort to address teacher pay parity within your proposal, as
    well as targeted investments to improve teacher recruitment and
    retention.0
        I want to briefly turn to the in-lieu-of-treaty fishing
    sites along the Columbia River. Thank you, Assistant Secretary
    Newland, for taking the time to visit these sites, and for your
    cooperation in providing maintenance, law enforcement, and
    repairs.
        The construction of dams on the Columbia River flooded
    these traditional sites, displacing people who have relied on
    the river for thousands of years, and we need to help put the
    pieces back together, including making continued investments to
    establish these sites that are safe and accessible to Tribal
    members.
        Finally, both budgets include a mandatory reclassification
    proposal for contract support costs, and Section 105 leases,
    which I will refer to as Tribal Sovereignty Payments. These are
    payments necessary to fully exercise Tribal self-governance,
    and are reasonable overhead costs to administer essential
    government services.
        I endorse the proposal to reclassify these funds to the
    mandatory side of the budget, where they legally belong, and
    look forward to working with you on this issue. Much of the
    work we do in Indian Country Policy is trying to put back the
    pieces of decades of failed policies by the Federal Government,
    and as we know, that is difficult.
        But what we can do is support Tribal communities by making
    continuous investments in key areas, like health care,
    governance, economic development, infrastructure, natural
    resource management, and public safety. It is not only the
    right thing to do; it is also our trust and treaty
    responsibility.
        Assistant Secretary Newland, and Director Tso, you are both
    on the front line of that effort. And I am happy to learn more
    from all of you today.
        And with that, I would like to turn the microphone over to
    my Ranking Member, Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do note that
    the Chairman of our Full Committee is here, and I don't know. I
    would certainly defer to you Senator Murray.
        Senator Murray. I will go after.
        Senator Murkowski. Great. Thank you.

                      STATEMENT OF SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI

        Senator Murkowski. Well, good morning. I appreciate the
    opportunity this morning to, as you note Mr. Chairman, to have
    this subcommittee examine the proposed budgets for both IHS and
    the Department of Interior, the two agencies responsible for
    Tribal programs under this subcommittee's jurisdiction, but we
    are doing it for the first time here in one hearing. So I think
    it is going to be jam-packed, we have got a lot of ground to
    cover.
        I also want to point out that it has been several years now
    that we have had the opportunity to invite a confirmed IHS
    Director to a budget hearing. So I am particularly glad to have
    you here, Director Tso. I welcome both of you, Director Tso,
    and Assistant Secretary Newland.
        This subcommittee has always worked together to fund
    essential programs that serve our Tribes and Native
    communities, and whether it is health programs, economic
    development initiatives, education and workforce development,
    or critical water and sanitation infrastructure, I think we
    have made upholding the Federal Government's trust
    responsibility a bipartisan priority, and it needs to continue
    to be so.
        In the last Congress we secured advance appropriations for
    the IHS, this was a long-held priority for Native communities,
    and we can't forget the great progress that we have made on
    these issues related to contract support costs as well as
    105(l) Tribal Lease payments. I think this demonstrates that we
    can work together, and when we do we are successful.
        As we look to write the fiscal year 2024 bills, it is my
    hope that we can continue our bipartisan tradition to
    prioritize the needs of Native communities. The President's
    proposal for the IHS includes an increase of $2.5 billion above
    the fiscal year 2023 level, while the request for BIA and BIE
    outlines approximately $692 million in new spending.
        The fiscal year 2024 budget request increases almost every
    budget line, with the only exceptions being Congressional
    priority.
        So I hope that after today we all have a better
    understanding of our respective funding priorities, because
    reconciling the President's requests, Congressional priorities
    and, quite frankly, the budget realities, is going to take some
    compromise and a lot of dialogue.
        Many of the issues I intend to raise today will come as no
    surprise to you all. Within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
    ensuring adequate funding for PL280 states to address the
    inequities among Tribal courts remains a top concern of mine,
    as is continuing funding for Native language grant programs for
    non-BIE States, and funding for missing, murdered indigenous
    people.
        In addition to safeguarding funds for the above issues, it
    is also important to ensure that the small and needy Tribes,
    that supplement receives sufficient funding and is properly
    managed. The current Tiwahe pilot sites and recipients be made
    whole, and that Tribal management programs are effectively
    contributing towards economic development while meeting natural
    resource goals.
        In the fiscal year 2024 budget proposal, there is also an
    Alaska-specific proposal on subsistence, and that is to shift
    the Office of Subsistence Management from Fish and Wildlife to
    Indian Affairs.
        Secretary Newland, we have had an opportunity to discuss
    this in the Indian Affairs Committee. I have heard from a lot
    of Tribal leaders and Native communities over the years about
    Fish and Wildlife Service not giving this important office the
    attention that it needs. So I am going to be interested in
    hearing more, just about the practical implementation of this
    proposal, how it addresses the concerns of all stakeholders,
    and the steps that you are taking to demonstrate that Indian
    Affairs can handle management of the rural subsistence
    priority, for both Native and non-Native subsistence users
    alike.
        Similar to the Department of Interior's Tribal programs,
    over the years, my IHS priorities remained pretty much
    unchanged. Ensuring funding for VBCs, village-built clinics,
    facilities construction accounts, along with programs that
    support the Alaska Dental Health Therapy, the AHABs, our
    Community Health Aid Programs, these are all vital for Native
    communities across my state.
        And of course, at both BIA and IHS, contract support costs,
    and 105(l) lease payments, absolutely utmost importance.
    Ongoing questions surrounding these costs continue to spur
    court cases, and trigger additional budget uncertainty. You
    know that, as well as anyone. And it is for this reason, I
    would urge some caution in attempting to rename these terms,
    just for the sake of simplicity.
        I think they are complex. They are legally defined budget
    issues that are rooted in statute, in regulation, in court
    cases. Our job here on the subcommittee is to appreciate and
    address the budget complexities, without creating further
    confusion for the sake of political expedience.
        Another nuanced issue we need to discuss, are the
    unobligated balances at IHS. And Director, we have talked about
    this. IHS has received more than $45 billion in regular
    discretionary and emergency funding over the preceding 5 years.
    They are carrying billions of dollars in unobligated balances.
    We have to have an open and a transparent conversation about
    these balances to0 ensure that IHS is providing the best
    services possible.
        And then lastly, the Chairman has mentioned advance
    appropriation; this is something that I have personally been
    supportive of over the years. As an original co-sponsor of a
    bill with Senator Udall, that jump started that path, to the
    inclusion of advance appropriations in the fiscal year 2023
    Omnibus Bill, I am somewhat disappointed that the budget
    proposal does not focus on a successful implementation of
    advance appropriations, but instead, again, proposes mandatory
    funding for IHS, beginning in 2025, without any accompanying
    legislative text. We need to have that there.
        We all want the IHS to be successful and responsibly
    managed, so Director Tso, I am glad that you are in place to
    provide that leadership. It is a tough job. And we have talked
    about that. I am looking forward to your testimony, as well as
    that from you, Assistant Secretary Newland.
        And with that, Mr. Chairman, I thank you. And look forward
    to the discussion this morning.
        Senator Merkley. Senator Murray, and the Chair of
    Appropriations.

                       STATEMENT OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY

        Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Chair Merkley, and
    Ranking Member Murkowski.
        We have a really important responsibility to get our
    funding bills passed in a timely and bipartisan way, and the
    clock is ticking if we want to keep things on track, and truly
    return to regular order for the first time in years,
        I know members on both sides of the aisle are serious about
    making that happen, because if we are going to keep our Nation
    strong and safe we cannot let the investments that keep our
    Nation competitive, and keep our communities secure, including
    our Tribal communities, fall into chaos or uncertainty due to
    political games.
        These programs are too important to shortchange, and this
    moment is too critical to let partisan infighting hold our
    communities and our country back. So it is important that we
    are holding this hearing today to make sure our Nation meets
    its obligations to our Tribes, honoring their sovereignty and
    providing the Federal investments that we have promised.
        Because how we are seen in the world, isn't just a matter
    of how much we spend on weapons, it is how we live up to our
    word. If we expect other nations to trust us, to live up to our
    global commitments, we have to keep our promises right here at
    home too. And when it comes to our Nation's commitments to
    Tribes, we have a long way to go.
        Further, the reality is that for many of our Nation's
    toughest challenges, the opioid crisis, the climate crisis, the
    maternal mortality crisis, and more, our Tribes are getting hit
    the hardest.
        And yet House Republicans just voted to slash vital support
    for our Tribes. Their default on America Act would gut funding
    for Tribal law enforcement, education, and health care
    programs. It would cut nearly a billion dollars from the Indian
    Health Service, forcing more than 1,000 doctors, nurses, and
    staff off the job, and cutting care for two-and-a-half-million
    people. It would rip away essential services in Tribal
    communities, and seriously weaken BIA's ability to live up to
    its mission.
        Now, I am constantly meeting with Tribal leaders in every
    part of my home State of Washington, Lummi, Muckleshoot,
    Puyallup, the Yakama, Jamestown S'Klallam, Quinault, there are
    so many. And I can tell you, they certainly are not asking us
    to break our promises or cut off key resources, our Tribal
    leaders want us to invest in climate resilience.
        They want to make sure their communities are prepared for
    and protected from rising sea levels, and raging wildfires
    which are becoming much too common. They want to be able to
    work together to manage the forests and lands they rely on, and
    help recover the salmon populations that are foundational to
    Tribal cultures and economies.
        They want to provide the support people need to overcome
    depression, opioid use disorder, and other mental health
    challenges. They want to provide the health care people need to
    have a safe pregnancy, and not die in childbirth. They want to
    end the epidemic of missing and murdered Native women, and
    secure justice for survivors and their families. They want
    their rights protected, and their sovereignty respected.
        And I do want to recognize Chair Merkley's leadership on
    Tribal Sovereignty Payments, and reiterate my support for his
    efforts. Now, I don't think any of this is too much to ask for.
        And here is what I hope all of my colleagues will
    recognize. Many of us will talk about listening to, and
    prioritizing Tribal voices here in Congress. Well, here is our
    opportunity to demonstrate that commitment. More than just
    words; if you support Tribes, then support them with the
    funding that they deserve, because I know our Nation is
    stronger when our Tribes are stronger. And that keeping people
    safe, keeping our communities safe, has to include our Tribal
    communities.
        So this subcommittee is extremely important, and I want to
    work with both of you to make sure we do that well. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Well, thank you very much.
        And we are going to jump right into the testimony,
    beginning with Assistant Secretary Newland.

                    SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. BRYAN NEWLAND

        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Mr. Chair, Madam Chair, and Ranking
    Member Murkowski, it is great to see you. I appreciate the
    opportunity today to testify in the Department of the
    Interior's fiscal year 2024 Budget Request for Indian Affairs.
        The President's fiscal year 2024 Budget for Indian Affairs
    is $4.7 billion. This funding represents funding for the Bureau
    of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau
    of Trust Funds Administration, and additional programs within
    our office in the Assistant Secretary's hallway.
        As well as proposed mandatory reclassifications for
    contract support costs and 105(l) leases. Out request for the
    Bureau of Indian Affairs is $3 billion, and within that total
    it includes $431 million for contract support costs, and more
    than $82 million for payments for Tribal leases which are
    requested as current mandatory funding to ensure we can
    continue to make these critical payments and meet our other
    trust obligations.
        The budget for the operation of Indian Programs Account is
    $2.3 billion. The BIA continues to focus on the priorities of
    increasing sovereignty over Tribal lands, advancing economic
    opportunity, ensuring public safety, and responding to climate
    change.
        The request includes $641 million for Public Safety and
    Justice Operations, an increase of $62 million in one quarter
    of our Bureau of Indian Affairs Budget Request. Operational
    funding supports the expanding Tribal needs, and policing,
    detention, and Tribal courts. The budget includes a $33.5
    million increase to the Criminal Investigations and Police
    Services line, which has specifically targeted to increase the
    number of officers and investigators on the ground in Tribal
    communities.
        The request also includes $16.5 million to address the
    crisis of missing and murdered indigenous peoples. As part of a
    proposed expansion to the Tiwahe Initiative, our budget
    includes $1.9 million for the Office of Tribal Justice Support,
    to provide technical assistance to Tribes looking to develop
    and operate healing to wellness courts.
        These courts serve as alternatives to incarceration, and
    provide a culturally appropriate form to support those within
    the criminal justice system. As part of our government-wide
    efforts to strengthen Tribal communities, our budget proposal
    includes $205 million in the Human Services funding line, an
    increase of $38.4 million. This amount includes $79 million for
    social services which will support expanded implementation of
    the Indian Child and Family Violence Prevention Act.
        And in addition, it includes an increase of $26.7 million
    to expand the Tiwahe Initiative through several Human Services
    programs, including the Housing Improvement Program.
        Our budget also includes a total of more than $201 million
    for Trust Real Estate Services activities an increase of $42
    million, included within that is a proposal to protect Tribal
    homelands through the ``Carcieri Fix'' which will ensure that
    all federally recognized Tribes have the ability to place land
    in the trust.
        We are requesting for the BIA, $30.5 million for the Indian
    Land Consolidation Program. This program funding recognizes our
    ongoing need to continue to address fractionation of Indian
    lands. Without continued investment in Indian land
    consolidation, the rate of fractionation in Indian Country will
    exceed pre-Cobell rates by the year 2038.
        Our budget includes $12 million for the creation of a new
    Tribal Land and Water Conservation Fund Land Acquisition
    Program. During our LWCF listening sessions last year one of
    the top priorities that Tribes identified was direct access to
    LWCF funding for conservation and recreation projects without
    the existing requirement to either partner with, or apply
    through states.
        Our budget also funds the community and economic
    development activity at more than $77 million, which is a $46
    million increase to advance economic opportunities in Indian
    Country. This includes an additional $27.5 million investment
    in Native language revitalization, which as you noted, Ranking
    Member, is crucial to preserving Tribal languages, promoting
    self-determination, and strengthening Tribal communities.
        A request for the Indian Loan Guaranteed Program is $15.5
    million, which will guarantee or ensure more than $202 million
    in loan principal, which will support economic development in
    Tribal communities. And our budget proposes $2.8 billion in new
    mandatory funding over 10 years for Tribal Water Rights
    Settlement requirements, including $2.5 billion to cover the
    cost of enacted and future settlements, and $340 million for
    the ongoing costs associated with enacted settlements, managed
    by the Bureau of Reclamation.
        With respect to infrastructure, BIA is responsible for more
    than 29,000 miles of paved, gravel, and earth surface roads
    across Indian Country, as well as 1,000 bridges. Our budget
    includes $51.3 million for road maintenance, which is an
    increase of $12 million to support maintenance activities, and
    snow and ice removal. The request includes nearly $200 million
    for BIA construction activities, a $46 million increase from
    fiscal year 2023 enacted.
        That includes an increase of nearly $24 million for
    replacement and deferred maintenance projects, to address needs
    at our Public Safety and Justice facilities, in particular, our
    detention facilities at BIA.
        We are also proposing funding to support our staffing needs
    to deliver on our trust obligations, and make sure these
    services are implemented properly in Tribal communities,
    including supporting the White House Council on Native American
    Affairs, providing adequate Staffing for the 105(l) Leasing
    Program, and making sure that we are staffed up, across the BIA
    and BIE, to deliver our services.
        For the Bureau of Indian Education, our fiscal year '24
    request is $1.6 billion. And that includes key investments to
    strengthen BIE's autonomy as a Federal agency. Within that
    budget proposal $1.2 billion is for the operation of Indian
    Education programs; that includes $925 million for operating
    the entire BIE elementary and secondary school system, which
    supports 45,000 students across 23 states.
        With respect to BIE's facilities, operations, and
    maintenance, we are requesting $160 million, which includes
    investments to keep pace with operational cost increases, and
    support timely maintenance and replacement of equipment at BIE
    schools. This proposal also includes nearly $34 million for
    Education IT to support ongoing costs of distance learning, and
    enhanced classroom technology.
        Our fiscal year 2024 budget request for BIE also includes
    $416 million, an increase of nearly $148 million, for Education
    construction, to replace and repair school facilities and
    address deferred maintenance, at needs, across the BIE system.
    And we also propose a critical, $136 million dollar increase,
    for replacement school construction, and $24 million for
    replacement facility construction, to ensure that all Native
    students can get their education in appropriate facilities.
        Housing is a key element for our education staffing needs,
    especially at schools in remote locations across Tribal
    communities. We are asking for $139 million for housing and
    other facilities repair programs including a $9.7 million
    increase for facilities Improvement in repair, and a $2.5
    million increase for new employee housing.
        Lastly, the fiscal year 2024 budget request includes $109
    million for the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration's budget.
    This request is actually $2.2 million below the fiscal year
    2023 enacted which reflects a proposed transfer of funding for
    probate work within the Office of Hearings and Appeals from
    BTFA to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
        I also want to encourage the Committee, and Congress, to
    accept our proposed organizational structure for the Bureau of
    Trust Funds Administration. Bureau of Trust Funds
    Administration (BTFA) provides a unique Federal Trust function
    that is, appropriately, separate from the duties and
    responsibilities of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Approving
    this structure will strengthen the organization's ability to
    focus on its core missions, and on additional high visibility
    and complex projects.
        I am very proud of the budget requests that we have put
    forward for Indian Affairs, we believe it reflects the
    administration's commitment to meeting our trust and treaty
    obligations.
        And I appreciate the opportunity to testify today, Mr.
    Chairman, and Members of the Committee. And I look forward to
    answering any questions you have. Thank you.
        [The statement follows:]
                    Prepared Statement of Hon. Bryan Newland
        Good morning, Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members
    of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify regarding
    the Fiscal Year 2024 President's Budget Request for Indian Affairs.
        The President's 2024 budget for Indian Affairs is $4.7 billion--
    this total includes funding for all of Indian Affairs which includes
    the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE),
    the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) and the Office of the
    Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (AS-IA), as well as proposed
    mandatory reclassifications for contract support costs and 105(l)
    Tribal leases. As the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, I oversee
    the program offices within the BIA, the BIE, the BTFA and additional
    programmatic functions within the immediate AS- IA Office.
                             recent accomplishments
        Indian Affairs is leading improvements in education, supporting
    economic development, improving law enforcement programs, and helping
    Tribes manage climate change through resiliency and adaptation, among
    many other policy initiatives. I want to pause and reflect on our
    remarkable and collective work accomplished over the past year.
        Indian Affairs has expanded the use of the Buy Indian Act to bring
    support to Indian Economic Enterprises. In Fiscal Year 2022, nearly
    $420 million in spending went to Native-owned businesses, which
    represents 72% of all of Indian Affairs' purchasing power.
        We are focusing on retention and recruitment. Hiring continues to
    be a challenge in technical fields, and we are looking at all levers we
    have available to improve retention and recruitment. In the area of law
    enforcement, the BIA Office of Justice Services team is working closely
    with the Indian Affairs Office of Human Capital on several strategies
    to support recruitment and retention. The foremost strategy is a pay
    parity initiative which will bring BIA law enforcement pay levels in
    line with other Federal law enforcement, this change would result in up
    to an additional $30,000 annually for BIA law enforcement officers. We
    are currently in the process of converting current staff to the new pay
    levels and openings for new vacancies are being advertised at this
    higher pay rate. Our team is also meeting on weekly basis to ensure the
    hiring process and background checks move as quickly as possible. BIE
    also continues its focus on teacher and counselor pay parity to attract
    and retain key staff at all BIE-funded schools.
        The Missing and Murdered Unit continues to collect and review
    unsolved cases involving Missing and Murdered American Indian/Alaska
    Native People; prioritize and assign cases for investigation;
    coordinate investigation and search & recovery resources within Indian
    Country; and liaison with Tribal, State, and Federal law enforcement
    agencies on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People related issues.
    Since its creation in 2021, the MMU has investigated 735 missing and
    murdered persons cases, solved, or closed 264 missing persons cases,
    and solved 8 murder cases.
        The Tiwahe Initiative is working on expanding to new sites. Indian
    Affairs worked with existing Tiwahe sites to develop a framework for
    selecting new Tiwahe sites, and then conducted consultation with Tribes
    on the framework. Thirty-five (35) Tribes applied for inclusion in the
    Tiwahe Demonstration Project. We recently announced the selection of
    two new Tiwahe sites from this process, the Confederated Salish and
    Kootenai Tribes in Montana and the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.
    Additionally, we provided $100,000 in one time funding to 10 other
    Tribes that applied so they can implement programs that were included
    in their Tiwahe proposal or to participate in the Tiwahe incubator to
    perform a needs assessment and develop a Tiwahe plan.
        Indian Affairs is leading the investigation into the Federal Indian
    Boarding School system. Spotlighting this part of American history is
    needed for Indian Country and the United States to heal and move
    forward together. BTFA is the lead organization for research on this
    initiative. Our initial investigation identified marked or unmarked
    burial sites at approximately 53 different schools across the system.
    As the investigation continues, we expect the number of identified
    burial sites to increase.
        Interior continues to be a government-wide leader in shaping Tribal
    consultation policy and facilitating Tribal input into policy
    development and program implementation. At the forefront of this effort
    is the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The Council has
    played a critical role in coordinating across agencies and holding
    government-wide consultation to facilitate implementation of the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and other
    critical policies.
        To support teachers and administrators, the Bureau of Indian
    Education (BIE) is investing in BIE's Strategic Transformation of
    Education Program (STEP) providing professional development, upgraded
    technology, and enhancing our ability to provide culturally relevant
    education across BIE. BIE is also developing a BIE Principal's
    Leadership Academy to deliver professional development to school
    leaders, focus on educational outcome improvements, support retention
    of key administrators and develop our future leaders. Furthermore, BIE
    is implementing Behavioral Health and Wellness Programs serving BIE
    students, staff, and communities with mental health and wellness
    support. BIE school safety and security improvements continue to be a
    priority with targeted funding and hiring plans that support school
    leaders. BIE is also moving forward on clean energy goals--including
    Clean School Bus and School Replacement Construction initiatives that
    not only reduce our carbon footprint but support economic development
    and cleaner energy future for the students and communities we serve.
      bureau of indian affairs and office of the assistant secretary for
                                 indian affairs
        The mission of the BIA is to enhance the quality of life, promote
    economic opportunity, and carry out the Federal responsibility to
    protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian
    Tribes, and Alaska Natives. The request for BIA and the AS-IA Office is
    $3.0 billion in current appropriations. Within this total, the budget
    includes $431.4 million for Contract Support Costs and $82.5 million
    for Payments for Tribal Leases, which are requested as current
    mandatory funding to ensure we can continue to make these critical
    payments and meet other trust obligations. The 2024 budget supports an
    all-of government approach to addressing Federal responsibilities and
    Tribal needs in Indian Country. The White House Council on Native
    American Affairs, in coordination with Indian Affairs bureaus, supports
    collaboration on this work across Federal agencies. We are also looking
    to leverage external resources. The budget includes additional funding
    to build out an Office of Strategic Partnerships which can leverage
    philanthropic funding to build on Federal resources for program
    delivery for Indian Country.
                          operation of indian programs
        The 2024 budget for the Operation of Indian Programs account is
    $2.3 billion. The 2024 budget continues to focus on the priorities put
    forward in our 2023 budget of increasing sovereignty over Tribal lands,
    advancing economic opportunities, ensuring public safety, and
    responding to climate change.
                  protect and support safe tribal communities
        BIA's Office of Justice Services (OJS) funds law enforcement,
    corrections, and court services to support safe Tribal communities. The
    2024 budget includes $641.8 million for Public Safety and Justice
    (PS&J) operations, an increase of $62.1 million above the 2023 enacted
    level. Operational funding supports the expanding Tribal needs in
    policing, detention, and Tribal courts, including those resulting from
    the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court decision.
        The budget includes a $33.5 million program increase to Criminal
    Investigations and Police Services, specifically targeted to increase
    the number of officers and investigators on the ground in Indian
    Country. A program increase of $2.0 million is also requested to
    enhance functions within the OJS Professional Standards Directorate,
    including recruitment and retention initiatives, development and
    evaluation of law enforcement policies, program reviews, and training.
    The 2024 budget includes $16.5 million to address the crisis of Missing
    and Murdered Indigenous People. The Missing and Murdered Unit engages
    in cross-departmental and interagency collaboration to identify gaps in
    information sharing and data collection to investigate these cases more
    effectively.
        As part of a proposed expansion to the Tiwahe Initiative, the
    budget includes $1.9 million for the Office of Tribal Justice Support
    to provide technical assistance to Tribes looking to develop and
    operate Healing to Wellness courts. These courts serve as alternatives
    to incarceration and provide a culturally appropriate forum to support
    those within the criminal justice system by assisting in addressing
    underlying behavioral health and substance abuse issues.
                       promote tribal self-determination
        The 2024 budget provides $444.4 million for programs that support
    Tribal government activities. The budget includes $240.8 million for
    compact activities for self-governance Tribes, enabling Tribes to plan,
    conduct, consolidate, and administer programs, services, functions, and
    activities for Tribal citizens, according to priorities established by
    their Tribal governments. The budget includes $86.2 million to support
    Consolidated Tribal Government Programs for Tribes operating under
    Public Law 93-638 contracts, giving approximately 275 Tribes the
    flexibility to combine and manage contracted programs and grants that
    are similar or compatible to simplify contracting.
        The Small Tribes Supplement program helps eligible Tribes expand
    and sustain their Tribal governance. The 2024 budget funds the program
    at $23.0 million-$16 million above 2023 enacted. This level of funding
    is estimated to reach a funding threshold of $300,000 for the Tribes in
    this category. The budget requests an additional $2.0 million to hire
    additional Awarding Officials (AOs) and support staff at regional BIA
    field sites in the regions to address the growing number of complex
    contracts that involve multiple and diverse programs. The BIA has more
    than 9,500 open Title I, ISDEAA contracts being administered throughout
    the Nation. Increased personnel will also help ensure timely Tribal
    payments, which is an area that has been and continues to be reviewed
    by the Government Accountability Office.
                         strengthen tribal communities
        As part of the government-wide efforts to strengthen Tribal
    communities, the budget includes $205.4 million, an increase of $38.4
    million above 2023 enacted, in Human Services funding to support Indian
    families. This amount includes $79.5 million for Social Services, which
    will support expanded implementation of the Indian Child Protection and
    Family Violence Prevention Act. The act seeks to bolster child
    protection and ensure better coordination between child welfare and
    domestic violence programs in Indian Country. In addition, the budget
    includes increases of $26.7 million to expand the Tiwahe Initiative
    through several Human Services programs.
        Indian Affairs is uniquely positioned to assist in the effort to
    recover the histories of Federal Indian boarding schools. The 2024
    budget includes $7.0 million for the Secretary's Federal Indian
    Boarding School Initiative (BSI) and its comprehensive review of
    Federal boarding school policies. This funding will continue to
    implement recommendations laid out in the May 2022 Federal Boarding
    School Initiative Investigative Report, including continued historical
    research and documentation, and work to identify and protect the
    remains of those identified.
        advance indian trust ownership and improve indian trust-related
                                  information
        The 2024 budget includes a total of $201.2 million for the Trust
    Real Estate Services activity, an increase of $42.2 million. Also
    included is an appropriations language proposal to strengthen Tribal
    homelands through the ``Carcieri Fix,'' which will ensure all
    Federally-recognized Tribes may place land into trust status.
        The Trust Real Estate Services activity implements strategies to
    advance Indian trust ownership and improve Indian trust-related
    information. The 2024 budget proposes $201.2 million for real estate
    services programs and supports the processing of Indian trust-related
    documents, such as land title and records and geospatial data, to
    support land and water resources use, energy development, and
    protection and restoration of ecosystems and important lands. An
    additional $1.9 million supports the new Office of Indigenous
    Communication and Technology to support Tribal efforts to increase
    broadband access and licensing for broadband spectrum frequencies, and
    to advance other critical infrastructure investments. The BIA requested
    increase of $2 million supports additional Realty staff at Trust field
    locations to manage increased infrastructure development document
    processing to ensure leasing, rights-of-way, and other approval
    processes are completed timely.
        The budget also proposes to shift funding for the DOI Office of
    Hearings and Appeals (OHA) Probate Hearings Division to BIA from the
    Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. This transfer will align OHA's
    Probate Hearings Division function with BIA's Probate Real Estate
    function, allowing the Department to more efficiently process probate
    cases to completion by improving coordination between BIA and OHA.
        BIA requests $30.5 million, a $22.5 million increase above 2023
    enacted, for the Indian Land Consolidation Program (ILCP), which
    purchases fractional interests from willing individual Indian
    landowners and conveys those interests to the Tribe with jurisdiction.
    ILCP funding recognizes the ongoing need to continue to address
    fractionation on Indian lands while also focusing support on Tribes'
    plans for and adaptation to climate change. This program is especially
    important since the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (LBBP),
    established as part of the Cobell Settlement, ended in November 2022.
    The ICLP has incorporated lessons learned from the LBBP and the
    previous ILCP in BIA to ensure effective program implementation.
        The budget includes $12.0 million for the creation of a new Tribal
    Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) land acquisition program.
    During LWCF listening sessions held in 2022, one of the top priorities
    Tribes identified was direct access to LWCF funding for conservation
    and recreation LWCF projects without the existing program requirements
    to partner with or apply through States. BIA will primarily provide
    funding to Tribes to acquire lands or easements for the purposes of
    protecting and conserving natural resource areas that may also be of
    cultural importance to the Tribe or have significant recreational
    benefits for Tribal communities, consistent with the purposes of LWCF
    funding. BIA plans to hold formal Tribal consultation on the
    establishment and eligibility criteria of the program. This new program
    will further enhance the ability of Tribes to address the climate
    crisis, support Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and provide
    another important tool to support Tribal co-stewardship.
       invest in climate resilience, natural resource management and co-
                                  stewardship
        The budget includes $385.9 million, a $52.7 million increase over
    2023 enacted, for critical trust natural resources activities and
    investing in climate resilience and environmental justice. BIA requests
    $48.0 million for the Tribal Climate Resilience program. This program
    includes the Tribal Climate Adaptation Grant program, which is funded
    at $24.8 million to better assess and meet Tribal climate adaptation
    needs, and the Climate Relocation Grant program, which is funded at
    $15.5 million, $6 million more than the 2023 enacted amount. The Tribal
    Climate Resilience program also includes $7.8 million for Tribal youth
    corps programs, an important jobs initiative to tackle climate change
    on the ground, ensure a living wage, and provide skills and a pathway
    to employment.
        With a focused investment in the deployment of clean energy in
    Tribal communities, the budget includes $47.7 million for Energy and
    Minerals activities. Indian Affairs views renewable energy as one of
    many tools available to American Indians and Alaska Natives to create
    sustainable economies on Indian land.
        The 2024 budget proposes to shift the Office of Subsistence
    Management (OSM) to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian
    Affairs from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. OSM provides
    administrative support to the Federal Subsistence Board and the Federal
    Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils, in addition to supporting the
    subsistence regulatory process and the Fisheries Resource Monitoring
    program. Shifting OSM will maintain important expertise while
    facilitating expanded Tribal co-management partnerships and the
    incorporation of indigenous knowledge into subsistence management.
        The BIA budget further invests in the health and safety of Tribal
    communities. BIA requests $38.8 million for the Environmental Quality
    Projects program, an increase of $10.9 million over 2023 enacted, which
    includes funding to continue remediation of the former Tuba City Dump
    Superfund site, which continues to threaten the drinking water of the
    Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe.
                         advance economic opportunities
        The 2024 budget funds the Community and Economic Development
    activity at $77.6 million, a $46.4 million increase above 2023 enacted
    levels, to advance economic opportunities in Indian Country. Within the
    total funding provided, Job Placement and Training is funded at $15.8
    million and includes an additional $2.0 million for job training
    programs focusing on clean energy development that is a complementary
    investment to the Tribal Electrification funding provided in the
    Inflation Reduction Act. Economic Development projects are funded at
    $50.7 million and include a request for an additional $27.5 million
    investment in Native language revitalization, which is crucial to
    preserve endangered languages, promote self-determination, and
    strengthen Tribal communities. BIA also requests a $5.0 million
    increase to establish an economic development component of the Tiwahe
    Initiative, which will provide funding directly to Tribal governments
    to design and operate comprehensive and integrated economic and
    community development programs.
        The 2024 budget request for the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program is
    $15.5 million, which will guarantee or insure $202.3 million in loan
    principal to support Indian economic development across Indian Country.
    This includes an additional $1 million for loan subsidies and $0.5
    million for staffing to increase technical assistance. By strengthening
    the economic base of Tribal communities, the Tribal governments near
    those businesses progress toward greater self-determination.
                       land and water claims settlements
        Tribal land and water rights settlements ensure that Tribes have
    access to land and water to meet domestic, economic, and cultural
    needs. The 2024 budget proposes $976,000 for the Settlements account.
    The 2024 funding request covers the continuing implementation of the
    White Earth Reservation Land Settlement Act (Public Law 99-264) and
    Truckee River Operating Agreement (Public Law 101-618). The Budget also
    proposes $2.8 billion in new mandatory funding over 10 years for Tribal
    water rights settlements requirements, including $2.5 billion to cover
    the costs of enacted and future settlements and $340 million for
    ongoing costs associated with enacted settlements managed by the Bureau
    of Reclamation.
                           infrastructure investment
        BIA is responsible for more than 29,000 miles of paved, gravel and
    earth-surface roads and more than 1,000 bridges. Maintaining these
    roads is critical to public safety, education and economic development
    purposes. The FY 2024 budget includes $51.3 million for road
    maintenance, an increase of $12.1 million to support pavement and
    gravel maintenance, remedial work on improved earthen roads, bridge
    maintenance, and snow and ice control.
        The 2024 budget includes $199.8 million for Construction
    activities, a $46.5 million increase from the 2023 enacted level. The
    funding includes an increase of $23.8 million for replacement and
    deferred maintenance projects to address needs at PS&J facilities,
    particularly detention centers. It also includes a $4.6 million
    increase for the irrigation rehabilitation program, and additional land
    an additional $10.3 million for Dam maintenance. BIA is responsible for
    141 high- or significant-hazard dams on 42 Indian reservations. The
    Construction program also includes a $6.8 million increase to support
    the Administration's governmentwide goal to accelerate the use of zero-
    emission vehicles to enable a clean transportation future.
                               capacity building
        The budget includes critical staff capacity building across our
    programs. The needs range from an increase for human capital
    capabilities to supporting the White House Council on Native American
    Affairs in its critical role coordinating the Federal Government's
    engagement with Tribal communities, to providing adequate staffing for
    the 105(l) Tribal lease program which is on a path to have over 200
    leases in place in FY 2023. Adequate staffing is critical to ensuring
    timely and effective delivery to the Tribal nations we serve.
                           bureau of indian education
        The FY 2024 budget request for BIE programs within the Department
    totals $1.6 billion. The Budget includes key investments to strengthen
    BIE's autonomy as a Federal agency and improve local services for
    Tribally controlled and bureau-operated schools while also advancing
    equity for historically underserved Tribal communities.
                     operation of indian education programs
        The 2024 budget provides $1.2 billion for Operation of Indian
    Education Programs. The core mission of BIE is to support Bureau
    Operated and Tribally Controlled schools and administer grants to
    Tribal institutions of higher education.
        The request includes $925.5 million for operating the entire BIE
    elementary and secondary school system-169 elementary and secondary
    schools, and 14 dormitories-by providing educational services to
    approximately 45,000 students in 23 States. Funds support the basic and
    supplemental education programs at BIE-funded schools, student
    transportation, facility operations, and maintenance. The budget
    advances sovereignty in education by proposing a provision allowing for
    the expansion of more than one grade at BIE-funded schools with a K-2
    or K-4 structure. Currently, K-4 schools are only allowed to expand by
    one grade. This proposal will allow BIE to expand educational services
    to communities already being served.
        The 2024 request includes targeted funding to improve Indian
    student academic outcomes, address maintenance needs, support expanded
    preschool and Native language programs, and provide pay parity for
    Tribal teachers while fully funding projected Tribal Grant Support
    Costs. The Budget provides $508.7 million, a $27.0 million increase
    over 2023 enacted, for Indian School Equalization Program funds to
    enhance opportunities and outcomes in the classroom, provide improved
    instructional services, and support increased teacher quality,
    recruitment, and retention. The request level of $22.1 million,
    including a $500,000 program increase, for Education Program
        Enhancements supports professional development for teachers,
    advances the quality of in- classroom instruction, and incorporates
    improved Native language and culture programs in classrooms. Early
    Child and Family Development funding of $26.1 million enables BIE to
    provide preschool opportunities at BIE-funded schools.
        For Facilities Operations and Maintenance, BIE requests $160
    million, a $5.6 million increase over the 2023 enacted amount, and
    includes investments to keep pace with operational cost increases and
    support the timely maintenance and replacement of equipment at BIE
    schools. The Budget also includes $22.6 million, including a $2.0
    million program increase, for the Johnson-O'Malley program, which is
    authorized to support the individualized educational needs of eligible
    Indian students enrolled in public schools and nonsectarian private
    schools.
        The Budget continues to invest in activities that promote
    educational self-determination for Tribal communities and includes
    $98.7 million for Tribal Grant Support Costs for Tribes that choose to
    operate BIE-funded schools. This level of funding supports 100 percent
    of the estimated requirement. The request includes $189.6 million for
    Postsecondary Programs, a $6.0 million increase over 2023 enacted. The
    2024 budget continues recognition of the critical role Tribal
    postsecondary institutions have in empowering Indian students and
    promoting equity for Tribal communities. These institutions are on or
    near reservations; they directly serve Tribal communities with
    culturally relevant education and career pathways in a supportive
    environment. Postsecondary education of Tribal members remains an
    essential component in the economic development of many Tribes.
        The proposed budget will provide $34.9 million, including a $2.0
    million program increase, for BIE operated Haskell Indian Nations
    University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute; $87.9 million
    for grants to 29 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); and $10.7
    million for grants for two Tribal Technical Colleges, as well as $43.4
    million for the Scholarships and Adult Education program to improve
    educational opportunities and serve a larger population of qualified
    Native American students.
                              education management
        The Budget includes $79.3 million, an increase of $12.1 million
    over 2023 enacted, for education management and information technology
    (IT) to optimize learning opportunities for students of all ages.
    Education Program Management (EPM) funding supports ongoing
    improvements in high- priority functional areas, including acquisition,
    school safety and security, behavioral and mental health support,
    performance tracking, and technical support to schools in the field.
    Other management activities include data collection, analysis, and
    reporting; financial and budget functions; oversight and coordination
    of major facility repairs; and management of grant applications. BIE IT
    includes the Native American Student Information System, wide area
    network infrastructure, and general support systems used by BIE-funded
    schools.
        The budget proposes $33.7 million, an increase of $5.8 million over
    the 2023 enacted level, for Education IT to support the ongoing costs
    of distance learning and enhanced classroom technology. BIE continues
    to collaborate with Tribes and communities to alleviate ongoing strains
    imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on BIE students and their families,
    teachers, administrators, and other staff members in K-12 schools and
    at TCUs. The 2024 Budget will enable BIE to leverage ongoing
    infrastructure investments in new technology and operational
    capabilities at BIE-funded schools, including the new Education
    Learning Management System, by supporting comprehensive online delivery
    of educational courses to students and professional development
    opportunities for teachers.
        EPM initiatives in 2024 include the continued implementation of a
    School Operations Office of Self-Determination to develop Tribal
    capacity and promote maximum Indian participation in educational
    programs and services; and BIE's Social Emotional Learning project to
    develop a national curriculum to support behavioral health and wellness
    programs at BIE-funded schools. The funding in 2024 will also allow EPM
    to calculate and report on methodologies for maximizing the benefits to
    underserved communities.
                             education construction
        The 2024 Budget includes $416.2 million, an increase of $148.3
    million over 2023 enacted, in annual funding for Education Construction
    to replace and repair school facilities and address deferred
    maintenance needs at campuses across the BIE school system. This
    funding includes substantial investments to address the climate crisis
    with more sustainable BIE infrastructure. Whenever feasible, BIE
    facilities projects incorporate techniques to reduce energy and water
    consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare the facilities
    for the predicted effects of climate change.
        The proposed $252.5 million for Replacement School Construction, a
    $136.0 million increase over the 2023 enacted amount, and $23.9 million
    for Replacement Facility Construction are critical to ensuring that all
    Native students can develop in an environment conducive to quality
    educational achievement. With the Replacement School Construction,
    Replacement Facility Construction, and Great American Outdoors Act
    (Public Law 116-152) funding anticipated through 2024, BIE expects to
    support planning, design, and construction work at nine BIE schools;
    final allocations are pending completion of the design phase and
    refined cost estimates for each school. Appropriate housing is a key
    element for educational staffing, especially at schools in remote
    locations. An additional $139.8 million is included for other housing
    and facilities repair programs, including a $9.7 million program
    increase for facilities improvement and repair and a $2.5 million
    increase for new/replacement employee housing.
                      bureau of trust funds administration
        The FY 2024 budget includes $109.1 million to support BTFA's
    execution of Federal trust responsibilities to American Indian and
    Alaska Native Tribes, individuals, and communities. The request is $2.2
    million below the FY 2023 enacted reflecting the proposed transfer of
    funding supporting probate related work in the Office of Hearings and
    Appeals from BTFA to BIA. The budget promotes investments in programs
    to ensure the Department is meeting its financial management trust
    obligations. It also includes a targeted increase for staffing needs to
    improve customer service and advance the Department's Diversity,
    Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Initiative.
        I strongly encourage the Congress to accept the BTFA organizational
    structure in the FY 2024 appropriations bill. BTFA provides a unique
    Federal trust function that is appropriately separate from the
    responsibilities of the BIA. Approving this structure will strengthen
    the organization's ability to focus on its core mission
    responsibilities and on additional complex and high-visibility
    projects. Specifically, BTFA is leading the research effort on the
    Secretary's Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative and has the lead
    on implementing an Electronic Records Management Program for all of
    Indian Affairs. In addition, improving government customer service is
    one pillar of the President's Management Agenda. In that arena, BTFA is
    one of four High Impact Service Providers at DOI, and works
    extensively, along with other agencies, to improve services to our
    beneficiaries.
                              concluding statement
        This FY 2024 budget continues to support the Administration's
    commitment to honor trust responsibilities to Tribes and self-
    determination. The 2024 budget continues investments to empower Tribal
    communities, strengthen climate resilience, improve quality of life,
    create economic opportunities, increase focus on environmental quality
    and justice needs in Tribal communities, and preserve and foster
    cultural heritage. Interior's programs maintain strong and productive
    government-to-government relationships with Tribes, helping to promote
    Tribal nation building and self-determination.

        Senator Merkley. Thank you, very much Secretary Newland.
        And I will turn to Director Tso, Director of Indian Health
    Services. Welcome.
    STATEMENT OF HON. ROSELYN TSO, DIRECTOR, INDIAN HEALTH
                SERVICE
        Ms. Tso. Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Merkley, and
    Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the Committee, thank
    you for the opportunity to testify on the President's fiscal
    year 2024 Budget Request for the Indian Health Service.
        Before I begin, though, I want to thank and acknowledge the
    members of this committee for the work that you have done to
    grow the IHS budget and prioritize health throughout Indian
    Country. We are especially grateful for your work in providing
    IHS Advance appropriations in fiscal year 2023 Bill, this is
    truly in a historic achievement, and that will greatly improve
    the lives of Native American families throughout Indian
    Country.
        I also appreciate the opportunity to share with you the
    steps that I have taken as the IHS Director to improve
    transparency, accountability, and oversight at the Indian
    Health Service. As we seek additional resources and new funding
    authorities it is critical that the Indian Health Service
    improve its internal operations to ensure safe, high quality
    health care services, and protect and support its relationships
    with Tribes and urban Indian organizations.
        To that end, I have published the first-ever agency work
    plan to manage high priority topics, including Enterprise Risk
    Management, on January 15th. The agency work plan addresses a
    wide range of issues, including patient safety, human capital,
    operations, finance, compliance, and strategies. This work
    builds on our efforts to meet the GAO criteria for removal from
    the--IHS from the high risk lists.
        The Indian Health Service has already completed two major
    accomplishments on the work plan. First, I initiated a full
    evaluation of the agency's quality program in December of 2022,
    with primary focus of improving oversight and accountability,
    and ensuring quality and safe care for our patients.
        Also, in December we were able to meet a major milestone
    which was to standardize governance throughout the Indian
    Health Service structure and all of our IHS operated
    facilities. What this does for the Indian Health Service for
    the first time, is align the resources that we have to the
    responsibilities that we have through the Indian Health
    Service, by standardizing Governing Board practices at our
    Direct Care Facility, supports a uniform approach, and also
    supports oversight and accountability while increasing
    efficiencies.
        Basically what this means, is that all of our IHS
    facilities now operate under one set of governance. And so for
    me as the IHS Director, I want to be able to scan the Indian
    Health Service at any given time, to be able to evaluate what
    is going on out there in Indian Country, and particularly at
    those sites that we are--continue to be responsible for.
        And with that, with your support, the IHS budget has grown
    68 percent in the last decade. We know that this type of growth
    is challenging to accomplish in a constrained, discretionary
    funding environment. Over the years the work with our Tribal
    and urban partners underscore our shared goals to improve
    health outcomes for All American Indians and Alaska Natives.
        It is with this shared goal in mind that the administration
    approached the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the IHS. We
    know that despite our shared efforts IHS is still underfunded.
    This underfunding of the Indian Health System directly
    contributes to the stark health disparities in our Indian
    communities.
        American Indians and Alaska Natives born today have an
    average life expectancy that is 10.9 years fewer than U.S. all-
    race population. Long-standing health disparities were
    compounded by the pandemic, with the American Indians and
    Alaska Natives experiencing disproportionate rates of COVID-19
    infections, hospitalizations, and death. Addressing these
    inequities is a moral imperative for our Nation, and will
    require bold actions from all of us to ensure that we are
    upholding our commitments to Indian Country.
        This is why the budget proposes to build on the enactment
    of the advance appropriations for funding for the Indian Health
    Service and Facilities Accounts as discretionary.
        Beginning in fiscal year 2025, the budget would make all
    funding for IHS mandatory. The administration continues to
    stand behind mandatory funding as it is the most appropriate
    long-term funding solution for Indian Health Service. We know
    that is significant change that will take time and
    collaboration with Congress and Tribes to accomplish. We
    believe that the change of this magnitude is overdue, and we
    must deliver for Indian Country and in line with long-standing
    recommendations from Tribal leaders across the Nation.
        As noted in the GAO report, annual discretionary
    appropriations leaves IHS Tribal and Urban Indian Health
    Programs open to negative impacts from budgetary uncertainties.
    The President's budget would address these three core issues
    identified by GAO: funding, stability, predictability, and
    adequacy.
        As we work towards securing stable, predictable, and
    adequate funding to meet the needs of Indian Country, we are
    committed to working closely with all of our stakeholders.
        Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. And I am
    happy to answer any questions.
        [The statement follows:]
                Prepared Statement of Hon. Roselyn Tso Director
        Good afternoon Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and
    Members of the Committee. Thank you for your support and for inviting
    me to speak with you about the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Budget
    Request for the Indian Health Service (IHS).
        IHS is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services
    (HHS) and our mission is to raise the physical, mental, social, and
    spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) to the
    highest level. This mission is carried out in partnership with AI/AN
    Tribal communities through a network of over 600 Federal and Tribal
    health facilities and 41 Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) that are
    located across 37 States and provide health care services to
    approximately 2.8 million AI/AN people annually.
        On March 9, 2023, the White House released the President's FY 2024
    Budget, which takes a two pronged approach to build on the historic
    enactment of advance appropriations for the IHS in the FY 2023 Omnibus.
    In FY 2024, the Budget proposes to fund IHS Services and Facilities
    accounts as discretionary, building on the enacted 2024 advance
    appropriations. It also proposes to reclassify Contract Support Costs
    and Section 105(l) Leases to mandatory funding in FY 2024, which is the
    most appropriate funding source for these legally required payments to
    Tribal health programs. Beginning in FY 2025, the Budget would make all
    funding for IHS mandatory. The bold action proposed in the FY 2024
    President's Budget demonstrates the Administration's continued
    commitment to strengthening the Nation-to-nation relationship. This
    historic proposal addresses long-standing challenges that have impacted
    communities across Indian Country for decades.
                             leadership priorities
        I have been traveling across Indian Country to visit the places
    where we are serving our people since my appointment last fall. These
    visits have provided me a better perspective on national and regional
    issues affecting the Tribal members we serve and have informed my
    priorities for the agency. I have two key priorities as IHS Director:
    providing safe, high quality patient care; and improving our
    relationships with Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Urban Indian
    Organizations. To those ends, I have taken significant steps to
    increase transparency, accountability, and oversight at the IHS. The
    IHS published its first ever Agency Work Plan \1\ to manage high
    priority, enterprise-wide risks on January 15. I hold quarterly
    strategic planning sessions with leadership from across the Agency to
    ensure progress on the Work Plan, and I have assigned a lead to each
    action on the Work Plan. These actions address a wide range of Agency-
    wide issues including patient safety, human capital, operations,
    finances, compliance, and strategy. This work builds on the IHS'
    efforts to meet the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) criteria
    for removal from its high risk list.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Indian Health Service-2023 Agency Work Plan: https://
    www.ihs.gov/quality/work-plan-summary/
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The IHS has achieved two major accomplishments on the Work Plan
    thus far. I initiated an evaluation of the Agency's quality program in
    December 2022, with a primary focus on improving oversight of quality
    and safe care for patients. In general, this evaluation included a
    continued focus on oversight and accountability through developing
    policies, standardizing the IHS governance structure and strengthening
    IHS' enterprise risk management program.
        Standardizing governing board practices at direct service
    facilities improves oversight and accountability while increasing
    efficiency and effectiveness of governing board meetings. These actions
    allow the Agency to be proactive on governance issues by being able to
    review information in an efficient manner. These efforts were led by a
    team of subject matter experts from across the Agency, with oversight
    and technical direction by the IHS Chief Medical Officer.
        Funding issues directly contribute to challenges in providing safe,
    high-quality care for patients, and supporting productive relationships
    between the IHS and Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations. The Indian
    Health system is chronically underfunded compared to other healthcare
    systems in the U.S.\2,3\ Despite substantial growth in the IHS
    discretionary budget over the last decade, 68 percent from FY 2013 to
    the current FY 2023 enacted level, the growth has not been sufficient
    to address the well-documented funding gaps in Indian Country. These
    funding deficiencies directly contribute to stark health disparities
    faced by Tribal communities.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Government Accountability Office Report--Indian Health Service:
    Spending Levels and Characteristics of IHS and Three Other Federal
    Health Care Programs
    https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-19-74r.pdf
        \3\ U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report--Broken Promises:
    Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans
    https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        AI/ANs born today have an average life expectancy that is 10.9
    years fewer than the U.S. all- races population. AI/AN life expectancy
    dropped from an estimated 71.8 years in 2019 to 65.2 years in 2021--the
    same life expectancy as the general United States population in 1944
    \4\. They also experience disproportionate rates of mortality from most
    major health issues, including chronic liver disease and cirrhosis,
    diabetes, unintentional injuries, assault and homicide, and suicide.
    AI/AN people also have higher rates of colorectal, kidney, liver, lung,
    and stomach cancers than non-Hispanic White people.\5\ The pandemic
    compounded the impact of these disparities in Tribal communities, with
    AI/ANs experiencing disproportionate rates of COVID-19 infection,
    hospitalization, and death.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Report--Life
    Expectancy in the U.S. Dropped for the Second Year in a Row in 2021
    https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/
    20220831.htm#::text=AIAN%20people%20had%20a%20life,total%20U.S.%20
    population%20in%201944
        \5\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- Cancer Within
    American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Populations
    https://www.cdc.gov/healthyTribes/native-american-cancer.html
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
         building on the historic achievement of advance appropriations
        The FY 2024 President's Budget builds on the historic enactment of
    advance appropriations for IHS in the FY 2023 Omnibus. For the first
    year of the proposal, the Budget includes $9.7 billion in total funding
    for the IHS, which includes $8.1 billion in discretionary funding, and
    $1.6 billion in proposed mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs,
    Section 105(l) Leases, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians.
    This is an increase of $2.5 billion above the FY 2023 Enacted level.
    Advance appropriations represent an important step towards securing
    stable and predictable funding to improve the overall health status of
    AI/ANs, and ensuring that the disproportionate impacts experienced by
    Tribal communities during government shutdowns and continuing
    resolutions are never repeated.
        While the progress achieved through the enactment of advance
    appropriations will have a lasting impact on Indian Country, funding
    growth beyond what can be accomplished through discretionary spending
    is needed to fulfill the Federal Government's commitments to AI/AN
    communities. Funding for IHS has grown substantially in the last
    decade, but this growth is not sufficient to address the historic under
    investment and persistent health disparities in AI/AN communities.
        The Administration continues to support mandatory funding for IHS
    as the most appropriate long-term funding solution for the agency and
    will continue to work collaboratively with Tribes and Congress to move
    toward sustainable, mandatory funding. Until this solution is enacted,
    it is critical that Congress continue to provide advance appropriations
    for IHS through the discretionary appropriations process for FY 2025
    and beyond.
                          long-term funding solutions
        The Budget proposes to fully shift the IHS budget to mandatory
    funding in FY 2025. This mandatory formula culminates in a total
    funding level of approximately $44.0 billion in FY 2033. In total, the
    mandatory budget would provide nearly $288 billion for the IHS over 10
    years. When accounting for the discretionary baseline, the net-total
    for the proposal is $192 billion over 10 years.
        Under the proposed mandatory structure, IHS funding would grow
    automatically to address inflation factors to address the growing cost
    of providing direct health care services, including pay costs, medical
    and non- medical inflation, and population growth, as well as key
    operational needs, and existing backlogs in both healthcare services
    and facilities infrastructure.
        Mandatory funding for the IHS provides the opportunity for
    significant funding increases that could not be achieved within
    discretionary spending levels. Further, this mandatory funding proposal
    ensuring predictability that would allow IHS, Tribal, and urban Indian
    health programs the opportunity for long-term and strategic planning.
    This increased stability and ability to conduct longer-term planning
    will improve the quality of healthcare, promote recruitment and
    retention of health professionals, and enhance management efficiencies
    for individual health programs and the Indian Health system at large.
        The Budget also exempts all IHS funding from sequestration, which
    is the legislatively mandated process of budget control consisting of
    automatic, across-the-board spending reductions to enforce budget
    targets to limit Federal spending. Exempting the IHS budget from
    sequestration ensures funding for direct health care services for AI/
    ANs is not reduced and is consistent with the treatment of other
    critical programs such as veterans' health care and nutrition
    assistance programs.
        Lastly, the Budget proposes to reauthorize the Special Diabetes
    Program for Indians and provide $250 million in FY 2024, $260 million
    in FY 2025, and $270 million in FY 2026 in new mandatory funding. This
    program has proven to be effective at reducing the prevalence of
    diabetes among AI/AN adults \6\, and is associated with an estimated
    net-savings to Medicare of up to $520 million over 10 years due to
    averted cases of end-stage renal disease \7\. The budget's proposed
    increases will enable the program to expand to additional grantees, and
    allow the grantees to plan for larger and longer-term community-driven
    interventions more effectively. Without the reauthorization of this
    program in FY 2024 services would end for this successful program.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ 4 British Medical Journal- Prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in
    American Indian and Alaska Native adults, 2006-2017
    https://drc.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001218
        \7\ HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Issue
    Brief- The Special Diabetes Program for Indians Estimates of Medicare
    Savings
    https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/261741/
    SDPI_Paper_Final.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        This request responds to the long-standing recommendations of
    Tribal leaders shared in consultation with HHS and IHS to make IHS
    funding mandatory. The IHS recognizes that we must continue to work in
    consultation with Tribes and confer with urban Indian organizations,
    and with our partners in Congress. To this end, a joint OMB and HHS
    Tribal consultation and urban confer will be conducted in June to
    review this proposal and receive feedback to inform further refinements
    to the mandatory formula structure.
                     prioritizing high quality health care
        The Budget prioritizes investments that advance high quality health
    care and tackle the stark health care inequities AI/ANs face every day.
        In FY 2024 the Budget provides +$742 million increase to expand
    access to direct health care services by increasing funding across IHS'
    direct health care service program lines. These resources will support
    efforts to reduce health disparities and improve the overall health
    status for AI/ANs by increasing the availability of health care
    services in Indian Country. Specifically, this funding level will
    support an estimated additional 45,670 inpatient admissions and
    16,976,299 outpatient visits at IHS and Tribal facilities in FY 2024.
    This funding also expands access to the Purchased/Referred Care program
    for contract health care services that are not available in IHS or
    Tribal health facilities by providing an estimated 3,138 additional
    inpatient admissions, 92,248 additional outpatient visits, and 3,262
    additional patient travel trips. The Budget also expands Dental health
    services, supporting an estimated 167,119 additional dentalvisits and
    529,462 additional dental services in FY 2024. Within this total, the
    Budget includes an additional $21 million for the Urban Indian Health
    Program to expand access to culturally competent direct health care
    services through a network of 41 Urban Indian Organizations located in
    urban areas across the country. Expansion of these programs is
    essential to ensure that IHS can provide high quality medical services
    and support critical health care services that meet the unique needs of
    AI/AN communities.
        In addition, Current Services, which offset the rising costs of
    providing direct health care services, are fully funded at +$346
    million in FY 2024. These resources will help the IHS to maintain
    services at the FY 2023 levels by shoring up base operating budgets of
    IHS, Tribal, and urban Indian health programs in the face of increasing
    costs. Similarly, in FY 2024, the Budget includes +$82 million to fully
    fund staffing and operating costs for eight newly-constructed or
    expanded health care facilities. These funds support the staffing
    packages for new or expanded facilities, which will expand the
    availability of direct health care services in areas where existing
    health care capacity is overextended. The mandatory funding formula
    fully funds Current Services and staffing and operating costs for newly
    opening facilities in the out-years.
        The Budget also makes targeted investments to address our Nation's
    most pressing public health challenges, which disproportionately impact
    AI/AN communities. For the first time ever, the Budget proposes
    dedicated funding to address disparities in cancer rates and mortality
    among AI/AN, providing $108 million for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
    Through this initiative, the IHS would develop a coordinated public
    health and clinical cancer prevention initiative to implement best
    practices and prevention strategies to address incidence of cancer and
    mortality among AI/AN. Similarly, the Budget requests funding to
    address HIV, Hepatitis C, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (+$47
    million), improve maternal health (+$3 million), and address opioid use
    (+$9 million) in Indian Country.
        The Budget also makes numerous investments in high priority areas,
    such as recruitment and retention of high quality health professionals,
    expansion of the successful Community Health Aide Program, and other
    activities that support high quality health care.
        Likewise, from FY 2025 to FY 2029, the Budget requests an
    additional +$11.2 billion in mandatory funding for the Indian Health
    Care Improvement Fund to address the funding gap for direct healthcare
    services documented in the FY 2018 level of need funded analysis.\8\
    The Budget would continue growth for direct services once the 2018 gap
    is addressed. This funding would be distributed using the Indian Health
    Care Improvement Fund formula. The formula is used to target the Indian
    Health Care Improvement Fund appropriations to the sites with the
    greatest need, as compared to the benchmark of National Health
    Expenditure Data, which is maintained by the Centers for Medicare and
    Medicaid Services. The formula is the product of longstanding
    consultation with Tribes.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \8\ Indian Health Service- FY 2018 Indian Health Care Improvement
    Fund Workgroup Interim Report
    https://www.ihs.gov/sites/ihcif/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/
    documents/2018/2018_IHCIF_WorkgroupInterimReport.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The outyear mandatory formula also prevents a sharp reduction in
    services by providing an additional +$220 million in FY 2025 to
    partially sustain the one-time American Rescue Plan Act investments
    that were appropriated to expand access to mental health and substance
    abuse prevention and treatment services, and to expand the public
    health workforce in Indian Country.
                      modernizing critical infrastructure
        In addition to funding for direct health care services, additional
    investments are needed to address substantial deficiencies in physical
    and information technology infrastructure across the IHS system.
    Outdated infrastructure poses challenges in safely providing patient
    care, recruiting and retaining staff, and meeting accreditation
    standards. From FY 2024 through FY 2029, the Budget includes critical
    funding increases to reduce or eliminate existing facilities backlogs
    and modernize the IHS Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
        Specifically, in FY 2024, the Budget provides $913 million in
    discretionary funding for EHR modernization. The Budget then builds
    funding for EHR by +$1.1 billion each year from FY 2025 through FY 2029
    under the proposed mandatory formula. Once the EHR modernization effort
    is fully funded, the Budget provides sufficient resources for ongoing
    operations and maintenance of the new system. The current IHS EHR is
    over 50 years old, and the GAO identifies it as one of the 10 most
    critical Federal legacy systems in need of modernization. The IHS
    relies on its EHR for all aspects of patient care, including the
    patient record, prescriptions, care referrals, and billing public and
    private insurance for over $1 billion reimbursable health care services
    annually. Expected benefits from adopting and implementing a modernized
    system include, but are not limited to, improved patient safety,
    improved patient outcomes, better disease management, enhanced
    population health, improved clinical quality measures, opioid tracking,
    patient data exchange, third party revenue generation, and agency
    performance reporting. Additionally, the new system will be
    interoperable with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of
    Defense, Tribal and urban Indian health programs, academic affiliates,
    and community partners, many of whom are on different health
    information technology platforms.
        The IHS system also faces substantial physical infrastructure
    challenges--IHS hospitals are approximately 42 years old on average,
    which is almost four times the age of the average hospital in the
    United States. Infrastructure deficiencies directly contribute to
    poorer health outcomes for AI/ANs. The Budget addresses these needs by
    fully funding the 1993 Health Care Facilities Construction Priority
    list over 5 years. The remaining projects on the list include the
    Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ; Whiteriver Hospital,
    Whiteriver, AZ; Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, NM; Albuquerque
    West Health Center, Albuquerque, NM; Albuquerque Central Health Center,
    Albuquerque, NM; Sells Health Center, Sells, AZ; Alamo Heath Center,
    Alamo, NM; Bodaway Gap Health Center, The Gap AZ; and Pueblo Pintado
    Health Center, Pueblo Pintado, NM. After the 1993 Health Care
    Facilities Construction Priority List is completed, funding will
    continue to increase to begin addressing the full scope of Facilities
    needs as identified in the most recent IHS Facilities Needs Assessment
    Report to Congress.
        Furthermore, the Budget includes +$10 million in discretionary
    funding in FY 2024 and +$454 million in mandatory funding over 2 years,
    from FY 2025 to FY 2026, to fully fund the medical equipment backlog.
    Many IHS hospital administrators reported that old or inadequate
    physical environments challenged their ability to provide quality care
    and maintain compliance with the Medicare Hospital Conditions of
    Participation. The administrators also reported that aging buildings
    and equipment is a major challenge impacting recruitment and retention
    of clinicians.
        Maintaining reliable and efficient buildings is also a challenge as
    existing health care facilities age and the costs to operate and
    properly maintain health care facilities increases. Many IHS and Tribal
    health care facilities are operating at or beyond capacity, and their
    designs are not efficient in the context of modern health care
    delivery. The Budget tackles this challenge by providing a +$10 million
    discretionary increase for maintenance and improvement in FY 2024 and
    fully funding the 2022 Backlog of Essential Maintenance, Alteration,
    and Repair for IHS and Tribal facilities of $1.02 billion over 2 years,
    from FY 2025 to FY 2026 under the mandatory formula.
        The Budget ensures that these facilities investments can be rapidly
    addressed by providing sufficient administrative support increases.
    Specifically, the mandatory formula increases the Facilities and
    Environmental Health Support funding line at 13 percent of the rate of
    growth in Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) and 5 percent of the
    rate of growth in Health Care Facilities Construction, consistent with
    historical funding needs and IHS' current estimation methodology. This
    funding supports staff to oversee and implement facilities projects, as
    well as a comprehensive environmental health program within IHS. Within
    this increase, the Budget dedicates $10 million in FY 2025 to support a
    nation-wide analysis to understand the cost implications of
    implementing section 302 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25
    US.C. 1632), which authorizes funding for operations and maintenance
    costs for Tribes who choose to directly compete their own SFC projects.
    The results of this analysis will be used and implemented as part of
    the updated mandatory formula structure. These funds would be used by
    IHS and Tribes to ensure that existing SFC projects are reaching their
    maximum life-cycle and operations of these projects are sustainable for
    as long as possible. In FY 2027, the Budget provides an additional $250
    million in mandatory funding to address operation and maintenance costs
    for complete sanitation facilities projects, addressing longstanding
    recommendations from Tribes.
        Lastly, the IHS is grateful for the additional $3.5 billion in
    Sanitation Facilities Construction funding provided by the
    Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These funds will make a
    transformational impact on essential sanitation needs across Indian
    Country. To maintain existing project completion deadlines and support
    IHS and Tribes in successfully implementing IIJA resources, the Budget
    includes +$49 million in FY 2024 to support implementation of the $3.5
    billion provided by the IIJA for Sanitation Facilities Construction
    (SFC). This funding is within the Facility and Environmental Health
    Support funding line and will support additional salary, expenses, and
    administrative costs beyond the 3 percent allowed in the IIJA. These
    funds would also be available to Tribal Health Programs, which is not
    currently permissible under the 3 percent set-aside for administrative
    costs in the IIJA.
                         supporting self-determination
        IHS continues to support the self-determination of Tribes to
    operate their own health programs. Tribal leaders and members are best
    positioned to understand the priorities and needs of their local
    communities. The amount of the IHS budget that is administered directly
    by Tribes through Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
    Act contracts and compacts has grown over time, with over 60 percent of
    IHS funding currently administered directly by Tribes. Tribes design
    and manage the delivery of individual and community health services
    through 22 hospitals, 330 health centers, 559 ambulatory clinics, 76
    health stations, 146 Alaska village clinics, and 7 school health
    centers across Indian Country. In recognition of this, the Budget
    proposes to reclassify these costs to a mandatory indefinite
    appropriation with estimated funding levels of $1.2 billion for
    Contract Support Costs and $153 million for Section 105(l) Lease
    Agreements in FY 2024. The Budget maintains indefinite mandatory
    funding for these accounts across the 10-year budget window to ensure
    these payments to ISDEAA contractors and compactors are fully funded.
              covid-19 response and future emergency preparedness
        Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the IHS has made incredible
    achievements to save lives and improve the health of AI/ANs across the
    Nation. The IHS has worked closely with our Tribal and Urban Indian
    Organization partners, State and local public health officials, and our
    fellow Federal agencies to coordinate a comprehensive public health
    response to the pandemic. Our number one priority has been the safety
    of our IHS patients and staff, as well as Tribal community members.
        COVID-19 has disproportionally impacted AI/ANs. Deficiencies in
    public health infrastructure exacerbated the impact of COVID-19 on AI/
    ANs. To address the long-term impacts of COVID-19, in FY 2025 the
    Budget provides a +$130 million mandatory funding increase to support
    IHS patients in recovery from the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19
    pandemic, including treatment for long haul COVID-19. Based on data
    from 14 States, age-adjusted COVID-19 associated mortality among AI/AN
    was 1.8 times that of non-Hispanic Whites. In 23 States with adequate
    race and ethnicity data, the cumulative incidence of laboratory-
    confirmed COVID-19 among AI/AN was 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic
    Whites. COVID-19 hospitalizations and mortality rates among AI/AN were
    2.7 and 1.4 times those among White persons, respectively.
        The Budget also establishes a new dedicated funding stream within
    the mandatory formula to address public health capacity and
    infrastructure needs in Indian Country. This funding will support an
    innovative hub-and-spoke model to address local public health needs in
    partnership with Tribes and urban Indian organizations. Establishing a
    new program to build public health capacity is a key lesson learned
    from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a top recommendation shared by Tribal
    leaders in consultation with HHS. This includes $150 million in FY
    2025, and would grow in the out-years under the formula, for a total of
    $500 million over the ten-year window. Additional resources are
    necessary to develop appropriate public health and emergency
    preparedness capacity in AI/AN communities to prevent these
    disproportionate impacts in the future. As of 2021, only four Tribal
    public health agencies are accredited through the Public Health
    Accreditation Board. Comparatively, 40 State and 305 local public
    health agencies were accredited as of 2021.\9\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \9\ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion- Increase the
    number of Tribal public health agencies that are accredited https://
    health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/public-
    health-infrastructure/increase-number-tribal-public-health- agencies-
    are-accredited-phi-03/data
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    closing
        The FY 2024 Budget makes bold strides toward the goal of ensuring
    stable and predictable funding to improve the overall health status of
    AI/AN communities. The Budget is a historic step and the start of an
    ongoing conversation with Tribes to ensure the IHS system is meeting
    the healthcare needs in Indian Country. HHS looks forward to working in
    consultation with Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Congress to
    refine this proposal through the legislative process to strengthen the
    Nation-to-Nation relationship.

        Senator Merkley. Well, thank you very much. And we will
    submit your full testimony for the record, if that is fine for
    both of you. Great. Without objection.

                       FUNDING FLAT WITH FISCAL YEAR 2022

        So the House Republican budget, as mentioned by Chair
    Murray, essentially freezes funding to the fiscal year 2022
    level which seems entirely at odds with the bipartisan support
    for Tribal programs.
        Director Tso, can you give us a sense of what would be the
    biggest impact on Tribal health if that was to occur?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you, for that question Chairman. So any
    reduction in health care resources to Indian Country would be
    devastating. We know that already today there is a severe
    impact on our Tribal communities as we have already noted
    earlier, the impacts of not only the ongoing COVID-19, and the
    subsequent services that will be required for long-term--Long
    COVID, and moreover the opioid issues, the mental health issues
    that are huge within Indian Country.
        At this time, right now, we are already at close to 40
    percent vacancy rates from mental health support throughout the
    Indian Health Service. That is just trying to meet the mental
    health care needs of Indian Country is desperately needed, and
    that any resources or any cuts to the Indian Health Service
    would just further devastate our situation in Indian Country.
        Senator Merkley. I was really struck, in your written
    testimony, where you mentioned in your oral testimony the 10.9
    years life expectancy lower than the general average in
    America. But then you go on to list many of those areas,
    including much higher rates of many forms of cancer. Anyway
    there is a lot of work to be done there. And I do not want to
    see us moving backwards.

                         CSC AND 105L LEASES--MANDATORY

        One of the initiatives is to reclassify contract support
    costs, and 105(l) building leases as mandatory funding. Now,
    that is kind of hard to remember, what are these contract
    support costs, and building leases, and why are they mandatory,
    and what are the core issues behind them? In fact, two cases
    have affirmed the Federal Government is required to reimburse
    Tribes for these costs.
        So I have been referring to them as Tribal Sovereignty
    Payments because that is easy to understand, to encapsulate
    those terms, and it is a much clearer description of what these
    costs are, that the cost the Federal Government must pay the
    Tribes when they exercise their sovereignty to run their own
    programs.
        So can you tell us how important these payments are to
    Tribes who choose the self-government options? And the
    importance of making these Tribal sovereignty payments
    mandatory?
        Ms. Tso. Yes. Thank you for that. In 2016, when we first
    dealt with the Supreme Court's decision to reimburse Tribes,
    this was an area that I led for the Indian Health Service, and
    very important. We know that about 60 to 70 percent of the
    Indian Health Service has been contracted, or compacted. by
    Tribes throughout the country.
        That being said, they absolutely rely on contract support
    costs to continue to operate, and cover the administrative
    costs that were not transferred to them by the Federal
    Government, and for them to continue to comply with rules and
    regulations that we all do in the health care arena. So we know
    how important that is for every contractor to make sure that
    they have those resources as immediately as possible.
        It is complicated to get to the number that we can all
    agree on, but certainly every effort has been made to make sure
    that we do that. It is the same for 105(l) lease, these are
    lease authorities that are provided to the Indian Health
    Service, that we can, again, reimburse Tribes for their costs
    when they construct and own their own facilities there is a
    cost to running and operating those facilities, and that is the
    105(l) lease reimbursement that Indian Health Service has.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. I am going to be pretty strict
    about us sticking to our time limits. And I now have 45 seconds
    left. So Assistant Secretary Newland, can you describe how your
    budget supports the ongoing efforts to reform Tribal jails; in
    37 seconds?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, we are
    requesting not only increased operation and maintenance costs
    for our BIA detention centers, but also replacement
    construction dollars increase as well. As I think it has been
    well documented, our jails across the BIA system are in poor
    condition, and we have also come up with an ability to rank
    them to prioritize which ones should be replaced, but we need
    the dollars to do that to make sure the people in our care and
    custody get the treatment they are entitled to.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And I know there has been a
    fair much amount of attention to the deaths, and the
    conditions, and it needs attention. And feel free to follow up
    later.

                              CSC AND 105L LEASES

        And let me turn this over to Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to
    focus my first round of questions on contract support costs,
    and the 105[l]s. You know, when you are trying to look at this
    through the appropriators' eyes and see the ever escalating
    costs that we are dealing with, I think it is important that we
    try, as best we can, to get a handle on this.
        This is a question to both of you perhaps, but do the
    contract support costs and the 105(l) lease payments have
    statutory, regulatory, and court citations which define and
    quantify exactly what these costs are; does that exist out
    there; Assistant Secretary?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Ranking Member Murkowski. I can't
    give you a specific citation in this hearing, would be happy to
    follow up. We do know that those costs are mandated by law. And
    I can add that over the last five fiscal years at Indian
    Affairs, we have gone from zero 105(l) leases, to this year
    where we expect to hit nearly 300.
        Senator Murkowski. Right.
        Mr. Newland. And we see continued growth in that. And so
    when we have got these obligations by law to provide this level
    of funding, and an exponential growth in the number of
    requests, we are going to see--without a mandatory
    reclassification, we are going to see these funds crowd out the
    rest of the program dollars in the----
        Senator Murkowski. No. I understand, and I am equally
    concerned, know that. What I am trying to drill down though, is
    whether or not there is legally defined reference definitions.
    If you can provide the committee that information, I think it
    would be helpful.
        And Mr. Chairman, I am asking for this because we are
    acknowledging, these are complicated things here, and I don't
    think that we can ignore the terms that are rooted in the
    statute, in the regulations, and what the court refers to. So
    as we are looking to reclassify these, I would simply urge the
    subcommittee here to utilize the terminology that is founded in
    the law, and the regs. I understand the desire to try to
    identify something for simplicity, but this is something I
    don't want to spend a lot of time on it, but I do want to try
    to get that that certainty there definitionally.
        We recognize that in the Maniilaq decision back in 2016,
    which established the 105(l) leasing mandates that we have seen
    agencies take a widely differing approach on how to structure
    the payments. And so because of this general provision has been
    included directing both IHS and Interior to begin this process
    to establish these guidelines regarding the parameters here.

                                  105L LEASES

        Can you give me a status update on what is being done at
    Interior, at IHS, to accomplish this legal requirement? And are
    there any regulatory changes that we may see coming from this?
    How do you see this shaping up?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. Our teams, at both Indian
    Affairs and Indian Health Service, have had a lot of
    conversations with one another to make sure that we are synced
    up between our agencies on the 105(l) Leasing Program, and that
    there is consistency, more consistency between our agencies, on
    how we meet these obligations.
        And we have also, through our budgeting process, been
    hearing from Tribes about how to make sure we are meeting our
    obligations, and we are looking at a number of ways to make
    sure that we are speaking with clarity about how we meet these
    obligations.

                              OMB VS. CBO SCORCES

        Senator Murkowski. So let me ask then, because it is my
    understanding that we have seen a difference in how OMB and CBO
    interpret and score the contract support costs on the 105[l]s.
    Do we know why we are seeing this, why the costs vary between
    the two scoring agencies, and what do we do about it? It is one
    thing to have alignment within the agencies, but if you have
    got different entities that are scoring things differently, are
    we trying to grapple with that one as well; Director Tso?
        Ms. Tso. Yes, thank you. For the Indian Health Service we
    have done two things. One, we are moving the 105(l) lease to be
    a more centralized program, to make sure again, that we have
    that oversight. With regard to the scoring though, we recognize
    that difference as well, and we are looking to schedule to
    coordinate, and make sure that what the scoring that is coming
    out of the CBO, and what we are doing is more aligned as we
    move forward.
        Senator Murkowski. I hope we are able to reconcile that.
    Let us know if we can be helpful. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Well, thank you.
        Senator Heinrich.
        Senator Heinrich. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary
    Newland, thanks to the STOP Act that was signed by President
    Biden into law in December, it is finally illegal to export
    objects of patrimony, sacred Tribal items for sale in foreign
    markets. And these are items that have been, obviously, illegal
    to sell here in the United States for decades. But until
    December, sellers could take them out of the country, and sell
    them overseas in auction houses, with very little recourse.
        Senator Murkowski and I worked together for years to pass
    this legislation. Now, we need to make sure it is implemented
    well. What are the plans to implement the STOP Act and ensure
    that these illegal exports are finally prevented, in a systemic
    way?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. We have begun the
    consultation process required by the Act, and we have been
    thinking through the budgetary impacts as well, because of some
    of the parallels with the Department's Native American Graves
    Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Programs and in the
    similar type of work. You know, we estimate that that would
    probably be the same budget impact on the Department's budget,
    around $3 million, to get implemented, that estimate came after
    the budget was released, but that is our best estimate right
    now based on the work. And I believe we will know more after
    Tribal consultation. And we are going to continue to refine
    that.

                    GALLUP INDIAN MEDICAL CENTER REPLACEMENT

        Senator Heinrich. Thank you. Director Tso, as you know from
    our visit last June, and your previous role as the Navajo area
    IHS Director, the Gallup Indian Medical Center is in utter
    disrepair, needs to be replaced. Everyone agrees on that. I
    know that IHS has been working with the Navajo Nation for the
    past several decades now, to settle on a site to replace GIMC.
    I understand there have recently been productive conversations
    with Navajo Nation President, Buu Nygren, about finalizing that
    site selection. Can you just update us on when you expect a
    final site to be selected?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you for that question. Yes. I have already
    met with President Nygren on this particular issue and asked to
    make sure that we continue to have updates. We are scheduling
    another update with him, just to make sure, again, that they
    fully understand, we all fully understand how important it is
    to make that final selection. The IHS will still go with the
    Rehoboth site at this point, but looking at also what we can
    finalize regarding the Gamerco site, of course those two are
    the sites that we will continue to work with Navajo Nation on.
        It is my hope that within the next 60 to 90 days, that we
    will have a final site selection determined for this, because
    we need to have that completed.
        Senator Heinrich. So you are looking at both sites, and you
    think that 90 days from now you will have settled on one?
        Ms. Tso. IHS has already concluded that the Rehoboth site
    is the site. The conversation that we were having with then
    President Nez, and now President Nygren, is their preference in
    where that is at, and so I am hoping that we can tighten that
    up here pretty quickly. And that will help us take the next
    step of the planning efforts for Gallup.
        Senator Heinrich. And you need to settle on that site
    before any planning and design can start?
        Ms. Tso. It is certainly going to be more helpful, because
    we know we might have some site--or some limited space in
    Rehoboth, and Gamerco might give us a little bit more options,
    if that is the way we go.

                               CASEWORK RESPONSE

        Senator Heinrich. Okay. One of the most important jobs I
    have is just helping constituents when they are having trouble
    with a Federal agency. And my casework team has experienced
    just really extended delays when it comes to casework with IHS.
    There have been some cases that have taken nearly 15 months to
    resolve. What is the cause behind these kinds of delays? And
    what can we do to better resolve constituent cases? What can
    Congress do to make sure we are supporting you so that we can
    iterate on these constituent cases much more quickly?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you, Senator. I cannot, unfortunately, speak
    to the 15 months, but I can speak to what we have done in the
    last 6 months. And just, as of this morning, I asked again if
    we have responded to all of the questions that are in front of
    us from any congressional or constituent questions. This is
    very important to me that IHS continue to do a better job in
    responding to any correspondence, or any questions that come
    for Indian Health.
        And so in that, as part of building out efficiencies at the
    IHS, we can now quantify and qualify everywhere every
    document--all of our documents are at in the process.
        Senator Heinrich. Okay. Thank you.

                       WATER INFRASTRUCTURE/WARM SPRINGS

        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much.
        Director Tso, significant funds were allocated to improve
    water structure, water infrastructure at Tribal communities
    across the country, and certainly the Confederated Tribes of
    the Warm Springs in Oregon is one of those sites where the
    water system has to be completely replaced. And I wanted to--
    well, one, I am very appreciative that the funds have been
    allocated both through the EPA and IHS. But any updates on how
    that is proceeding forward.
        Ms. Tso. Yes. Thank you. For all of the $3.5 billion that
    Indian Health Service received, we have posted earlier in April
    on our IHS website, an interactive map that allows you to
    evaluate where every project is at in the Indian Health Service
    allocation of those $3.5 billion that we have.
        It is important again that we be accountable. It is
    important again that we be transparent. And that Tribal
    leaders, and even homeowners for that matter, can see where
    their project is in the pipeline. That is the same for the Warm
    Springs Water Infrastructure issue.
        I was out there shortly after I was confirmed, and it was a
    very difficult situation to see. But we have now secured those
    resources, and I expect that, I believe as early as today that
    the next agreement will be signed and we will move to the next
    phase.
        Senator Merkley. Great. I am glad to hear that, because the
    great fear is that if the gears don't turn fast enough, the
    construction crossing increase, and then it turns out that we
    don't have the money for it, enough to complete the vision, and
    other things slow it down. It is just like, please, any extra
    attention you can give to that Warm Springs project will be
    much, much appreciated.

                          COMMUNITY HEALTH AID PROGRAM

        I also want to turn to the Community Health Aid Program, a
    program that we are looking at in your proposal to expand to
    the Lower 48 states. My colleague from Alaska, undoubtedly, has
    a sense of how that has been working in Alaska, but I do know
    that in Oregon in many states of the Lower 48, a huge shortage
    of health care workers.
        So could you elaborate on how this proposed expansion would
    work? And how this money will really, like, make that happen?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you, Chairman. So just coming off of a visit
    to Alaska, I was out there for the last seven days, and I will
    tell you that there is nothing more that can put the CHAP
    Program into perspective other than being on the ground. To
    totally appreciate and understand the absolute remote locations
    that you can only get to by air in many instances, to get to
    the services that people need, is just crucial. And that is
    where the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) is just
    impressive.
        And I was able to meet with many of the Tribal leaders, and
    actually see for myself, and visit with the actual CHAP
    coordinators, and CHAP professionals out there, to really see
    how important that is.
        Within the last month, I have proceeded to move forward on
    the Portland area, which is of course, Washington, Oregon,
    Idaho, with them, and providing them the ability to proceed on
    them. They were already--as I visited in Oregon as well--saw
    what they were doing on the DHAT site, which is the dental
    Program site, and how important that is.
        As I mentioned earlier, with regards to the challenges that
    we are having in mental health, that they are not, just like
    nurses and doctors, they are not out there, and we are going to
    have to really lean on the CHAP Program that was built out of
    Alaska to make sure that we are going to meet the needs of
    Indian Country.
        There is no other option for us at this point. So as we
    continue to move forward, CHAP Program is a priority at the
    Indian Health Service, in getting that program stood up at the
    national level so we can continue to do what we do.
        What I am doing right now, though, is working with the
    Alaska Tribal organizations up there, to help us stand up our
    program nationally, so we don't have to reinvent right now,
    that we don't delay anything as we move forward. I further
    anticipate that we will be moving out in, not just the Portland
    area, but also in the Billings area, because I believe that
    they are next ready to go with that. So we are proceeding, and
    wanting to spread this across Indian Country.
        Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you.
        Secretary Newland, many of our Tribes that were eligible
    for support for the Criminal Justice systems are not included,
    and we had $7 million in fiscal year 2023 to identify and bring
    some Tribes in Indian Country into startup funding for
    participation; I have received outreach from the Cow Creek, the
    Confederate Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the Klamath Tribes, the
    Confederate Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw in
    Oregon, and sent you a letter asking that these Tribes be
    included in the Tribal consultation process.
        Any update? And will you meet with these Tribes and
    identify where they stand on their effort to be included in the
    program?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to
    meet with them. I received those letters as well, and we
    generally keep an open door for Tribal leaders, and look
    forward to setting those meetings up.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And I hope the results of those
    meetings will be that these Tribes that haven't been able to
    participate in the program, will be able to get their feet on
    the ground, and get started. Thank you.
        Senator Murkowski. Mr. Chairman, it is good to hear the
    Director speak so highly of the CHAP Program and the benefit
    that it can provide, not only within the state, but what we
    have developed and shared, I would encourage members of the
    subcommittee to take a look at that program. And perhaps if we
    do a trip up North we will definitely have an opportunity to
    look further, not only to the CHAPS Program, but the DHAT
    Program, where Alaska has really led as a model there.

                             CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS

        Director Tso, I want to go back again to contract support
    costs. And this is something that we discussed last year in the
    subcommittee with the Acting Director at the time, Director
    Fowler, and we were told then that IHS would maintain current
    methods for calculating contract support costs, there was no
    plan to change any of those. But we have seen some recent court
    cases, and some agency actions since that time. And I just want
    to know whether or not that statement still holds true, or
    whether IHS has changed any of the calculations on what is
    considered eligible?
        As you know, the Fort Defiance case in the Cook Inlet
    Tribal Council scared a lot of folks out there, in terms of
    being able to rely. So can you tell me, are we still in a good
    place as was stated before the committee last year?
        Ms. Tso. Yes. Thank you. So with respect to contract
    support costs, what we have done is, again, used the--it is
    really and truly, a negotiation between the Tribe and the
    Indian Health Service. And we have moved that whole program
    again, out of where it was at in IHS, and moved it on--and
    actually into Jillian's program here.
        I want to have close direct oversight over that program. So
    two things, while we have not changed our calculations, I have
    directed our team to make sure that we get to the table with
    Tribes, and being able to use the maximum flexibility of how we
    can get to ``yes'' with Tribes. And so that is what I am
    seeing, and I am hoping that, as we move forward, we will
    continue to do that for our Tribes.
        During the COVID pandemic, and as I was out in my previous
    role, I absolutely appreciate how important those monies are to
    make sure that they support Indian Country, and particularly
    Tribes that contract and compact. With the increase in costs
    across everything, whether it was nurses and doctor contracts,
    or supplies, there is a cost to doing business, and that is
    what that has to cover.
        And so maximizing and bringing flexibility to how we
    interpret the rules and the regulations is what is critical
    right now, and particularly we are moving.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, I really appreciate you saying
    that, because that is what folks are relying on. It is that
    stability and that clarity. We had heard that there were some
    pending court cases regarding contract support costs, and
    third-party billing that could have impact on CSC funding. Can
    you elaborate for the committee, what you are hearing, and what
    the potential impact might be? I don't want you to be too
    speculative, because we don't have a lot of time, and I want to
    move to a couple other issues here. But are you hearing the
    same thing?
        Ms. Tso. Yes. We are hearing the same thing, and I have
    already set up a team internally to start looking at how we
    might address that, when and if that decision comes down.

                             MANDATORY FUNDING IHS

        Senator Murkowski. Good. Appreciate that. In my opening I
    mentioned my support of advance approps, where we are right
    now, though, again we are talking about a proposal to move the
    entire agency to mandatory funding, yet there is no legislative
    proposal to shift this mandatory appropriations in the budget
    proposal. So are you anticipating transmitting authorization
    language for the proposed shift? Have you identified how you
    intend to pay for this shift to the mandatory side?
        Ms. Curtis. Thank you, Senator Murkowski, for that, that
    important question. We are working as a Department with OMB on
    Tribal consultation that will take place in early June, on the
    mandatory proposal. And we are hoping that through that
    process, and the dialogue with Tribes, it will better inform a
    potential legislative package. And of course we want to keep
    the dialogue open with the authorizers in Congress, as well as
    our Appropriations partners, to inform what that package might
    also look like, so we are looking to take a collaborative
    approach on developing that language.
        Senator Murkowski. But at this point in time you are not
    prepared to transmit any authorizing language, it doesn't sound
    like?
        Ms. Curtis. Not at this time. No.
        Senator Murkowski. Okay. All right. I am three seconds from
    my time, so I will defer to the Chairman, here.
        Senator Merkley. Both of us have a great interest in these
    programs. We have a lot of Tribes in both of our states, and a
    lot of work to be done on many fronts. We talked previously
    about the CHAPS Program, certainly nurses is another challenge.

                          NURSE PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM

        And Director Tso, in your budget you propose $1 million to
    create a new nurse preceptorship program, to provide training,
    development, on-the-job support, and the term in the
    description, is to improve replacement rates, but I kind of
    from the context I think maybe ``replacement'', but also
    ``retention'' of nurses. And do you have a high loss of nurses
    in their initial years, year two of work? And of course I know
    you have a big deficit of many openings so how would this Nurse
    Preceptorship Program change, either attracting nurses or
    retaining nurses?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you, Chairman. So two things that that I
    would point to; number one, we were already at a deficit of
    nurses before the pandemic, and then we are now where we are
    with loss of additional staff. Not only that, as we talked
    about yesterday, we have the Baby Boomers that are now going to
    opt out of the workforce, and they are really trying to
    replenish that.
        So we want to be able to use these resources that we have
    asked for, to make sure that we build a solid retention
    program, as well as training that is needed. In many instances,
    there is times when we have staff that come to us, with not a
    whole--maybe coming right out of school, and that
    preceptorship, that training is absolutely important to get
    them integrated into the health care facility, understanding
    how the system works, and those things, and so. And that is
    part of retention, because if we just throw people into a job,
    we are likely not going to keep them if we treat them that way.
        So really looking at that front end: What can we do; how
    can we do this; to make sure that we meet the--our needs as
    well as applicants' needs.
        Senator Merkley. You know, my wife is a nurse, and I recall
    how different it is to go from the school setting to actually
    being full-time on the job. And I think this is particularly
    challenging in Tribal settings where people may be more remote,
    have fewer folks nearby to assist. And so I look forward to
    learning more about that.
        Assistant Secretary Newland, I want to turn to the issue of
    land acquisition for landless and land-limited Tribes. You have
    a proposal for $12 million for a Tribal Land, Water
    Conservation Fund, and Indian Land Consolidation Fund. And
    assuming this would come from the general Land and Water
    Conservation Fund (LWCF), but you can expand on that.
        And your budget states factors other than conservation need
    to be considered for Tribes to grow their land base. So can you
    expand on what it means for a tribe to be land limited? Who
    exactly would be eligible for this funding? And, for example,
    would terminated Tribes who are ultimately restored with less
    land than they began, be at the top of the list, and so forth?
    What is the broader vision for this?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Chairman. So with respect to the
    General Land Acquisition Authority, when Congress enacted the
    Indian Reorganization Act, nearly a century ago now, it
    authorized the Secretary of the Interior to directly acquire
    land for Tribes, and included an appropriation for that. And
    that appropriation has--authorization, excuse me, has remained
    the same ever since.
        I think it is $2 million? It is $2 million in 1934. And so
    we have requested an increase in that, and the ability to make
    good on that commitment from the United States, in the Indian
    Reorganization Act, to assist Tribes in reestablishing a
    homeland, particularly for Tribes that don't have any land.
    Often the first Trust acquisition is the most difficult and the
    most expensive, and then assisting other Tribes that have very
    limited land base.
        So our vision for that is to assist those Tribes that are
    federally recognized but don't yet have any land base for
    simple things, like government administration, public safety,
    basic housing for their Tribal members, and establish that
    initial land base.
        Senator Merkley. So do you envision then setting out a set
    of priorities would help you sort through the applications to
    determine kind of who is at the top of the list?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are actually
    engaged in consultation with Tribes right now on the best way
    to implement that program, but we want to make sure that there
    are some guidelines or standards in how we go about
    implementing that.

                             LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM

        Senator Merkley. Thank you. And Director Tso, you propose
    to expand loan repayment programs to help retain personnel. And
    last year the IHS Acting Director Fowler testified that loan
    repayment was the most effective tool IHS has in recruiting. Do
    you have any stats now that kind of show how much impact that
    the loan repayment program has had, and really help us
    understand if, indeed, this is the most effective instrument?
        Ms. Tso. Senator we will circle back to you with respect to
    that. But I will add one other part to that. We have also
    advocated that, or shared that while we do have this loan
    program, there is a tax to this loan program. And so therefore,
    potential applicants that come to Indian Health Service that
    could benefit from this are also taxed on these dollars that
    they have.
        This is, unlike what Health Resources and Services
    Administration (HRSA) provides, the same kind of loan program,
    but their resources are not taxed, so we are looking for some
    equity there. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley. Amen to that. And I have a bill to change
    that, so Thank you, for drawing attention and spotlighting that
    issue.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you. I am going to turn to you,
    Assistant Secretary. I have been talking to the Director here
    most of the morning. As you well know we have a public safety
    issue in the State of Alaska, some have described it as a
    crisis. Certainly, former Attorney General Barr recognized a
    state of public emergency, with our public safety.
        We have more than 100 Tribes that have no law enforcement
    presence whatsoever, and because of their remoteness oftentimes
    you can have a situation where it takes more than just hours,
    but days for law enforcement to be able to get to the Village
    to address sometimes very violent felonies. I know you are
    aware of these law enforcement challenges, but can you share
    with the subcommittee how much funding is being devoted to the
    PL280 States for law enforcement, where that funding is coming
    from?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. I was actually in
    Anchorage a week before last at the Not Invisible Act
    Commission hearings. And I spent two days hearing from
    community members across Alaska, just about the most heart-
    wrenching stories that really flow out of this crisis, and it
    impressed upon all of us the urgency to act, and how dire this
    is in many communities.
        And I was glad to be able to hear those stories directly.
    In our budget we are requesting; it is $21 million for Tribal
    courts in Public Law 280 states. And, you know, the Tribal
    courts play an important role in public safety, not only on the
    backend, but on the frontend, when we were talking about some
    of the family law cases, the wellness courts were also working
    to fund three wellness courts this year, in Alaska.
        I was a wellness court--I was a Tribal court judge before
    serving in this role, and we established a wellness court, and
    I have seen, firsthand, the difference that that can make in
    keeping folks from coming back into Tribal court over and over,
    and really intervening before, you know, somebody's substance
    abuse or mental health issues grow into more serious crimes,
    and violent crimes. And so we are trying to fund that on the
    front end.
        With respect to the number of dollars that we are
    requesting for police in Public Law 280 states, I am actually
    going to ask my Deputy Assistant Secretary, Jason Freihage to--
    --
        Senator Murkowski. Well, maybe what we can do, is we can we
    can get that from you after the hearing. You mentioned being
    there in Alaska for some of the hearings and discussions on
    murdered and missing. I am glad that you were there. I am glad
    you heard it directly. I am glad that you were impacted by it.
        But I am somewhat confused then, as we look at the
    President's budget for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
    (MMIW) activities, I am rarely seeing enacted levels here. And
    you have certainly seen it from the Alaska perspective, it is
    not just Alaska. The Chairman comes from the State of
    Washington that has also identified significant levels, of
    Murdered, Missing, and Indigenous Women, what is the rationale
    between--with just enacted levels when it comes to MMIW across
    the country?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. So the Missing and
    Murdered Unit, which I believe is what you are referencing.
        Senator Murkowski. Mm-hmm.
        Mr. Newland. Is even with last year, we are still in the
    process of building out that unit, we are funded right now for,
    I believe, up to 63 positions, and we have been able to fill,
    now, more than half of those, and continue to build that out,
    and when we do we will have staffing.
        But overall, across the BIA law enforcement funding, just
    on the policing side, we are asking for an increase in funding.
    And then outside of the budget, on the management side, we are
    doing more to coordinate with other agencies through the
    Missing and Murdered Unit. So I just want to make sure I am not
    a misleading folks that this isn't a priority, because it is
    for us, we want to make sure we build out the unit that we have
    established under the Secretary's leadership, staff it up.
        That unit then coordinates amongst our BIA law enforcement,
    Tribal law enforcement, as well as state and local agencies,
    and other Federal agencies, like the FBI. And so the funding
    level is not a reflection that it is not a growing priority. We
    believe we have got the funding at $16.5 million to staff up
    that unit. And it has already been productive. It has
    investigated, it just in the last 2 years, more than 700 cases,
    resolved, I believe, more than 200 missing persons cases, and
    solved eight murders.
        And so we believe that that Missing and Murdered Unit is
    effective, the funding reflects that. And we are going to
    continue on the management side to build it up.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, we have got a hearing this
    afternoon before the CJS Subcommittee, so we will have the FBI,
    DEA, in front of us so this will be a follow-on question to
    them as well, in terms of what more we need to be doing to
    address these issues. I know that the Senator from Montana
    feels strongly about it as well. There are many of us. So thank
    you for that.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, and now we will turn to Senator
    Peters from Michigan.
        Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was pleased that
    President Biden's budget request would provide funds for
    existing Indian land and water claim settlements, including via
    the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund.
        The Biden-Harris administration has certainly maintained a
    solid commitment to reaching settlements to resolve Tribal land
    and water claims, and to ensure the Tribes, as well as
    individual Indians have rightful ownership of land, and rights
    to water to meet domestic, economic, cultural, and ecological
    needs.
        So my question is for you, Secretary Newland. As you know,
    I have introduced a bill, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
    Land Claim Settlement Act, and this bipartisan, bicameral, and
    long overdue legislation will address the long-standing land
    claims of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, while also
    clearing the title of current land holders in the community.
        So Assistant Secretary Newland, what land claim settlements
    does your fiscal year 2024 budget propose to fund, and beyond
    what does--this year budget funds, does the Department have a
    backlog of outstanding land claims settlements owed to Tribes?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. Right now, our budget is
    proposing to fund one settlement administrative costs under the
    White Earth Land Claims Settlement. I am not aware of a backlog
    of land claims that are due, Department funding, I would be
    happy to follow up, but that is my understanding of our budget;
    so just the White Earth Land Claim Settlement is included in
    our budget requests.
        Senator Peters. Well, good. It sounds like the Bureau may
    be very well positioned to carry out my bill once it is passed,
    and I certainly look forward to working with you in the coming
    weeks to enact this legislation, and to do what is right there.
        Another question for you, sir; is I am proud that Michigan
    is the home to over 50,000 Native people and 12 federally
    recognized Tribal Nations. In our state and across the country,
    Native communities and Tribes have preserved vibrant and
    diverse culture, safeguarding land, language, spirit,
    knowledge, and tradition across many generations.
    Unfortunately, Tribal communities have not been immune to the
    opioid epidemic impacting individuals, families, and
    communities, nationwide. And in many cases Tribal communities
    have been hit, particularly, hard by this crisis.
        The Tribes of Michigan are working hard to address the
    opioid and substance abuse crisis; however, I have heard from
    Tribal leaders in my home State of Michigan that they need more
    resources, and specifically more flexibility in funding for
    treatment facilities.
        So my question for you is: How specifically does your
    fiscal year 2024 budget help communities in Indian Country
    battle of the opioid crisis?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. I would imagine it is fair
    to say there are a few people in this room who haven't been
    touched, personally, by the opioid epidemic and addiction. And
    I am very well aware of how serious this is in all Tribal
    communities, particularly my own back in Michigan. Our budget
    request includes $15 million for drug enforcement activities
    within the BIA's law enforcement system. It also includes an
    additional a little more than $3 million for the establishment
    of Tribal wellness courts which, again, I just mentioned I have
    seen firsthand how valuable those are in coordinating
    wraparound services at the Tribal level.
        And it also includes a significant increase in our budget
    request for the Tiwahe Initiative which started out as a pilot
    project across Indian Country. And under that initiative Tribes
    are able to use culturally based, rather than simply evidence-
    based models to address things like family crises, drug
    addiction, mental health issues. And design those programs the
    way that are the most effective to solve their unique issues on
    the ground.
        And this budget request would allow us to expand that
    initiative to ten new sites across Indian Country. And so we
    believe that, on the whole, when you combine the law
    enforcement funding, the social services funding, with the
    Tiwahe Initiative and the Tribal Courts Funding, that what we
    are aiming to do, is try to address things like this epidemic,
    and substance abuse, generally, at all levels.
        Senator Peters. Assistant Secretary Newland, thank you for
    your continued leadership on this issue, and so many.
        Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Senator Merkley. I anticipate that Senator Tester will be
    joining us in just a moment. But I will seize the opportunity
    to fill in the space.
        The Secretary of Interior has really emphasized an
    initiative to develop full history of our boarding schools, I
    have been very struck this past year about work that is being
    done by the Congressional Executive Commission on China, on the
    very abusive practices that are being used at boarding schools
    in Tibet, where the Chinese Government is trying to separate
    children from their natural cultural history, and take them
    away from their families.
        We have our own very problematic history regarding boarding
    schools. How is that work on this set of histories, or
    histories of various schools, and various efforts, coming
    along?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is some of the
    most emotionally challenging, but yet rewarding work that I
    have engaged on in my life, under the Secretary's leadership.
        A year ago, I think a year ago tomorrow actually, we
    published the first report, comprehensive Federal Report on the
    Federal Government's operation of Indian boarding schools, and
    outlined the history of the policies that underlie that, and
    identified the names and locations of more than 400 schools.
        We have also, Secretary Haaland and I have gone to a number
    of Tribal communities over the last year, and heard from dozens
    and dozens of boarding school survivors, often in large venues
    where hundreds of people are present, and hearing their
    personal stories, of attending these schools, or their families
    attending these schools, and continued our research.
        We anticipate publishing a second volume of our Boarding
    School Initiative Report, that will outline, I think with more
    specificity, how many burial sites exist across these boarding
    school systems, where they are located, generally, trying to
    identify the total amount of funding and support that the
    Federal Government provided to the system, over its century-
    and-a-half of use.
        And trying to fill in the picture of what the boarding
    school system was, and what its impact was; and also making
    sure that we are relaying the personal stories of the people
    who attended, as well as their families, in trying to better
    articulate the Legacy impacts that extend beyond generations
    across Indian Country. And so that work is continuing and, you
    know, we are trying to make sure that we are we are painting
    the full picture.
        Senator Merkley. I think it is an incredibly important
    investigation and report. We need to shine a light on the past
    in order to understand issues that may help us direct into the
    future. And thank you, for your work on that. And thank you, to
    the Secretary's initiative.
        Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Assistant Secretary, we have had a conversation in other
    committees as well, about the budget proposal to shift the
    Office of Subsistence Management, OSM, from Fish and Wildlife
    to BIA. I have asked for a response in writing.
        But I am wondering whether or not the Department in Indian
    Affairs can achieve the goals that they are seeking, as
    outlined in the budget proposal, without moving the office from
    Fish and Wildlife to Indian Affairs; whether or not the goals
    that are sought here, and certainly the goals that I am hearing
    from Tribes in Alaskan Native leaders, whether or not we can do
    all this within the Federal Subsistence Management Program.
        So can you just share quickly with the committee here, why
    you feel it has to be moved to the Office of the Secretary? Why
    not the Solicitor's Office? Why not try to make it work within
    the existing structure?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. You know, just initially I
    think, as you are aware, no doubt, but we have heard
    consistently from Tribes across Alaska about -- whether they
    are on the North Slope or any--Southeast, and every everywhere
    in between, about the desire to move the Office of Subsistence
    Management out of the Fish and Wildlife Service. And that, of
    course, begged the question about: What is the appropriate
    home?
        And in those consultations, and in conversations that we
    have had with Tribal leaders and folks from across Alaska, you
    know, the driving concern behind that was a desire to better
    align the office of subsistence management with our Federal
    Trust responsibility to protect the way of life for Native
    people.
        And we have considered a number of options. Within our
    office the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, we operate a
    number of programs directly, which is unique within the
    Department, because not all of our programs are housed within
    the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or the Bureau of Indian
    Education. So we have the Office of Self-Governance, for
    example, that reports directly to the Assistant Secretary, the
    Office of Indian Economic Development, and many other programs.
        And so we felt that, operationally, it made sense to house,
    if we were going to move the Office of Subsistence Management;
    operationally, it made sense to house it within the Office of
    the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, because of our
    experience running programs directly.
        That is not necessarily true of many other places at the
    Department of the Interior, and so we, of course, are well
    experienced at making sure that our programs are in sync with
    the Federal Government's Trust responsibility.
        Senator Murkowski. How do you respond, though, to just the
    reality that that the Alaska National Interest Lands
    Conservation Act (ANILCA) creates a rural priority for
    subsistence based on where one lives. And so I am sure you have
    heard concerns on the other side that this is not just about
    Alaska Native peoples, but it is rural subsistence users.
        So a follow-on question is, whether or not the Department
    has consulted with the ten RACs, the Regional Advisory
    Councils, on the proposed move? And on top of Tribal
    consultations, whether or not you have engaged other
    subsistence users, both Native and non-Native, regarding the
    proposal? What is the extent of outreach at this point?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. You know, our Tribal
    consultation obligation and mandate flows out of the unique
    trust obligation and I know you understand that.
        Senator Murkowski. Right.
        Mr. Newland. So it is different in nature the way we engage
    the public in other ways. I have participated in a number of
    RAC meetings since the announcement.
        Senator Murkowski. Yes.
        Mr. Newland. And expect that I will continue to do so, and
    we want to make sure that we are not hiding the ball from
    folks. And that we are hearing directly from folks. And I have
    heard some of those concerns. And if I can just add on,
    Senator, you know, I am aware that there are folks saying, why
    Indian Affairs, because Anoka is for all rural users.
        There isn't a neat or perfect home for a program like the
    Office of Subsistence Management. We are aware that Anoka also
    speaks directly to the rights of Alaska Natives to maintain
    their subsistence way of life, and with our general trust
    obligation. And we feel that with all things considered,
    particularly with what we have heard at the Department over the
    last decade, the call to move the Office of Subsistence
    Management, that this is the best structure to align all of the
    goals under Anoka.
        And we also feel that we can meet those legal commitments
    to non-Native rural users. We operate through the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs a number of programs that directly benefit non-
    Natives, across Indian Country, I think most notably, our
    irrigation program, most of our irrigation facilities, or many
    of our irrigation facilities serve mostly non-Native users. And
    so, you know, it is not a strange obligation for us. In Anoka,
    the statute says what it says, and we believe that we can
    fulfill those obligations.
        Senator Murkowski. Well, I appreciate that. Again, we
    certainly, I am certainly hearing from the Native leaders about
    the need to prioritize Tribal participation within the
    conservation of the Cooperative Management. We are hearing the
    same things, but we are also hearing the concerns from others.
    So it is good to hear you express this.
        I would hope that you would agree that this proposed move
    is a reorganization that is defined by the Committee's
    reprogramming guidelines, and so therefore would be subject to
    Appropriations' Committee approval. Concur?
        Mr. Newland. Yes.
        Senator Murkowski. Good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. Senator Tester.
        Senator Tester. Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member, I want to
    thank you for your patience. I appreciate the ability to ask a
    few questions, because this is important stuff.
        Assistant Secretary Newland, I want to thank you for coming
    out to Montana to meet with the Tribes and see the conditions
    that we are having with law enforcement there. And so I
    appreciate it. It is clear that we need more resources going on
    the ground, we need more police officers, we need more people,
    so can you tell me what the BIA has done since you are meeting
    with a Northern Cheyenne to improve officer recruitment; not
    only for that reservation, but for all of them?
        Mr. Newland. Thank you, Senator. And I have enjoyed my
    trips out to Montana.
        Senator Tester. Yeah.
        Mr. Newland. In fact, I spoke with some of the Fort Peck
    Tribal leaders here, and expressed my desire to get up there,
    because I haven't been there. But related to law enforcement,
    we have made a selection for Chief of Police at Northern
    Cheyenne, and that person is expected to start next month.
        Senator Tester. Right.
        Mr. Newland. And we continue to work through some of the
    difficult issues directly with Northern Cheyenne. I know one of
    the related issues of staffing at the Rocky Mountain Regional
    Detention Facility.
        Senator Tester. Yeah.
        Mr. Newland. We have got offers out to ten people to come
    on board with us there, which would increase our staffing there
    by 50 percent.
        Senator Tester. Okay.
        Mr. Newland. And we have also set a hiring goal across BIA
    law enforcement for this fiscal year of 138 positions.
        Senator Tester. And the question becomes, how do you reach
    that goal?
        Mr. Newland. Mm-hmm.
        Senator Tester. And this is really important. You know,
    Northern Cheyenne may be the tip of the spear, but there are
    problems in every one. In fact, we got folks from Fort Peck
    here today, we appreciate them coming in. They will tell you it
    is the same stories you heard in Northern Cheyenne. Okay. So we
    just need more people.
        And so anything you can do, and if you need our help on how
    you get aggressive with hiring, don't be afraid to ask because
    I think this is really important.
        638 programs are pretty successful. Those are the ones, and
    correct if I am wrong, that are run by the tribe, correct?
        Mr. Newland. Yes.
        Senator Tester. Yes. The Federal Government, how do you--if
    a tribe decides to do their program on their own, how do they
    get their money? Is it based on per capita? Or how is it based?
        Mr. Newland. It is based on the level of services and
    funding that we would expend for providing those services.
        Senator Tester. Okay. So that is what I wanted to hear. So
    let me flesh that out a little bit. So let us say you spend
    $100,000 with a BIA providing law enforcement, if the Tribe
    takes over do they automatically get $100,000? Or do they get
    something less than that?
        Mr. Newland. The way the law is written, as I understand
    it, is we are supposed to negotiate with them for that amount,
    plus contract support costs.
        Senator Tester. Okay. So let us talk about on the ground.
    How does that translate--because you know where I am going with
    this?
        Mr. Newland. Mm-hmm.
        Senator Tester. I hear from Tribes that say: Hey, the BIA
    is spending a million bucks, and they think: We can run this
    same program for half that money. Are they lying to me, or are
    they telling me the truth?
        Mr. Newland. Senator it is a--somewhere--I am not saying
    anybody is lying to you.
        Senator Tester. That is good.
        Mr. Newland. But the reality of the way this works is that,
    with 638 contracts, it is our existing obligations across
    Indian Country, in determining secretarial amounts for Tribes
    that came in early affects our calculation.
        Senator Tester. So I would just say this. And I think this
    is on you, you are a good man in this job and I appreciate the
    work you do.
        Mr. Newland. Thank you.
        Senator Tester. But if you have got a tribe that is
    complaining about not have enough resources, at a bare minimum
    you should look and see what the BIA is spending before they
    took that contract over, add some inflation to it, because that
    has impacts, and get them the money.
        Mr. Newland. Mm-hmm.
        Senator Tester. Because you can't run a police department
    on air. It takes dollars, and it takes people, and people cost
    money. Thank you, for the work you do.
        Mr. Newland. Thank you.
        Senator Tester. Continue to stay on this. It is a huge
    issue.

                      VACANCIES/RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

        Director Tso, I have heard from Blackfeet Tribe in Montana
    their current vacancy rate at their local IHS facility, listen
    to this, 50 percent. They have got as many people gone as they
    have got working. And it could take--it could take a long time.
    I am not going to give you a time; it would take a long time to
    get folks on board.
        Is there anything that you are doing to expedite the hiring
    process? You know, Blackfeet is a challenge, but everywhere in
    the in the country, once again, Fort Peck is back there, they
    can tell you the same story there. What are we doing to
    expedite the hiring?
        Ms. Tso. Thank you, Senator; and good to see you again.
        Senator Tester. Good to see you.
        Ms. Tso. So a couple things that we are doing at the Indian
    Health Service; one I referenced earlier, the work plan that we
    have posted on the IHS website, and one of those areas that we
    are focusing in is on workforce, and trying to make sure that
    we are maximizing all of our resources to get the people that
    we need at the table.
        However, as you said, overall IHS has a 28 percent vacancy
    rate throughout every category of staff. 40 percent for mental
    health providers is also what we are looking at within that.
        Senator Tester. It is in a crisis. What I need to know from
    you, though, is we prioritize it, but what the hell does that
    mean? What are we doing to get people on board? And once again,
    not unlike law enforcement, if we need to be a help on this
    committee, tell us what we need to do so you can bring more
    people on to Indian Health?
        Ms. Tso. So we continue to strategize in terms of how we
    improve this, and that really is streamlining the onboarding
    process and the front line. At this point we are looking at
    every resource that we can, using social media, using the
    technology that we have to get information out there regarding
    the jobs that are open.
        We are also looking at housing subsidies to make sure,
    particularly in the Billings area, we have the housing
    subsidies that we need to try to attract people and be more
    comparable with the rates out there. We are also utilizing, for
    example, the $3.5 billion Infrastructure Bill monies. We are
    looking for 500 engineers.
        Senator Tester. Okay.
        Ms. Tso. So what we have done is centralize that hiring so
    we don't have 12 different regions trying to hire.
        Senator Tester. So if the holdup is you, we can help. If
    the holdup is some other agency, let us know. We have been down
    this road before. I don't need to give you the statistics on
    lifespan of Native Americans. It has more to do than just
    health care, but health care is pretty fundamental to that.
    Okay. So this is important.
        The last thing, and then I have just got to go--I mean, I
    have got to let you guys go.
        Assistant Secretary Newland, there is a Fort Belknap water
    settlement, the last one in Montana, that we dropped in--
    hopefully it is dropped in by today, that we dropped in this
    week if it isn't. I need you to really pay some attention to
    that so we can get this thing done. Like I said, it is the last
    one in Montana, and we worked on a Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Bill to get some resources to get these projects done, we can
    get it done, but it is going to require you to be a tough
    negotiator, on your side, but a fair negotiator. Okay? Thank
    you.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Tester.
        Senator Murkowski.
        Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one last;
    and I will give you the readout on the things that I would like
    you to take home for homework.

                              UNOBLIGATED BALANCES

        But I mentioned the unobligated balance. And Director, you
    and I have had a chance to talk about this. I thank you, for
    working to have the service meet the statutory requirement to
    provide the committee with these quarterly updates. I
    appreciate that. But our situation here is, at the end of 2022,
    the unobligated balance for IHS was $6 billion, $2 billion
    supplemental funds, with $4 billion in balances from
    discretionary.
        The recent report from March of this year shows $9.1
    billion in unobligated balance, and this amount seems to
    include both discretionary and supplemental funds from the last
    few years.
        So what I am what I am hoping to get from you, Director
    Tso, is to confirm the total IHS unobligated balances. What
    amount is from previous supplementals? What amount is from
    discretionary? And I will take that for the record here,
    because I think we need to look at these numbers? But one thing
    that I would ask you to provide is: Why IHS is reporting such
    large balances?
        This again, is something that you are working on, I know, I
    appreciate that, but we have got to look at it from our
    oversight perspective here, and try to understand what is going
    on. How this money is distributed and tracked, and really why
    the financial system is showing such large balances?
        So if you can get the specifics to the committee, I would
    appreciate that. I have a number of questions that I am going
    to be submitting as questions for the record. One relates to
    purchased and referred care. I was able to meet with Valerie
    Davidson, the Head of ANTHC, I am sure when you were up in the
    state she raised the issue about when payments are--when
    patients are receiving care authorized under the PRC Program,
    you have got these authorizations for travel, this is a real
    problem. I would like you to address that.
        I also have several questions related to facilities
    constructions for annual sanitation funding, certified
    operators, housing, what types of housing IHS is able to
    provide for, whether it is patient housing? Do you need greater
    authorization, more money? I am going to have one on electronic
    health records, ARPA funding for BIE schools and whether or not
    Alaska is eligible for anything there.
        And Assistant Secretary, the Director doesn't get all the
    homework. You mentioned in your opening comments the Tiwahe
    Initiative. And we are in year eight of a five-year pilot, I
    would like some additional information on the Tiwahe, and where
    we are. Also on Small and Needy Tribes, it is a--that is an
    account that I pay very close attention to. So you will be
    seeing those as QFRs, as I am sure you will be seeing questions
    from other members of the committee. But thank you, for the
    time that you have given us.
        And Mr. Chairman, thank you for the latitude in asking so
    many questions today, but there is a lot out there. Thank you.

                        ADDITIONAL COMMITTTEE QUESTIONS

        Senator Merkley. There are indeed. And speaking of
    questions for the record; the hearing record will be open until
    the close of business on May 24th, this year. Thank you.
                Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
        Question. Assistant Secretary Newland, my California tribal
    constituents remain concerned about the impact of a proposed off-
    reservation casino in Medford, Oregon. As you know, I share these
    concerns as do the other Senators and Members representing the area.
        In testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee on March
    24th, when asked about the Department's willingness to meet with
    California Tribal Leaders on the Coquille project, you said that you
    ``generally have an open door when it comes to matters of importance,''
    and that you are ``happy to meet with them.'' I understand that despite
    multiple attempts to set up this meeting in the last month and a half,
    no date has been set for this discussion.
        Will you meet with California tribal representatives about the
    Coquille project and if so, when?
        Answer. In April of 2023, the Indian Affairs Office of Indian
    Gaming reached out to the following California Tribes/Tribal
    organizations that have expressed interest in meeting with the
    Assistant Secretary regarding the proposed Medford casino: Tolowa Dee-
    ni Nation, Elk Valley, Karuk, Northern California Chairperson's
    Association, and the State of California (through Nathan Voegeli). The
    BIA also asked the State to pass the invite to any other interested
    Tribes in response to their letter requesting consultation on behalf of
    California Tribes. The two Tribes that responded were the Karuk Tribe
    and the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation. The Assistant Secretary for Indian
    Affairs met with these Tribes on June 30, 2023. The AS-IA Office has
    not received any subsequent requests from other California Tribes to
    meet on this matter.
        Question.  The Coquille Tribe's Medford application relies upon the
    assertion that the Coquille Restoration Act's discretionary fee to
    trust provisions are not subject to the Indian Reorganization Act,
    despite a plain reading of the act and correspondence from the Act's
    sponsors that doing so was not their legislative intent.
        Has the Department previously interpreted a Tribal restoration
    act's discretionary fee to trust provisions to override the Indian
    Reorganization Act? If so, please provide examples.
        Answer. We have reviewed the Coquille Tribe's application and
    nowhere does the Tribe make the assertion that its application is not
    subject to the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). In fact, the
    application acknowledges that the Coquille Restoration Act expressly
    makes all provisions of the IRA applicable to the Tribe and its
    members. Additionally, the Restoration Act provides specific authority
    in Sections 3(e) and 5(a) for the Secretary to accept land into trust
    for the Tribe pursuant to the provisions of the IRA.
        We are not aware of any instances where the Department has
    interpreted the Tribal Restoration Act's discretionary fee to trust
    provisions to override the IRA. We are, however, aware of instances
    where Congress has provided separate authority for the Department to
    acquire land into trust for a Tribe. We consider those instances to be
    mandatory rather than discretionary acquisitions.

                                     ______

                    Question Submitted by Senator Jon Tester
        Question. Over the past several years, this Committee has
    previously directed BIE to develop a methodology regarding operating
    and facility needs of Tribal Colleges and Universities. We have yet to
    see any report on methodology from the Bureau on the operating and
    facility needs of tribal colleges. When will we see that report?
        Answer. The BIE and Indian Affairs conducted Tribal Consultations
    with Tribal leaders and other stakeholders in May of 2021 to request
    input on developing a methodology for determining Tribal Colleges and
    Universities (TCUs) operating and maintenance needs. As a result of the
    Tribal Consultations, Tribal Colleges Facilities Improvement & Repair
    annual appropriations funding have been equally divided and distributed
    among the TCUs, beginning with the FY 2021 Budget.

                                     ______

                 Questions Submitted by Senator Martin Heinrich
        Question. One of the primary issues BIE schools face is school
    construction and replacement. The recent shift of the Division of
    Facilities Management and Construction from BIA to BIE has hindered
    progress for schools currently in line for replacement. How can
    Congress support BIE in expeditiously addressing school replacements?
        Answer. The Division of Facilities Management and Construction
    (DFMC) has not shifted from BIA to BIE. DFMC remains within the Office
    of Facilities, Property and Safety Management, which is an office
    within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management.
        New school replacement projects continue to be managed by DFMC.
    Facilities improvement and repair projects under $5.0 million in cost
    will transition from the BIA to the BIE. The cost of construction has
    grown significantly, and school projects are getting more complex as
    Indian Affairs works to increase the integration of technology and
    cultural aspects into BIE schools. For example, the average cost of
    replacing a school is now over $100 million. The growing cost is the
    most significant factor slowing down implementation, as it is necessary
    to wait for multiple years of appropriations to have enough funding to
    move forward with construction. To address the cost challenge and other
    factors, the FY 2024 budget proposes to increase school replacement
    construction by $136.0 million and requests an additional $750,000 for
    DFMC to expand construction staff for BIE school projects, as well as
    Public Safety and Justice Construction.
        Question. The National Advisory Council on Indian Education was
    created by Congress to advise the Department of Education and
    Department of the Interior on issues facing the Indian Education
    system. One of their recent recommendations has been to fully fund the
    Indian Student Equalization Program, known as ISEP. Why doesn't BIE's
    budget request include full funding for ISEP?
        Answer. The FY 2024 President's Budget requests $508.7 million for
    ISEP formula funds, a $27.0 million increase over the FY 23 enacted
    budget, and a $67.9 million increase over the FY 22 enacted level. This
    significant increase reflects the importance of ISEP formula funds and
    moves BIE closer to full funding.
        Question. Can you share information about how increased public
    safety funding in the budget translates to more officers on the ground,
    better corrections programs, and better court services? How is Interior
    expanding its work to fight the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons
    Crisis?
        Answer. Given the need in Indian Country, BIA is prioritizing the
    use of public safety and justice funding to provide more `boots on the
    ground' to police communities, take better care of inmates in custody,
    and appropriately process cases through court services. The 2024
    request includes a program increase of $33.5 million to enable
    additional Tribal and direct service `boots on the ground' law
    enforcement positions performing crucial public safety services on a
    24/7 basis. The requested increase would fund additional Uniform
    Police, Criminal Investigator, and Dispatch personnel, which represent
    the backbone of law enforcement operations in Indian Country. Since
    roughly two-thirds of the BIA law enforcement programs are operated by
    Tribes, the request estimates an additional 74 Federal FTE and 148
    Tribal positions can be funded. This will help alleviate existing
    challenges and safety risks associated with existing staff limitations.
    These investments are a critical means to addressing the Missing and
    Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis, opioids and related drug
    challenges, and to reduce recidivism. More law enforcement officials in
    communities can improve response times so that fewer people go missing,
    and better evidence can be collected sooner.

                                     ______

                 Questions Submitted by Senator Lisa Murkowski
              contract support costs/105 (l) tribal lease payments
        Question. Do contract support costs and 105 (l) lease payments have
    statutory, regulatory, and court citations which define and quantify
    exactly what these costs are? If yes, could you please provide the
    Committee with those legally defined and referenced definitions in
    writing within the next week?
        Answer. Contract Support Costs and 105(l) language regarding what
    types of costs can be included for both authorities have statutory and
    regulatory citations. Provided below is general background and
    citations of relevant documents on these costs.
        For 105(l) Tribal Leases, the statutory citation is codified as 25
    U.S.C. Sec. 5324(l), and the regulatory citation is 25 CFR 900, Subpart
    H (Lease of Tribally-Owned Buildings by the Secretary),
    Sec. Sec. 900.69--900.74. Regarding court decisions, Maniilaq Ass'n v.
    Burwell, 170 F. Supp. 3d 243, determined that lease compensation is not
    capped at the level the Secretary would have otherwise provided (also
    known as the ``106(a)'' or ``Secretarial Amount''); and Maniilaq Ass'n
    v. Burwell, 170 F. Supp. 3d 243 (D.D.C. 2016) held that lease
    compensation was not capped at level agency historically paid to secure
    space. Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe v. Azar, 486 F. Supp. 3d 83, allowed a
    Federal agency to reduce 105(l) compensation on a pro rata amount based
    on comparing the total square footage of the facility with the square
    footage necessary to provide services to Indian beneficiaries.
        Indian Affairs (IA) reviews each of the submitted Tribal 105(l)
    proposals based on the above noted statutory, regulatory, and judicial
    direction. For example, 25 U.S.C. Sec. 5324(l), notes that
    ``compensation may include rent, depreciation based on the useful life
    of the facility, principal and interest paid or accrued, operation and
    maintenance expenses, and such other reasonable expenses that the
    Secretary determines, by regulation, to be allowable.'' In addition, 25
    CFR 900, Subpart H, Sec. Sec. 900.69--900.74 provides detailed
    direction on what operation and maintenance and monitoring and
    preventive maintenance can be included. IA considers all these factors
    to reasonably assess each proposal.
        For Contract Support Costs, the statutory citations that are
    relevant are 25 USC Ch. 46: sections 5325, 5326 and 5327; as well as
    some provisions from Title IV and V applicable to Self Governance. The
    primary regulatory citation is 25 CFR Part 900 Subpart Section C.
    Relevant court citations regarding the types of costs for contract
    support costs are the following:

      --Salazar v. Ramah Navajo Chapter, 567 U.S. 182, held the Government
            must pay the full amount of each Tribe's contract support costs
            when Congress appropriates sufficient funds to pay in full any
            individual contractor's costs, but not enough funds to cover
            the aggregate amount.

      --Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. v. Dotomain, 10 F.4th 893,
            determined contract support costs cover expenses not
            contemplated by the Secretarial amount.

      --Fort Defiance Indian Hosp. Bd., Inc. v. Becerra, 604 F. Supp. 3d
            1187, discusses where a Tribe incurs higher costs than a
            government agency ``normally'' would have to administer a
            service, those costs are not considered normal, and thus may be
            reimbursed as contract support costs, even if those costs
            represent categories already included in the secretarial
            amount, provided that the specific, individuated expense is not
            already included.

        BIA commonly refers to the following three categories of contract
    support costs: (1) indirect costs, which are the costs incurred for a
    common or joint purpose benefitting more than one contract objective,
    or which are not readily assignable to the contract objectives
    specifically benefitted without effort disproportionate to the results
    achieved; (2) direct Contract Support Costs, which are the costs of the
    activities Tribes incur but are not provided in program funding or
    indirect funding, such as the cost of program-specific training; and
    (3) startup costs, which are the one-time costs incurred during the
    initial year an agreement is in effect. Individual Tribes work with
    extensively with the BIA to determine which direct costs and startup
    costs are allowable and with the Interior Business Center to determine
    which indirect costs are allowable.
        Question. A general provision has been included directing both the
    IHS and the Department of the Interior to begin a process to establish
    guidelines regarding the parameters for which a lease agreement should
    be structured and paid for. Please provide a status update on what is
    being done at your respective agencies to accomplish this legal
    requirement? Do you anticipate any regulatory changes stemming from
    this legal requirement? And, what do you envision taking shape at this
    point?
        Answer. Consistent with the general provision, Indian Affairs and
    the Indian Health Service (IHS) held a joint consultation August 2021
    to get input from Tribes on aligning the programs. Since then, we have
    met regularly with IHS to align procedures and processes regarding the
    105(l) program. These efforts have helped to ensure agency practices
    are as similar as possible given the nature of the different types of
    facilities the agencies operate. In addition to regulatory and
    statutory guidance (as described in Question 1 above), Indian Affairs
    also developed a 105(l) Tribal lease technical assistance guidebook to
    help Tribes as they work through the 105(l) process. At this point, we
    do not anticipate any regulatory changes stemming from these efforts.
    We also envision ongoing collaboration with IHS and with Tribes on
    implementation of the 105(l) program.
        Question. Over time, the Subcommittee has noticed a difference in
    how OMB and CBO interpret and score CSC and 105 (L) payments. Do your
    agencies know or understand why the costs vary among the two scoring
    agencies? For example, the FY24 President's Budget estimate and CBO re-
    estimate are vastly different, do you know why?
        Answer. The differences between OMB and CBO estimates for Tribal
    105(l) leases and CSC requirements appear to stem from differences in
    methodology. The estimates for 105(l) Tribal Leases included in the
    President's Budget are based on the projected incoming lease load based
    on known Tribal requests, including for the budget year. We understand
    the CBO estimates may be based on historical actual obligations
    incurred, which have been lower than DOI's projected future years due
    to staff processing limitations and changes in Tribes' actual vs.
    Planned utilization of the 105(l) lease program.
        For CSC, the proposed amount in the FY 2024 budget is estimated to
    fully fund CSC requirements associated with the President's Budget
    Request. The proposed CSC amount in the FY 2024 Budget is based on
    historical CSC amounts and projected contracting and compacting amounts
    for the scope of work proposed in the FY 2024 President's Budget.
    Increased estimates in FY 2024 provide Contract Support Costs to cover
    requested program increases in areas including Tribal climate, clean
    energy, public safety and justice, and strengthening Tribal
    communities. We understand the CBO estimates may assume lower program
    funding levels than those requested and may use less specific data on
    projected contract and compact agreements in FY 2024.
                               tiwahe initiative
        Question. It is the Subcommittee's understanding that Tiwahe
    funding goes to ONLY pilot sites for the social services funding and
    then the Tiwahe funding for tribal courts goes to all tribes and tribal
    organizations. Can you confirm the number of pilot sites as well as
    exactly what pot of Tiwahe funding these sites receive? And then can
    you also confirm how much and who receives the Tiwahe tribal court
    funding?
        Answer. Tiwahe Social Service and Indian Child Welfare funding
    goes, in part, to all eligible Tribes or Tribal Organizations that were
    listed in the 2014 Budget Justifications. Each year, a total of $5.0
    million of Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Tiwahe funding is allocated
    among 385 Tribes and Tribal Organizations and a total of $3.5 million
    of Social Service Tiwahe funding is allocated among 334 Tribes and
    Tribal Organizations for the across-the-board increases. In addition,
    annually, $300,000 Tiwahe Social Services funding supports domestic
    violence and youth shelters and $4.2 million supporting child
    protection and child welfare workers for 33 Tribes and Tribal
    Organizations which includes both demonstration sites and non-
    demonstration sites. Each year, over 42 Tribes receive Recidivism
    Reduction Initiative (RRI) funding and over 50 Tribal courts receive
    Tiwahe Tribal Court (TTC) and Tribal Justice Support (TJS) funding. TJS
    Tiwahe funding was new in FY 2023 and funds Healing to Wellness courts.
        In addition to the wider funding, Tiwahe funding has supported the
    six demonstration sites since 2017 in the areas of: Social Service,
    ICWA, Job Placement and Training (JPT), Housing Program (HP), RRI, and
    TTC. The six demonstration sites receive between $2.5 and $3.5 million
    total per year in Tiwahe funding. Confederated Salish and Kootenai
    Tribes (CSKT) and Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (PITU) were invited to
    become Tiwahe demonstration sites in March 2023, and two additional
    Tribes or Tribal Organizations will be invited to the demonstration in
    January 2024.
        CSKT and PITU received one-time planning funding of $500,000 for
    the first year and $200,000 in one-time funding from TTC (Tribes can
    request funding every year). After development of a Tiwahe Plan, CSKT
    and PITU will receive $997,853 in reoccurring Social Services base
    funding, but, given current appropriations levels, no other Tiwahe
    programs will be supported at the four new demonstration sites. TTC is
    providing one-time funding to CSKT and PITU to assist with court costs,
    consistent with current appropriation levels. Therefore, the six
    original demonstration sites receive Tiwahe Initiative funding for more
    programs than is provided to the four new Tiwahe demonstration sites.
    In addition to the selection of the four new Tiwahe demonstration
    sites, in FY 2023, BIA made $100,000 one-time funding awards to 10
    Tribes or Tribal Organizations to either assist in developing a Tiwahe
    Plan or to implement Tribally-led, cultural programs that improve
    community well-being. BIA made another round of ten $100,000 awards for
    the same purpose to other Tribes or Tribal Organizations in January
    2024.
        Regarding TTC funding, the funding is allocated to Tiwahe
    demonstration sites and to other eligible Tribal Court programs based
    on need. Need is determined from tribal requests received for funding
    in this area and is often supported by BIA tribal court assessment
    reports. In FY 2023, approximately $3.3 million was distributed to
    demonstration sites and approximately $4.3 million was distributed to
    39 other eligible Tribal Court programs based on need.
        Regarding the specifics of the TTC funding, in FY 2023, of the $7.6
    million appropriated for Tiwahe TTC purposes, $3.3 million went to
    Tiwahe demonstration sites, including CSKT and PITU. The remaining $4.3
    million was distributed among 39 Tribal Justice systems seeking ICWA
    Attorneys (representation of the Tribe in State Court) Tribal
    prosecutors/presenters for child neglect cases, juvenile prosecutors,
    public defenders, Tribal judges, guardians ad litem, healing to
    wellness coordinators, court navigators, among other things. BIA's
    approach to this funding allows for success and provides measurable
    impact to the court programs funded. If there was a requirement to
    distribute Tiwahe TTC and Tribal Justice Support (TJS)-Healing to
    Wellness Courts funding at current appropriated levels to all 574
    federally recognized Tribes, the amount per Tribe would be de minimis.
    The TJS Healing to Wellness Tiwahe program first received $3 million in
    funding in FY 2023. Healing to Wellness courts serve as effective
    alternatives to incarceration and provide a culturally appropriate
    forum to assist clients in addressing underlying behavioral health and
    substance abuse issues. Approximately half of this funding is
    distributed to demonstration sites and the rest is allocated to
    training, which is made available to all Tribes, and for funding other
    Tribal Healing to Wellness proposals.
        The overall Tiwahe related funding increase in the FY 2024 request
    is $33.5 million which includes increases in funding to the Human
    Services Tiwahe subactivities of Social Services $17.2 million, ICWA
    $7.5 million, and HP $2.0 million, as well as Tribal Justice support
    $1.9 million, and Economic Development $5.0 million. These increases
    will allow IA to further fund the four new Tribes for their Social
    Services, ICWA, and HP needs, along with bringing the 10 new sites into
    the demonstration program. The expansion will incorporate a stronger
    focus on Economic Development and Tribal Justice activities in Tribal
    community planning.
        Question. Last year, BIA received an additional $1M to expand the
    Initiative. How many sites will BIA expand Tiwahe to and exactly what
    funding will they receive?
        Answer. In FY 2023, Congress appropriated $1.0 million to the
    Tiwahe ICWA program, with the express purpose of expanding the Tiwahe
    demonstration. For the ICWA funding, a solicitation for Tiwahe site
    expansion closed on August 31, 2023, and an announcement of the new
    Tiwahe Tribes and Tribal Organizations occurred in January 2024. 10
    sites that applied to participate in the demonstration expansion were
    selected for this funding opportunity. Sites that previously received a
    one-time funding award are eligible to receive an additional one-time
    funding award of $100,000 to either develop a Tiwahe plan or implement
    cultural programming.
        In FY 2023, Congress also appropriated $1.0 million to the Tiwahe
    Social Service program also with the express purpose of expanding the
    Tiwahe demonstration. The Social Services funding will be used to
    establish two new Tiwahe demonstration sites. The solicitations for
    these new demonstration sites were done in the IWCA solicitation
    described above which closed on August 31, 2023, and an announcement of
    these new Tiwahe sites occurred in January 2024. The additional $1.0
    million will be split evenly between these two new Tiwahe demonstration
    sites for those Tribes to develop a Tiwahe plan which will guide
    implementation during subsequent years of participation in the Tiwahe
    demonstration site program.
        Question. What is the funding plan for those who currently receive
    Tiwahe funding? What happens to those who are currently a pilot site
    and what happens to those who are receiving tribal courts money? Is the
    Administration proposing to move that funding into a reoccurring base
    program amount?
        Answer. There are six existing demonstration sites and Tiwahe
    funding for those sites for Social Services, ICWA, and HP became base
    funding in FY 2021. Recidivism Reduction Initiative (RRI), Tiwahe
    Tribal Courts (TTC), and Tribal Justice Support (TJS) funding includes
    some base funding components for these Tribes. The Human Services
    funding (which comprises Social Services, IWCA, and HP) for the four
    new Tiwahe Tribes (CSKT, PITU, and two new demonstration sites) would
    become base funding in FY 2025.
        The Department does not plan to reallocate or diminish the base
    funding for the demonstration sites in any of the currently funded
    program areas. The primary goal of the Tiwahe Initiative is to show how
    Tribal community well-being improves when Tribes or Tribal
    Organizations are provided sufficient reoccurring base funding to build
    sustainable programs that address the major challenges facing the
    community. The 2021 Tiwahe Congressional Report identified how the six
    demonstration sites used their funding and support from the Department
    to markedly improve community well-being--from reducing the number of
    children in foster care, to keeping children with families while in
    care, to reducing juvenile recidivism to half the national average, and
    to winning Alaska Supreme Court cases that preserve the rights of
    Tribes in ICWA cases. The demonstration sites have used the influx of
    Tiwahe funding to leverage additional funding to supplement their
    budgets. For example, Ute Mountain Ute has obtained over $100 million
    dollars in grants and private philanthropy since 2017 due to the
    investment of Tiwahe funding. Red Lake Nation (RLN) was able to use
    their Tiwahe Plan as a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
    Administration (SAMHSA) Tribal Action Plan, which allowed RLN to access
    additional grant funding from SAMHSA for programming to improve mental
    health and address addiction issues, including a multigenerational
    wellness center.
        TTC and TJS funding will continue to support Tribal courts and
    healing to wellness courts. However, beyond the base funding components
    already established, there is currently no plan to transfer additional
    funding into base so we can continue to target specific Tribal court
    needs that change from year to year. For example, a court that
    requested funding in year 1 for computers or recording systems, may not
    need the same amount or same items in year 2. As of the end of FY 2023
    no Tribal request for TTC or TJS funding has been denied. It should be
    noted that Tiwahe demonstration sites' requests for TTC funding are
    considered first, at all times.
        The plan to distribute FY 2024 TTC and TJS Tiwahe funding remains
    the same. All Tribal justice systems, whether or not they are Tiwahe
    demonstration sites, depend on the Tiwahe funding appropriated to
    address issues dealing with the health and safety of the family. On
    average, TTC and TJS funds support approximately 107-117 tribal justice
    positions per year, all dealing with child welfare and child dependency
    cases. As noted earlier, requests from Tiwahe demonstration sites are
    honored first, at all times. The remainder of those funds are
    distributed to tribal justice systems within Public Law 280
    jurisdictions and those not in Public Law 280 jurisdiction. In FY 2023,
    107 positions were funded with TTC/TJS resources, including 6 child
    welfare attorneys, 15 Guardians Ad Litem, 15 Prosecutors/Presenters,
    and 11 Public Defenders, as well as other positions such as navigators
    for families within the court system. These positions are essential for
    the safety of the community. The average funding award is approximately
    $92,500 for each tribal justice system, several requiring more than
    $150,000. Tribes depend on these one-time awards as a large part of
    their operating budget.
          public safety and justice funding for public law 280 states
        Question. In Alaska more than 100 tribes have no law enforcement
    presence whatsoever in their community and because of the remote nature
    of many Native villages, often it takes days and air and/or boat travel
    for law enforcement to address violent felonies. Mr. Newland, are you
    aware of the various law enforcement challenges tribes face in Alaska?
    Can you share with the Subcommittee how much funding is being devoted
    to the Public Law 280 states for law enforcement and where that funding
    is coming from? Do you have an estimate on what the funding levels
    would be necessary so that all of these communities would be on par
    with the others who receive law enforcement funding?
        Answer. We recognize the unique challenges faced by Tribes in
    Alaska, especially in law enforcement. Regarding the numbers, BIA
    submits an annual report to the Congress that summarizes, among other
    things, the estimated annual law enforcement program funding needs
    throughout Indian Country. The most recent Report to the Congress on
    Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and
    Justice Programs in Indian Country, 2020, (https://www.bia.gov/bia/ojs/
    documents-and-reports) provides BIA's law enforcement spending and
    estimated program needs for Alaska and other Public Law 280 States
    (California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin). This report
    identifies FY 2020 law enforcement funding, not including Detention and
    Corrections or Tribal Courts funding, of $17.6 million that was
    allocated to law enforcement programs serving Tribes in Public Law 280
    States. The report also estimates the law enforcement need associated
    with those six States was $665.9 million for adequately staffed, fully
    funded programs. Jurisdictional challenges and State provided support
    notwithstanding, a funding level of $207 million (or 31% of need) would
    be necessary to align Tribes in these States with Tribes in non-Public
    Law 280 jurisdictions.
        Beyond our traditional law enforcement programs, the OJS Division
    of Drug Enforcement and Missing & Murdered Unit each have four Special
    Agent positions located in Public Law 280 States to augment the
    investigative capabilities of local law enforcement. These two
    organizations also work closely with other Federal and Tribal
    stakeholders on multiple task forces to ensure information sharing and
    advance the safety of Indian communities.

                                     ______

                   Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
        Question. The Three Affiliated Tribes of Mandan, Hidatsa and
    Arikara (MHA Nation) are leaders in oil production at the Fort Berthold
    Reservation, with about 90% of the tribes' revenue coming from oil
    production. These resources help provide critical funding for the
    Tribe's essential needs, including infrastructure and healthcare. The
    Three Affiliated Tribes have produced as many as 300,000 barrels of oil
    per day; however, production remains down at only 152,640 barrels per
    day. Does the administration support the right of Tribes to develop all
    of their energy reserves, including their oil trust reserves?
        Answer. The Department supports Tribal sovereignty and the Tribes'
    right to economic development of all Tribal energy reserves, including
    oil and gas, to make lives better for people in their communities. It
    is important that Tribes maintain the ability to implement, regulate,
    and benefit from energy development in their communities. The
    Department looks forward to our continued work with Congress to help
    Tribal Nations further empower themselves through energy development.
        The BIA has reviewed and concurs with the production status
    information reflected in this question. Oil production on the Fort
    Berthold Indian Reservation (FBIR) achieved a high peak in 2019 and has
    declined since that time. We observe that the decline in the number of
    well permit applications likely results from multiple factors,
    including various title disputes on the FBIR that are the focus of
    significant effort and dedicated resources to resolve, as well as other
    dynamics that industry and the Federal partners in the area are jointly
    coordinating to address.
        Dedicated BIA resources to support the Tribe's efforts to develop
    energy resources on the FBIR have been key to maintaining production on
    the FBIR and working toward optimizing production volumes. Since 2017,
    the BIA's Indian Energy Service Center (IESC) has supported the BIA's
    field offices and other federally processed oil and gas leases and
    communitization agreements (CAs) on the FBIR that had been previously
    delayed due to litigation and other complications resulting from the
    high work volume generated within the highly productive Williston Basin
    (Bakken Formation). As a result of the IESC's efforts, the Department
    has collected and disbursed approximately $1.895 billion in oil and gas
    royalties to Tribes and Individual owners as of January 2024.
        The IESC has also processed CAs for the Uintah & Ouray (U&O) BIA
    Agency since 2019. The total royalty amount that has been transacted
    through these IESC processed CAs goes back to calendar year 2011 as
    some of the CAs approved had an effective date starting as far back as
    that year. As a result of the IESC's support, the Department has
    collected and disbursed approximately $79,241,452 since 2019 in oil and
    gas royalties.
        The Department and BIA will continue to support mineral needs and
    priorities of Tribes and Individual mineral owners nationwide. The
    Department has taken additional steps to support Tribes by transferring
    the Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD) under the BIA.
    DEMD provides grant funding and technical assistance to fulfill the
    Department's trust responsibility to assist Tribes and Indian
    beneficiaries in furthering the goal of Indian self- determination
    through developing minerals, energy, and renewable energy.
        From 2015 to 2022 the DEMD provided grant funding to Tribes
    totaling $51.3 million through the Energy and Mineral Development
    Program (EMDP) and the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant
    program, available exclusively to Indian beneficiaries. These programs
    support Tribes' efforts to develop all phases of energy and minerals,
    including oil and gas, solid minerals, and renewable energy. The DEMD,
    staffed with STEM professionals reflective of the energy and mineral
    industries, accompanies these grants with meaningful technical
    assistance to Tribes to maximize Tribal success in developing energy
    and mineral resources. The DEMD has been administering these Tribal
    grant programs since 1983. In 2022, $14.1 million in grant funding and
    technical assistance valued at $9.3 million were provided to Tribes
    through these programs. On average, DEMD has been able to fund about
    30% of total grant applications received. On an annual average basis,
    DEMD grant funds and technical assistance resources are roughly
    allocated in even proportions to 1) Tribal oil and gas and solid
    mineral development efforts, 2) Tribal renewable energy development
    efforts, and 3) Tribal capacity building related to energy management
    and support for developing multiple energy and mineral commodities.
        A partial list of example Tribal energy development successes
    supported by DEMD, IESC and other BIA offices includes:

      --Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming
            (Eastern Shoshone) and the Northern Arapaho Tribe of the Wind
            River Reservation, Wyoming (Northern Arapahoe)--The DEMD has
            provided direct advisement to the Tribes to assume operations
            of oil field assets and initiate a Tribally owned oil and gas
            enterprise aimed at developing economic benefit to Tribal
            members. DEMD continues to provide ongoing Tribal oil field
            operation advisement support.

      --Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah--The DEMD has provided
            to the Navajo Nation EMDP grant monies and technical assistance
            to assess Helium development. Although not a specific energy
            development, it is a critical fluid mineral that is developed
            with oil and gas technology.

      --The Osage Nation--Grant monies and technical assistance supports
            Tribal efforts to assess and expedite oil and gas development,
            modernize their oil and gas data reserve data.

      --Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation,
            Montana--The IESC and the DEMD have partnered with BIA Fort
            Peck Agency Office in assessing and prioritizing marketable
            lands and provided processing support to prepare and administer
            an upcoming competitive, advertised oil and gas lease sale.

      --Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico--The DEMD provided technical
            assistance to the Tribe in reviewing proposed agreements
            authorized by the Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982 (IMDA)
            and supported the Tribe in general operational coordination
            with industry.

      --Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, California--The DEMD's
            ongoing support includes assessment of economic development in
            the Salton Sea area through energy related rights-of-way (ROW)
            via business agreements with energy operators working to bring
            electrical service to Riverside County, and possible metals
            extraction from geothermal process water in Imperial County.

      --Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada--
            The DEMD has worked with and provided technical assistance and
            EMDP grants to the Pyramid Lake Reservation and the Bristol Bay
            Corporation to assist in the development of geothermal
            resources.

      --Seismic Data Support--The DEMD coordinates with Tribes via grant
            and technical assistance to develop, acquire, and house seismic
            reflectivity data, critical to assess and market potential
            Tribal energy reserves. Tribal seismic data collected to date
            is valued at approximately $160 million.

      --Tribal Energy Development via the NAPE Expo--The DEMD coordinates
            with Tribes to facilitate Tribal travel and attendance annually
            to the prominent North American Prospect Expo (NAPE), an
            industry driven expo focused on nationwide energy resource
            business development. Energy operators and other parties attend
            the expo with the goal of pursuing the business of developing
            conventional and renewable development. DEMD accompanies Tribal
            representatives at NAPE and serves as technical support in both
            conventional and renewable energy development phases.

      --Tribal Energy Training Development--The DEMD has partnered with the
            Petroleum Engineering Department at the Colorado School of
            Mines to provide to Tribes a 3-day course of oil and gas
            development on Tribal lands. The IESC has developed and
            provided training to Tribes in energy development procedural
            practices within the Department of the Interior via the
            Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) Tribal training series.

      --NIOGEMS--The National Indian Oil & Gas, Energy and Minerals System
            (NIOGEMS) is a graphical software system developed in-house by
            DEMD specifically for Tribes to manage their energy and mineral
            trust resources. NIOGEMS houses data from multiple systems of
            record, public datasets, and proprietary datasets into one
            application for ease of energy asset management and analysis.
            The NIOGEMS application is provided to Tribes and Federal
            Agencies to aid energy resource management.
        Question. What steps--including Tribal consultation--are being
    taken to help Tribes access and navigate Federal energy programs?
        Answer. The DOI, through the BIA, established the Indian Energy
    Service Center (IESC) in 2016, in response to the surge of oil and gas
    development among several Tribes, including the Three Affiliated
    Tribes, as well as the Southern Ute Tribe, the Uintah and Ouray Tribe,
    and the Osage Nation. The IESC is a multi-agency office utilizing the
    services of the BIA, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Office of Natural
    Resource Revenue (ONRR), and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
    (BTFA). Each of these offices play key roles and responsibilities in
    the management of oil and gas (mineral), energy, and renewable energy
    resources for the Tribes and Individual beneficiaries. The IESC assists
    local Federal field offices with workloads to minimize backlogs in
    transactions associated with oil and gas development. The increased
    coordination and support between the key Federal agencies have
    alleviated many of the administrative burdens and backlogs that were
    affecting development of Indian trust mineral and energy resources. The
    IESC continues to facilitate coordination between these key agencies
    and as a result all agencies are more responsive to the needs of the
    Tribes. Furthermore, the IESC chairs the Indian Energy and Mineral
    Steering Committee (IEMSC). IEMSC is comprised of senior level
    management representatives from bureaus and offices within the
    Department of the Interior with direct responsibility for managing
    Indian energy, mineral and renewable energy resources, and revenue
    management. IEMSC takes an active role to engage and coordinate with
    Federal officials from agencies outside of DOI, as needed, to address
    energy and mineral issues on Indian lands. While carrying out these
    activities, IESC has entered into MOUs with the Environmental
    Protection Agency (EPA), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), US Fish
    and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Department of Energy (DOE) to
    foster and build a working relationship with Federal partners to
    enhance Indian mineral, energy and renewable energy opportunities and
    communication on trust lands for the benefit of Tribes and Individual
    beneficiaries and mineral owners.
        The IESC hosts a series of quarterly Federal Partner Meetings with
    the Three Affiliated Tribes, also known as the Mandan, Hidatsa and
    Arikara Nation, and 5 BIA Regions to discuss Indian energy and mineral
    resource development, royalty management coordination, and information
    exchange at the local office level. The departmental bureaus and
    offices represented on the partnership team operate under the Federal
    trust responsibility to federally recognized Indian Tribes, Indian
    allottees, and Alaska Natives.
        Also housed within BIA, the Division of Energy and Mineral
    Development (DEMD) provides grant funding and technical assistance to
    Tribes to further economic independence through development of Tribal
    energy and minerals. Authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the
    DEMD accomplishes its mission with its staff of engineers, geologists,
    and other STEM professionals with specialized experience in
    conventional fluid minerals (oil and gas), renewable energy and
    distributed generation, solid minerals, and Tribal business and
    capacity development. Tribes benefit from the coordinated approach that
    DEMD and the IESC employ, where Tribal energy and mineral development
    efforts supported with DEMD grant funding and technical assistance can
    be expedited through the internal Federal coordination efforts of the
    IESC. The BIA will continue to use this coordinated model to support
    Tribal efforts to support all phases of energy and mineral resources.
        The Department will continue to work with Congress to help Tribal
    Nations further empower themselves through energy development. The
    Department and BIA coordinate and serve on various committees with
    Federal partners, and the White House Council on Native American
    Affairs (WHCNAA) to deliver opportunities and investments to Indian
    Country. This coordination includes discussions regarding investments
    available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which also
    provide resources and the opportunity to improve services in every
    Tribal community and advance self-determination to Tribes.
        Timely approval of permitting and realty actions are critical to
    infrastructure investment in Indian Country. To this end, BIA recently
    announced an updated National Policy Memorandum (NPM-TRUS-44 A1) which
    streamlines the rights-of-way (ROWs) and business lease application
    process for projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and BIL, as
    well as Telecommunications and Renewable Energy Projects. This action
    advances the policy of the BIA to support Tribal Nations in exercising
    their sovereignty to govern their lands and pursue economic self-
    sufficiency, conservation practices, and climate resiliency.
    Specifically, this NPM provides clear direction to ensure that ROWs and
    business leases are expedited so there is no unnecessary delay in
    deploying critical infrastructure to Indian country.
        The Department has also taken steps to support Tribes and Indian
    beneficiaries with the development of their trust resources and
    navigating energy program development with outreach coordination and
    communication. Lack of infrastructure and the need for increased
    capacity among several of the Tribal Nations are issues that need to be
    addressed. The IESC and DEMD and the Office of the Assistant Secretary
    for Indian Affairs developed the Renewable Energy Accelerated
    Deployment Initiative for Indian Country (READI) to engage with Tribes
    and inform decision makers of Tribal goals and needs regarding
    renewable energy development on Indian lands. READI is underway and is
    scheduled for implementation by December 2023. READI will support
    listening sessions with Tribes across Indian Country to receive input
    on each Tribe's vision and plan for renewable energy development and
    associated needs in the Tribal community. The product of READI will be
    a compilation report that decision makers may use for resource
    allocation and program development. READI will host five hybrid
    virtual/in- person and two virtual-only listening sessions starting on
    August 21, 2023.
        The Department also held two consultations with Tribes regarding
    funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to understand the unique
    Tribal energy and electrification needs and better assist Tribes in
    navigating the implementation and award process for the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the IRA. For example, the IESC has worked
    with Interior's Orphaned Well Program to administer grants and
    assistance to Tribes looking to remediate abandoned well sites within
    their land. This program will distribute $50 million in funds for 2023
    and anticipates distributing $100 million more in the next 2 years.
        BIA is also coordinating with the Federal Permitting Improvement
    Steering Committee (FPISC) through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to
    transfer funds for Tribes to support permitting for FAST 41 projects to
    BIA.
        Question. The U.S. Indian Police Academy's Advanced Training Center
    (ATC), located at Camp Grafton in North Dakota, provides specialized
    advanced training for law enforcement, corrections, and dispatch
    personnel of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Federal agencies,
    State law enforcement, and local law enforcement. Will you continue to
    support the work of the ATC at Camp Grafton?
        Answer. We fully intend to continue our role in this critical
    training partnership and support the public safety needs of Indian
    Country.
        Question. It is important to note that Camp Grafton is also home to
    the North Dakota National Guard (NDNG) and serves as the region's
    premier National Guard training site. The NDNG has been extremely
    supportive of this partnership and the important training being done by
    BIA at Camp Grafton. In fact, the NDNG has utilized funding to
    construct new dorms and remodel classrooms, not only to improve its own
    training activities, but to further support BIA's training activities.
    The NDNG has also been working to finalize a memorandum of agreement
    (MOA) with the BIA, with the intent to lease approximately 8 acres of
    land at Camp Grafton to BIA for the long-term. My understanding is that
    the MOA is currently being reviewed by the Department of the Interior's
    Office of the Solicitor. Will you help ensure that the MOA is reviewed
    in a timely manner and that my office is informed of any decision?
        Answer. Yes, we intend to keep you apprised of any legal concerns
    raised regarding the lease and will work with your office to address
    them as necessary.

                              SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

        Senator Merkley. And this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:39 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

         DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
                      APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

                                  ----------

                                           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 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 2024 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. This written testimony highlights
    just three of the programs under your consideration: the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative and water infrastructure funding for the Clean
    Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Although all of these
    programs received investments in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
    Act of 2021, continued funding at increased and authorized levels is
    necessary to deal with the significant challenges each program faces
    and additional detail is provided below.
                       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 5-year action plan containing
    measurable goals and objectives. Since its inception in 2010, nearly $3
    billion has been provided to fund more approximately 6,000 projects
    throughout the Great Lakes region.
        For every $1 the GLRI invested, 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.
        For FY 2024, we recommend that the Committee fund this program at
    $425 million. This funding level is consistent with the congressional
    project reauthorization in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act
    (Public Law 116-294, Jan. 5, 2021) which authorizes $425 million in
    funding for FY 2024. 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.
                       investing in water infrastructure
        Another important area under the subcommittee's jurisdiction is
    funding for water infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency
    estimates that nationwide approximately $743 billion is needed over the
    next 20 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.
        Although the need for water infrastructure funding far outstrips
    available annual funding levels, we encourage you to appropriate funds
    for these programs at the authorized level for FY 2024 which means
    $4.12 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and $4.63
    billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. These funding levels
    are a significant increase over funds appropriated in FY 2023 and are
    necessary to allow for continued progress to address water
    infrastructure funding needs and to ensure that families nationwide
    have access to safe drinking water and healthy waste water services.
        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, The Alliance for the Great Lakes.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of the American Alliance of Museums
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity 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 $211
    million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funding for the National Endowment for
    the Arts (NEA), $211 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 $70 million for State Historic Preservation
    Offices (SHPOs) and $34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation
    Offices (THPOs). We support $28 million for African American Civil
    Rights Grants, $13 million for Historically Black Colleges/
    Universities, $7 million for Equal Rights Grants, and $5 million for
    Underrepresented Community Grants. We request funding of at least $40
    million for the Save America's Treasures program and $17 million for
    Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants. We support at least $11
    million in funding for U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration grants for
    the country's 250th commemoration. In light of museums being banned
    from this year's Community Project Funding in the House of
    Representatives, which we strongly oppose, increasing funding for
    competitive grants for museums is all the more critical.
        Before detailing these funding priorities for the museum field, I
    want to express my appreciation for the increases enacted in FY 2023.
    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 2023 speaks volumes about its commitment to our
    Nation's cultural institutions. While Federal relief funding has
    provided critical lifelines, museums are still struggling to return to
    pre-pandemic levels of support.
        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 community infrastructure 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 it going 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 also answered the call and
            significantly ramped up online educational programs and
            resources for students and families throughout the pandemic.
            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.

      --Museums are essential to rebuilding communities as we continue to
            emerge from the pandemic. The pandemic has inflicted profound
            damage on U.S. museums, the vast majority of which are
            501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organizations. The museum field
            will take years to recover to pre-pandemic levels of staffing,
            revenue, and attendance. Thanks to several Federal relief
            programs, far fewer museums than initially expected are in
            danger of permanent closure and tens of thousands of museum
            jobs were saved. While Federal relief funding has provided
            critical lifelines, museums are still struggling to return to
            pre-pandemic levels of support. According to a recent survey,
            67% of museums have not recovered to 100% of their pre-pandemic
            attendance numbers. Of those that have not fully recovered,
            attendance is down on average 30% with many citing lower
            visitation from K-12 in-person field trips. Despite the
            tremendous financial and psychological stress caused by the
            pandemic, museum professionals demonstrated the critical role
            museums play in our country's infrastructure and deepened their
            social impact in their communities. Museums are essential
            community infrastructure.

        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 FY 2022, the NEH awarded 679 grants totaling more than $89.4
    million to institutions across the U.S., including museums. All of
    NEH's divisions and offices support museums, including the Office of
    Challenge Grants which offers matching grants to support much needed
    capacity building and infrastructure projects at museums. 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. As part of the initiative, most of NEH's grant programs
    include special encouragements to applications related to the United
    States' 250th.
        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, received a $187,487 award
            to conduct archival work and public programming on the history
            and culture of Central Oregon, focusing on the Plateau Tribes
            in the region. This project will position the High Desert
            Museum and Museum at Warm Springs to continue core humanities
            work that is sustaining the region's Native based cultural
            infrastructure. Specific activities include transforming how
            the High Desert Museum structures and interprets the collection
            of Plateau Indian material culture in its care and cataloguing
            and digitizing the Museum at Warm Springs's collection and
            archives to support K-12 curriculum. By advancing this
            collaborative work, this project will have a significant and
            ongoing impact on the region's cultural infrastructure.

      --The Museum of the Aleutians (MOTA) in Unalaska, Alaska, was awarded
            $6,213 for the purchase of eight new data loggers for the
            museum's collection, including two units for traveling
            collections, to allow for improved environmental monitoring.
            This project will assist with the ongoing preservation of the
            museum's collections, helping MOTA staff meet its mission to
            collect, preserve, and share the rich cultural legacy of the
            Aleutian Islands Region.

        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. Annually, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) typically
    provides more than 150 awards to museums and museum-related projects,
    totaling approximately $5 million.
        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. Typically, more than 2,000 museums in all 50 States
    participate, reaching approximately nearly one million 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 Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, was awarded $20,000 to
            support a professional and artistic development lab for
            cinematic storytellers working in film, audio, animation, mixed
            reality, and new media formats. Offering professional
            mentorship and guidance on creative, financial, and career
            sustainability, the program will culminate in paid
            opportunities for participating artists to hold workshops and
            present their projects to the area community. Program
            activities will take place virtually and in person. The program
            will benefit filmmakers and media artists, as well as local
            audiences at exhibitions in the Portland, Oregon, area to
            strengthen the Nation's cultural infrastructure.

      --The Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded $70,000 to
            support a series of public programs, installations, and artist
            residencies featuring sound art, sound ecology, and healing
            sound. The museum will commission artists to create work that
            focuses on sound, the environment and wellness. Artwork from
            emerging and professional artists will be presented, with a
            focus on artists from the Circumpolar North and Indigenous
            artists who work on issues connected to climate change and
            climate justice, as well as musicians whose work is derived
            from sound ecology. The project will serve audiences of all
            ages and include curriculum development for elementary,
            secondary, and postsecondary students and educators.

        The agency also runs the Arts & Artifacts Indemnity program, which
    reduces the cost of insuring major exhibitions. Absent this program,
    such exhibitions would need to be reduced in scale or abandoned. It
    saves museums millions of dollars annually, at a cost of almost zero to
    taxpayers.
        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. And we applaud the establishment of the Smithsonian
    American Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American
    Latino.
        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, and provide vital funding to help museums
    serve their communities.
        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.

        [This statement was submitted by Laura L. Lott on behalf of the
    American Alliance of Museums.]
                                     ______

               Prepared Statement of the American Circus Alliance
        Summary: This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the
    American Circus Alliance (ACA) to the Senate Appropriations Committee
    on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for the official record.
    The ACA appreciates Congress' support for the National Endowment for
    the Arts (NEA) in fiscal year (FY) 2023 and asks that the Committee
    robustly fund the agency in FY 2024. The ACA joins the arts community
    in requesting support of at least $211 million for the NEA in FY 2024
    to support the creative arts economy and circus arts across the Nation.
        Written Testimony: The American Circus Alliance is a service and
    advocacy organization dedicated to circus performance and production in
    the United States. The mission of the American Circus Alliance is to
    unite, promote, and champion the art of American circus, its
    practitioners, and those who work to support it. According to a 2022
    survey of U.S. circus workers, these workers are distributed fairly
    evenly across regions of the country, with the highest concentration in
    the Western U.S. Circus is a vital component of the American cultural
    fabric, and the ACA represents U.S. circus performance and production
    for the formation of cultural policy at the National, as well as
    regional and local levels.
        We thank the Committee for its successful work to substantially
    increase NEA funding in FY 2023 to $204 million. We request that the
    Committee increase NEA funding to no less than President Biden's FY
    2024 budget request of $211 million. Increasing NEA funding would have
    cascading positive effects in communities across the United States and
    would make the money go further leveraging public-private partnerships
    built into NEA programs. This is particularly important at this time to
    continue helping those involved in the creative economy to rebound from
    impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that 40 percent of NEA's budget
    is re-granted through State and regional arts agencies, the NEA expands
    opportunities for Americans to participate and engage with the arts,
    including circus arts, in every State and congressional district. NEA
    grantmaking specifically supports rural and underserved areas that
    would not otherwise have robust access to art, such as circus arts.
        A small funding increase to the NEA funding level, relative to
    other appropriated programs, would have an outsized effect to support
    the economies and well-being of our communities. Particularly during
    this time when there is pressure to make tough budgetary decisions, we
    strongly urge the Committee to protect and increase NEA funding to
    provide vital arts support. Investment in the NEA provides a
    substantial return on investment; for every dollar spent on direct
    grants, nine dollars in private and other public funds are leveraged,
    generating more than $500 million in matching support. Supporting the
    arts helps the economy as a whole. The creative economy represented 4.4
    percent of the gross domestic product in 2021, more than $1 trillion in
    total, according to a joint report from the NEA and the Bureau of
    Economic Analysis.
        The ACA also joins the arts community in encouraging the Committee
    to build a specific path to index funding for the NEA at $1 per capita.
    The Endowment is currently funded at only 62 cents per capita. Such an
    increase in arts funding would help alleviate the historic Federal
    underinvestment in the arts sector that results in circus artists
    leaving the United States to train and create transformative art in
    other countries that have more robust arts funding.
        The circus arts ecosystem benefits directly from NEA funding
    through Grants for Arts Projects. For example, the New England Center
    for Circus Arts (NECCA) received $20,000 in support in FY 2022 an has
    reached over 45,000 audience members in public, private and school
    settings in rural Southern Vermont and throughout New England. Circus
    company Parallel Exit received $15,000 from the NEA in FY 2023 and has
    reached over 50,000 audience members and 25,000 public school students
    throughout New York City. We additionally urge the NEA to add an
    additional grant submission category for circus. Currently, circus
    grant applications must apply through the multidisciplinary arts
    category, which is defined as a combination of performing, visual,
    media, design, and literary arts, which does a disservice to the
    specific needs and particularities of circus arts. Circus arts are an
    evolving art form of popular entertainment that synthesize physical
    technical mastery with artistic expression of one or more circus
    techniques recognized by professionals, including but not limited to
    balancing, clowning art, equestrian art, floor acrobatics, aerial
    acrobatics, variety arts and juggling. Increased NEA funding would help
    the Endowment to fund more meritorious arts grants across their areas
    of jurisdiction, and would increase opportunity for art forms, like
    circus arts, that lack center stage attention when it comes to funding,
    yet still stimulate local economies and connect communities.
        Conclusion: The National Endowment for the Arts plays a critical
    role in supporting development and accessibility of art to people all
    across the Nation. Arts funding is vital to inspire and connect people,
    and it has a powerful economic impact. On behalf of the American Circus
    Alliance, thank you for your consideration of Federal funding for the
    NEA at no less than $211 million for FY 2024, as well as a specific
    path to index funding for this agency at $1 per capita.

        [This statement was submitted by Serenity Smith Forchion, Co-
    President, Mark Lonergan, Co-President, Shenea Stiletto, Advocacy
    Committee Co-Chair, Eliana Perlmutter, Advocacy Committee Co-Chair,
    American Circus Alliance.]
                                     ______

                 Prepared Statement of American Hiking Society
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, on behalf of American Hiking Society and the millions of
    trail users our 201 collective organizations represent who spend their
    time, money and energy to get out on trails for recreation, health and
    wellness, and to volunteer, we thank the Committee for the opportunity
    to provide testimony on the importance of adequately funding our
    Nation's trails and public lands to ensure access for all. We ask 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.
    Appropriations for Federal land management agencies requested herein,
    coupled with the significant resources provided by non-profit partners,
    serve to accelerate collective stewardship of our Nation's public lands
    and waters and enhance climate adaptability.
                              summary of requests
    Forest Service:

      --Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails at $24M,
            including $11.957M for National Scenic and Historic Trails, and
            funding for the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Trail
            Partner Funding. In order to support adequate funding for all
            Forest Service trails and to avoid a reduction in the existing
            budget for all other Forest Service managed trails, increases
            for all other Forest Service Trails should occur in parity with
            the rate of increases for National Scenic and Historic Trails;

      --$58.575M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness;

      --At least $15M to fund Legacy Roads & Trails, with support for
            Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI) coalition
            request of $100M.

    Bureau of Land Management:

      --Funding at $13.75M for National Trails System Line Item;

      --National Conservation Lands at $78.145M, but a minimum level
            funding of FY23 at $61.499M

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

      --Refuge Visitor Services at least $86.114M

    National Park Service:

      --Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program at $15M;

      --Park Service Operations for the National Trails System at a minimum
            of $20.964M;

      --Volunteers in Parks programs at a minimum of FY23 levels, 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
            $135M

    US Geological Survey:

      --$1.5M to fully fund the National Digital Trail Project (NDTP)
                         forest service recommendation:
        National Forest trails benefit everyone and receive increasing
    public use each year. Collectively, the National Forests provide
    159,000 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.'' Roughly 120,000 of the 159,000 miles of trails are in need of
    some form of maintenance or repair.

    Program: Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $24M
    FY23 Level: $20M
    Department: Agriculture Agency/Account: Forest Service, Capital
    Improvement and Maintenance, Trails
    Report Language requested:

      --In order to support adequate funding for all Forest Service trails
            and to avoid a reduction in the existing budget for all other
            Forest Service managed trails, increases for all other Forest
            Service Trails should occur in parity with the rate of
            increases for National Scenic and Historic Trails

      --The committee supports continued funding for the National Forest
            System Trail Stewardship Trail Partner Funding Program. Much of
            the Forest Service's trail work is accomplished today by
            volunteer groups and non-profit partners. The Forest Service
            has a successful Trail Stewardship Partner Funding challenge
            cost share program that leverages Federal funding by 3 to 5:1.

    Program: Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $58.575M at a minimum
    FY23 Level: $55M
    Department: Agriculture
    Agency/Account: Forest Service, Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

    Program: Legacy Roads & Trails
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $6.39M at a minimum
    FY23 Level: $6M
    Department: US Department of Agriculture
    Agency/Account: Forest Service, Legacy Roads & Trails
                              blm recommendation:
        The BLM manages 13,468 miles of trails over 245 million acres -more
    land than any other Federal land management agency and contains a
    diversity of landscapes that often provide the public less structured
    but nonetheless diverse recreational opportunities. BLM recreation
    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.

    Program: Bureau of Land Management National Trails System Line-Item
    Funding
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $ 13.75
    FY23 Level: $11M
    Department: Bureau of Land Management. Agency/Account: National
    Conservation Lands, National Trails

    Program: National Conservation Lands
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $78.145M, but a minimum $61.499M
    FY23 Level: $61.499M
    Department: Bureau of Land Management Agency/Account: BLM, National
    Conservation Lands
                              fws 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 $93M will provide for
    trail maintenance across the land and water trails, refuges, wetlands,
    and hatcheries, including 11 National Scenic and Historic Trails and
    forty-four National Recreation Trails.

    Program: Visitor Services
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $86.114M
    FY23 Level: $80.859M
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife
    Service, Visitor Services
                              nps 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.

    Program: Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA)
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $15M
    FY23 Level: $13M
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: NPS, National
    Recreation and Preservation
    Report Language requested: Within, National Recreation and
    Preservation, $13.845M for the Rivers, Trails, & Conservation
    Assistance program.

    Program: National Trails System
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $20.964M
    FY23 Level: $18.856M
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: National Park
    Service, Park Service Operations
    Report Language requested:

      --Within, Park Service Operations, $22.18M for administration of the
            National Trails System.

      --National Trails System. -The Committees understand the importance
            of providing adequate funding for the development and
            maintenance of the National Trails System for future
            generations to enjoy. The Committees urge the Service to
            continue its efforts to develop National Scenic and Historic
            Trails, not limited to supporting construction and maintenance
            projects and volunteer coordination efforts, and to recognize
            equal ``unit'' status of National Scenic Trails.

    Program: Volunteers in Parks
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: Maintain FY23 increase, at minimum
    FY23 Level: Unknown
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: NPS, Park
    Partnership Support Functions
    Report Language requested: The committee recommends funding through
    Volunteers in Parks be provided for volunteer support of the National
    Trails System, National Rivers, and National Park Service trails.

    Program: Youth Partnership Programs
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: $10.95M
    FY23 Level: Unknown
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: National Park
    Service, Visitor Services
    Bill Language requested:
    Report Language requested: The committee recommends funding through the
    Youth Partnership Programs be provided for support of the National
    Trails System, National Rivers, and National Park Service trails.

    Program: Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: At least $135M
    FY23 Level: $125M
    Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: National Park
    Service, State Conservation Grants
    Report Language requested: The committee recommends funding through the
    Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program be provided for support
    of trails, including the National Trails System.
                      us geological survey recommendation:
    Program: National Digital Trail Project
    FY24 Funding Level Requested: 1.5M
    FY23 Level: $1.35M
    Department: U.S. Geological Survey Agency/Account: U.S. Geological
    Survey, Core Science Systems
         (across agencies) restore staffing for federal land managers
                                recommendation:
        Federal land managers, including those overseeing recreation and
    trails programs across NPS, USFS, BLM, and FWS sites, continue to face
    staffing shortages impacting the ability to adequately manage,
    maintain, and conserve the Nation's trails. Across the board land
    management agency staffing needs to be increased in order to support
    all aspects of trail management and maintenance, including volunteer
    engagement and partnerships, land acquisition, on the ground
    maintenance of trails systems that are desperately in need of attention
    to reduce maintenance backlogs, ensure that trails are safe and
    accessible, and address current and anticipated high levels of public
    use.

        [This statement was submitted by Tyler Ray, Senior Director for
    Programs and Advocacy, American Hiking Society.]
                                     ______

      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) 2024. We encourage
    Congress to provide additional funding to the Smithsonian Institution
    in FY 2024, including at least $60 million to the National Museum of
    Natural History with new funding to support scientific and curatorial
    work. We urge Congress to provide the USGS with $1.85 billion in FY
    2024, with at least $395 million for its Ecosystems Mission Area. We
    further request that Science Applications (previously named Science
    Support) within USFWS be provided at least $55.5 million in FY 2024.
    Lastly, we request that Congress provide EPA Science and Technology
    with at least $967.8 million in FY 2024.
        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 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 dedicated to promoting the use of
    science to inform decision-making that advances the biological sciences
    for the benefit of science and society. AIBS works to ensure that the
    public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have
    access to information to guide informed decision-making.
                            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
    2024 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:

      --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 virus
            that causes COVID-19. 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 fish and wildlife health.

      --Research on ecosystems of concern. This research is a critical
            component of efforts to restore and manage important national
            resources, such as the Everglades and the Chesapeake Bay. The
            Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative conducts research on
            wildlife and habitat responses to ecosystem change in the
            Arctic to inform land and species management decisions and
            address the needs of Arctic residents, including Native
            communities.

        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 funding increases 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 that Congress fund USGS at $1.85 billion in FY 2024,
    with at least $395 million for the Ecosystems mission area.
                         u.s. fish and wildlife service
        The Science Support program within USFWS provides scientific
    information needed by the agency, 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. In FY
    2023, Science Support was merged with the Cooperative Landscape
    Conservation activity and renamed Science Applications to support
    science partnerships with States, Tribes, industry, local communities,
    and other stakeholders. The enacted funding for Science Applications in
    FY 2023, however, was lower than the combined FY 2022 funding for its
    two activities.
        We request that Science Applications be provided at least $55.5
    million in FY 2024, as requested by the Administration, with robust
    funding for activities previously under Science Support.
                        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. Although
    President Biden proposed to increase EPA's Science and Technology
    budget by 15 percent in FY 2023, Congress provided only a 7 percent
    increase. Strong increases in funding are needed for programs such as
    the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research Grants Program, which
    supports extramural research that advances EPA's mission to protect
    human health and the environment, and the Global Change Research
    program, which develops scientific information that allows policy
    makers, stakeholders, and society to respond to climate change.
        Please provide at least $967.8 million in FY 2024 to support
    scientific research at the EPA. This much needed increase will allow
    the agency to provide resources for efforts to protect and restore our
    Nation's natural resources.
                                   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, Ph.D., Public
    Policy Director, American Institute of Biological Sciences.]
                                     ______

              Prepared Statement of the American Lung Association
               summary of fy 2024 appropriations recommendations

    EPA topline--12 billion
    Clean Air Program overall--$915.5 million
    Climate Protection Program--$181.2 million
    Categorical Grants: State and Local Air Quality Management--$500
    million
    Categorical Grants: Tribal Air Quality Management--$57.4 million
    Compliance Monitoring--$162.1 million
    Enforcement--$391.4 million
    Environmental Justice--$369.1 million
    Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program--$150 million
    EPA Radon Program--$5 million
    Categorical Grant: Radon--$18 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 2024
    (FY24). 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 and the harms of unhealthy air,
    investments in the Nation's lung health are critical. We urge the
    Committee to support $12 billion in funding for the Environmental
    Protection Agency.
        EPA programs play an important role in efforts to improve lung
    health and save lives. The Agency is responsible for setting and
    enforcing national air pollution standards, supporting air quality
    monitoring and pollution reduction efforts and educating the public
    about air toxics and air pollution. With the passage of clean air and
    climate investments in 2022, EPA is also responsible for administering
    millions of dollars in grant programs to States, localities, Tribes and
    other entities to reduce pollution and improve health. Air pollution
    poses a threat to the health of all Americans, but some individuals are
    at heightened risk of health harms from breathing polluted air. There
    are nearly 34.1 million Americans living with a chronic lung disease
    like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Children,
    seniors, individuals who are pregnant and people who work and play
    outside are also more likely to suffer health harms. Additionally,
    people of color and with low incomes often face a greater risk of
    exposure to air pollution. The Lung Association's 2023 ``State of the
    Air'' report found that 64 million people of color and 14.6 million
    people with incomes meeting the Federal poverty definition live in
    counties that received a failing grade for ozone and/or particle
    pollution.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ The American Lung Association. State of the Air, April 2023
    https://www.lung.org/sota
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Provide $915.5 million for EPA's Clean Air Program. We strongly
    support robust funding for EPA in FY24 to ensure continued 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 $694.6 million for Environmental
    Programs and Management and $220.9 million for Science and Technology.
    Within this program area, the Lung Association specifically requests
    $181.2 million for the Climate Protection Program across Environmental
    Programs and Management and Science and Technology.
        Provide $500 million for State and Local Air Quality Monitoring
    Grants and $57.4 million for Tribal Air Quality Monitoring Grants.
    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--
    continue to face budget shortfalls and many areas are operating with
    out-of-date monitors. 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. Funds included under the American Rescue Plan and the
    Inflation Reduction Act were necessary to make some progress after
    years of underfunding, but are not a replacement for regular and
    dependable funding through the regular appropriations process so that
    air agencies can plan for multi-year, sustained investments in air
    monitoring. Both the National Association of Clean Air Agencies and the
    National Tribal Air Association conducted baseline needs assessments of
    their members to determine what would be needed to successfully
    implement programs under current and anticipated Federal requirements.
    The results showed that air agencies need increases if they are to
    adequately protect health by monitoring air pollution levels.\2\ \3\
    Please provide $500 million for State and Local Air Quality Management
    Categorical Grants and $57.4 million for Tribal Air Quality Management
    Categorical Grants.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ National Association of Clean Air Agencies Recommendations for
    FY 2024 Federal Grant Funding for State and Local Clean Air Agencies,
    October 2022 https://www.4cleanair.org/wp-content/uploads/NACAA-FY-
    2024-Grant-Recommendations-adopted.pdf
        \3\ National Tribal Air Association. Tribal Air Quality Priorities
    and the Resources to Address those Priorities: Key Findings of the
    National Baseline Needs Assessment Among American Indian and Alaska
    Native Communities, May 2022 https://www.ntaatribalair.org/wp-content/
    uploads/2022/06/5.5.22-NTAA-Baseline-Needs-Assessment-Key-Findings.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Provide $162.1 million for Compliance Monitoring, $391.4 million
    for enforcement and $369.1 million for environmental justice efforts.
    Compliance with EPA's air quality rules must be enforced to truly
    achieve the rules' intended health benefits. Investment in EPA's
    enforcement work is critical to ensure the public is protected from
    dangerous air pollution as the law requires. 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. Additionally, air
    pollution does not impact everyone equally. The Administration has
    tasked EPA with prioritizing righting environmental injustices. To do
    so effectively, EPA needs dedicated funding for environmental justice.
    Please provide $162.1 million for compliance monitoring, $391.4 million
    for enforcement and $369.1 million dedicated for achieving
    environmental justice commitments.
        Provide $150 million for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act and
    Support the Clean School Bus Program. The Diesel Emissions Reduction
    Act (DERA) Program continues to receive bipartisan support. While
    progress has been made, millions of old, dirty diesel engines are still
    polluting communities and causing lung cancer. According to a 2022 EPA
    report, the Committee's continued investments in this program prove
    cost-effective, with monetized health benefits estimated to exceed
    Federal funding by a factor of 10. We urge the Committee to appropriate
    $150 million in FY24. Additionally, we urge the Committee to continue
    supporting the rapid transition to zero emission school buses through
    the Clean School Bus Program. The program has proven very popular, with
    around 2,000 applications for the first round of rebate funding.
    Millions of children ride a bus to school, exposing them to pollution
    from these dirty diesel engines. Investing in the transition to zero-
    emission 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.
        Provide $5 million for EPA's Radon Program and $18 million for
    State Indoor Radon Grants. 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 $5
    million for EPA's Radon Program and $18 million for the State Indoor
    Radon Grants. Additionally, we recommend that the Agency prioritize
    SIRG funding to States are seeking to adopt or strengthen certification
    requirements for radon measurement and mitigation workers.
        Oppose all policy riders. 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.
    Sincerely,

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Harold P. Wimmer,
    President and CEO
                                     ______

                 Prepared Statement of American Nuclear Society
        On behalf of the 10,000 men and women of the American Nuclear
    Society\1\ (ANS), I am pleased to provide a recommendation for
    consideration in the subcommittee's FY2024 appropriations bill. The
    American nuclear community is grateful to the subcommittee for its
    continued support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
    programs related to nuclear safety issues.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ The American Nuclear Society is the premier organization for
    those who embrace nuclear science and technology for their vital
    contributions to improving people's lives and preserving the planet.
    ANS membership is open to all and consists of individuals from all
    walks of life; including engineers, doctors, students, educators,
    scientists, soldiers, advocates, government employees, and others. ANS
    is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and
    application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        For thirty years, the EPA's generic regulation for geologic
    disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste (HLW)
    has not undergone a significant revision. The regulation is
    inconsistent with international approaches for repository public health
    and safety standards. Modern regulations in other countries focus on
    limiting radiation dose to individuals near a repository rather than
    attempting to protect the entire world's population through a set of
    radionuclide release limits. The nexus between the release limits in
    the current regulation and public health and safety is not readily
    apparent; as a result, the current regulation is ill-suited for
    instilling public confidence in effective regulatory oversight of a
    potential geologic repository.
        As a practical matter, if EPA began work tomorrow it would be years
    before an updated generic repository regulation would be available. The
    nuclear power industry has stored spent nuclear fuel safety and
    securely at reactor sites for more than half of a century, and Nuclear
    Regulatory Commission analyses demonstrate that storage can continue
    indefinitely, but that is not a responsible approach for HLW
    management. The Federal Government has a statutory and contractual
    responsibility to manage and dispose of HLW, but its program has been
    at a standstill for more than a decade. Whatever approach Congress
    ultimately decides to pursue for HLW disposal, an updated generic
    repository regulation will be needed, and one can be developed without
    prejudicing any particular course of action. Moreover, it's also worth
    mentioning that any proposed geological repository site will need an
    appropriate regulatory standard early in the process to support
    interactions with nearby communities on the topic of long-term safety.
        The bipartisan recognition of the need for advanced nuclear in
    Congress and the Administration in recent years should amplify the
    importance of starting work on an updated generic repository regulation
    as soon as possible. With several federally backed advanced nuclear
    power projects set to come online in the 2030 timeframe, the time is
    now to begin tackling the question, ``what about the waste?'' Sending a
    small signal to the American people that Washington is moving in a
    positive direction on HLW management to coincide with our countries
    advanced nuclear aspirations would be extremely beneficial.
        Therefore, we recommend the subcommittee include $2 million in FY24
    for the EPA to begin work on an updated generic repository standard for
    HLW.

        [This statement was submitted by Craig H. Piercy, Executive
    Director/CEO.]
                                     ______

          Prepared Statement of the American Psychological Association
        The American Psychological Association (APA) is the Nation's
    largest scientific and professional nonprofit organization representing
    the discipline and profession of psychology. APA has more than 146,000
    members and affiliates who are clinicians, researchers, educators,
    consultants, and students. Through the application of psychological
    science and practice, our association's mission is to make a positive
    impact on critical societal issues across the States.
        Many programs funded in the Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies bill provide essential support for our Nation's public health
    programs by helping to provide critical access to essential mental and
    behavioral health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
        APA urges Congress to provide the following funding levels.
                           the indian health service
        APA Services urges Congress to provide at least $9.7 billion for
    the Indian Health Service (IHS). The IHS is currently funded at $7.1
    billion. The IHS provides Federal health services to American Indians
    and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). As the main Federal health care provider
    for AI/AN people, its main goal is to improve their health care to the
    highest extent possible. The agency provides a health service delivery
    system for approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska
    Natives who belong to the 574 federally recognized Tribes.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Indian Health Service, (October 2019). Indian Health
    Disparities. Retrieved from: https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/
    disparities/.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Increased funding is essential for the IHS since this population
    has a lower life expectancy of approximately 5.5 years less than the
    U.S. all races population and often has a disproportionate disease
    burden compared to other populations.\2\ For example, American Indians
    and Alaska Natives die at higher rates than other Americans due to
    intentional self-harm/suicide, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis,
    diabetes, unintentional injuries, and assault/homicide.\3\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Ibid.
        \3\ Ibid.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        COVID-19 also highlighted how AI/AN communities were especially
    vulnerable to COVID-19, partly due to the long-term inequalities, high
    rates of poverty, and high rates of underlying medical conditions
    within these communities. Now more than ever, it is essential that
    Congress continue to address the needs of the most vulnerable. If more
    resources are not provided, the substantial number of existing health
    needs for AI/AN will become even greater.
        To effectively provide essential health care services, the APA
    requests that Congress fund the IHS at $9.7 billion for FY 2024.
                                 mental health
        Within the Indian Health Services, APA Services recommends $164
    million be allocated to mental health services. This program is
    currently funded at $127.2 million. AI/AN communities often lack access
    to adequate health care, including behavioral health. Particularly
    striking are the suicide rates among adolescents and young adults in
    these communities. Suicide rates for AI/AN individuals between the age
    of 15 to 24 years old were 39.7 per 100,000, compared with the overall
    U.S. rate of 9.9 per 100,000. This rate is more than three and half
    times the suicide rates for males of all races in the age group. The
    suicide rate for AI/AN females in the same age group was lower than
    males at 20.2. per 100,000. However, this rate was still nearly six
    times the rate for females of all races.\4\ Furthermore, during 2015-
    2020, 3,397 suicides among AI/AN individuals and 179,850 suicides among
    non AI/AN were reported. About three quarters (74.6%) of AI/AN suicide
    decedents were under the age of 44, compared to less than half (46.5%)
    of non AI/AN decedents.\5\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse
    and Mental Health Services Administration, (2017). Suicide Clusters
    within American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: A review of the
    literature and recommendations. HHS Publication No. SMA17-5050.
    Rockville, MD. Retrieved from: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/
    files/d7/priv/sma17-5050.pdf.
        \5\ Stone, D., Trinh E., Zhou, H., Welder, L., End of Horn, P.,
    Fowler, K., Ivey-Stephenson, A., (September 2022). Suicides Among
    American Indian or Alaska Native Persons- National Violent Death
    Reporting System, United States 2015-2020. Morbidity and Mortality
    Weekly Report 2022; 71:1161-1168. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/
    mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7137a1.htm.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Given the prevalent mental health concerns following COVID-19,
    mental health resources are even more critical now for all communities,
    especially those that have extensive histories of high rates of mental
    health concerns, such as American Indians and Alaska Natives.
        Therefore, APA requests that Congress provide $164 million for
    mental health services for the IHS to address the mental health needs
    of this community adequately.
                          alcohol and substance abuse
        Within the IHS, APA Services requests at least $309 million be
    allocated to alcohol and substance abuse programs. This program is
    currently funded at $266.4 million. High rates of alcohol and substance
    abuse in AI/AN communities are well documented.\6\ This serious
    behavioral health issue has a strong impact on the health of
    individuals and families. AI/AN communities are much more likely to
    report past-year alcohol and substance use disorders than any other
    race.\7\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ Indian Health Service, (October 2016). Behavioral Health.
    Retrieved from: https://www.ihs.gov/sites/newsroom/themes/
    responsive2017/display_objects/documents/factsheets/
    BehavioralHealth.pdf.
        \7\ Ibid.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        This population is also more likely to require alcohol use
    treatment than persons of any other ethnic group, with 1 in 10 in need
    of such treatment.\8\ These programs can be extremely helpful for
    individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. However, there is often
    a lack of availability of culturally sensitive treatment programs.\9\
    The IHS is especially positioned to ensure such programs contain these
    culturally sensitive components in the treatment plans.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \8\ American Addiction Centers. (April, 2021). Risk of Alcoholism
    Among Native Americans. Retrieved from: https://
    americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/native-americans.
        \9\ Ibid.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        For these reasons, APA requests at least $309 million for alcohol
    and substance abuse programs within the IHS.
                           indian health professions
        Within the IHS, APA Services requests $94 million for the Indian
    Health Professions account. This program is currently funded at $80.6
    million. We emphasize the importance of having psychologists who are
    aware of the cultural sensitivities of this community and can best
    address this community's needs. The Indian Health Professions account
    includes the American Indians Into Psychology Program (INPSYC). The
    program's primary goals are to increase the number of AI/AN with
    doctoral degrees in psychology and enhance the cross-cultural
    understanding and competence of non-AI/AN about AI/AN psychology.
    Together, these aims will help ensure the development and maintenance
    of AI/AN psychology career recruitment programs to encourage AI/AN to
    enter the field of psychology.
        More specifically, the program recruits and trains individuals to
    be psychologists. It also provides scholarships to individuals enrolled
    in schools of clinical psychology to pay tuition, books, fees, and
    stipends for living expenses. Additionally, the program seeks to engage
    directly with Tribal communities to provide greater exposure to the
    field of psychology. Finally, the program provides stipends to
    undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in psychology and
    training opportunities for psychology graduate students in Tribal
    communities.\10\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \10\ Indian Health Service. American Indians Into Psychology
    Program. Retrieved from: https://www.ihs.gov/dhps/dhpsgrants/
    americanindianpsychologyprogram/.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        With the higher rates of suicide and other mental health concerns
    for this community, APA values the importance of increasing the number
    of AI/AN psychologists.
        For these reasons, APA recommends $94 million for the Indian Health
    Professions Account.

        [This statement was submitted by Katherine B. McGuire, Chief
    Advocacy Officer.]
                                     ______

                     Prepared Statement of American Rivers
        My name is Tom Kiernan, I am the President and CEO of American
    Rivers. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected wild rivers, restored
    damaged rivers, and conserved clean water for people and nature. With
    headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 355,000 supporters, members, and
    volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential
    river conservation organization in the United States, delivering
    solutions for a better future. On behalf of AR, I would like to thank
    Chairman Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski, and Members of
    the subcommittee for your leadership to reduce pollution in rivers,
    improve clean water access, safeguard public drinking water supplies.
        American Rivers is pleased to submit our full requests (see the
    full River Budget here and below) as part of the written testimony for
    the record. We address Department of Interior and Environmental
    Protection Agency programs among others. Today, rivers across the
    country face daunting challenges on the road to recovery. From algal
    bloom in the Great Lakes to water scarcity in the Southwest, we must
    use every tool at our disposal to ensure heathy rivers have a fighting
    chance to bounce back. Our water supplies are at risk if we fail to
    fund these key programs that enhance our ability to improve river
    health and grow our economy. These topline figures are backed by our
    River Budget Partners, a partner network of over 150 partner
    organizations including utility and state agency associations, fishing
    groups, small businesses, rural communities, public health
    organizations, environmental justice leaders, and more. We respectfully
    request the following:
                           bureau of land management
      --$7.5 million for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program

      --$51 million for the Threaten and Endangered Species (T&E) Program
                        environmental protection agency
      --$7.6 billion each for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State
            Revolving Funds at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

      --$225 million for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program
            at EPA

      --$280 million for the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal
            Grants Program

      --$425 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

      --$92 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program

      --$50 million for the Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program

      --$200 million for the National Non-Point Source Management Program

      --$54 million for the Puget Sound Program

      --$100 million for the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

      --$80 million for the Small & Disadvantaged Communities Drinking
            Water

      --$80.3 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
            Fund

      --$255 million for the Water Pollution Control (Sec. 106) Grant
            Program

      --$20 million for the Wetlands Program Development Grants
                                 forest service
      --$24.7 million for the Threaten, Endangered, and Sensitive Species
            (T&E) Program

      --$100 million for the Legacy Roads and Trails (LRT) Program
                           fish and wildlife service
      --$10 million for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

      --$7.6 million for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan

      --$30 million for the National Fish Passage Program at U.S. Fish and
            Wildlife Service

      --$8 million for the National Wetlands Inventory

      --$600 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System

      --$50 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

      --$100 million for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program at
            USFWS.
                             indian health service
      --$250 million for Sanitation Facilities Construction
                             national park service
      --$5.5 million for the Partnership for Wild and Scenic Rivers Program

      --$15 million for Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
                             u.s. geological survey
      --$150 million for the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program

      --$100 million for the National Water Quality Program
             impact of cuts to critical programs have consequences
        We urge Congress to support robust and comprehensive funding for
    critical river health programs. Any reductions or cuts on a significant
    scale as proposed by the House would have damaging and detrimental
    impacts to our Nation's river systems and communities. In the arid
    Southwest region, which currently is experiencing severe drought, deep
    reductions to DOI and EPA programs undermines our ability to increase
    water supply and finance resilience projects in the Colorado River
    Basin, make drought preparedness and response effective across the
    West, and limits funding for dam and reservoir operations, and
    enhancements.
        The impact will be severe to underserved communities if the House
    proposal is enacted. Shrinking and smaller budgets in FY24 would
    greatly reduce the support for Tribal Nations--these communities have
    historically been underfunded and struggle keep their communities safe
    from natural disasters or fight climate change without the resources
    and technical assistance needed on the ground. Furthermore, these cuts
    can disrupt access to our National Parks including the National Wild
    and Scenic Rivers System which protects more than 13,000 miles of 226
    rivers in 41 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
        Reductions mean rolling back meaningful progress and hampering
    efforts to restore and protect water bodies of national significance.
    Key geographic programs under EPA like those focused on the Gulf of
    Mexico, San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, and the Great
    Lakes to name a few, if cut, can delay, slow, or stop economic activity
    and growth brought by tourism, hunting, fishing, and other recreational
    opportunities each region supports. In fact, outdoor recreation
    contributed $454 billion to the Nation's gross domestic product (GDP)--
    roughly two percent which three times the size of oil and gas
    development and twice the size of motor vehicle manufacturing and air
    transportation. This is not the time to jeopardize jobs in river
    restoration and the water workforce. As you write the next
    appropriations bill, we ask that you make robust investments to these
    river health programs.
      water infrastructure requires significant and sustained investments
        Millions of Americans lack access to clean water. Decades of
    inadequate or insufficient funding has deferred maintenance to key
    projects and has pushed the Nation's water infrastructure to the brink
    of collapse. In February of this year, a train loaded with toxic
    chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, igniting a fire and forcing
    the release of vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, into the atmosphere.
    This accident caused economic disruptions and killed thousands of fish
    in nearby streams and triggered concerns over the resident's surface,
    ground, and well water.
        In September 2022, residents of Jackson, Mississippi were without
    clean drinking water after heavy rain caused a major pump at the city's
    main water treatment facility to fail. A boil water advisory issued
    then is still in effect in certain parts of Jackson today. Across the
    country we are seeing aging stormwater and wastewater systems, and
    deteriorating sewer pipes. In West Baltimore, E. coli bacteria
    contaminated the water, a crisis again that blamed aging water
    treatment infrastructure. Aging water infrastructure is a serious
    threat to water quality. Congress must do more to fund our vital water
    systems to protect public health.
        Overwhelmingly, 95% of Americans think protecting water in our
    Nation's lakes, streams, and rivers is important. But the House's
    proposed budget fails to fully or appropriately address the dire need
    to make significant and sustained investments possible in water
    infrastructure.
        support additional funding to remove barriers for fish migration
        Barrier removal projects bring life back to degraded rivers.
    Projects can provide fish passage, improve water quality, restore
    habitat, eliminate the release of the methane (a powerful greenhouse
    gas) from stagnant water, and reduce the production of cyanobacteria
    and harmful algae. But barrier removal benefits extend beyond fish and
    other aquatic species. Many projects provide a measure of Tribal
    justice as many dams were built without adequate consideration of
    Tribal culture and food sources. In addition, roughly 70% of the more
    than 91,000 dams in the country are reaching their design lives and
    dangerous dam failures are becoming more common. In addition, more than
    1,400 people have died in the dangerous flow patterns that develop
    downstream of low head dams. Funding priorities set by Congress must
    work to reduce the drowning deaths at low head dam sites.
        The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has highlighted a
    tremendous need for assistance with barrier removal projects. Despite a
    significant investment of Federal dollars, resource agencies have
    received more proposals than can be funded. Along with a growing number
    of barrier removal projects completed over the last two decades, the
    IIJA response demonstrates the need for increased long-term sustainable
    funding for projects. It also demonstrates a need for increased U.S.
    Fish & Wildlife Service staff to administer grants, provide technical
    assistance, and provide regulatory review to make these projects
    possible.
       increase federal funding and technical assistance to protect free-
                                 flowing rivers
        There is also a need for technical assistance funding to be
    distributed to the Tribes and non-profit organizations who develop
    projects, provide technical assistance, and manage projects to take
    them from inception to completion.
        As one example, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are working
    together with American Rivers and Mainspring Conservation Trust, to
    remove the Ela Dam from the Oconaluftee River in Whittier, North
    Carolina. For nearly 100 years, the dam has fragmented the river and
    prevented an important Tribal food source, the Sicklefin Redhorse, from
    moving into Tribal territory. If funded, the land around the dam will
    be transferred to the tribe. Removing the Ela dam has many benefits,
    including the advancement of environmental justice for the Cherokee
    people, biodiversity protection and restoration of declining species,
    and climate change adaptation. The project will proceed with the full
    consent of the dam owner if the project is fully funded. The project
    team submitted a $10 million request to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
    Service National Fish Passage Program and is awaiting a response for
    the funding and the agency's technical assistance.
                   enhance wild and scenic river protections
        The upcoming planning processes, especially across National Forests
    and Bureau of Land Management planning areas, offer an opportunity for
    the agencies to come into compliance with planning requirements, but
    adequate resources, staff and training rivers must be provided. The
    number of staff dedicated to Wild and Scenic Rivers at all levels
    (especially the field level) has declined dramatically over the past 25
    years leaving the agencies understaffed and often unable to meet
    statutory requirements.
        The areas of largest need to meet statutory and administrative
    requirements are:

      --Increased field presence to assure active management for designated
            and eligible rivers;

      --Increased field presence to assure proper planning during Resource
            Management Planning as required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers
            Act and under planning guidelines;

      --Wild and Scenic Rivers management and planning training for field
            staff;

      --Development of active public-private partnerships for Forest
            Service Wild and Scenic Rivers;

      --Support for participation in the Federal Interagency Wild and
            Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council.

        Along with adequate funding we encourage you to institute
    transparency and accountability by creating a sub-category line items
    for the Wild and Scenic Rivers programs within the Forest Service,
    Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service's budgets to
    better track performance. Currently, it is challenging to determine
    from any readily-accessible public or internal document the annual
    funding expenditures for Wild and Scenic Rivers within these agencies
    larger budget category. Without true accountability it is difficult to
    measure results and to apply limited resources appropriately to meet
    the agencies' statutory mandates.
                                   conclusion
        We need continued and sustained water infrastructure investments to
    address severe drought, and dwindling clean water supplies. Congress
    can ensure that our rivers and our communities not only survive, but
    thrive. In FY24, we ask that you support these funding priorities and
    exclude any anti-river policy provisions from the appropriation process
    because our lives depend on the health of our rivers. Thank you very
    much for this opportunity to provide testimony. For additional
    information, please contact Jaime D. Sigaran
    (jsigaran@americanrivers.org) or Ted Illston
    (tillston@americanrivers.org) of America Rivers.

        [This statement was submitted by Tom Kiernan, President and CEO,
    American Rivers.]
                                     ______

                     Prepared Statement of American Rivers
      river budget: national priorities for heathy rivers and clean water
                                     (fy24)
        Water flowing in our streams, rivers, and creeks is a precious
    resource: It comprises two-thirds of our drinking water and is critical
    to the health of our communities. Rivers also serve as critical
    habitats for fish and wildlife. Plus, rivers sustain our economies,
    connect our communities to nature, and buffer our cities and towns
    against the worst impacts of climate change. Tragically, many rivers
    nationwide are polluted, dammed, and degraded, and most of the Nation's
    water infrastructure is in a State of disrepair. With recent
    investments from the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation
    Reduction Act, now is the time to ensure these much-needed funds are
    directed to clean water and river restoration projects that improve the
    lives and climate resiliency of people in rural and urban areas--and
    particularly Communities of Color and Tribal Nations, who are
    disproportionately impacted by water pollution, droughts, floods, and
    environmental degradation.
        We must ensure Federal agencies have the tools, resources,
    technical assistance, and capacity they need to solve today's complex
    water challenges. Federal investment in efforts including natural
    infrastructure and river restoration can make rivers healthier and
    water cleaner for everyone.
        The Fiscal Year 2024 River Budget outlines recommended Federal
    priorities for agencies, including the Department of Interior,
    Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency, to promote
    climate-smart agriculture practices, improve water infrastructure,
    restore watersheds, modernize flood management, and support dam removal
    and rehabilitation. The River Budget spotlights needs in five key
    categories:

        Promote climate-smart agriculture: Innovative conservation
    practices on farms and working lands can regenerate ecosystems, improve
    irrigation, and bolster agriculture. Yet water shortages are becoming
    increasingly common due to less rainfall, resulting in historic
    droughts. In 2022, the Mississippi River dropped to record-low water
    levels. In the Southwest, farmers, ranchers, and landowners are
    experiencing the most extreme drought in more than a millennium. In the
    Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process and upcoming Farm Bill,
    Congress and the Administration must prioritize climate-smart
    agriculture to support rural communities, and a critical sector of our
    economy.
        Restore watersheds: From the Great Lakes to the Chesapeake Bay,
    watersheds are essential to keeping ecosystems healthy and functioning
    as nature intended. These lands naturally store water, filter
    pollution, sequester carbon, control erosion and sediment, and provide
    habitats for wildlife. These natural services help strengthen
    communities in the face of climate change, and can buffer us against
    severe floods, droughts, and fires. Healthy watersheds also provide
    recreation benefits, including fishing, boating, swimming, hiking,
    biking, and wildlife watching. In 2020, hunters and anglers contributed
    $149 billion to the National economy, supported 970,000 jobs, and
    created over $45 billion in wages and incomes.
        Modernize flood management: Inland and coastal communities need
    relief as environmental pressures and natural disasters including
    hurricanes and floods, threaten people and property. Nearly 41 million
    people live in flood-prone areas. Our nation needs to continue
    investing in flood-management solutions that protect communities and
    safeguard rivers. We call on Congress and the Administration to
    implement nature-based solutions to managing watersheds, floodplains,
    wetlands, and other water sources. This includes better coordination
    and use of modern mapping technology to produce maps that inform
    communities about flood risk, improve land-use management, and help
    them better prepare for extreme weather.
        Improve water infrastructure: Our nation's water infrastructure is
    essential to providing safe, reliable, affordable clean water. It is
    vital to public health, and to ensuring clean, healthy rivers. Every
    dollar invested in water infrastructure generates $2.20 in economic
    activity. Yet decades of underfunded and deferred maintenance has
    pushed the Nation's water infrastructure to the brink of collapse. Many
    cities hold, treat, and deliver water using pumps and pipes that are
    more than 100 years old. Older water systems contain bacteria, lead,
    and other hazardous chemicals, which exposed thousands to untreated
    water in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi. We must avoid
    humanitarian disasters by securing significant water infrastructure
    investments that protect the health of people and rivers.
        Remove and rehabilitate dams: Removing dams and improving dam
    safety can restore natural functions of rivers, help fish and wildlife
    species recover, create jobs, and increase our communities' resilience
    to droughts and floods. Dams disrupt the natural ecosystem by impacting
    water quality, cutting off migration routes, isolating habitats, and
    destroying fish spawning grounds. Some dams pose serious public safety
    risks. Prioritizing funding to remove, rehabilitate, and/or retrofit
    dams is the best way to bring life back to damaged rivers and protect
    communities.
        These Federal spending priorities in the Fiscal Year 2024 River
    Budget are a critical defense against the impacts of climate change and
    water pollution. The annual Federal spending process charges Congress
    to work with the administration and focus on investments that are key
    to restoring rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways.
    Taken together, these investments will improve public health and
    safety, boost climate resilience, deliver economic benefits, and
    improve agency programs that are responsible and responsive to meeting
    community needs.

        [This statement was submitted by Jaime D. Sigaran, Associate
    Director and Ted Illston, Vice President, Policy and Government
    Relations.]
                                     ______

               Prepared Statement of the Animal Welfare Institute
        The Animal Welfare Institute, a national nonprofit animal welfare
    advocacy organization, asks the subcommittee to provide adequate
    funding levels for crucial wildlife programs and to include measures to
    protect at-risk species.
                       wild horses and burros (blm & fs)
        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
    immunocontraceptive vaccines to control fertility rates and manage
    these federally protected animals on the range. Under its current plan
    (based on the BLM's May 2020 report to Congress), the BLM has called
    for accelerated removals at a cost of roughly $900 million in the first
    5 years alone. In FY22, the BLM removed a staggering 20,193 wild
    equines. And while the agency spent over $95 million during this same
    period on removals and holding, it has historically spent less than 1
    percent of its annual WHB program budget on fertility control. We ask
    the subcommittee to again include a directive for a minimum of $11
    million within the BLM's existing WHB program budget to go towards the
    administration of proven and safe immunocontraceptive vaccines--
    specifically the widely supported porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine,
    as per the National Academy of Sciences 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.
        Lastly, in recent years, the BLM has 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
    subcommittee 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.
                  endangered species act implementation (fws)
        We ask the subcommittee to appropriate $841.3 million across five
    programs to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for the purpose of
    Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation:

      --$66.3 million for Listing

      --$467.9 million for Recovery

      --$179.3 million for Planning and Consultation

      --$10.15 million for Candidate Conservation in Conservation and
            Restoration

      --$117.7 million for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation
            Fund (CESCF)

        Implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), our Nation's
    most effective law for species conservation, has been severely
    underfunded for years. The Fish and Wildlife Service requires a budget
    of $841.3 million across five programs to begin to make up for lost
    ground and put species on the path to recovery. As we face a worsening
    biodiversity crisis, this funding package will better allow FWS to
    implement the ESA in the way Congress intended when it dedicated our
    country to protecting the most imperiled species and habitats.
        The funding levels requested above would help FWS process the
    backlog of approximately 200 species on the National Listing Workplan
    that still need to be reviewed for protections under the ESA, with more
    species petitioned for inclusion under the ESA every year. It would
    also be put toward developing recovery plans for the approximately 25%
    of species currently without plans and revising the 890 recovery plans
    that are now over two decades out of date and may no longer contain the
    best available science.
        In addition, the above funding levels would provide much-needed
    resources for maximizing the efficacy and efficiency of FWS
    consultations with other Federal agencies, States, counties, and
    private landowners, as well as implementing early conservation actions
    that keep species from ever reaching the brink of extinction. Finally,
    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 the subcommittee to include language prohibiting the use of
    funds by the FWS for the issuance of any permit authorizing the
    importation of a trophy-hunted elephant or lion trophy.
        African elephant and lion populations in many nations have
    undergone steep declines in recent years. African elephants and lions
    are both listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), demonstrating a
    scientific need for heightened protections. Between the early 20th
    century and 2016, the number of elephants in Africa plummeted from 3-5
    million to approximately 400,000. In 2021, the IUCN Red List reassessed
    the African savanna elephant as endangered, meaning it faces a very
    high risk of extinction in the wild. African lion populations declined
    by 43 percent from 1993 to 2014. The subspecies Panthera leo
    melanochaita, comprising the lions of east and southern Africa, is
    listed as threatened under the ESA, with only 17,000-19,000 remaining.
        The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has responded with a
    series of vacillating trophy-import policies, calling into question the
    degree to which the agency had evaluated whether lion and elephant
    trophy imports enhanced the survival of the species, as required under
    the ESA. Presently, FWS policy is to issue permits for lion and
    elephant trophy imports based on a case-by-case review of each
    application's enhancement finding requirements, rather than the former
    approach of having rules that applied to each species within each
    country of origin. Congress in its FY20-23 appropriations packages
    directed FWS to reevaluate the current policy and analyze how targeted
    investments and technical assistance to these countries would impact
    elephant and lion survival, improve local communities, and sustain
    species populations. FWS has failed to report back to Congress.
        In light of these conservation concerns, as well as the lack of
    assurance that FWS is adhering to the ESA's legal requirements, no
    funds must be provided for the issuance of permits for import of
    elephant and lion trophies.
                                 trapping (fws)
        We urge the subcommittee to allocate $300,000 to the FWS to
    institute a 3-year pilot program that replaces the use of body-gripping
    traps (Conibears, legholds, and snares) on National Wildlife Refuge
    Service land by agency personnel with non-lethal methods and equipment.
    Furthermore, we hope the subcommittee will encourage the FWS to
    continue reviewing and updating both physical trapping signage and
    trapping information posted on the website, and continue providing
    trapping information to the subcommittee on an annual basis. In
    addition, for each refuge listed online as allowing trapping, the FWS
    should specify whether the trapping is conducted by private trappers
    for recreational/commercial purposes and/or by government personnel for
    management purposes.
        Furthermore, the pilot program language builds upon FY22-23 report
    language directing the FWS to conduct an evaluation of trapping
    practices by Federal personnel on Service lands, including an analysis
    of non-lethal alternatives to trapping. Given that FWS has not briefed
    the Committee on its findings, this request includes a directive to
    begin a pilot program to replace body-gripping traps with non-lethal
    methods for wildlife management purposes.
        The use of body-gripping traps by Federal personnel violates the
    mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and is a threat to the
    safety of wildlife, humans, and pets. The purpose of these protected
    lands is clear: to be an inviolate sanctuary for native wildlife.
        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. Refuges are a very popular
    destination; the National Wildlife Refuge System attracts more than 61
    million visits every year. Additionally, many wildlife refuges are
    either close to or reside in urban areas. These traps are not an
    appropriate tool for wildlife management on national wildlife refuges
    where families enjoy spending time outdoors, and where anyone who trips
    a trap can become a victim.
        Nonlethal methods are often highly effective and FWS personnel
    would be serving both wildlife and outdoor recreation interests-such as
    hiking and nature photography, which account for approximately 86% of
    total recreation-related expenditures on refuges-by prioritizing their
    use.
                        beaver conflict mitigation (fws)
        Across the country, thousands of beavers are trapped, snared, and
    shot each year in an effort to prevent damage caused to property by
    beaver activity. However, this killing is often unnecessary due to the
    availability of cost-effective, nonlethal devices that can successfully
    prevent such damage. For example, trees can be shielded by encircling
    them with wire mesh fencing or coating their trunks with a mixture of
    paint and sand that deters beavers from chewing. Roads, agricultural
    resources, and other property can be protected from flooding by
    installing water flow control devices, which allow enough water to pass
    through a beaver dam to avoid flooding while ensuring sufficient pond
    depth for beaver use, thus maintaining acceptable water levels.
        Restraining traps and snares used to capture and kill beavers can
    cause prolonged pain and unintentionally injure and kill nontarget
    animals. They are also rarely, if ever, a long term-solution; beavers
    dispersing in search of suitable habitat can quickly recolonize trapped
    areas. By contrast, flow devices can provide long-term relief and
    typically last 10 years before they need to be replaced. Nonlethal
    measures to mitigate beaver conflicts are effective, cost-efficient,
    long-lasting, and ecologically beneficial. These devices can protect
    transportation infrastructure, buildings, agricultural lands, and other
    property. Despite these benefits, no Federal programs currently exist
    to promote or facilitate the use of these techniques.
        We urge the subcommittee to recognize the ecological benefits
    beavers provide to landscapes and ecosystems across the country by
    providing $3,000,000 to the Fish and Wildlife Service to institute a
    pilot program to provide grants to eligible entities for projects that
    seek to use nonlethal measures to achieve a reduction in damage to
    roads, railroads, bridges, buildings, airports, levees, dams,
    agricultural resources, trees, or other public or private property
    caused by beavers. Eligible entities are: States, Tribes; state,
    Federal and Tribal agencies, local governments, nongovernmental
    organizations, and landowners who have sustained property damage due to
    beaver activity in conjunction with one or more of these entities.
    Nonlethal measures are those that are not designed to grip, trap,
    relocate, injure, or kill beavers. Nonlethal measures include, but are
    not limited to, fencing and paint-sand mixtures used to protect trees,
    and water flow control devices used to prevent flooding and maintain
    beaver ponds at acceptable levels. To document the progress of this
    program, FWS should be encouraged to submit a report to the
    subcommittee describing activities under the pilot program each fiscal
    year.
                          prescott grant program (fws)
        We urge the subcommittee to provide no less than $2,000,000 for the
    John H. Prescott Marine vMammal Rescue Assistance grant program. The
    Prescott Program, led by the FWS, provides funding to eligible
    stranding network participants assisting stranded sea otters, manatees,
    Pacific walruses, and polar bears. Congress began to allocate funds to
    the FWS in fiscal year 2019 to implement the program. To date, the FWS
    has awarded $3.1 million in funding to conservation organizations and
    State agencies through the Prescott Grant Program. In fiscal year 2023,
    $2,300,000 was allocated towards this program. Given the rising number
    of strandings and the importance of marine mammals to the health of
    ocean ecosystems, at least $2,000,000 in funding is requested.

        [This statement was submitted by Nancy Blaney, Director, Government
    Affairs, Animal Welfare Institute.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
        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, $2.023 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 ballooning interest in
    outdoor recreation and upgrading our hard infrastructure, the current
    staffing and financial support for the Trail's park staff is
    increasingly incompatible with modern needs. Furthermore, combating
    invasive species and managing our public lands for biodiversity and
    connectivity are imperative; with the A.T., continued underinvestment
    could be catastrophic. We are grateful for the incremental increases
    Presidents Trump and Biden have granted, as well as Congress' continued
    support therefore. Additional funding remains needed.
        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, 30 Maintaining Clubs (Clubs),
    and local and non-profit partners in caring for our iconic long trail.
    Our position with the Trail, outlining the vision of a continent-
    spanning footpath, began in 1925 and is currently formalized under a
    cooperative agreement with the National Park Service (NPS). We work on
    daily basis with our partners in the NPS' dedicated park office for the
    Trail (APPA), as well as our partners at the USDA Forest Service
    (USFS), who are the local Federal land manager for nearly half of the
    Trail's miles and conserved ``Corridor.'' Because of our unique role in
    the Federal public lands system-as shoulder-to-shoulder NGO co-manager-
    we are particularly qualified to offer perspective on how the park
    should be funded and operate. Specifically, because the park office
    funded by ONPS exists to do the inherently governmental work ATC, as an
    NGO, cannot do.
        Currently, the NPS office that administers the Trail has 10
    fulltime-equivalent employees (FTEs), supporting approximately 40
    Conservation-related staffers at ATC, who in turn supported 4,768
    volunteers in 2022 (contributing a total of 170,904 labor hours
    equivalent to $5,118,575 in labor costs). The $2.023 million ONPS
    allocation is not tied to any discernable metrics, such as size of the
    park, projected visitation, facility asset portfolio, natural resource
    value, or overseeing the public-private partnership that is the
    Cooperative Management System. The ONPS base budget is mostly consumed
    by staff salary and benefits, preventing project work or things that
    are, under the Service-wide calls, very difficult to fund except
    through a unit's ONPS allocation, specifically: providing visitor and
    park protection (including law enforcement to uphold the boundaries
    from illegal encroachments and provide public safety); processing
    environmental compliance documents (such as required by NEPA) and;
    overseeing (if not funding) resource management work. Visitor and park
    protection, compliance, and oversight, are the inherently governmental
    and ``non-delegable'' responsibilities of the ANST's ``trail
    administrator'' in APPA.
        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 $2.104 million; and the 16-acre Fort
    Stanwix with base budget of $1.6 million.
        Visitor and Park Protection (VPP)/Law Enforcement: The law
    enforcement and coordination 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. The ANST itself includes over 2,000 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. More than 50% of the Trail by mile and acreage lacks a full-
    time NPS presence.
        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) 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. Additionally, ATC staff and volunteers
    routinely assist in responding to Trail incidents and manage
    relationships with local communities, requiring training and support.
    Increasing VPP staffing on the Trail will improve the NPS' ability to
    connect to rural communities and safeguard the increasingly manifest
    desire of the public to recreate on our public lands, as well as
    promote information sharing between land managers and law enforcement
    officials.
        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. 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. The
    ANST's length (spanning 12 of latitude in the temperate zone), north-
    south alignment, and changes of over 6,500 feet in elevation and the
    numerous peaks and ridges along the Appalachian Mountain chain create
    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. 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. Remarkably, there is no biologist or ecologist
    staffed to APPA.
        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 leadership
    in APPA, ATC, and the USFS, 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 APPA 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.
        In terms of its ``facility assets,'' or hard infrastructure, the
    ANST has one of the largest portfolios in the National Park System,
    unsurprising given that each foot of treadway, every rockbar,
    staircase, bridge, shelter, and privy (to name some examples) are
    classified as facility assets. The park's portfolio includes not simply
    hard infrastructure designed to realize the purpose of the park as
    recognized in its Comprehensive Plan, but many incidentally acquired
    structures which have outlived their usefulness or are no longer viable
    as park assets. Additionally, ensuring proper marking for the
    approximately 4,500 miles of boundaries-particularly the 50 percent
    thereof that is not surrounded by National Forest System land-is
    essential to maintain the integrity of the unit. ATC estimates
    approximately $1.6m worth of improvements to land records are needed,
    including placing boundary markings or conducting land surveys never
    undertaken. Managing the hard infrastructure of the park is one of the
    best-funded aspects of park management, due to the structuring of
    Congressional appropriations and the structure of the Service-wide
    calls (although removing hard infrastructure that is no longer desired
    is more difficult to fund), but if the Department failed to survey land
    upon acquisition, funding a survey comes out of the unit's base ONPS
    allocation. APPA's ONPS allocation does not reflect its facility asset
    portfolio or resource management needs.
        Compliance and Oversight: APPA staff depend on ATC staff and other
    cooperative management partners 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. The
    development of these evaluations-as well as review of research permit
    and special use permit applications-must be signed off on by APPA
    staff. They are not necessarily onerous, but given the size of the
    park, there are a lot of them. For compliance under section 106 of the
    NHPA, APPA 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 identified Native nations with
    ancestral and/or reservation lands along the Trail. NPS staff cannot
    delegate to ATC government-to-government consultation or compliance
    responsibilities.
        Although much of the work that occurs within the bounds of park
    management is performed by ATC and Club members, APPA is responsible
    for overseeing all of the work of the cooperators. Close supervision is
    not needed-the expert, dispersed management and maintenance corps of
    the ANST operates so successfully in part because of cooperator
    independence-but oversight of cooperators is an essential function of
    APPA. Oversight includes ensuring the Visitor-in-Parks program is
    effectively administered and that required certifications and trainings
    are up-to-date. There must be sufficient oversight capacity at APPA,
    including staffing at least one individual beyond the superintendent
    who is responsible for the breadth of responsibilities captured in our
    Comprehensive Plan and in our cooperative agreement. ATC cannot provide
    the necessary oversight of itself that the Cooperative Management
    System requires.
        The ANST is an incredible public resource. It is also incredibly
    poorly funded by the NPS. In terms of its management system (the first
    federal-NGO partnership park in the U.S.), its footprint (connecting
    eight national forests, six other park units, two national wildlife
    refuges, and 78 state-conserved units), its visitation (estimated at
    over four million annually), its accessibility (a fee-less park within
    an eight-hour drive of half of the U.S. population), and its presence
    in the (inter)national consciousness. (the most famous hiking trail in
    the world), it is because of the strength of the Cooperative Management
    System that has made the park what it is today. ATC can neither perform
    nor fund essential park functions for the ANST, specifically APPA. The
    NPS is responsible for ensuring proper staffing to meet the non-
    delegable obligations of park management. 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. The
    Trail's normal visitation is now estimated at 4 million or more
    annually, placing it 18th in visitation within the System-higher than
    Grand Teton or Yosemite National Parks. It is physically present in 14
    States-more than any other in the System. APPA deserves an ONPS base
    allocation more in line with these attributes, which will allow for
    this public-private partnership to operate even more productively.

        [This statement was submitted by Brendan Mysliwiec, Director of
    Federal Policy and Legislation Appalachian Trail Conservancy.]
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies
        The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) \1\
    thanks this subcommittee for the opportunity to provide input on Fiscal
    Year (FY) 2024 appropriations for the U.S. Environmental Protection
    Agency (EPA). AAPCA's State and local air agency members are co-
    regulators with U.S. EPA, responsible for implementing Federal Clean
    Air Act (CAA) rules in their jurisdictions.\2\ As FY 2024
    appropriations are developed, AAPCA asks that funding directed to air
    agencies, including State and Local Air Quality Management Grants under
    CAA Sections 103 and 105, be adjusted for historic CAA obligations as
    well as the mounting number of significant and substantive regulatory
    actions \3\ from U.S. EPA that will further impact already strained
    resources.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ AAPCA is a national, non-profit, consensus-driven organization
    focused on assisting State and local air quality agencies and personnel
    with implementation and technical issues associated with the Federal
    Clean Air Act. Created in 2012, AAPCA represents 48 State and local air
    pollution control agencies, and senior officials from 21 state
    environmental agencies currently sit on the AAPCA Board of Directors.
    AAPCA is housed in Lexington, Kentucky as an affiliate of The Council
    of State Governments. More about AAPCA is at: www.cleanairact.org.
        \2\ AAPCA, State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report, May
    2023.
        \3\ U.S. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation lists 97 short- and
    long-term regulatory actions in the Fall 2022 Unified Agenda of
    Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Congress provided a total of $4.48 billion for State and Tribal
    Assistance Grants (STAG) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023
    (H.R. 2617), which was signed into law on December 29, 2022.\4\ Nearly
    $128 million above the FY 2022 enacted level, Congress continued a
    steady trend of annual increases directed to state, Tribal, and local
    environmental agencies through STAG, with FY 2023 appropriations nearly
    32 percent above FY 2013. Though under the STAG program, State and
    Local Air Quality Management Grants, which provide important support to
    air agencies charged with protecting air quality and public health,
    have not seen a similar appropriations trajectory. With virtually no
    change in enacted funding levels from FY 2014 through FY 2020,
    incremental increases beginning in FY 2021 brought the FY 2023
    appropriated amount to just under 11 percent above FY 2013.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ H.R. 2617--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law
    117-328). Funding levels prior to rescissions.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        State and local air agencies utilize funding from these grants
    judiciously by strategically deploying resources, creating efficient
    programing and best practices, and relying on leadership and staff that
    are dedicated public servants. Through technically complex and resource
    intensive activities, agencies with delegated CAA authority:

      --Develop and update state implementation plans (SIPs) to attain/
            maintain National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and
            improve visibility under the Regional Haze Program;

      --Serve as the Nation's primary air quality monitoring entities,
            manage emissions inventories, and perform photochemical and air
            dispersion modeling;

      --Implement Federal rules and standards for hazardous air pollutants;

      --Review, issue, and enforce air quality permits for a range of
            sources, from small businesses to industrial and commercial
            facilities;

      --Ensure facility compliance through inspection and enforcement
            oversight, including conducting more than 15,400 Full
            Compliance Evaluations (FCE) in 2022, compared to fewer than
            200 FCEs conducted by U.S. EPA\5\;
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \5\ U.S. EPA, Analyze Trends: State Air Dashboard. U.S. EPA defines
    an FCE as ``a comprehensive evaluation of the compliance status of the
    facility. It looks for all regulated pollutants at all regulated
    emission units, and it addresses the compliance status of each unit, as
    well as the facility's continuing ability to maintain compliance at
    each emission unit.'' Data accessed May 9, 2023.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      --Hire, train, and retain qualified staff; and,

      --Lead public outreach and information campaigns, including
            forecasting air quality, responding to complaints, and
            conducting stakeholder engagement.

        State and local air agencies have led these efforts and continued
    to improve the Nation's air quality \6\ while administering
    progressively complicated and demanding operations that have had to
    accommodate growing inflation in expenses related to personnel, travel,
    equipment and building costs for monitoring sites. Budgetary challenges
    have also been compounded by the achievements of air pollution control
    agencies, as fees collected on a per-ton basis from major sources
    through the CAA Title V Operating Permit program have substantially
    decreased in revenue as the program meets its primary goal: driving
    emissions down to create better air quality. Coupled with expanding CAA
    obligations, current funding conditions make meeting core CAA
    responsibilities more difficult.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ U.S. EPA, Air Quality--National Summary. See also: U.S. EPA,
    Our Nation's Air: Trends Through 2021, June 2022.

        The Administration's current regulatory agenda indicates there are
    79 forthcoming regulatory actions from U.S. EPA's Office of Air and
    Radiation (OAR).\7\ Of these, more than 70 are expected to be completed
    by the end of the 2024 Federal fiscal year, including 11 major/
    economically significant regulations. Once finalized by U.S. EPA, State
    and local air agencies will be (or are already) at the forefront of
    implementation and planning for many of these rules, including:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \7\ Fall 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory
    Actions, released January 4, 2023.

      --A projected tighter fine particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS \8\;
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \8\ RIN 2060-AV52, Final rule expected August 2023.

      --New source performance standards (NSPS) for methane from the oil
            and natural gas sector \9\;
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \9\ RIN 2060-AV16, Final rule expected August 2023.

      --Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for the power sector for
            both coal and natural gas electric generating units (EGUs)
            \10\; and,
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \10\ RIN 2060-AV09, Final rule expected July 2024.

      --Numerous air toxics rules, including for ethylene oxide (EtO)
            commercial sterilizers.\11\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \11\ RIN 2060-AU37, Final rule expected October 2023.

        Apart from implementing these regulations, State and local air
    agencies will be responsible for associated permitting changes as well
    as evolving policies to boost engagement with communities. Already
    well-versed in working directly with communities, regulated industries,
    and other stakeholders in their jurisdictions, State and local agencies
    understand that melding new national environmental requirements with
    local priorities, economic strategies, and social needs will further
    impact current resources.
        Funding for State and Local Air Quality Management Grants that
    accounts for new and historic CAA mandates and increased
    responsibilities will be vital for State and local air agency budgets
    as well as ensuring the cooperative federalism balance needed for
    successful environmental outcomes. Providing maximum flexibility in air
    agency grants allows for programs to determine the best use for
    addressing air pollution control needs in their jurisdiction.
    Additional considerations that may affect State and local resources
    include how U.S. EPA alters the regional and state allocation formula
    for State and Local Air Quality Management Grants as well as
    maintaining funding for PM2.5 monitoring under CAA Section 103, rather
    than Section 105.\12\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \12\ U.S. EPA's FY2023 and 2024 National Program Manager Guidance
    Monitoring Appendix States: ``Per appropriation language since the
    beginning of the PM2.5 monitoring program, EPA intends to continue to
    make grants available under Sec. 103 of the Clean Air Act to support
    PM2.5 monitoring activities. Should this appropriation language change,
    EPA will revisit this issue.''
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Thank you for your attention to this testimony. AAPCA's State and
    local air agency members appreciate the recognition of your Committee
    in recent funding legislation and look forward to working with you as
    Congress develops its priorities for FY 2024 appropriations for U.S.
    EPA. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Jason Sloan,
    Executive Director, at jsloan@csg.org or (859) 244-8043.
                                       Sincerely,
                                       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                               Jason Sloan
                                               Executive Director, AAPCA
                                     ______

      Prepared Statement of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit recommendations for Fiscal
    Year 2024 (FY24) 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 look forward to working with you as we enter another challenging
    budget cycle to enact funding levels consistent with current funding,
    and in some cases higher than current levels to address critical
    conservation needs. Investments in conservation programs present some
    of the highest returns on Federal dollars and are fueling our Nation's
    recovery, providing jobs and economic stimulus, environmental
    resilience, and a robust health and science network to combat emerging
    diseases. As States have authority for and are on the front lines of
    wildlife health and zoonotic diseases, they must be engaged throughout
    development of a robust health and science framework to combat wildlife
    diseases. Further, we support and endorse appropriations
    recommendations that are 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 FY23 levels for Fish
    and Aquatic Conservation and support the FWS' FY24 budget request of
    $7.6 million for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHP), which
    includes funding for the NFHP grant program and $400,000 for the FWS to
    provide scientific and technical assistance support to the program.
    Further, we respectfully request full funding for the USGS, USFS, EPA,
    and NOAA to provide scientific and technical assistance to the program,
    as well as the inclusion of report language recommending that the USGS,
    USFS, EPA, and NOAA each provide the full authorized level of $400,000
    for scientific and technical assistance for the NFHP as authorized
    under Public Law 116-188. With full funding at congressionally
    authorized levels, this would ensure the NFHP Program's continued
    ability to advance aquatic conservation projects that benefit all
    Americans. We thank Congress for the one-time funding provided for
    aquatic organism passage infrastructure through the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law, yet continuous programmatic funding for Fish
    Passage is needed to ensure successful species management. We support
    funding the National Fish Passage Program at no less than FY23 levels.
    Likewise, we are grateful for the infrastructure investments in
    geographic programs and support robust funding 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 FY23 funding levels. We support
    funding for the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership at $1.2
    million as well as robust funding for 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 FY23 funding levels 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 no less than FY23 levels without
    compromising other ANS programs. We support no less than FY21 funding
    levels to implement the National Invasive Carp Management and Control
    Plan in the Mississippi River and tributaries as well as continuation
    of the provisions in the FY21 report language. Finally, we support
    increased funding to combat wildlife trafficking activities such as
    illegal turtle trade, 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 FY23 funding levels for Habitat
    Conservation, including no less than $79 million for the Partners of
    Fish and Wildlife Program for voluntary conservation efforts. We
    support the Administration's request of $624.9 million for NWRS
    Operations and Maintenance and continue to support sustainable trapping
    on refuges to provide much needed research on species of interest as
    well as to protect 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 (SGCN) identified in
    congressionally-required 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 accelerate
    conservation of declining species to preclude an increase in Federal
    expenditures in the future under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). AFWA
    recommends $100 million, with no less than $75 million for
    apportionments to States and territories, for the State and Tribal
    Wildlife Grants Program in FY24, and supports enactment of legislation
    consistent with the Recovering America's Wildlife Act as introduced in
    the 117th Congress which would provide States, Tribes, and their
    conservation partners with the level of funding needed to do large-
    scale, proactive, and non-regulatory conservation and restoration for
    many rapidly declining fish and wildlife. AFWA also recommends no less
    than $53 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund to
    conserve vital wetlands and other habitats important to migratory birds
    and other wildlife, full authorized funding for the Neotropical
    Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, and $22 million for the Multinational
    Species Conservation Fund.
        Science Applications--USFWS' Science Applications (SA) program has
    evolved into an important collaborator with state fish and wildlife
    agencies. The program provides science, landscape design, and
    coordination capacity for the co-development of regional conservation
    blueprints and provides support for regional fish and wildlife
    association landscape conservation collaboratives. This work is
    improving the efficiency and effectiveness of State-based fish and
    wildlife conservation by facilitating work at landscape scales. SA also
    supports other state priorities including revision of State Wildlife
    Action Plans, at-risk species conservation, grassland and pollinator
    conservation, climate adaptation, and One Health. We support the
    Administration's $13.5 million increase for Science Partnerships within
    the SA line item for core science activities and respectfully request
    that the subcommittee provide direction to ensure there are no
    reductions to the core program budget due to Community Project Funding
    requests.
        Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a critical focus for Science
    Support, and we request robust funding for USFWS to fulfill CWD
    responsibilities, including implementation of the Interstate Action
    Plan, prioritized research, monitoring, and studies of CWD in wild,
    free-ranging deer species.
        Ecological Services (ES) & Cooperative Endangered Species
    Conservation Fund (CESCF)--We encourage the FWS to continue
    collaborating closely with state fish and wildlife agencies to identify
    and conserve at-risk species, and 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 continued support of the use of State
    data, particularly under Section 6 grants to States.
        Migratory Bird Management (MBM)--We support robust funding for MBM,
    including a $1 million increase for the Duck Stamp Office to better
    engage with artists and promote sales within the Duck Stamp program.
    Additionally, we support full funding of the Migratory Bird Joint
    Ventures at $19.9 million and an increase of $20 million for monitoring
    and surveys of waterfowl and other bird species populations.
                     united states geologial survey (usgs)
        Ecosystems--We respectfully request no less than $34 million for
    the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program (CRU) in FY24.
    The additional funds would enable USGS to address 23 vacancies across
    the units and address the safety equipment and training backlog, as
    well as fund a new position for a Midwest Regional Supervisor and
    ensure funds for the Deputy Chief. Additionally, we support a $24.7
    million increase over FY23 levels for the Land Management Research
    Program, of which we recommend $5 million be directed for Migration
    Corridor research. We support the National Cooperators' Coalition's
    testimony on CRUs, and recommend $394 million in funding for the
    Ecosystems Mission Area. We support an increase of $11 million for the
    Species Management Research Program (SMRP) to maintain foundational
    research on numerous species and provide technical assistance for State
    agencies. Long term monitoring programs supported by SMRP including the
    North American Bat Monitoring Program, the Breeding Bird Survey, Bird
    Banding Lab, and the Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Initiative, are
    critical to State agencies and additional resources for the SMRP will
    support the long-term conservation and management of fish, wildlife and
    habitat.
        We support the USGS' request for $87.3 million for Climate
    Adaptation Science Centers (CASC). The science and tools developed by
    CASC are vital resources aimed to support resource managers in their
    efforts to manage the Nation's natural resources in a changing climate.
    The CASCs provide vital research on climate change, the impacts of
    climate change to fish, wildlife, and their habitats, and the efficacy
    of climate adaptation efforts to build resilience to climate change.
    Additionally, the regional CASCs are important collaborators with the
    States in their regions and been able to increase the effectiveness of
    climate adaptation by providing the most relevant research focused on
    state needs within their regions, filling knowledge gaps in our
    understanding of vulnerabilities and responses of fish and wildlife to
    climate change and supported state priorities, including revisions of
    State Wildlife Action Plans. Monitoring wildlife for exposure to
    environmental contaminants is a critical part of the ``One Health''
    paradigm adopted by the USGS. This need is particularly acute when
    considering the increased attention given to per- and polyfluoroalkyl
    substance contamination by both the public and State and Federal
    agencies. AFWA supports the continued robust funding of the
    Environmental Health Program.
        Water Resources--We support robust funding for the Groundwater and
    Streamflow Information Program and recommend $32 million for Federal
    Priority Streamgages to address funding shortfalls and reinstate lost
    gages, $68 million for Cooperative Matching Funds including $33 million
    for Streamgage support, and $35 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 $49.4 million in funding for BTR, in addition to $10.62
    million in continued funding for Invasive Carp research. We discourage
    any cuts to the Invasive Carp Program, particularly given the ongoing
    work between USGS, Canada, and border States to prevent establishment
    of Prussian Carp. We support $10 million for research on CWD in wild,
    free-ranging deer species to manage environmental contamination and
    control key sources of transmission. 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 recommend $1.2 million
    for USGS to contribute to completion of the CWD Transmission in
    Cervidae Study.
        BUREAU OF LAND MANAGMENT (BLM)--AFWA supports robust funding for
    management of lands and resources. Recognizing States have authority to
    manage species within their borders, we recommend not less than FY23
    levels for Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management, including increases
    for sage grouse conservation activities, and for Rangeland Improvement
    and Bighorn sheep disease prevention, and additional funding for
    Wildlife Habitat Management (1170) to combat invasive species. AFWA
    recommends $154.8 million for the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro (WHB)
    Program as current funding does not provide enough resources for
    control efforts to outpace population growth rates. BLM estimates there
    are over 82,000 WHB across habitats with a total appropriate management
    level of less than 27,000. The harm inflicted on public lands from
    excess wild horses and burros compounds yearly as on-range population
    growth rates and off-range holding costs outstrip the BLM's ability to
    manage herds.
        OFFICE OF SURFACE 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 robust
    funding, as well as level funding for Regulation and Technology.
        UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE (USFS)--AFWA supports robust funding
    for Wildland Fire Management, as well as a substantial increase for the
    Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. We recommend $328 million
    for State and Private Forestry, including an increase of $1.5 million
    for the Forest Stewardship Program. We support an increase of $252
    million for the National Forest System, and robust funding for
    hazardous fuels management. AFWA recommends that USFS receive robust,
    dedicated funding for WHB management within a newly specified line-
    item, as funds are currently reallocated internally from other budgets.
    As USFS is responsible for 20% of the Nation's WHB, we recommend that
    the 80/20 ratio is continued for WHB appropriations across BLM and
    USFS.
        ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)--Finally, we recommend robust
    funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, 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 robust
    funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, Nonpoint Source
    Grants, and Pollution Control Grants. AFWA recommends at least FY23
    funding levels for the National Estuaries Program, the Beach/Fish
    Safety Program, and the Geographic Programs.

        [This statement was submitted by Association of Fish and Wildlife
    Agencies' (AFWA).]
                                     ______

         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 2024 (FY24) appropriations on behalf of the drinking water
    programs in the 50 States, five territories, the District of Columbia,
    and the Navajo Nation:

      --ASDWA recommends that all Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)
            be funded without cutting funding for the State Revolving Loan
            Funds (SRFs) capitalization grants. SRF capitalization grant
            reductions are negatively impacting drinking water programs.

      --ASDWA recommends an immediate increase of $85 million for the
            Public Water Supply Supervision (PWSS) Program, over and above
            the funding gap identified in the ASDWA's 2020 Resource Needs
            Report. This report determined that the PWSS funding gap in
            2020 would be $375 million, increasing to $469 million by 2029.
            The $85 million in immediate additional funding is from the
            2024 convergence of the deadlines for the initial lead service
            line inventories under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
            (LCRR), the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), the
            final regulation for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
            (PFAS), the final Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule
            Revisions, and the inclusion of cybersecurity in sanitary
            surveys.

      --ASDWA recommends funding the SRFs to the full authorizations of $3
            billion each.

        ASDWA urges sufficient funding for the drinking water programs for
    improving public health protection and increasing economic stability
    and prosperity across the country.
                       congressionally directed spending
        ASDWA requests that all Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) be
    funded without cutting funding to the SRFs. The current approach to
    fund the CDS projects at the expense of the SRF capitalization grants
    is catastrophic for state drinking water programs through reductions in
    the set-asides and in the funding that can revolve in perpetuity
    through loan repayments. The set asides fund state drinking water
    program staff that implement the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
    requirements. Reductions in the set-asides could threaten the ability
    of some States to maintain SDWA primacy. The total House FY24 requested
    funding CDS of $1,126,088,000 for drinking water projects (noting that
    this does not include Senate FY24 requests) is greater than the FY22
    capitalization grant for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
    (DWSRF) of $1,126,088,000. If all the House requested CDS projects are
    funded, the DSWRF would be zeroed out. This is gravely concerning. A
    sustainable and separate funding source is needed for the CDS projects,
    now and in the future. States have significant concerns about the
    sustainability of their programs with the funding reductions from the
    reductions in the set-asides. With the reductions in set-asides, States
    cannot maintain needed technical assistance programs and staff
    assistance to systems to meet their ongoing regulatory and
    infrastructure needs. These programs largely benefit small, rural
    communities as well as disadvantaged communities.
               the public water system supervision (pwss) program
        ASDWA recommends an immediate increase of PWSS funding by $85
    million due to the convergence of multiple mandates in 2024.
        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 fixed 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 protection, technical assistance for water treatment and
    distribution, and enhancement of water system performance. State
    activities go well beyond simply ensuring compliance at the tap. Demand
    for these activities continues to increase due to new regulatory and
    non-regulatory actions such as the 2024 convergence of the deadlines
    for the initial lead service line inventories under the Lead and Copper
    Rule Revisions (LCRR), the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
    (LCRI), the final regulation for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
    (PFAS), the final Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Revisions, and
    the inclusion of cybersecurity in sanitary surveys.
        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). This study found that the LCRR
    will increase state staff hours by 835,000 hours annually over the
    current Lead and Copper Rule in its first 5 years of implementation, at
    a cost to States of approximately $50 million annually. Primacy
    agencies will face a significant increase in staff demands with the
    submissions of the initial lead service line inventories in 2024.
        In addition to the LCRR, primacy agencies will face increased
    resource demands with the final PFAS regulation, the final Consumer
    Confidence Report (CCR) Rule, and cybersecurity. ASDWA estimates that
    the PFAS rule will increase state staff hours by 469,000 hours annually
    in its first 5 years of implementation, costing the States $27 million
    annually. Additional costs of $8 million annually will result from the
    Consumer Confidence Report Revisions and the inclusion of cybersecurity
    in sanitary surveys. The total increase in the state burden is $85
    million annually.
        Without the additional PWSS funding, States will have to make tough
    decisions about how to prioritize support to existing programs to
    implement the requirements of the final LCRR, the final PFAS rule, the
    revisions to the CCR rule, and cybersecurity. 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 public health protection.
        State drinking water programs are already hard pressed financially.
    State-provided funding has historically compensated for inadequate
    Federal funding, but state budgets have been variable for the past few
    years, given the COVID-19 and other economic issues. Insufficient
    Federal support for the PWSS 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,
    new rules require additional regulatory oversight, and proactive
    actions that should be maintained such as technical assistance and
    source water protection 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, exacerbates the existing financial difficulties.
        ASDWA recommends that the PWSS Program be funded at $207 million in
    FY24 (a $85 million increase), recognizing that this increase would not
    close the funding gap: 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 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
    inflation and the increasing demands on State programs to maintain
    current regulatory oversight and to provide oversight on new rules. 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 the new rules,
    and to negate the eroding effects of inflation. This is a small price
    to pay for public health protection.
              the drinking water state revolving loan fund program
        ASDWA recommends that Congress fund the DWSRF at the full
    authorization--$3 billion. In 2021, Congress recognized the need for
    increased funding for water infrastructure by reauthorizing the SRFs in
    the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act in the IIJA.
    However, Congress has not funded the SRFs to the newly authorized
    levels to meet this need.
        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 has 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. About
    26% of the cumulative DWSRF funding, including low- and negative-
    interest loans, has been provided to small, rural, and 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.
        Conclusion: States need sustained Federal support through the PWSS
    and DWSRF programs to maintain public health protection and to support
    the needs of the water systems they oversee. These programs provide
    most of the funding for States to work with drinking water utilities to
    ensure the state-federal regulatory partnership ensures that 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 comes 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. Contamination events and water supply
    interruptions across the country serve as stark reminders of the
    critical nature of the work that state drinking water programs do--
    every day--and the reason the funding for state drinking water programs
    must be not only sustained but increased to match the increased
    regulatory burden.
        ASDWA recommends Congress fully fund state drinking water programs
    in the FY 24 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, ASDWA.]
                                     ______

          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 2024. 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 more than 250 accredited zoos,
    aquariums, nature and science centers, and related facilities reflect
    the global standard of excellence in animal care and welfare,
    conservation, education, science, and guest experience. AZA's member
    facilities are examples of how economic and environmental prosperity
    can work hand-in-hand. Our members welcome nearly 200 million visitors
    annually, generating more than $22 billion in economic activity, and
    supporting more than 198,000 jobs across the country. They also
    contribute well over $200 million in direct support for field
    conservation each year. They support work in 117 countries benefiting
    more than 954 species and subspecies, of which 225 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 independent and objective AZA
    accreditation process includes self-evaluation, rigorous on-site
    inspection, and critical 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 Governments and the visiting public. AZA
    accreditation is the global gold standard for modern zoological
    facilities.
        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 USFWS, 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, such as California condor and black-footed ferret;

      --Carrying out rescue, rehabilitation, and confiscation of tens of
            thousands of animals in collaboration with Federal and State
            agencies, including USFWS, to the benefit of many threatened
            and endangered species;

      --Supporting conservation domestically and internationally through
            multinational species conservation funds and state wildlife
            grants; and

      --Partnering with USFWS, the National Park Service and others on
            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.
                     u.s. fish and wildlife service budget
        The 198,000 jobs and $22 billion in economic contributions, as well
    as the vital conservation work supported by AZA-accredited facilities
    depends on adequate USFWS staff levels. Recently, Senator Murkowski
    joined Senators Sullivan, Whitehouse, and others in authoring a letter
    to the Department of the Interior. The letter articulates how, during
    the past several years, lengthy permitting delays have become the rule,
    rather than the exception. Often, these delays put the welfare of
    animals and crucial conservation projects at jeopardy. They are a
    serious hinderance to AZA's science-based conservation breeding
    programs that require animals to be moved in an efficient, humane, and
    timely manner. This is particularly acute and serious within the
    International Affairs program (Management and Scientific Authorities).
    AZA is keenly interested in expanding our critical work in support of
    rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of threatened and endangered
    species, care and placement of live confiscated wildlife seized at the
    ports/borders, and on scientific and conservation research on species
    like polar bears in AZA facilities. The success of these important
    initiatives depends on the effective permitting from USFWS.
        For this reason, we request that the subcommittee include specific
    direction for the Management and Scientific Authority to enter into a
    Memorandum of Agreement, and hire and support a dedicated and qualified
    employee to facilitate zoo and aquarium permitting.
        We also request dedicated funding for the Office of Law Enforcement
    to support design and implementation of a nationwide ``confiscations
    network.'' As we battle the global epidemic of wildlife trafficking,
    and as the USFWS continues to improve detection and interruption of
    trafficking routes and syndicates, confiscated animals are the
    casualties. They are the unfortunate refugees from this crisis and need
    to be placed, and often held for lengthy periods, as evidence. Their
    care often requires very specialized and expensive expertise. USFWS
    often comes to AZA and its members for this assistance, and we need a
    comprehensive national framework that will provide the care and welfare
    of confiscated wildlife. One that will allow law enforcement agents to
    get on with the job of enforcement, and not let criminals escape as
    agents deal with placing animals.
           endangered species recovery and recovery challenge grants
        We express our gratitude for the subcommittee's continued support
    for increasing funding for endangered species through the Recovery
    account and working with our partners at USFWS to create the Endangered
    Species Recovery Challenge Grant program in fiscal year 2018. This
    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.
        We 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, we are requesting an increase in funding for
    the Recovery Challenge Grant program to $15 million in FY2024. This
    funding will power recovery partnerships and inspire their work to
    better recover critically endangered species.
                    multinational species conservation funds
        AZA supports the inclusion of $30 million for the Multinational
    Species Conservation Funds (MSCF) administered by USFWS. 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.
    USFWS 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 USFWS.
                             endangered species act
        AZA and its members enthusiastically support the ESA, which has
    saved hundreds of listed species from extinction. 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
    support the ESA, and we 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.
                        american rescue plan act funding
        Finally, we appreciate the subcommittee's support for $30 million
    in the ``American Rescue Plan Act'' (Public Law 117-2) for the care of
    captive species listed under the ESA and rescued and confiscated
    wildlife in facilities experiencing lost revenues due to COVID-19.
    Under a cooperative agreement with USFWS to implement this provision,
    AZA is providing reimbursements to eligible facilities that cared for
    endangered and threatened species and rescued and confiscated wildlife
    and that experienced earned revenue declines as a result of the COVID-
    19 pandemic. Funds have been directed toward reimbursing eligible
    facilities for the following three captive care categories: 1) U.S.
    native plant and animal species listed under the ESA); 2) U.S. native
    wildlife listed under the ESA rescued from the wild; and/or 3) wildlife
    confiscated by the U.S. government at, or destined for, U.S. ports and
    borders and held in animal care facilities. AZA is completing review of
    a small number of remaining applications in the first round of funding
    and will open up a second round of reimbursement opportunities in late
    May 2023. With the success of this effort to fund some of the critical
    conservation work of facilities like those accredited by AZA, we hope
    to work with the subcommittee and USFWS to determine and develop
    similar future funding opportunities that address these essential
    ongoing wildlife conservation 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.

        [This statement was submitted by Dan Ashe, President and CEO,
    Association of Zoos and Aquariums.]
                                     ______

              Prepared Statement of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
        On behalf of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), the voice for our
    wild public lands, waters and wildlife, I write in support of robust
    funding levels and critical funding increases for many key programs
    within the fiscal year 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
    Appropriations bill. Programs within your subcommittee directly drive
    important economies related to our Nation's hunting, fishing and
    outdoor recreation industries with millions of Americans annually
    generating $862 billion.
        As we enter the FY2024 budget cycle, BHA encourages this
    subcommittee to invest in the natural resource programs within the U.S.
    Department of Interior, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological
    Service that sustain fish and wildlife habitat, drive hunting and
    fishing opportunities, enhance public access, and create economic
    stability in America. BHA is motivated to work with you and the
    authorizing committees on identifying strategic funding solutions that
    benefit future generations of hunters and anglers.
                        land and water conservation fund
        BHA strongly supported the Great American Outdoors Act which
    permanently and fully funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund
    (LWCF). The $900 million floor for LWCF doesn't burden taxpayers and in
    fact expands economic support to rural communities, enhances public
    recreational access, and conserves quality fish and wildlife habitats.
        BHA supports the allocation of an additional $450 million in
    discretionary funding to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities
    to leverage funding and prioritize projects with partners in the land
    trust community that would eliminate landlocked public lands currently
    closed to hunters and anglers. We specifically support the use of funds
    to address projects that consolidate fragmented ownership of Federal
    public lands, connect wildlife corridors, enhance recreational access
    in addition to complementing State-based investments in natural
    resource management.
                               blm land resources
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $304 million for the
    Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Resources subaccount. This
    subaccount includes funding for BLM's high priority planning efforts
    across more than 247 million acres of land the agency manages,
    including the initiation of new resource management plans, address the
    need for planning updates and amendments, and implementation
    strategies. It is essential to ensure that BLM has the resources
    necessary to integrate the most recent State and Federal fish and
    wildlife science, outdoor recreation needs, and balancing energy
    development and resource extraction uses within the planning process.
    We recommend an additional increase of $5 million that would be
    directed to Resource Management Planning budgets for RMP revisions,
    amendments, and evaluation.
                  blm wildlife and aquatic habitat management
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $235 million for the
    BLM Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management account. The work conducted
    through this account supports the maintenance, restoration, and
    enhancement of fish, wildlife, and their habitats on BLM administered
    public lands. Important BLM activities such as conducting inventories
    of fish and wildlife resources and developing cooperative management
    plans while providing for responsible recreation and commercial uses
    are critically important for BLM's ongoing work with state fish and
    wildlife agencies and local communities across the West. We further
    recommend increasing BLM's Wildlife & Aquatic Habitat Management budget
    by an additional $7 million to support wildlife migration corridor
    conservation with Congress directing BLM to convey $2 million of that
    to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Western Big Game
    Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund.
                                 blm foundation
        Announced by the Department of the Interior in 2022, The Foundation
    for America's Public Lands presents a unique opportunity to maintain
    and improve wildlife migration corridors and seasonal ranges in
    addition to establishing a sustainable future for BLM lands in general.
    BHA requests that appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024 include at least
    $1 million to the foundation to support implementation of DOI
    Secretarial Order 2018- 3362 by funding priority projects that benefit
    wildlife migration corridors and seasonal habitat.
                           blm wild horses and burros
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $155 million for the
    BLM's Wild Horse and Burro (WHB) Program as current funding does not
    provide enough resources for control efforts to outpace population
    growth rates. Additionally, we recommend that funds no longer be
    borrowed from other budget line items to fund the WHB. BLM estimates
    there are over 82,000 WHB across habitats with a total appropriate
    management level of less than 27,000. The harm inflicted on public
    lands from excess wild horses and burros compounds yearly as on-range
    population growth rates and off-range holding costs outstrip the BLM's
    ability to manage herds.
                        greater sage-grouse conservation
        BHA also supports the removal of the harmful sage-grouse rider that
    compromises the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) ability to
    utilize important conservation tools within the Endangered Species Act
    should populations continue to decline. Greater sage-grouse habitat has
    experienced concerning degrees of fragmentation and degradation across
    the West and historic collaboration efforts have created powerful
    conservation plans tailored to 11 States across nearly 70 million acres
    of sagebrush steppe. This rider ties the hands of wildlife managers
    across the country and threatens the livelihood of rural communities
    that depend on sagebrush country for economic stability. BHA encourages
    you to oppose efforts to include any limiting sage-grouse rider
    language in FY24 appropriations bills.
                  abandoned hardrock mine reclamation funding
        BHA supports funding levels of at least $287 million to be provided
    for the abandoned hardrock mine reclamation program created by Sec.
    40704 of the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act. It is critical
    that this program receive funding to address the estimated 500,000
    abandoned hardrock mines in the West. According to the Government
    Accountability Office, Federal agencies spent, on average, about $287
    million annually from 2008 through 2017 identifying, cleaning up, and
    monitoring abandoned hardrock mine sites. However, at this rate it
    would still take nearly two centuries to clean up all our Nation's
    abandoned mines which represent the largest single source of pollution
    with 40% of watersheds in the West contaminated by mine tailings and
    runoff.
                 usfws north american wetlands conservation act
        BHA supports funding the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
    at its fully authorized amount of $60 million. This one-of-a-kind
    program leverages 1:4 ratio in contributions from nonfederal partners
    to restore migratory birds and other wildlife habitat within FWS
    allocations. To date NAWCA has already conserved more than 30 million
    acres of wetland habitat to the benefit of waterfowl enthusiasts
    nationwide.
             usfws national fish habitat action plan & partnerships
        This USFWS account funds the National Fish Habitat Partnership, a
    coalition of outdoor, hunting, angling, industry, and other
    conservation organizations, that work together to address the loss and
    depletion of fish habitat in critical waterways throughout America. BHA
    supports funding this partnership at its fully authorized amount of
    $7.2 million to further water restoration efforts across our country.
                     usfws national wildlife refuge system
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $624 million for the
    FWS National Wildlife Refuge System's (NWRS) Operations and Maintenance
    account. Adjusting for inflation, this level of funding is necessary to
    maintain operations at a level established a decade ago. The NWRS
    currently allows hunting on 436 wildlife refuge units and fishing on
    378, generating more than $2.4 billion annually in economic revenue
    from hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation activities. The
    Refuge System also supports more than 35,000 jobs across our Nation.
    Additionally, BHA supports the dedication of $10 million to complete
    Comprehensive Conservation Plans, 40% of which are outdated despite the
    requirement by law to be updated every 15 years.
                  usfws partners for fish and wildlife program
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $80 million for the
    Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This program that provides
    technical and financial assistance to private landowners and help
    implement critical projects that restore grasslands, wetlands and other
    habitats important to wildlife species such as grouse, canvasbacks and
    mule deer. Additionally, BHA strongly supports the dedication of $3
    million in direct support of DOI Secretarial Order 2018- 3362. We ask
    Congress to direct USFWS to convey $1 million of that to the National
    Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and
    Migration Corridors Fund and dedicate the remaining $2 million for a
    wildlife migration grants program that is managed internally for
    supporting key partnerships.
                       usfws science applications program
        The USFWS Science Applications Program has made instrumental
    investments in researching and prioritizing wildlife corridor needs
    with western States and it will be critical to ensure that future
    funding remains robust as we face important demands for the best
    available science to inform planning and management decisions.
    Increasing energy demands--including pressure for new renewables
    development on both private and public lands--compels us to direct
    continued funding for research to understand strategic needs and
    specific threats to wildlife migration corridors as State and Tribal
    wildlife management agencies prioritize future projects including
    transportation infrastructure like overpasses and underpasses to
    facilitate wildlife migration. We recommend that $4 million be provided
    to the Science Applications Program to directly support and identify
    needs for 18 western States and Tribal partner agencies that are
    critical to addressing threats and advancing big game migration and
    movement projects.
               usfws neotropical migratory bird conservation fund
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $8 million for the
    Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. This competitive grant
    program benefits more than 3.7 million acres of habitat, promoting
    long-term conservation of neotropical migratory birds through partner-
    based conservation and energizing local, on-the-ground conservation
    efforts through their migratory life cycles across North and South
    America.
                      usfws state & tribal wildlife grants
        BHA supports an increase in funding levels to $82 million for USFWS
    State and Tribal Wildlife Grants. This will provide state fish and
    wildlife management agencies the resources they need to continue
    managing and restoring critical habitats for species at risk of
    becoming endangered. In doing so the program facilitates collaboration
    between state, Tribal and Federal interests to invest in conservation
    efforts that prevent more expensive management costs in the future.
                             usfs roads and trails
        BHA supports robust funding for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
    Roads and Trails on National Forest System lands to help alleviate
    millions in maintenance backlogs. Many hunters, anglers and other
    outdoor recreationalists depend on roads and trails to gain access to
    our public lands and waters. Without proper funding and management,
    public access can become eliminated or reduced significantly.
    Addressing USFS's maintenance backlog account is an important priority
    BHA would like to see addressed by Congress.
                          usfs wild horses and burros
        BHA supports robust, dedicated funding for Wild Horse and Burro
    (WHB) management within a newly specified line-item, as funds are
    currently reallocated internally from other budgets. As USFS is
    responsible for 20% of the Nation's WHB, we recommend that the 80/20
    ratio is continued for WHB appropriations across BLM and USFS.
                            usfs migration corridors
        We commend USDA and the USFS for elevating the conservation of
    wildlife migration corridors and seasonal ranges, particularly
    Secretary Vilsack's issuance of Secretarial Memo 1077 and the August
    2022 USFS Habitat Connectivity and Migration Corridors in National
    Forest System Planning'' guidance to Regional Foresters. These efforts
    will complement the work of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
    through Working Lands for Wildlife and other programs and ongoing
    implementation of DOI Secretarial Order 2018- 3362, however, policy
    guidance requires the allocation of funding to have meaningful impact.
    We recommend that Congress direct USFS to allocate $10 million from the
    Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction
    Act wildfire risk and hazardous fuels reduction funds to support
    implementation of USFS wildlife migration corridors policy guidance
    including conservation efforts at the individual forest and regional
    levels.
        We also recommend a $2 million increase for the USFS Watershed,
    Fish, Wildlife, Air and Rare Plants budgets to be directed to National
    Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and
    Migration Corridors Fund.
                  usgs wildlife corridor mapping and research
        The U.S. Geological Survey's Corridor Mapping Team has provided
    critical mapping support and State-based technical assistance to
    wildlife management agencies through formal collaboration with the
    Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CRU). Early
    investments made possible under the implementation of DOI Secretarial
    Order 2018- 3362, have provided essential data and spatial analysis for
    migration corridors mapping culminating three volumes of Ungulate
    Migrations of the Western United States. These migration atlases are
    the foundation for understanding wildlife migrations, prioritizing
    conservation needs in partnerships with western States, and avoiding
    and mitigating impacts from development through landscape-level
    planning on public lands--particularly as energy needs across renewable
    and fossil fuel sectors remain high. We recommend that at least $1
    million and up to $5 million be allocated to the USGS Land Management
    Research budget and directed to supporting the Corridor Mapping Team
    and future research for publishing future volumes of Ungulate
    Migrations of the Western United States and other critical wildlife
    migration corridor studies.
        While we understand the need to be fiscally responsible with
    taxpayer dollars, we believe that conservation programs are key
    economic drivers, providing large returns on investment in addition to
    ensuring that America has clean drinking water. Therefore, we ask you
    to support stable, annual funding for our Nation's public land and
    waters to support healthy communities and habitat for fish and
    wildlife. Thank you for your consideration of Backcountry Hunters &
    Anglers' fiscal year 2024 recommendations for the Interior,
    Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

    Sincerely,
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    John Gale
    Vice President of Policy and Government Relations
    Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
                                     ______

     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 Resources
    Program for Colorado River specific salinity control activities in
    Fiscal Year 2024. 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
    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 delivers water to almost 6
    million people each year, including to municipal and industrial users,
    agricultural irrigation districts, and Tribal 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 the 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 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 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 between the United
    States and Mexico. Since the agreement of Minute 242 in 1973 to the
    1944 Water Treaty, the United States has taken several actions to
    improve the quality of water delivered to Mexico, including operating
    and maintaining the Main Outlet Drain Extension (MODE). More recently,
    on November 20, 2012, a 5-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 2024 at least $2.0 million from its Aquatic Resources Program for
    Colorado River specific salinity control activities.

        [This statement was submitted by Brenda Burman, General Manager,
    Central Arizona Water Conservation District.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Center for Invasive Species Prevention
        We write to ask you to support funding for two programs of the USDA
    Forest Service. Each is essential for protecting the resilience of the
    Nation's forests in the face of invasive pests.
        We ask that the subcommittee adopt report language requiring that
    the USFS begin a phased increase in funding allocated to research on
    invasive species. The goal would be to allocate five percent of the
    overall Rangeland Research Program's budget request to this purpose by
    FY26. As the first step on this phased increase, we suggest that the
    subcommittee raise funding for research on invasive species-the 10
    species named on p. 62 of the budget justification and the many that
    are apparently not now included-to $8.5 million. We note that these
    invasive species imperil forest health independently of the manifold
    effects of increased fire intensity and frequency and climate change.
    The research that would be funded by the additional funding is critical
    to improving managers' understanding of invasive forest insects' and
    pathogens' invasion pathways and impacts, as well as to developing
    effective management strategies.

                                       Appropriations for USFS R&D (in $millions)

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              FY24--Administration's
                                                   FY22            FY23               budget              Our ask
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total R&D budget........................          $296.6          $307.3              $349.1              $349.1
    Funding for 10 invasive pest spp........              $4            $4.5                $4.4                $8.5
    FIA.....................................           $22.2           $32.2               $30.2               $30.2
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        In addition, we support the Administration's request for an
    appropriation of $20 million for the Forest Health Management Program
    (FHM) program on Federal lands and $35 million for the Cooperative
    Lands subprogram. We support continued availability of funding for
    these programs provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public
    Law 117- 58). Both subprograms must be funded in order to ensure
    continuity of protection efforts--such an ``all lands'' approach is the
    only way that pest management can be effective.
        Appropriations for USFS S&P&T Lands, Forest Health Management (in
    $millions)

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              FY24--Administration's
                     PROGRAM                       FY22            FY23               budget              Our ask
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Federal lands approp....................              16              17                  20                  20
    Federal lands Bipart. Infr..............           8.128               5                   5                   5
    Coop lands approp.......................              32              33                  35                  35
    Coop lands Bipart. Infr.................               7           7.685               7.685               7.685
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 justification
        urban, rural, and wildland forests: indispensable and threatened
        About one-third of America's land area supports forests or
    woodlands. These forests provide many benefits, including wood and non-
    wood forest products; jobs for rural economies; wildlife habitat;
    carbon sequestration; clean water and air; and recreation and aesthetic
    enjoyment. About 60 percent of these forests are owned by States or
    private entities.
        Urban forests also contribute important services to both society
    and the environment. They moderate temperatures and winds, thus
    reducing energy expenditures and related emissions of carbon dioxide
    and other pollutants. They curb storm water runoff and its management
    costs. Urban trees filter air and water pollutants. They improve the
    health and wellbeing of residents.
                 the impact of non-native insects and diseases
        Already, growing numbers of non-native insects and pathogens in
    America's forests undermine the most basic of our forests' condition
    and ecosystem services. One-fifth of forest biomass in the ``lower 48''
    States is threatened by just the worst 15 pests. In total, these 15
    species have caused an additional annual conversion of live biomass to
    dead wood at a rate similar in magnitude to the low end of the
    estimated rate attributed to fire (5.53 TgC per year for pests v. 5.4
    to 14.2 TgC per year for fire).\1\ Unique ecosystems are being
    destroyed: black ash swamps of the upper Midwest, riparian forests in
    California and Oregon, stream canyons of the Appalachian range, and
    high-elevation forests of western mountains. [See Invasive Species in
    Forests & Grasslands of the United States: A Comprehensive Science
    Synthesis for the United States Forest Sector, at https://
    www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/61982]
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Fei, S., R.S. Morin, C.M. Oswalt, and A.M. 2019. Biomass losses
    resulting from insect and disease invasions in United States forests.
    PNAS August 27, 2019. Vol. 116 No. 35 17371-17376
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Newly-arrived pests threatens additional ecosystems. Rapid ?ohi?a
    death is killing the most widespread tree species in the unique forests
    of Hawai`i. Beech leaf disease has spread from Ohio to Maine and south
    to Virginia in little over a decade; it threatens one of the most
    numerous tree species in the eastern forest. California's oaks face a
    growing number of pests: sudden oak death, goldspotted oak borer,
    Kuroshio shot hole borer, and now Mediterranean oak borer.
                     fulfilling the forest service' mission
        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.'' The Service cannot
    fulfill this mission without a strong and integrated strategy for
    countering the establishment, spread, and effects of non-native insects
    and diseases. Unfortunately, the Administration's proposed budget for
    Fiscal Year 2024 barely recognizes the threat posed by non-native
    insects and pathogens and does not provide the resources needed to
    address it.
           usda forest service forest and rangeland research program
        This inadequacy is most obvious in its funding allocations for the
    Research program. Often, when pests are first detected, little is known
    about them. Effective programs to prevent, suppress, and eradicate the
    risks can be developed only after scientists understand the pest-host
    relationship. This crucial knowledge can be gained only through
    research.
        Unfortunately, the Forest Service's research budget does prioritize
    improving managers' understanding of specific invasive species and of
    the processes contributing to bioinvasions. Just $4 million is
    allocated for research conducted by the Research stations on 10 non-
    native pests (see page 62)--just over 1% of the total research budget.
    Since FY2010, these programs have suffered a greater than 70% decrease
    in funding while new pests have arrived to threaten our trees. USFS is
    losing the ability to develop effective tools needed by federal, state,
    and private landowners trying to managing the growing number of pests.
        The Administration says it has prioritized research intended to
    support nature-based solutions for climate risk reduction, watershed
    resiliency, forest ecology, and forest genetics. However, many of the
    tree species that such solutions would depend on are being decimated by
    non-native pests. To restore them, scientists need to research their
    genetics and possible strategies to breed trees able to thrive despite
    the introduced pests. However, USFS R&D supports only a few such
    projects. Even in these cases the project leaders must seek outside
    funding in order to continue their work. We doubt that the Service'
    goals can be achieved in the absence of adequate funding for increasing
    understanding of bioinvasion and developing effective mitigation
    strategies.
        Increased research examining the full range of strategies for
    countering invasive species will help managers to address threats
    identified by the recent expansion of the Forest Inventory and Analysis
    program. That is, research will contribute to improving forest
    conditions, not just documenting them.
       forest health management: providing the needed continuum of pest
                                   management
        Tree-killing non-native pests usually first appear in cities or
    suburbs, because they arrive on imported goods destined to population
    centers. The immediate result is enormous damage to urban forests. It
    is important that the USDA Forest Service counter this damage directly.
        Even more important, the Service needs to thwart spread of these
    pests from places of first arrival to the Nation's rural and wildland
    forests, including National forests. Some pests spread on their own.
    Others are transported long distances on firewood, plants, or storage
    pods holding household furnishings. Thus they quickly imperil forests
    across the continent, so demanding a Federal response. Examples of
    tree-killing pests that have spread from urban areas to our National
    forests include the hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer,
    polyphagous and Kuroshio shot hole borers, sudden oak death, and laurel
    wilt disease.
        In other words, protecting America's forests begins by addressing
    pests where they are first found--usually in urban or semi-rural
    forests; and following where they next appear. The USFS FHM program
    does this by providing technical and financial assistance to both
    States and other forest-management partners [Cooperative Lands] and
    Federal agencies [Federal Lands]. Both components of the FHM program
    are essential to the ``all lands'' management continuum. The program's
    efficacy has been reduced by the 50% cut in funding over the past
    decade. The Administration's proposed funding levels partially restore
    this missing capacity.
        The strategy outlined in the budget justification, e.g., early
    detection of pests' introduction or spread to new regions and the
    ``all-lands'' approach, is sound. However, we note that strategies
    appropriate for managing the western and southern bark beetles, e.g.,
    thinning, are not effective in countering non-native insects and
    pathogens. Therefore we also welcome increased investment in innovative
    control technologies.
        We particularly applaud two projects described in the budget
    justification. Support for control of sudden oak death in Oregon and
    California needs to continue. Managers must be ready to respond to a
    probable expansion of the disease in California in response to the wet
    winter of 2022-2023. We also praise the partnership with State and
    Tribal agencies and USDA APHIS to manage widespread mortality of black
    (or brown) ash caused by the emerald ash borer.
        A critical component of a comprehensive pest-management strategy is
    improving threatened trees' resistance to the introduced pests. The
    USFS currently allots very few resources to tree resistance breeding.
    Perhaps surprisingly, much of the existing effort is funded by Forest
    Health Management or the National Forest System. For example, the model
    project-the Dorena Genetic Resource Center, in Oregon--is under the
    NFS. The Dorena center has made heartening progress in developing
    pathogen-resistant Port-Orford cedar and white pines; seedlings are now
    being planted by Federal agencies, Tribes, and others. The Dorena
    Center is also advising partners in the Forest Service and other
    federal, state, Tribal, and academic institutions engaged in
    resistance-breeding for ashes and two tree species in Hawaii, koa and
    ohia.
        CISP supports efforts to develop improved performance metrics.
    Measuring ``acres treated'' doesn't cover the extent of activities that
    should be undertaken.
        Finally, CISP supports the USFS' Urban Forestry programs in both
    the State and Private and Research divisions. Improving management of
    the 140 million acres of urban forests--through recommendations based
    on research--will contribute to solving many environmental and social
    problems and enhance our Nation's ability to respond to introductions
    of non-native insects and pathogens.
        Thank you for addressing these matters. I would be pleased to
    provide additional information.

        [This statement was submitted by Submitted by Faith T. Campbell,
    President, Center for Invasive Species Prevention.]
                                     ______

          Prepared Statement of the Chemical Safety and Sustainability
        On behalf of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
    thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony
    regarding the appropriations request described below for an increase of
    $11.3 million for the Chemical Safety and Sustainability (CSS) Research
    Program and accompanying report language for advancing New Approach
    Methodologies (NAMs) for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The
    Physicians Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with nearly
    one million members and supporters worldwide working for effective,
    efficient, and ethical medical research and product testing.
        As you craft the FY 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies Appropriations bill, the Physicians Committee asks that you
    please consider the following provision to advance the implementation
    of predictive human-specific science, facilitate faster development of
    safe products, and reduce animal testing.
        Thank you for your consideration and please do not hesitate to
    reach out with any questions.
                     pa new approach methodologies funding
        The Physicians Committee requests that the subcommittee include
    funding and report language for the EPA to continue and expand
    activities to support NAMs, including through the publication of policy
    updates, employee trainings, and additional full-time equivalents
    (FTEs).
        The EPA's December 2021 New Approach Methods Work Plan defines NAMs
    as ``any technology, methodology, approach, or combination that can
    provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment to avoid the
    use of animal testing.'' \1\ These modern test methods, including
    computer models and in vitro cell and tissue-based approaches, can now
    replace many animal-based tests. Traditional animal methods are
    prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, delaying needed regulations
    to protect vulnerable communities from toxic chemicals in the
    environment and prevent the introduction of potential new toxicants. In
    contrast, by using cells and components of primarily human origin, NAMs
    can better account for variations within human communities, including
    in genetic backgrounds, pre-existing conditions, and stages of life,
    than animal tests. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the
    21st Century amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to
    prioritize reduction and replacement of animal tests and increase the
    use of NAMs by requiring industry to ``first attempt to develop the
    information by means of an alternative test method or strategy
    identified by the [EPA] ... before conducting new vertebrate animal
    testing.'' \2\ This mandate is essential to addressing the
    disproportionate exposure to toxic chemicals faced by communities of
    color, and low-income and indigenous communities. A product of the
    Lautenberg Act was the TSCA Strategic Plan on NAMs, which sets out a
    framework for reaching animal testing reduction and replacement
    objectives and includes long-term ongoing steps. The 2021 New Approach
    Methods Work Plan is another related policy document issued by the EPA,
    which provides further strategies, deliverables, and timelines.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ USEPA 2021. New Approach Methods Work Plan (v2). U.S.
    Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. EPA/600/X-21/209.
        \2\ The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21st
    Century. Pub Law. 114-182
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Congress has expressed support for the EPA to continue developing
    and evaluating NAMs via previous appropriations report language;
    however, inadequate funding for this purpose has prevented full
    implementation of the agency's plans. The EPA maintains ongoing efforts
    to advance NAMs for chemical testing, including in the Office of
    Pesticide Programs and the Office of Research and Development, but
    limited resources and competing agency priorities often delay progress
    on NAMs implementation. With this request, the Physicians Committee is
    supporting the EPA's requested funding increase of $11.3 million to the
    CSS Research Program for FY24 for activities to advance NAMs. Although
    the CSS Research Program is spearheading a lot of NAMs work, the
    development and evaluation of NAMs has cross-cutting, agency-wide
    applications. This further investment in NAMs activities would improve
    the EPA's capacity to prioritize this work among other agency
    priorities, meet strategic planning goals, and properly integrate NAMs
    into agency policies and practices.
        Additionally, this requested report language would ensure that the
    EPA uses funding to address key areas of improvement for advancing
    NAMs, including updating policies to clearly communicate to industry
    which NAMs are accepted for certain uses, and establishing regular
    staff trainings on NAMs to ensure employees involved in chemical
    assessments are up to date with the latest scientific advancements.
        To support innovation at the EPA through accelerated development
    and evaluation of NAMs, the Physicians Committee requests that the
    subcommittee provide an increase of $11.3 million for the CSS Research
    Program to advance NAMs and adopt the following report language:

        New Approach Methodologies.- The Committee notes that Public Law
    114-182 (the Lautenberg Act) requires the agency to consider nonanimal
    tests prior to requiring testing using vertebrate animals, and
    prioritize strategies to replace, reduce, and refine the use of
    vertebrate animals. The Committee also notes that New Approach
    Methodologies (NAMs), including in vitro tests, in chemico assays, and
    in silico models, represent key advances in science to improve hazard
    and risk assessments of pesticides and chemicals. The Committee
    provides $11,328,000 for the agency to continue and expand activities
    to develop, build confidence in, and implement NAMs to meet deadlines
    and goals set in the 2021 New Approach Methods Work Plan and the TSCA
    Strategic Plan on NAMs. Among these efforts, the Committee directs the
    agency to publish updated policies outlining the acceptance of
    scientifically supported NAMs for specified applications, implement
    annual trainings on NAMs for employees involved in hazard and risk
    assessments, fund additional FTEs to support NAMs implementation, and
    continue to engage in Federal and nongovernmental organization
    collaborations.

        [This statement was submitted by Elizabeth Baker, J.D., Regulatory
    Policy Director, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's
                                  Reservation
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of the
    subcommittee, on behalf of the Chippewa Cree Tribe I am pleased to
    provide this testimony in support of strong funding in Fiscal Year 2024
    for Tribal programs at the Department of the Interior and the Indian
    Health Service under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. I am Harlan
    Baker, and I have the honor of serving as the Chairman of the Tribal
    Business Committee for the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's
    Indian Reservation. Our Tribe totals nearly 6,200 enrolled members and
    our reservation encompasses over 122,000 acres in north central
    Montana, in one of the most remote and rural areas in the United
    States.
        We want to express our deep appreciation to the Chair and Ranking
    Member and others on this subcommittee who have continued to stand by
    our Nation's commitment to its Indian Tribes. In enacting the FY 2023
    Appropriations bill you have demonstrated once again that Indian
    affairs is a bi-partisan area where members of both parties recognize
    that the Federal trust responsibility, one of the most important
    doctrines in Federal Indian law, derives from the treaties between
    Tribal nations and the U.S. government. It is the obligation of the
    Federal Government, including all branches and agencies, to protect
    Tribal self-governance, Tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty
    rights, and to provide adequate funding to carry out the directions of
    Federal statutes and court cases.
        As a Self-Governance Tribe, the Chippewa Cree Tribe strengthens our
    ability to determine our own future and our ability to govern our
    people at both the local level where we are providing the direct
    services to our people and at the National level where we build and
    strengthen our government-to-government relationship with the United
    States Government. Adequate support from the Federal Government is
    crucial to ensure we have a safe and thriving community for our people.
        We express our appreciation as you have allowed for some growth in
    Federal funding for important Tribal programs in recent years and we
    urge you to resist any proposals that seem terribly disconnected to the
    reality of life in Indian Country that would cut back funding to some
    of the most impoverished people in the United States. We understand the
    need to balance the budget but first we need to get to the point where
    we have something even remotely resembling parity with the rest of the
    population outside Indian Country.
        We urge the subcommittee to build on recent progress and enact the
    initiatives called for in the President's Budget Request that present
    an historic opportunity for a transformation in the relationship
    between Tribes and the Federal Government and that seek to restore some
    of the promises made to our ancestors by providing increased resources
    in several key programs. This includes requesting mandatory funding for
    the Indian Health Service (IHS), Contract Support Costs at the
    Department of the Interior (DOI), and Section 105(l) Tribal Leases;
    along with increased investments in Indian healthcare, education,
    public safety, natural resource management, and infrastructure. These
    historic budget and policy proposals for Tribal programs, which Tribal
    leaders have long advocated for, are long overdue, and are prepaid for
    by our ancestors.
                  funding for the indian health service (ihs)
        Because of the rural nature and isolated location of our Tribe we
    are challenged with a low economic base, increasing medical and
    pharmaceutical costs, large distances to travel to access specialty
    care, and problems with the recruitment and retention of medical
    providers. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating
    impact on Tribal citizens. In fact, according to data from the Montana
    Department of Public Health and Human Services released in 2021, while
    Native Americans in Montana make up only 7% of the State's population,
    we accounted for more than 20% of the COVID-19 cases, and sadly, are
    dying from the disease at a rate 11 times higher than white residents.
    The health disparities between Native Americans and other groups in the
    U.S. has been well documented for years. Yet, according to IHS data
    from April 2022, actual IHS spending per user remains less than half of
    Medicaid spending per enrollee, less than half of Veterans medical
    spending per patient, and less than one-third of Medicare spending per
    beneficiary--even after including third party revenue received by IHS.
    Congress must take action to provide the resources to the IHS and
    Tribal health programs to improve the well-being of our people. We
    support the recommendations of the IHS National Tribal Budget
    Formulation Work Group and call on Congress to provide full needs-based
    funding of the IHS in FY 2024.
        We are particularly grateful that in the FY 2023 omnibus spending
    law Congress enacted for the first time Advance Appropriations for the
    Indian Health Service (IHS) in FY 2024. This was a long-sought goal and
    is much needed to ensure that Tribes can better meet the health needs
    of our people. As you know, short Continuing Resolutions (CRs) make it
    difficult to hire and retain staff, and enter into long term
    (financially advantageous) contracts with vendors and suppliers. When
    you operate on the margins like IHS, Tribal and Urban Indian Health
    programs do, short term funds are just not practical and limits the
    care provided to our patients. On an advance appropriations cycle,
    Tribal health care providers, as well as the IHS, now know the funding
    a year earlier than was previously the case under often lengthy CRs. In
    addition to protecting Tribal members from the harmful effects of a
    shutdown, providing advance appropriations will allow Tribal health
    programs the ability to better recruit and retain health professionals,
    to better plan programmatic activity over several years, thereby
    leading to better health outcomes for our people and decreased long-
    term healthcare costs. Further savings will be achieved by allowing
    long-term contracts with outside vendors and suppliers. All of these
    benefits come at no additional costs to the Federal Government. We
    would urge the subcommittee to make permanent Advance Appropriations
    for IHS, while we work toward the goal of mandatory funding.
                        public safety funding at the bia
        Like many Tribes we are seeing a drastic increase in drug
    trafficking and related crime coming onto our lands. There is a
    significant need for the Federal Government to improve law enforcement
    resources and bring State and local authorities to the table with
    Tribes to address public safety. Congress needs to provide additional
    resources to BIA law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney's Offices, the FBI,
    and other agencies to help us stem the flow of illegal drugs,
    investigate crimes, and prosecute offenders. The underfunding of Tribal
    law enforcement and justice systems is well-documented. In 2022, the
    Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) submitted a report to Congress required
    by the Tribal Law and Order Act 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 actual funding provided in FY 2023, Tribal law
    enforcement, detentions/corrections, and Tribal courts are funded at a
    staggeringly low 18.6 percent of estimated need.
        The funding short falls for law enforcement endangers public safety
    on our reservation and forces us to use Tribal discretionary funds
    which means less resources in other areas and it hamstrings future
    business development. Another complicating factor is that our police
    and detention officers are required to be federally trained, however
    the state of Montana has an excellent officer training program and it
    would be more efficient financially and logistically to take advantage
    of the Montana Law Enforcement Academy. The BIA needs to provide more
    flexibility in allowing officers to train at state academies rather
    than needing to go the Federal training center in New Mexico, which
    often has a long wait list. In line with recommendations put forth by
    the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) we urge this subcommittee to
    provide $2.924 billion for Public Safety and Justice funding, with
    approximately $1.766 billion for BIA Law Enforcement and $1.155 billion
    for Tribal courts in FY 2024.
                          bia self-governance funding
        As I mentioned earlier in my testimony, we are a Self-Governance
    Tribe and have carried out all functions of the Bureau of Indian
    Affairs and Indian Health Service on our Reservation for decades. Under
    the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) the
    Federal Government is supposed to provide the funding necessary for
    Tribal nations that have elected to use Self-Governance for the
    delivery of programs and services to our citizens and communities.
    However, current funding levels are insufficient and funding over the
    past decade has remained flat, which is taking into account current
    inflation is actually a decrease.
        There have also been delays in the BIA distributing funding to
    self-governance Tribes. These delays have resulted in our Tribe being
    forced to collateralize discretionary resources to secure operating
    lines of credit and encumber interest rates and other fees. The funding
    mechanisms used by the BIA need to be streamlined to ensure Tribes
    receive their funding in a timely manner and have the flexibility
    needed to operate programs and provide services in the way that works
    best for our people. We encourage Congress to ensure full funding of
    BIA programs based on need and hold the agency accountable to ensure
    that this funding is allocated to Tribes in a transparent, fair and
    timely manner.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to submit this testimony and I
    urge the members of this subcommittee to work with your colleagues to
    provide robust funding for Tribal programs in FY 2024 to ensure that we
    have the resources needed to provide basic and essential services to
    our people and ensure their health, safety, and wellbeing.

        [This statement was submitted by Harlan Baker, Chippewa Cree
    Business Committee Chairman.]
                                     ______

          Prepared Statement of the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority
                                  introduction
        Aanii (Hello)! I am providing this testimony regarding FY 2024
    funding in my capacity as President of the Bay Mills Indian Community,
    an Ojibwe Tribal Nation located on the south shore of Lake Superior in
    Michigan's Upper Peninsula. My Tribal Nation is a member of the
    Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) and I serve on the Board of
    that inter-Tribal entity, and present this testimony on CORA's behalf.
        CORA is a consortium of five federally recognized Tribal Nations in
    Michigan that are parties to the 1836 Treaty of Washington with the
    United States; they are: Bay Mills Indian Community; Grand Traverse
    Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Little River Band of Ottawa
    Indians; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians; and the Sault Ste.
    Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
                                    purpose
        I cannot emphasize enough the importance of Federal funding to
    support the exercise of reserved treaty rights and management of
    natural resources protected by these treaties. Within the Department of
    the Interior annual budget exists funding for the Rights Protection
    Implementation (RPI) program. That program provides to those Tribal
    Nations with judicially-recognized reserved usufructuary rights, funds
    which are necessary to protect and preserve the ability of the Tribal
    Nations to facilitate sustainable use and enjoyment of these protected
    natural resources. RPI funds are targeted to enable Tribal Nations to
    identify and implement appropriate management and protection
    activities, to utilize expert management and biological services, and
    to employ sufficient law enforcement personnel enforce Tribal, State
    and Federal laws regulating the natural resource use and protection.
        In FY 2023, RPI funding in the amount of $6,994,659.00 was provided
    to CORA's Tribal Nations. This level of funding is essential to the
    ability of each Tribal Nation to carry out the obligations under
    current Consent Decrees, and additional funding in the amount of
    $8,237.031.00 is needed to fund the additional Tribal responsibilities
    and obligations under a successor Great Lakes Consent Decree currently
    under the consideration of the U.S. District Court for the Western
    District of Michigan.
                                   background
        In 1836, the Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Odawa (Ottawa) Tribal Nations
    (``CORA Tribal Nations'') in Michigan negotiated a treaty with the
    United States that ceded lands to the Federal Government which were
    used to create the State of Michigan in 1837. The ceded lands comprise
    more than forty per cent (40%) of what is now the State of Michigan.
    However, the CORA Tribal Nations reserved the right to hunt, fish, trap
    and gather throughout the ceded territory, including the waters of
    Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior.
        Thereafter, Tribal members continued to exercise their treaty-
    guaranteed rights. Their ability to do so was adversely impacted by the
    State of Michigan, which in the 1950's and 1960's asserted its
    authority to exclusively regulate hunting and fishing by Tribal members
    and to limit what activities were protected by the Treaty. At that
    time, only the Bay Mills Indian Community was a federally recognized
    Tribal Nation, so its Tribal members, including my grandfather, Albert
    ``Big Abe'' LeBlanc, resisted State efforts to control treaty-protected
    activities and continued to hunt and fish with traditional gear and
    without a State License.
        The resistance culminated in 1971, with the citation of Albert
    ``Big Abe'' LeBlanc for fishing in Lake Superior with gill nets, then a
    State criminal offense. In defense, the Bay Mills Indian Community
    supported its fisher's positions that the rights reserved in the 1836
    Treaty continued to exist and supersede Michigan fishing regulation
    under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The case wound
    through various State court levels, culminating in 1976 with the
    issuance of a decision by the Michigan Supreme Court, holding in People
    v. LeBlanc that the right to fish in the Great Lakes waters ceded in
    the Treaty of 1836 continued to exist, and that the State could apply
    its law to Treaty-protected fishing if it could demonstrate that the
    regulation is necessary to conserve the resource.
        The ongoing battle shifted to Federal court, as the United States
    had filed suit in 1973 against the State of Michigan, on the grounds
    that Michigan lacked the right to regulate treaty-protected Great Lakes
    fishing activities. The case is known as United States v. Michigan and
    remains an open case file. The Bay Mills Indian Community and Sault
    Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians joined the case as intervenors
    prior to trial. In 1979, the trial court declared that the right to
    fish in the Great Lakes waters ceded in 1836 continues to exist; the
    decision is known as the ``Fox Decision.'' The Grand Traverse Band of
    Ottawa and Chippewa Indians intervened in the case within the year.
        Many issues remained unresolved, as the Fox Decision did not
    determine what gear could be employed in the Treaty fishery, what
    species could be harvested, when harvest could occur, and most
    importantly, what amount of fish of each species could be taken by
    Tribal fishers. All the parties in the case-United States; State of
    Michigan; Bay Mills Indian Community; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
    Chippewa Indians; and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa
    Indians-participated in court-ordered negotiations which resulted in a
    comprehensive agreement regarding allocation of harvest opportunity,
    management, and regulation and was approved and entered as an order of
    the court in May 1985.
        That agreement was for a term of 15 years, and was succeeded by a
    new agreement covering allocation, management, regulation, enhancement
    and restoration of the Great Lakes fishery which was negotiated by all
    the prior participants and joined by the Little River Band of Ottawa
    Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. This
    successor agreement was signed on August 7, 2000, for a term of 20
    years. All the parties have been working on a third agreement since the
    fall of 2019, and continuing to manage the fishery under the terms of
    the 2000 agreement until it is superseded by a successor agreement. A
    proposed comprehensive agreement was filed with the trial court on
    December 11, 2022, which is currently the subject of review by the
    court, including hearings to hear objections by any party which does
    not agree with the 2022 proposed Decree. They are scheduled for May 24
    and 25, 2023.
        Under these circumstances, the final text of the successor
    comprehensive Decree is not complete. What is clear is that the CORA
    Tribal Nations must create more frequent and comprehensive harvest
    reporting and oversight, so that stressors of the fishery are
    identified and management strategies developed and implemented to
    address them. Harvest is not the primary source of fish mortality in
    this century; instead, water quality, higher water temperatures and
    invasive species are causing the fishery to change in ways that must be
    closely monitored to identify and remediate impediments to a healthy
    fish stock for decades.
        These activities will require additional funding to address them.
        The parties have also addressed the nature and scope of inland
    treaty-protected activities in the 1836 Treaty ceded lands. In 2007,
    the parties abandoned planned litigation on this subject in favor on
    negotiating a separate agreement addressing the treaty-protected rights
    to hunt, fish, and gather on all lands and inland waters ceded in the
    1836 Treaty. This comprehensive agreement was entered as an order of
    the Federal district court, which has no termination date. Among other
    matters, the Consent Decree recognizes exclusive Tribal regulation of
    member hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering activities, and
    allocates harvest opportunities for elk, bear, and sturgeon. Joint
    management protocols for certain species are also created as well as
    cooperative law enforcement agreements.
        In each comprehensive agreement to date, the management framework
    has been approved and ordered by the court in the United States v.
    Michigan litigation. Equally significant is the active role of the
    Federal Government in negotiating the terms of these cooperative
    resource management frameworks.
            fy 2024 budget request: rights protection implementation
        Currently, CORA's Tribal Nations receive funding through the
    ``Treaty Fisheries'' line item in the Rights Protection Implementation
    (RPI) program for the Great Lakes Treaty fishery. (``Inland treaty
    rights'' are separately funded within the RPI program and are addressed
    separately.) That line item supports the following activities, with
    additional activities for which funding is sought identified by use of
    italics:

      --Establishment of conservation-based fishing regulations; Biological
            support services to monitor the fishery; Resource protection
            and enhancement programs;

      --Conservation law enforcement activities and Tribal Court staffing
            for Great Lakes fishing conservation cases;

      --Additional oversight of harvest activities by biological staff and
            enforcement personnel;

      --Implementation of electronic harvest reporting by Tribal fishers
            and wholesalers and maintenance of inter-Tribal harvest
            reporting system;

      --Monitoring of environmental factors which adversely affect the
            treaty fishery;

      --Establishment of and/or cooperation with Federal and State
            researchers in remediation projects to address identified
            environmental factors' impact on fish stocks; and

      --Invasive species monitoring and controls.

        CORA's Tribal Nations also receive RPI funding relating to ``inland
    treaty rights'' implementation of the 2007 Consent Decree. The
    following activities are supported:

      --Establishment of conservation-based hunting, fishing and gathering
            regulations;

      --Biological support services to monitor wildlife, plant life and
            habitat;

      --Resource protection and enhancement programs;

      --Invasive species monitoring and controls;

      --Conservation law enforcement activities and Tribal Court staffing
            for inland conservation cases; and

      --Inter-Tribal coordination of activities and policies with Federal
            and State agencies.

        CORA does not, and cannot, support any budget request for RPI funds
    in FY 2024 that is less than the sum appropriated for FY 2023. CORA
    supports a proportionate share of no less than $49,5420,000, the amount
    of Rights Protection Implementation funding proposed in FY2024, but
    supports full funding for the RPI line item at no less than
    $66,000,000. CORA also supports GLRI funding of no less than the FY
    2024 proposed appropriation of $358,154 million, including no less than
    a 5% share for a distinct Tribal program.
        Less funding, especially in light of the soon to be completed Great
    Lakes Treaty Fishing Decree this year, will require severe cuts to
    conservation, monitoring and enforcement activities, with attendant
    staff layoffs. That situation will not only increase conflict between
    Tribal Nations and other communities over resources, but will also
    significantly reduce the level of protection of the fishery, wildlife
    and habitat throughout the ceded territory. It is almost a certainty
    that the parties to these management and allocation agreements will
    bring disputes over program changes to the Federal court for
    resolution.
        CORA requests that Rights Protection Implementation continue to be
    a budget priority, and that CORA's Tribal Nations' share be increased
    for FY 2024 to $8,237,031.00, which is added to the Great Lakes base
    funding, for the identified purposes listed above.

        [This statement was submitted by Whitney B. Gravelle, President of
    the Bay Mills Indian Community, Member of the Chippewa Ottawa Resource
    Authority, Board of Directors.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Chugach Regional Resources Commission
        My testimony is regarding the Department of Interior--Bureau of
    Indian Affairs--Natural Resources Management--Tribal Management
    Development Program funding on behalf of the Chugach Regional Resources
    Commission (CRRC). CRRC requests an increase to the FY 2024
    appropriation of our Natural Resources Management--Tribal Management
    Development Program (TMDP) within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to
    a recurring Federal base program award of $1.18 million (50% of our
    operating budget) to develop and manage the natural resources located
    within the Chugach Region of Alaska, expand the resource management
    capabilities of the Tribes located there, and conduct vital research
    and mariculture activities at the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute (APMI)
    in Seward. We also request that you exercise your oversight power to
    ensure that Tribal nations receive self-determination and self-
    governance funds in a timely manner, with appropriate communication
    from the BIA.
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony to the
    subcommittee on the FY 2024 Federal budget. We value this opportunity
    since you are vested with both the authority over appropriations and
    with the responsibility to ensure the Federal trust responsibility is
    fulfilled to Tribal nations without discrimination or uneven
    treatment--even if such treatment is unintentional. We submit this
    testimony to urge you to bring our Tribal citizens' services up to the
    same level of support as the other programs that perform natural
    resources management activities under contracts and compacts with the
    Federal Government.
        CRRC is an inter-Tribal fish and wildlife commission authorized as
    a Tribal consortium under the Indian Self Determination and Educational
    Assistance Act of 1991. We provide essential governmental services to
    Tribal citizens in the Chugach region of Alaska, an expanse of 20,000
    square miles of marine waters and more than 5,000 miles of coastline
    surrounded in large part by the Chugach National Forest. Our seven
    member Tribes founded CRRC to respond to the devastation of our
    ecosystem and traditional food sources caused by the 1964 earthquake
    and the catastrophic 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, which dumped millions
    of gallons of crude oil into our region. CRRC supports the health,
    economic stability, food security, and continuity of traditional ways
    of life for people throughout the entire Chugach region. We perform all
    these duties working with our Federal, State, and local partners. By
    providing stable and sufficient Federal funds for our work, the
    benefits are not felt just at the local level in Alaska. Every dollar
    of TMDP funds for CRRC also results in decreased need for Federal
    services in a remote region of Alaska.
    A. Your Oversight Is Needed To Require The BIA To Communicate With
            Tribes And Make Payments On Time
        Imagine you don't receive a paycheck after 1 month of work. When
    you ask why, your company doesn't explain or let you know when you can
    expect to be paid for the work you already did. Then another month goes
    by. After 9 months, you still have not been paid, but your rent,
    utilities, and living expenses have continued to pile up. You scramble
    to take out loans, find other work, and rob Peter to pay Paul to make
    ends meet. Today, this is the situation we are in.
        Nine months into the fiscal year, we have not received any funds
    for the responsibilities we continue to fulfill under the Indian Self-
    Determination Act. Nor have we been able to get any response from BIA
    about when funds may be expected, or even when we may be able to sign
    paperwork. We have to consider whether to furlough our staff or borrow
    other funds. And we have no recourse but to wait or to file a lawsuit.
    This situation is not unique to this fiscal year--it is a situation we
    confront year after year. We still have not been paid contract support
    costs for FY 2020. And every year we have to decide what to do when
    funds have not arrived 3 months, 6 months, or 9 months into the fiscal
    year. This is the opposite of the alignment of resources to
    responsibilities that we should expect from our Federal trustee. We
    implore you to exercise your oversight power and require BIA to pay
    contracts and compacts on time, and to report to you when they do not.
        During last year's budget process, Congress worked hard to enact
    the budget and allow the government to take up FY 2023 activities in a
    timely manner. Federal agencies, including the BIA, received their
    funds at the start of the fiscal year on October 1. Yet not all Tribal
    nations are accorded the same treatment by the agency designated to
    carry out Federal trust responsibilities for self-determination and
    self-governance.
        Despite our repeated requests to BIA officials, we have never
    received written confirmation of our true recurring base award of TMDP
    funds in advance of annual negotiations with the BIA. Nor do we know
    our base funding for FY 2023, even 9 months into the fiscal year. This
    makes efficient planning and budgeting impossible. This is not how
    Tribal organizations should have to operate. Tribal organizations
    deserve this information. Delays in the payment of our funding and
    uncertainties about our contract's true ``Secretarial amount''
    undermine our program goals and our ability to carry out services for
    our region's Native population. This in turn undermines the Federal
    work in our region, since it jeopardizes CRRC's work on the
    government's behalf.
        We respectfully ask the subcommittee to include report language
    directing the BIA to report back to the subcommittee on any funds that
    are disbursed to Tribes later than is permitted in self-determination
    and self-governance Annual Funding Agreements (typically 10 days after
    the start of the fiscal year). We also request that you require BIA to
    include in future budget submissions to Congress its requested
    recurring TMDP funding amount for each of the nearly three dozen
    programs financed within TMDP--and to notify the Tribal organizations
    in the TMDP program of the funding requests that BIA has prepared on
    their behalf. Without such information, CRRC and other Tribal
    organizations are left to guess what our recurring funding level is
    when Interior officials do not disclose it to us. Doing so would permit
    Tribal organizations like CRRC to know what our fiscal year base award
    amount is, and to plan, budget, and negotiate our upcoming Annual
    Funding Agreement with the BIA with certainty.
    B. A History Of Unequal Treatment Can Only Be Made Right By Increasing
            CRRC's Budget To A Similar Level As Other TMDP Programs
        CRRC currently receives less than a quarter of its current
    operating budget from BIA. We cobble together enough funds to meet our
    member Tribes' needs through vigorous efforts to secure grant and
    private funding, and we sometimes are faced with difficult decisions of
    which services to provide or deny to our citizens. In 2021, we timely
    submitted a request to BIA for a budget increase for FY 2023 for our
    funds from the TMDP subaccount. BIA denied our request, citing a lack
    of funds. So we were shocked to see that the President's FY 2023 budget
    proposed--and Congress awarded--increases for every TMDP recipient
    except for CRRC.
        CRRC has not had any program funding increase in the past 10 years,
    while the funding for the TMDP subaccount has more than doubled in that
    time--from $9.2 million in 2013 to $18.5 million in FY 2023. Our Tribal
    member base and services have also increased exponentially during that
    time. There is a funding increase of $114,000 proposed for the TMDP
    subaccount in the FY 2024 budget, yet our funding remains flatlined.
        The increases to the TMDP account that appropriators have included
    in annual spending measures is a great testament to the efforts of
    Congress and all the Tribal recipients of TMDP funds. It reflects
    Congress's commitment to fulfill its trust responsibility to support
    these important programs. But during that same period, we have seen our
    funding arbitrarily and unilaterally reduced in the President's Budget
    Justification from $410,000 to as low as $348,000. For example, among
    the 35 TMDP Programs funded in FY 2018, our program was the only
    program singled out by the Administration for a 15% cut.
        Over the years, CRRC has not received critical recurring budget
    increases equal to the growth of the TMDP account, while carrying out
    similar subsistence fish and shellfish management services, habitat
    restoration, and mariculture activities for our member villages. In
    prior years, arbitrary reductions by the BIA to CRRC's TMDP base
    recurring 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. In 2020, we were
    forced to file a Contract Disputes Act claim against BIA to challenge
    these reductions--in which we prevailed. We need budget certainty,
    without extraneous administrative burden.
    C. Meeting CRRC's Budget Needs Upholds Your Federal Trust
            Responsibility And Saves Federal Dollars
        The annual recurring Federal budget increase that we request will
    bring our program back into parity with the other TMDP programs and
    allow CRRC to:

      --Protect and reinvigorate traditional subsistence species and their
            habitat;

      --Sustain shellfish sanctuaries at Tribal beaches throughout the
            region;

      --Expand our study of ocean acidification as part of the Alaska Ocean
            Acidification Network and its impact on fish and shellfish
            stocks;

      --Expand the subsistence fishery in Nanwalek to rejuvenate the
            availability of fish for direct consumption;

      --Expand our community-driven water sampling project, which provides
            vital information on the safety of shellfish stocks and helps
            prevent paralytic shellfish poisoning in Alaska Natives and
            others engaged in shellfish gathering throughout the region;

      --Conduct 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;

      --Expand our production of oyster and littleneck clams, geoducks,
            cockles, and razor clams;

      --Educate Alaska Native youth in science, sustainable fishing,
            mariculture farming, and hunting;

      --Provide resources and education on kelp farming to potential Tribal
            entrepreneurs within the region;

      --Enhance the monitoring and refinement of our Natural Resource
            Management Program objectives for each of our Alaska Native
            villages; and

      --Support the documentation and use of traditional Alaska Native
            ecological knowledge in Tribal, Federal, and State regulation
            and management decisions.

        For FY 2024, we would like to increase TMDP funding to a level that
    will permit us to cover 50%, or $1.18 million, of our target operating
    budget of $2.36 million with these program funds. A $2.36 million
    operating budget includes $1.375 million to cover the salary and fringe
    benefits of 14 full-time staff, including a Mariculture Director,
    Science Director, Marine Mammal Program Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife
    Coordinator, Environmental Coordinator, Shellfish Technician, Ocean
    Acidification Lab Manager, Nanwalek Salmon Technicians, Inter-Tribal
    Liaison, Climate Specialist, and Executive Director. Another $400,000
    is required for salary and fringe benefits for six (6) additional
    positions, including two additional Hatchery Technicians (totals
    $71,500 with fringe benefits), a Research Scientist position and Tribal
    Conservation District (TCD) Program Coordinator (totals $177,320 with
    fringe benefits), and an Executive Assistant and Maintenance Supervisor
    (totals $150,150 with fringe benefits). CRRC also covers Tribal special
    projects in our villages, travel costs to and from villages, and
    program costs for our annual subsistence gathering.
        Federal investment in CRRC translates into community investments
    that have a great impact on the Chugach Region of Southcentral Alaska.
    CRRC fills gaps in data from Federal and State wildlife management
    agencies and assists in the creation of sustainable mariculture jobs
    for our Alaska Native people. We help protect the health, economic
    stability, and food security of our member villages. This is a vital
    lifeline while continuing fallout from the pandemic and supply chain
    challenges create drastic conditions of food and economic insecurity in
    our Villages.
        Our programs also support future economic and commercial
    opportunities for the Prince William Sound and Lower Cook Inlet regions
    through the protection and development of the Alaskan shellfish
    industry and other natural resources. We provide seed stock to
    mariculture operations around the State and contribute to research on
    mariculture, techniques for species enhancement, and the effects of
    climate change on our ecosystem. These activities are essential to
    develop a science-driven approach--informed by Indigenous Knowledge--to
    address the declining populations of the species that Alaskans,
    especially Native Alaskans, depend on.
        Increasing TMDP funds for CRRC also benefits the Federal Government
    by decreasing the need for Federal activities in a remote region of
    Alaska. It costs much more for the Federal Government to conduct direct
    oversight and program activities, travel, and transportation than for
    CRRC to locally manage such activities.
        Our work is important for food security throughout our vast region,
    and for the future of the mariculture industry in all of Alaska. We
    require a stable Federal budget, together with the timely payment of
    contract support cost funds, to help us perform our programs, pay
    staff, and operate and maintain the hatchery.
        Please help us achieve our mission. We urge the subcommittee to
    build upon any increases it has planned for the BIA's TMDP account, and
    to include CRRC in those increases. Thank you for giving us the
    opportunity to share our FY 2024 budget needs.

        [This statement was submitted by Willow Hetrick-Price, Executive
    Director of Chugach Regional Resources Commission.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the Coalition for American Heritage
        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 recent Interior Appropriations legislation. Investing in
    these programs will help ensure the continuance of our country's proud
    tradition of preservation. 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 FY24:

      --NPS Historic Preservation Fund: $225 million

      --National Recreation and Preservation, African American Burial
            Grounds Preservation Program: $3 million

      --NPS National Heritage Areas and Heritage Partnership Program: $34
            million

      --BLM National Conservation Lands: $78 million

      --Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: $10.5 million

      --National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment
            for the Humanities (NEH): at least $211 million for each one
                             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 the National Underground Railroad
    Network to Freedom, the African American Civil Rights Network, and 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.
        We also 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.
                         nps historic preservation fund
        We urge the Committee to appropriate $225 million in FY24 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 $225 million request, we recommend the following funding
    breakdown:

      --$70 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs) for
            heritage preservation and protection programs.

      --$34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs).

      --$28 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.

      --$40 million for Save America's Treasures grants for the
            preservation of nationally significant sites, structures, and
            artifacts.

      --$13 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and
            Universities to preserve and repair historic buildings.

      --$17 million for Paul Bruhn preservation grants to revitalize
            historic properties of national, State, and local significance.

      --$5 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.

      --$11 million for the Semiquincentennial Grants program.
                      national recreation and preservation
        The Coalition asks the Committee to provide $3 million for the
    recently established African American Burial Grounds Preservation
    Program, a program the Coalition strongly supports. The African
    American Burial Grounds Preservation Program will help identify burial
    grounds ahead of infrastructure projects and commercial development,
    thereby minimizing construction delays and avoiding unnecessary
    community heartache. These sacred sites, and the stories they tell, are
    an integral part of our American heritage. This legislation will assist
    descendants and communities in honoring and remembering their shared
    past by providing grant monies to identify, interpret, and preserve
    historic cemeteries.
        The Coalition support the President's budget request for $1 million
    in additional resources for NPS administration of grant programs
    commensurate with recent increases in funding for National Recreation
    and Preservation grant programs, such as Native American Graves
    Protection and Repatriation, Japanese American Confinement Sites,
    American Indian and Native Hawaiian Art and Culture, the 9/11 Memorial
    Act, and multiple Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) programs that
    provide competitive grants to preserve the stories of civil and equal
    rights and underrepresented communities.
                          nps national heritage areas
        We recommend $34 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 recommend $25 be allocated to BLM Cultural Resources Management.
    We appreciate the Committee's ongoing oversight of BLM's ability to
    oversee the largest, most diverse collection of historic and cultural
    resources on America's public lands. 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.
        We respectfully request that the committee provide $1 million in
    dedicated funds to enhance its National Cultural Resources Information
    Management System (NCIMS). This funding would also support ongoing
    collaboration with state historic preservation offices to standardize
    and integrate cultural resources data for BLM lands. 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 $78 million FY24 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.
        independent agencies: advisory council on historic preservation
        We request $10.5 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 and the NEH at a
    minimum of $211 million each in FY24. 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 FY24 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 FY24 funding levels that will support and enhance historic
    preservation.

        [This statement was submitted by Marion Werkheiser, Policy Director
    for the Coalition for American Heritage.]
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, I am Michael B. (Mike) Murray, Chair of the Executive
    Council of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks
    (Coalition). The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of
    more than 2,400 retired, former, and current employees of the National
    Park Service (NPS) who collectively have over 40,000 years of
    experience managing and protecting our National parks. The Coalition
    studies, educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation of America's
    National Park System. We appreciate the opportunity to present this
    statement for the record on the FY 2024 Appropriations for the NPS, our
    National parks, and their partnership grant and assistance programs.
        The Coalition was pleased to see the president request an increase
    in the FY 2024 NPS discretionary budget with his recommendation of a
    total of $3.8 billion. This represents over a $289 million increase for
    the NPS from the FY 2023 enacted level.
        For years, our National parks have been trying to manage
    dramatically increasing visitation with inadequate operating budgets
    and staff reductions in parks, program offices, as well as regional and
    central offices. These reductions resulted in fewer programs, shortened
    hours of operations, and reduced capacity in the parks to address park
    maintenance issues and visitor safety. In program offices, reduced
    staff resulted in less support for parks and programs. Additionally,
    concerns about adequate funding have led to low staff morale.
        The rapid growth in visitation and corresponding decreases in park
    funding and staffing are resulting in a decline in the quality of
    visitor experience, the degradation of natural and cultural resources,
    growing traffic and parking issues as well as crowding, along with
    increasing safety and public health concerns for both visitors and
    employees. One major park superintendent told the Coalition that he/she
    has never been so concerned for the future of the park and for park
    staff. As just one example, the park's visitation has increased by 90
    percent since 2010, yet its funding has declined by 12 percent. Meeting
    these complex challenges will be difficult, but failing to adequately
    address these needs equates to failing at the NPS mission of preserving
    our Nation's natural and cultural heritage while providing for a
    quality visitor use experience. Park funding and staffing must be
    increased and additional government housing must be provided or these
    problems will only grow worse according to numerous park managers.
        The actions authorized in the past few years through the Great
    American Outdoors (GAOA) and Inflation Reduction Acts begin to address
    the financial shortfalls that the NPS has been experiencing. The
    concern is that many of these recently appropriated funds are temporary
    and/or project specific. Base increases that are permanent are needed
    to ensure that park and program fixed costs are addressed and that
    staffing is restored to previous levels or increased levels so that
    parks and programs can address the needs and impacts that increased
    visitation has on both the visitor experience and safety and protection
    of park resources. Rebuilding park, program, and regional and central
    office staff will also address the agency's low employee morale
    concerns as it will ensure that staff are not asked continually to do
    more with fewer staff resources.

        The president's FY 2024 budget is a good step forward toward
    addressing important needs of the NPS. The Coalition provides the
    following recommendations for these funds in the coming fiscal year:
        1) Continuing to Enhance and Build Operational Capacity (ONPS). The
    top priority for the Coalition this year is a focus on the NPS
    employees and the services they provide for park visitors. The
    president's budget recommends an additional $266.3 million in park
    operations and their support services. The budget increases provided in
    the ONPS and other accounts of the NPS would result in filling over
    1,300 positions that were lost over the past decade. This, in turn,
    would help ensure that all parks, including the small and medium-sized
    parks, which rely on services provided by regional and Washington,
    D.C., program offices, would benefit.
        To ensure park, regional, and program offices do not go backwards,
    it is imperative that fixed costs are appropriated first. The budget
    recommends a total of $124.9 million for fixed costs, which the
    Coalition strongly supports. Additionally, the budget recommends the
    proposed increased funding focus on staffing for new parks as well as
    those parks experiencing increased visitation. The Coalition agrees
    with these priorities to help ensure a quality visitor experience and
    to address the employee workload at parks where visitation continues to
    grow from year to year.
        This proposed budget builds on Congress' action in the current
    year's appropriation that provided important increases for the
    preservation of the natural resources entrusted to the care of the NPS.
    The Coalition supported last year's appropriations bill and agrees with
    the continued focus in the FY 2024 recommendations in order to address
    climate change and other natural resource protection programs.
        As the Coalition noted last year, equally important for the
    subcommittee is doing something to replace the loss of almost 30
    percent of cultural resource management positions in our National
    parks, regional, and program offices. Many cultural resources,
    including historic buildings, museum objects, and archaeological sites,
    are unmaintained, severely threatened, or degraded. The FY 2024 budget
    recommendations propose an additional $18.8 million to support programs
    to address cultural resource protection, address racial equity, and to
    support underserved communities.
        In the past, cultural resource protection often has been a lower
    priority among the needs of the NPS, and we are aware it is difficult
    for the subcommittee to ensure additional funding is used by the parks
    for cultural resource protection when parks find their budgets
    stretched. We recommend the subcommittee include report language to
    accompany the FY 2024 bill that directs the NPS to provide guidance to
    the parks on using funding equitably among natural and cultural
    resource protection programs and to provide an accounting of these
    funds to the House and Senate committees during FY 2024.
        Additionally, the Coalition expresses its continued support for the
    NPS proposal to extend the period of availability of funding in the
    ONPS account to 2 years, which will allow more efficient management of
    resources and permit adjustment for disruptions that occur within the
    fiscal year. This request is consistent with that provided to other
    bureaus within the Department of the Interior.
        2) National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P). Within the
    president's budget, various programs such as the National Register of
    Historic Places, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance, and
    several grant programs including the Native American Graves Protection
    and Repatriation, Japanese American Confinement Sites, and National
    Heritage Areas, are funded under this account.
        The Coalition notes that these programs are critical to the
    partnership work of the NPS, and they need adequate staff to fulfill
    their partnership responsibilities in a timely manner, which has been a
    critical area of concern in recent years. The president's budget
    recommends an additional $2.7 million in FY 2024 for the various
    programs covered under this account to assist in effective
    administration of these programs, which the Coalition strongly
    supports.
        3) Construction. The president's budget recommends $286.6 million
    for the Construction account, which is an increase of $46.8 million
    over the FY 2023 enacted level. The Coalition supports this funding as
    a needed partner to the mandatory funding provided by the GAOA. The NPS
    construction funding helps to ensure cyclic maintenance and repair/
    rehab activities are carried out so that the backlog of NPS maintenance
    does not continue to grow.
        Of particular importance to the Coalition is funding to address the
    NPS' park housing needs. The FY 2024 budget recommends building on last
    year's momentum by increasing the housing request to $14.9 million, an
    additional $7 million over the current year's enacted level. The
    Coalition strongly supports this proposed increase to assist the parks
    in attracting and retaining the needed permanent and seasonal staffing
    who can live in affordable housing in many areas where such housing
    options are either unavailable or unaffordable by staff living on
    government salaries.
        4) Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Most national parks
    have private lands within their Congressionally established boundaries.
    To fully protect the park's natural and cultural resources, these
    inholdings must be acquired. Acquiring these parcels is not expanding
    parks, but rather completing them, making management of the parks more
    efficient and saving money as well as staff time that is otherwise
    spent dealing with land use conflicts and threats of inappropriate use
    or resource damage.
        The NPS officially estimates $2 billion is needed to acquire the
    private inholdings within park boundaries. Ever since the passage of
    the GAOA, the share the NPS has received for specific Federal LWCF
    acquisitions in any 1 year has hovered just slightly over $60 million.
    This level of funding makes it difficult to even begin to address the
    backlog or to have sufficient funds available to acquire key parcels
    when opportunities quickly arise.
        The president's request for the Federal land acquisition program of
    the NPS is $104.3 million of which $61.8 million is for specific
    acquisitions. The NPS should be allocated a more proportionate share of
    the LWCF to address its backlog. Additionally, the number of
    emergencies, hardships, and unexpected situations that occur each year
    cannot be adequately addressed in a timely manner with the $5 million
    requested. This amount should be increased to at least $10 million to
    ensure funding is available to meet these opportunities as they come
    about.
        5) Other programs. We end our statement by noting our support for
    the administration's efforts and associated funding to improve
    coordination with Tribal nations, for its request for the critical work
    of the Historic Preservation Fund to preserve historically and
    culturally significant sites and provide competitive grants to non-
    Federal entities, and for the $15 million in matching funding for the
    Centennial Challenge program, which benefits several parks within the
    system.
        Thank you for consideration of our request. We look forward to
    continuing to work with you during the consideration of the FY 2024
    Interior appropriations bill.

        [This statement was submitted by Michael B. Murray, Chair of the
    Executive Council, Coalition to Protect America's National Parks.]
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program
        Congress authorized the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
    Program (Program) through the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act
    (Act) in 1974 to offset increased damages caused by development and use
    of the waters of the Colorado River. 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
    Resources Program. BLM's efforts are an essential part of the overall
    effort. A funding level of $2.0 million for salinity specific projects
    in 2024 is requested to prevent further degradation of the quality of
    the Colorado River and a commensurate increase in downstream economic
    damages.
        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (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, Congress recognized that most of the salts in the
    Colorado River originate from federally owned lands. 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 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. Beginning 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 5-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 damage to water users downstream.

        Damages to water users in the United States and Mexico, caused by
    the high concentration of salt in the Colorado River, include:

      --reduced ability to reclaim and reuse water for beneficial uses,

      --reduced yield of salt sensitive crops,

      --increased use of imported water and cost of desalination,

      --reduced useful life of galvanized water pipe systems and
            appliances,

      --increased use of bottled water and water softeners,

      --increased cost of cooling operations and water softening,

      --increased cost of water treatment,

      --increased sewer fees,

      --decreased lifespan of treatment facilities and pipelines,

      --difficulty meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply with
            National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit
            requirements,

        The State of New Mexico is a member of the Colorado River Basin
    Salinity Control Forum (Forum) which is composed of gubernatorial
    appointees from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico,
    Utah, and Wyoming. Every third year, the Forum adopts a Plan of
    Implementation consistent with efforts to facilitate compliance with
    the Clean Water Act. 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.
        New Mexico stands in support of a continuation of BLM's work and
    requests that this committee direct BLM to expend at least $2.0 million
    in 2024 from its Aquatic Resources Program for Colorado River specific
    salinity control activities.

        [This statement was submitted by Mike A. Hamman, New Mexico State
    Engineer.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of 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
    human-induced salt loading to the Colorado River causes environmental
    and economic damages. Though past efforts have reduced annual damages
    to water users by several hundred million dollars per year, in 2020 the
    Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) estimated the quantifiable damages
    to Lower Basin water users due to elevated salinity levels still at
    about $354 million per year (unquantifiable damages add to this
    amount). Congress authorized the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
    Program (Program) through the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act
    (Act) (Public Law 93-320) in 1974 to offset increased damages caused by
    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 Resources Program. BLM's
    efforts are an essential part of the overall effort. A funding level of
    $2.0 million for salinity specific projects in 2024 is requested to
    prevent further degradation of the quality of the Colorado River and a
    commensurate increase in downstream economic damages.
        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (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 the Program (Public Law 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
    (Public Law 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). Beginning 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 5-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 damage to water users downstream.
        Damages to water users in the United States and Mexico, caused by
    the concentration of salt in the Colorado River, 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 for the
            agricultural sector,

      --an 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 3 years to
    facilitate compliance with Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act
    (Public Law 92-500). In so doing, it adopts a Plan of Implementation
    consistent with these standards. The level of appropriation requested
    in this testimony is consistent with the adopted Plan of
    Implementation. If adequate funds are not appropriated, significant
    damages from higher salinity concentrations in the waters of the
    Colorado River 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 Resources Program will assist in preventing further degradation
    of the Colorado River's water quality and 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 continue its support of
    the Program and expend at least $2.0 million in 2024 from its Aquatic
    Resources Program for Colorado River specific salinity control
    activities.

        [This statement was submitted by Don A. Barnett, Executive
    Director, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum.]
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony in
    support of fiscal year 2024 (FY24) funding for the Colorado River Basin
    Salinity Control Program (Program) in the amounts listed in the table
    below. Congress authorized the Program in the Colorado River Basin
    Salinity Control Act (Public Law 93-320) to enhance and protect the
    quality of water available for Colorado River water users in the United
    Sates and the Republic of Mexico. This FY24 funding request will help
    fulfill obligations of this act and prevent further water quality
    degradation and related economic damages in our region.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        FY24 Appropriation                         Salinity Control
            Subcommittee           FY23 Appropriation        Request           Federal Agency          Program
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Interior, Environment, and          $2.0 Million         $2.0 Million           Bureau of LandAquatic Resources
     Related Agencies...........                                                 Management (BLM)           Program
    Energy and Water                    $6.0 Million        $10.7 Million       U.S. Bureau of   Title II--Basinwide
     Development, and Related                                                      Reclamation              Program
     Agencies...................                                                 (Reclamation)
    Agriculture, Rural                 $15.6 Million        $12.2 Million    Natural Resources        Environmental
     Development, Food and Drug                                                   Conservation   Quality Incentives
     Administration, and Related                                                Service (NRCS)       Program (EQIP)
     Agencies...................
        Total...................       $28.3 Million        $24.9 Million
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        As a regional water wholesaler, The Metropolitan Water District of
    Southern California (Metropolitan) provides supplemental water for 26
    public member agencies to deliver-either directly or through their sub-
    agencies-to nearly 19 million people living in Los Angeles, Orange,
    Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Roughly one-
    half of Metropolitan's imported water comes from the Colorado River.
        The Program has successfully reduced the salinity of the Colorado
    River by over 90 milligrams per liter (mg/l) at Lake Havasu. Despite
    the Program's success, salt in the Colorado River continues to cause an
    estimated $354 million in damages to water users each year, including
    damages to consumer and commercial equipment, water supply treatment
    processes, agriculture, groundwater replenishment activities, and
    wastewater recycling. Many of these damages occur within Metropolitan's
    service area as water imported via the Colorado River Aqueduct has the
    highest salinity of all of Metropolitan's supplies, averaging around
    630 mg/L since 1976. The continuing drought in the western United
    States threatens to exacerbate these damages as low river flows and
    record-low reservoir volumes provide less water to dilute saline
    inflows.
        Without the Program, damages to Colorado River water users would be
    much higher. Modeling by Reclamation indicates that economic damages
    would rise to approximately $671 million-almost double current damages-
    by the year 2040 without continuation of the Program. Metropolitan
    urges the subcommittee to support funding for the Program in FY24 at
    the levels outlined above so that it can avoid these additional impacts
    of increased salinity.
        Given the scale of these potential damages, Congress's continuing
    modest investment in the Program yields a substantial rate of return.
    In addition to Congress's contribution, the seven Colorado River Basin
    States provide matching funds up to 30% of Program funding, extending
    the value of Congress's contribution even further.
        The Program funds the Paradox Valley Unit (PVU), which includes a
    deep injection well used to sequester brine from the hyper-saline
    Dolores River (a tributary to the Colorado River) in western Colorado.
    Until recently, the well was virtually non-operational due to induced
    seismic activity in the valley. The PVU is especially important to our
    region as it is the largest single salinity control project in the
    Program. Historically, the PVU has reduced salt loads to the Colorado
    River by over 100,000 tons per year and salt concentrations at key
    downstream locations by up to 9 mg/L. Although the PVU has resumed
    operation on a trial basis at two-thirds of injection capacity, given
    the project's unique importance, Metropolitan urges Reclamation to
    expedite the identification of a long-term solution that prevents the
    salt from reaching the Colorado River.
        The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) was formed
    in 1973 to coordinate the Colorado River Basin States' salinity control
    efforts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has charged the
    Forum with reviewing the Colorado River's water quality standards for
    salinity every 3 years (the ``Triennial Review''). In so doing, the
    Forum adopts a Plan of Implementation consistent with these standards.
    The level of appropriations requested in this testimony is in keeping
    with the Forum's Plan of Implementation adopted in the 2020 Triennial
    Review, which will be implemented by the BLM, Reclamation, and the
    NRCS.
        Metropolitan appreciates your consideration of this request. Please
    feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

        [This statement was submitted by Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager,
    Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control
        This testimony is in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 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 (Public Law 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
    (Public Law 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 Resources 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-2024 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 3
    years. Every 3 years the Forum adopts a Plan of Implementation
    consistent with these water quality standards. 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. 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, much of which is administered by BLM. 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 5 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 support for BLM
    salinity control efforts will result in significant additional economic
    damages to water users downstream.
        Over the forty-nine 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. As described in the 2020 Plan of
    Implementation, 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.

        Based on current program cost levels, a funding level of $2.0
    million for salinity specific projects in FY-2024 is requested to
    continue this longstanding program for minimizing salt contributions to
    the Colorado River from lands administered by the BLM
        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, Colorado River Board of California.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
    Summary of Budget Requests

        I.  Increase Funding for Rights Protection Implementation

              a. Columbia River Fisheries Management--$6.241 million

              b. Columbia River-In Lieu Sites Law Enforcement--$1.575
            million

              c. Columbia River-Fishing Access Site Operations--$1.7
            million

              d. U.S. Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty--$6.792 million

              e. Implementation of Public Law 116-99--$5 million

              f. Youth Program Initiatives--$500,000

              g. Columbia River Treaty Modernization

        II.  Provide Funding for Tribal Climate Resilience--$5 million

        Good afternoon, Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and
    members of the subcommittee. My name is Ron Suppah and I have the
    privilege of serving as Chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish
    Commission (CRITFC). I also serve as Vice Chair of the Off-Reservation
    Fish and Wildlife Committee of the Warm Springs Tribes.
        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, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, and white
    sturgeon resources and the habitat upon which these species depend.
        Our collective ancestral homelands are an area the size of the
    State of Georgia and cover nearly one-third of the U.S. portion of the
    Columbia River basin. In 1855, the U.S. entered into treaties with the
    four Tribes 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 stations. Unfortunately, a
    perilous history has brought the salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey
    populations to the edge of extinction. Twelve Columbia Basin salmon and
    steelhead populations in the are listed under the Endangered Species
    Act (ESA), Pacific lamprey have declined 95% from historic numbers, and
    the white sturgeon population is struggling to maintain itself.
        The CRITFC member Tribes are internationally recognized leaders in
    fisheries restoration and management. We are principals in the region's
    efforts to halt the decline of salmon, lamprey, and sturgeon
    populations and rebuild them to levels that support ceremonial,
    subsistence, and economic needs. 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
    population, our actions emphasize 'gravel-to-gravel' management,
    including supplementation of natural stocks, healthy watersheds, and
    collaboration with State, Federal, and private entities.
        For CRITFC to continue to do this critical work, we need adequate
    funding from Congress. Therefore, I thank you for the opportunity to
    testify regarding CRITFC's funding priorities. My testimony will focus
    on the appropriations necessary to continue the exercise of our treaty-
    reserved rights to harvest fish on the Columbia River.
             increase funding for rights protection implementation
              a. Columbia River Fisheries Management

        The Tribes are leaders in one of the Nation's largest fishery
    restoration efforts in response to the negative impacts of the Federal
    Columbia River Power System. Management is increasing in complexity and
    sophistication requiring greater data collection, collaboration, and
    enforcement. Funding shortfalls prohibit 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 allows us to work across the bulk of current
    anadromous fish habitat in the Columbia Basin. We request an increase
    of $624,000 over FY 2023 levels for a new program base of $6.865
    million.
        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 \1\, 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, Public Law 115-329, which recognizes that CRITFC and its
    member Tribes are a part of the regional effort to manage 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ The Nez Perce Tribe is not a Columbia Basin Fish Accord
    signatory

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
              b. Columbia River-In Lieu Sites Law Enforcement

        Public safety is a high priority for CRITFC and our member Tribes.
    Our conservation and criminal enforcement officers are the cornerstone
    of public safety in the heavily used Columbia River Gorge area,
    patrolling 150 miles of the river and its shorelines in Oregon and
    Washington. We are the primary provider of enforcement services at 31
    fishing access sites developed pursuant to Public Law 87-14 and Public
    Law 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 river. CRITFC
    entered a Public Law 93-638 contract with BIA in 2011 for enforcement
    services along the Columbia River. That contract provides funding for
    two positions. Additional appropriations were provided in FY2021
    ($1.5m), FY2022 ($1.5m), and FY 2023 ($1.575m) to enhance public safety
    and law enforcement services. Funding has become reoccurring, and this
    leads to the long-term stability of this public safety effort.

              c. Columbia River-Fishing Access Site Operations

        A Federal commitment to provide O&M funding was established under a
    1997 MOU between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and BIA and assigned
    to CRITFC in 2003. This O&M need was funded in FY 2022 and FY 2023 at
    $1.7 million. This base O+M funding is very important to the health and
    safety of our treaty fishers as they access the Columbia River in
    exercise of their treaty reserved fishing rights.

              d. U.S. Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty

        In response to declining salmon populations and pending treaty
    fishing rights litigation, 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 Pacific Salmon 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 participation in the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the U.S.
    Section has identified a continuing program need of $6.792 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 2023 recommended level for this
    program is consistent with the FY 2022 level and correlates with the
    U.S. Section's recommendation.

              e. Implementation of Public Law 116-99

        Public Law 116-99 recognized the deteriorating condition of the
    sites due to age and significant use and Congress authorized $11
    million to refurbish the sites in order to meet human health and safety
    standards. We are requesting $5 million in FY 2024, to continue
    implementation of the act. The assessment of the sites was completed in
    2022 and we are conducting architecture and design and beginning
    construction based on the assessment findings.

              f. Youth Program Initiatives

        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 that expand their exposure to science, technology,
    engineering, and math (STEM). Except for a pandemic-related pause in
    2020 and 2021, CRITFC has held a week-long Salmon Camp for middle
    school students in collaboration with our member Tribes since 2010
    using limited funding resources. Adequate funding would enable the
    Tribes to continue this program. From 2014-2017, 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 an estuary and near coastal observation program which
    we hope can provide Tribal workforce opportunities in the estuary and
    marine environments.

              g. Columbia River Treaty Modernization

        Rights Protection Implementation supports CRITFC's participation in
    the Columbia River Treaty re-negotiation. The treaty-reserved rights of
    CRITFC's member Tribes, as well as management authorities and
    responsibilities, are substantially affected by the Columbia River
    Treaty. While the Columbia River Treaty is evergreen and continues to
    provide benefits to both the U.S. and Canada through coordinated flood
    risk management and hydropower production, the Regional Recommendation
    urges modernizations by incorporating ecosystem function as a third
    primary purpose of the treaty. This necessary amendment would enhance
    the Columbia River Treaty to provide built-in principles in a pro-
    active, comprehensive manner rather than reacting in a piecemeal
    approach to individual salmon listings under the Endangered Species
    Act. Increased RPI funds will allow the Columbia Basin Tribes to
    continue collaborating with the States, Federal agencies, and regional
    stakeholders to provide technical analyses in support of the
    negotiations with Canada being led by the State Department.
                 provide funding for tribal climate resilience
        The Columbia River treaty fishing Tribes are a place-based people.
    We have lived thousands of years on our homelands. We walk in the
    footsteps of our ancestors. 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
    400,000 adult sockeye salmon, including 99% of the sockeye returning to
    Idaho, due to elevated water temperatures. There must 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. CRITFC requests $5 million for our four
    constituent Tribes and CRITFC for planning and coordination development
    needed to continue the work of addressing the myriad of issues climate
    change is creating for our natural resources.
        On behalf of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, thank
    you for the opportunity to provide the subcommittee with our funding
    priorities for Fiscal Year 2024.

        [This statement was submitted by Chair Ron Suppah, Columbia River
    Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama
                                     Nation
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and distinguished members
    of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the Interior, Environment
    and Related Agencies, this testimony is submitted on behalf of the
    Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (``Yakama Nation'').
    The Yakama Nation is an inherently sovereign Native Nation with
    reserved rights and privileges pursuant to the 1855 Treaty between the
    United States and the Yakamas (``Treaty'').\1\ A Federal treaty is
    considered the supreme Law of the Land under the U.S. Constitution.\2\
    The Yakama Nation protects all of its natural and cultural resources in
    Yakama Nation's Treaty-territory and provides for the health, safety,
    and welfare of the more than 11,000 enrolled Yakama Members pursuant to
    the Yakama Nation's status as a sovereign Native Nation and its Treaty-
    reserved authority. The United States has duties and obligations under
    the Treaty, statute, and the trust relationship to provide for the
    public safety, resource protection, and human services set forth below.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ See Treaty with the Yakamas, U.S.--Yakama Nation, June 9, 1855,
    12 Stat. 951.
        \2\ See U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       bureau of indian affairs (``bia'')
        The Yakama Nation carries out many Federal trust functions through
    contracts issued by the United States pursuant to Public Law 93-638,
    Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (``ISDEAA'').
    Thus, ``638ed'' Federal functions are administered by Tribes under
    ``638 Contracts''. A 638 Contract generally establishes the
    organizational framework and performance standards, and is supposed to
    provide the funding necessary for the contracted Tribal department to
    perform the Federal function--however, current funding levels are
    insufficient and funding over the past decade has remained flat, which
    is a decrease due to inflation. The Yakama Nation has been thrifty with
    available staff and budgets to ensure Yakama Members receive some
    measure of services owed to them by the United States. To avoid
    endangering public safety, health, and welfare, the Yakama Nation has
    also supplemented Federal services with its own dollars to avoid
    critical lapses in Federal trust functions and the Yakama Nation has
    secured non-federal funds through State legislative and grant
    processes.
    a.  Additional Public Safety & Law Enforcement Funding is Needed
        The Yakama Nation has roughly a quarter of the officers needed to
    protect and serve the community that resides withing the largest Treaty
    Reservation in Washington State.
        The Yakama Nation protects its people and communities under a 638
    Contract through the BIA, with oversight from the Interior's Office of
    Justice Services (``OJS''). Guidance from the Federal Bureau of
    Investigation States that 2.3 police officers per 1,000 residents are
    needed, which is roughly 76 officers. The 638 Contract currently funds
    20 patrol officers for the 1.4 million acre Yakama Reservation. Less
    are often deployed due to training requirements and non-competitive
    compensation; during 2022 and 2023, as a few as 14 officers were on
    patrol.
        The Yakama Nation has experienced an increase in violent crime and
    property crimes, and has the highest occurrence of Missing and Murdered
    Indigenous Women/People in the region. The alarming rise in Latin
    American based gang and cartel-related drug activities is terrifying
    and the fentanyl epidemic plagues our Reservation communities. There
    are simply not enough law enforcement resources to meet our public
    safety needs. The Yakama Nation has collaborated with local municipal
    and county law enforcement agencies to create regional taskforce
    solutions and bring additional resources for the protection of Yakama
    and non-Yakama communities alike, but with the woefully inadequate
    funding for additional patrol officers our residents on the Yakama
    Reservation do not experience the safe neighborhoods that they deserve.
    The Yakama Nation's coalition-building is not enough; more police
    resources are needed.
        The Yakama Nation Police Department needs more officers and more
    equipment. The region needs better public safety infrastructure to
    execute investigations and provide evidence for criminal prosecution.
    The Federal 638 contract has been flat for the past two decades despite
    requests to OJS for any base increase, even to keep pace with
    inflation. The OJS has their hands tied by budgetary constraints. The
    Yakama Nation has had to figure out how to do more with less, year
    after year for decades. We need more law enforcement funding. We can no
    longer legitimately ask our People for patience when they reasonably
    demand public safety. The Yakama Nation is working with Senator
    Cantwell and the Congressional Delegation to secure temporary enhanced
    patrol funding through the Department of Justice Byrne Justice
    Assistance Grant Program for the purpose of providing community safety
    with dedicated patrol officers working under a Yakama Nation Drug and
    Fentanyl Taskforce.
    b.  Appraisal Backlog--'Cobell' Part Two For Probate & Leasing
        The Yakama Nation Appraisals Program lacks the required staff and
    funding levels to address the unwieldly and cascading appraisal backlog
    affecting the probate and leasing programs. The Yakama Nation
    Appraisals Program is 638 Contracted with the Federal Appraisal and
    Valuation Services Office (``AVSO''). Appraisals are critical to
    probate and leasing. With probate, a value determination is made for a
    decedent's trust land. This valuation is necessary for courts to rule
    on a decedent's estate for inheritance decisions. An appraisal is also
    necessary to establish the lease rates for Tribal trust and allotment
    land. In the case of trespass, the appraised lease value will be
    assessed for damage. Timely appraisals are a Federal fiduciary
    obligation.
        Current funding levels only provide for a single appraiser. Given
    the volume of work, the Yakama Nation has hired consultants to assist
    with completing appraisals. But, regardless of supplemental staff
    support, the appraisal backlog accrues at a faster rate. The Yakama
    Nation has submitted mass appraisals based on regression modeling to
    the AVSO as a solution to this trust mismanagement, but the AVSO has
    inexplicably rejected all mass appraisals. Congress needs to provide
    authority for creative solutions like mass appraisals or funding for
    additional staff.
    c.  Forest Mismanagement--A Direct Federal Service
        The Yakama Nation has a 650,000 acre forest, and last year the BIA
    only completed one (1) timber sale. Under the National Indian Forest
    Resource Management Act and implementing regulations, express trust
    duties were established for Federal management of Indian forests. The
    BIA Forestry Program at the Yakama Agency has failed to hire many
    dozens of vacant forestry positions for more than a decade. In 2014,
    the BIA Director identified that BIA Forestry at the Yakama Agency is,
    in his words, ``on the verge of collapse.'' The program has only
    continued to deteriorate since then.
        The Yakama Nation made the sovereign decision, and consistent with
    ISDEAA, for the U.S. to provide direct services through the BIA
    Forestry Program. Importantly, forestry management directly implicates
    Treaty-reserved rights and privileges. The BIA is functionally
    abrogating its direct services obligation through its gross
    mismanagement. The Forestry program has nearly stopped functioning
    altogether, and the U.S. is forcing the Yakama Nation to accept lost
    revenue through sheer neglect. This is a dramatic breach of the United
    States' trust obligations established by Treaty, statute, and
    regulation. Congress needs to fund maintenance and increased staffing
    consistent with the Federal obligation.
        This Forest mismanagement is a crisis of lost economic benefit and
    has put Yakama Member-owned logging companies out of business. The
    Yakama Nation's commercial mill can no longer sustain itself on timber
    harvested from the Yakama Nation's own forest--threatening over 200
    Yakama Member-held jobs. Yakama Members are losing the trust revenues
    that they should be receiving from a viable timber economy. This is an
    unconscionable failure for the U.S. to waste this timber resource
    through forest decay and wildfire. Resist the calls for spending cuts
    because such short-term savings will incur greater cost, expense, and
    harm over the decade for these deferred Federal obligations. Instead,
    increase budgetary resources for the BIA to ensure that Federal direct
    service programs can fulfill this Federal duty so that the Yakama
    Nation and its Members can benefit from the forest resources.
    d.  Degraded In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites
        The Yakama Nation truly appreciates Senator Merkley's efforts at
    leading this region to address the issue of Federal management of In-
    Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites (``Sites'') (see PL 116-99 and 25
    CFR part 248) which have historically provided deplorable conditions
    and substandard living amenities for many Yakama People along the
    Columbia River for decades. More than $40 million is needed to address
    the list of repairs that must be completed across various Sites to
    maintain public safety and access, including but not limited to:
    abandoned property removal; environmental cleanup of soils; restroom/
    shower restoration; safety fencing and gate installation and repair;
    access road repair; dock repair; site utility and water main
    improvements; and, wastewater treatment system repairs and septic drain
    field enhancements. To be clear, these are not simple fishing sites.
    These Sites host year-round residents including families and children.
        The Yakama Nation has Treaty-reserved rights to fish the banks of
    the lower Columbia River at all usual and accustomed fishing areas. The
    U.S. broke this Treaty-promise with the construction of the Bonneville
    Dam (1938), the Dalles Dam (1957), and the John Day Dam (1971), each
    inundating traditional villages and countless usual and accustomed
    fishing places. In response to these Treaty-breaches the Site
    improvements were made ``to provide access to usual and accustomed
    fishing areas and ancillary fishing facilities'' for the Yakama Nation
    and its Members. Deterioration threatens continued access and safety at
    these 28 Sites.
        Operation and maintenance of the 28 Sites is 638 Contracted with
    the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (``CRITFC'') to address
    infrastructure repairs, sanitation and safety needs, and property
    improvements. However, beyond minor repairs and improvements, the
    infrastructure needs listed above are unfunded. The Sites need
    improvements that cannot be addressed through the existing 638
    Contract. Congress needs to provide for an annual base funding increase
    to support ongoing operation and improvement obligations.
    e.  Salmon Recovery & Treaty Resources
        The Columbia River salmon fishery, Steelhead, Chinook, Sockeye, and
    Coho populations, are in jeopardy--for four decades the recovery
    funding has failed to keep pace with the required mitigation for the
    salmon lost each year to the hydroelectric system. Fishery returns have
    never come close to the Northwest Electric Power and Conservation
    Planning Council (``NPCC'') goal of 5 million salmon returning each
    year, the hydroelectric system continues to kill 5--11 million salmon
    per year, and the Federal Government continues to fail its Treaty-
    obligation to the Yakama Nation for 50% of the Treaty-era fishery
    harvest.
        The Yakama Nation's 638 Contract funding levels for fish and
    wildlife programs need to increase above the rate of inflation to
    ensure protection of the Treaty-protected resources. Today, salmon are
    experiencing additional bellwether pressures from climate change,
    warmer water temperatures, and drought-level water levels in the rivers
    and streams. The Yakama Nation's resource programs are regional leaders
    in hatchery management, habitat restoration, and fishery recovery, but
    even this tireless work cannot reverse the effects of the Federal
    hydroelectric system's annual unmitigated fish kill and its $1 billion
    backlog in unfunded fish mitigation infrastructure, including but not
    limited to: hatchery projects; restoration work; and fish passage on
    the Columbia River and all of its tributaries. Congress needs a plan to
    fund the billion-dollar backlog so the next decade is an investment in
    keeping the United States' Treaty-promises.
                      bureau of indian education (``bie'')
        Education on the Yakama Reservation is a Treaty-promise to the
    Yakama People by the Federal Government. Today, the Tribal School
    building is a nearly 70-year old dilapidated facility that is evaluated
    in ``poor'' condition by the BIE's Facility Condition Index. Under the
    available and projected BIE construction funding, the timeline for a
    new school facility is waitlisted for 25--30 years. The Yakama Nation
    cannot wait decades to provide its children with modern facilities and
    a safe learning environment. In 2023, the Yakama Nation secured $3.2
    million from the Washington State Legislature to complete 'shovel
    ready' design documents for a new 80,000 square-foot school facility
    for construction starting July 1, 2025. Now is the time for Federal
    entities at the BIE, BIA, and U.S. Department of Agriculture's
    Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program to have the authority
    and funding necessary to pledge grants equal to the amount that Yakama
    Nation will finance for new school construction.
        A Federal commitment now will provide budgetary savings to the BIE
    school replacement fund by matching other funding channels that are
    being secured through the Yakama Nation's leadership. Additionally, BIE
    maintenance expenditures on the current dilapidated facility are sunk-
    costs in the Federal budget because they are a band-aid to prevent
    total failure of building systems while Tribal School languishes on a
    BIE building replacement list. Invest now in the Yakama Nation's future
    generations, not only because it is a Federal obligation, but it also
    makes fiscal sense.

        [This statement was submitted by Yakama Nation Tribal Council.]
                                     ______

                  Prepared Statement of the Conservation Fund
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the
    Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies, thank you for this opportunity to submit outside witness
    testimony on behalf of The Conservation Fund (TCF). TCF supports the
    mandatory funding request of $900 million and additional discretionary
    funding in Fiscal Year 2024 for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
    (LWCF), which includes the Federal land acquisition programs of the
    Bureau of Land Management ($80 million), National Park Service ($115
    million), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ($120 million), U.S. Forest
    Service ($134 million), as well as three State grant programs, among
    others: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Cooperative Endangered
    Species Conservation Fund ($32 million); National Park Service's State
    Assistance Grants program ($270 million); and the U.S. Forest Service's
    Forest Legacy Program ($100 million). TCF also supports a funding
    request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's North American
    Wetlands Conservation Fund ($50 million); U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service's State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Programs ($100 million); U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake Watershed Investments for
    Landscape Defense Program ($15 million); National Park Service's
    Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Program ($3 million); and the
    U.S. Forest Service's Community Forest and Open Space Conservation
    Program ($7 million); and the Department of Interior's (DOI) Natural
    Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program ($10 million). TCF
    requests funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Great
    Lakes Restoration Initiative ($425 million) and Chesapeake Bay Program
    ($91.5 million).
        TCF is a national, non-profit conservation organization dedicated
    to conserving America's land and water legacy for future generations.
    Established in 1985, TCF works with landowners; federal, State and
    local agencies; and other partners to conserve our Nation's important
    lands for people, wildlife and communities. To date, TCF has helped our
    partners to conserve over 8.5 million acres. These accomplishments are
    due, in large measure, to the leadership of this subcommittee over many
    years to appropriate funds to acquire lands for future generations,
    working forests, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and many
    other benefits.
        Below are highlights of some benefits of the LWCF and land
    acquisition programs. While these projects show the tremendous
    diversity of benefits of land acquisition for the public, they have one
    thing in common: each of these projects is driven by landowners. Many
    farmers, ranchers and forestland owners have significant financial
    equity in their land. By enabling a landowner to sell a conservation
    easement or fee title, the LWCF program provides landowners with funds
    to stay in business, reinvest in businesses, or meet other financial
    goals.
        As the subcommittee crafts its Interior, Environment and Related
    Agencies Appropriations bill, there are several key points we
    respectfully request you to consider, listed below.
        Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million in
    mandatory and additional discretionary funding: The enactment of the
    Great American Outdoors Act is a top momentous land conservation
    victory in a generation. The Conservation Fund applauds Congress for
    passing the bipartisan, bicameral legislation that provides full and
    mandatory funding (at $900 million) for the Land and Water Conservation
    Fund. We also encourage Congress to provide discretionary funding to
    address emerging needs and opportunities. Funding the Nation's premier
    conservation program with both mandatory and discretionary funding in
    FY2024 will ensure LWCF continues to fulfill its mission to safeguard
    natural areas, water resources, and our cultural heritage, and to
    provide recreation opportunities to all Americans.
        The Conservation Fund applauds the Senate and House Committees for
    its support for land acquisition and appraisal process improvements, as
    was included in the Fiscal Year 2023 report. TCF urges the Committees
    to continue working with the Departments to streamline and improve
    processes, particularly appraisal timelines and partnerships with non-
    federal parties, to deliver on priority land conservation efforts and
    effectively implement the Great American Outdoors Act.
        The Conservation Fund also urges the Senate and House Committees to
    continue to support reprogramming of prior years' funding from the
    LWCF, as opposed to rescinding the funding as that practice undermines
    this critical conservation program. It is common for Federal land
    acquisition funds to remain ``unobligated'' until the last step in an
    acquisition project-this can reasonably take up to 5 years. Unobligated
    balances are not a problem in and of themselves, but funding should be
    moved to other acquisition projects if it is no longer needed for
    acquisitions within the Federal unit originally receiving the LWCF
    funding. To this end, Congress should continue to encourage the
    agencies to use a tool they already have-reprogramming-rather than
    rescissions to ensure LWCF funds are spent on critical conservation
    needs, fulfilling the purpose of the LWCF and the intent of the Great
    American Outdoors Act.

                    LWCF-Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Acquisition
                    at $80 million. The BLM and its National Conservation
                    Lands provide some of our Nation's best recreation and
                    historic areas, from opening new recreational access to
                    sportsmen along with North Platte River SRMA in Wyoming
                    to protecting riverside lands of the Upper Snake/South
                    Fork ACEC SRMA in Idaho. We request $80 million to fund
                    BLM's land acquisition program and projects.

                    LWCF-National Park Service (NPS) Federal Land
                    Acquisition at $115 million. Hosting more than 312
                    million visitors in 2022, the 424 National Park units
                    provide an economic boost to their local communities
                    and those employed directly and indirectly. Funding for
                    NPS LWCF will help protect key access points for
                    recreation, historic areas, trails and more. We
                    respectfully request $115 million to fund NPS's land
                    acquisition program and projects.

                    LWCF-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Land
                    Acquisition at $120 million. National Wildlife Refuges
                    (NWR) are our Nation's protectors of clean water, clean
                    air, abundant wildlife and world-class recreation.
                    Funding for FY2024 FWS LWCF will help protect critical
                    wildlife habitat, provide public access and recreation,
                    and improve water quality at Refuges, including
                    Maryland's Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and
                    Texas' Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge; as
                    well as preserving our Nation's working lands, such as
                    at Montana's Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area. We
                    respectfully request $120 million to fund FWS's land
                    acquisition program and projects.

                    LWCF-USDA Forest Service (FS) Land Acquisition at $134
                    million. FS LWCF funds help with forest management by
                    protecting key inholdings and reducing fire threats.
                    From Colorado's White River National Forest to
                    Minnesota's Superior National Forest-Boundary Water
                    Canoe Area Wilderness to the Appalachian Mountain's
                    White Mountain (NH/ME), George Washington-Jefferson
                    (VA), Cherokee (TN), Pisgah (NC), and Chattahoochee
                    (GA) National Forests, we are working with willing
                    landowners at priority project areas and respectfully
                    request $134 million to fund FS's land acquisition
                    program and projects.

                    LWCF State Grant Programs: FWS-Cooperative Endangered
                    Species Fund, NPS- State Conservation Grants, and USFS-
                    Forest Legacy: We encourage the subcommittee to fund:

      --FWS-Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: $32 million
        (for the LWCF-funded portion)

      --NPS-State Assistance Grants program: $270 million

      --USFS-Forest Legacy Program: $100 million

        DOI and USFS Conservation and Land Acquisition Programs: TCF
    encourages the Committee to fund:

      --FWS-North American Wetlands Conservation Fund at $50 million

      --FWS-State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program at $100 million. The
            State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program is the only Federal
            funding source available to States that leverages non-federal
            funds to help protect critical habitat for over 12,000 species
            in greatest conservation need identified in state wildlife
            action plans. To build upon the State and Tribal Wildlife
            Program, TCF urges Congress to enact the Recovering America's
            Wildlife Act. This legislation aims to provide critical
            resources to conduct proactive, non-regulatory fish and
            wildlife conservation efforts nationwide.
      --FWS-Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense Program
            at $15 million

      --NPS-Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Program at $3 million

      --USFS-Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program at $7
            million

        Department of the Interior-Natural Resource Damage Assessment and
    Restoration Program at $10 million. The Restoration Program leads the
    National response for recovery of natural resources that have been
    injured or destroyed because of oil spills or releases of other
    hazardous substances. Recoveries from responsible parties can only be
    spent to implement restoration plans developed by the Trustee Council
    for each incident. These funds are one hundred percent private and
    represent the amount needed to restore environmental resources or
    compensate for lost public use since the damage in question. The FY2024
    funds would allow the Program to add carefully targeted staff allocated
    to Interior bureaus and offices through its Restoration Support Unit to
    accelerate restoration activities.

        Environmental Protection Agency Programs: TCF encourages the
    Committee to fund:

      --Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GRLI) at $425 million. TCF
            urges funding of GLRI at $425 million. The Initiative provides
            critical support for on-the-ground restoration programs and
            projects targeted at the most significant environmental
            problems in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

      --Chesapeake Bay Program at $91.5 million: TCF urges funding of the
            Chesapeake Bay program at $91.5 million. This program brings
            together a diverse partnership to support the Bay's
            restoration.

        The Conservation Fund stands ready to work with you to secure full
    and consistent funding for the LWCF and the other critically important
    programs that help protect the environment, economies, forests, and
    community values across our Nation. Thank you for the opportunity to
    provide this testimony and your consideration of our request.

        [This statement was submitted by Kelly Reed, Senior Vice President
    of Government Relations, The Conservation Fund.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement
        The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement urges Congress to
    sufficiently fund the Operations & Maintenance budget of the National
    Wildlife Refuge System and address the staffing shortfall so it can
    continue to effectively fulfill its conservation mission, provide
    opportunities for wildlife dependent recreation, and connect
    communities to nature.
        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 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.

    American Birding Association
    American Fisheries Society
    American Sportfishing Association
    Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
    Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
    Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
    Defenders of Wildlife
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Izaak Walton League of
    America Marine Conservation
    Institute
    National Audubon Society
    National Wildlife Federation
    National Wildlife Refuge System Association
    Safari Club International
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Corps Network
    The Wilderness Society
    The Wildlife Society
    Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
    Trout Unlimited
    U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
    Wildlife Forever
    Wildlife Management Institute

        The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's largest network
    of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation, and the only
    set of Federal lands in the Nation set aside for the management of
    America's native wildlife. 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.
        These lands and waters are important recreational and tourism
    destinations in communities across the United States, and offer a
    variety of recreational opportunities, including sustainable hunting
    and fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental
    education, and interpretation.
        However, without adequate funding, the ecological and recreational
    potential of the Refuge System cannot be fully realized. The
    President's $624.9 million request for Refuge Operations & Maintenance
    represents a needed increase over FY2023 funding levels and will help
    secure a strong future for the Refuge System, but more needs to be
    done.
        The $503 million appropriated to the Refuge System in FY 2010
    equates to $700 million in 2022 dollars. Current funding ($541 million)
    provides a mere .64 cents per acre for management. Since funding has
    not not kept pace with inflation, this has led to unsustainably low
    staffing levels, lost capacity, and a significant maintenance backlog.
                                    staffing
        At its peak, staffing levels exceeded 3,240 employees across the
    Refuge System. Over 800 permanent refuge positions have been lost since
    FY 2011, an enormous 25% loss in capacity. Today, the Refuge System is
    staffed by approximately 2,400 permanent staff while the actual need is
    estimated to be 7,300. An additional $560 million would be needed to
    hire enough staff to reach full staffing capacity.
        Some refuges have seen staff reductions of 75% or more, requiring
    consolidation or reduction of visitor services, management and law
    enforcement. No refuges are fully staffed, and more than half of
    refuges have zero staff on site. Many refuges are closed to the public
    and are completely unmanaged.
        Rising fixed costs are also eating into increases in
    appropriations. It costs the refuge system an estimated $3 million for
    every one percent raise in payroll costs. System-wide, the modest
    funding increase provided in FY 2021 did not even cover the cost of the
    scheduled 1% Federal wage increase. Without base increases in the
    budget to cover these fixed costs, several much-needed positions are
    eliminated every year.
                                    planning
        By law, the Refuge System must update their Comprehensive
    Conservation Planning (CCPs) every 15 years. Up-to-date management
    plans ensure that each wildlife refuge can be adaptable to present and
    upcoming needs, from a changing climate and extreme weather events like
    wildfires, to rising recreational visitors and commercial uses.
    However, due to a consistent lack of funding, over forty percent of
    CCPs have become out-of-date or were never finalized. Not only do some
    wildlife refuges not have the staff or capacity to carry out a new CCP
    process, but some simply do not have the resources to renew these
    important plans. With an increased planning budget, the Refuge System
    could modernize and update these important management plans that help
    them reach their conservation goals.
                                visitor services
        Despite staffing and planning shortages, the Refuge System has
    grown significantly since FY 2010, both in terms of acreage (14 new
    refuge units and millions of acres of marine national monuments) and
    services (the urban program has dramatically changed the way
    conservation is delivered to constituents, and visitor numbers have
    grown, to over 67 million visitors a year in FY 2022). These pressures
    are putting increased strain on the System that provides vital wildlife
    habitat and important services to hunters, anglers, birders, and other
    nature enthusiasts.
        CARE welcomes sustainable recreational use of national wildlife
    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. As the Refuge System has opened
    additional acres for hunting and fishing, there is not an equivalent
    increase in funding to improve habitat, maintain necessary
    infrastructure like blinds, boat launches, piers, parking lots, and
    restrooms, or support popular hunting and fishing programs for youth
    and serve people with disabilities, veterans, seniors and others.
    Insufficient funding does not allow the Refuge System to retain and
    hire enough qualified biologists, visitor services staff, law
    enforcement, and the wage-grade staff to provide the services needed to
    properly maintain these places enjoyed by so many Americans.
                          impacts to fish and wildlife
        CARE's primary concern is what this means for wildlife populations.
    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, funding shortages have meant that there
    are few staff on the beaches to prevent and mitigate conflicts between
    people and wildlife.
        Significant progress has been made in the early detection and rapid
    response against newly introduced invasive species on refuge system
    lands thanks to the expansion of invasive species strike teams. Now up
    to 14 teams, this program prevents the spread of newly introduced
    invasive species on the refuge system and nearby public and private
    lands, protecting resources for adjoining communities. However,
    additional funding for access enhancements and infrastructure, such as
    watercraft cleaning stations, are needed to empower public adoption of
    invasive species prevention best practices. Funding for wildlife and
    habitat management activities is desperately needed to deal with longer
    term invasive species management challenges. Without funding to apply
    prevention measures, new threats will emerge and known invasive species
    such as phragmites, kudzu, quagga mussels, purple loosestrife, feral
    hogs, and invasive carps will continue their spread throughout the
    refuge system.
                              the need for action
        If funding for refuges remains stagnant for operations and
    maintenance activities, we anticipate further impacts both within and
    outside of refuge boundaries. These impacts could include closures of
    visitor centers, elimination of environmental education programs for
    schools, reduced habitat quality, diminished hunting and fishing
    opportunities, reduced invasive species management on refuge lands and
    nearby private lands, and reduced capacity for prescribed fire, which
    is an important tool to improve wildlife habitat and to reduce
    hazardous fuels.
        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
    healthy ecosystems. 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.
        On behalf of our more than 16 million members and supporters, CARE
    thanks the subcommittee for the opportunity to submit comments on the
    FY 2024 Senate Interior Appropriations bill. We are available to
    discuss our request with the committee at a time of their convenience.
    All questions can be directed to Libby Marking at
    lmarking@refugeassociation.org.

        [This statement was submitted by Libby Marking, CARE Chair &
    Director of Government, Affairs for the National Wildlife Refuge
    Association.]
                                     ______

         Prepared Statement of the Council of Infrastructure Financing
                                  Authorities
        The Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA)
    represents the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
    (SRFs), the Nation's premier programs for funding water infrastructure
    that protects public health and the environment. The SRFs provide
    subsidized, low-interest loans to repair, replace, rehabilitate and
    improve water, wastewater, recycled water and stormwater
    infrastructure.
             requests from the clean water and drinking water srfs

      --Fund the SRFs to the full authorizations--$3 billion each

      --Fund WIFIA for state financing authorities to the full
            authorization--$5 million

      --Fund congressional earmarks without cutting funding to the SRFs

      --End duplicative mandates for additional subsidy

      --Eliminate state match for federally mandated additional subsidy in
            the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

      --Increase flexibility for generating state match

      --Increase flexibility for lead service lines and emerging
            contaminants in the IIJA

                            why fully fund the srfs?
        CIFA urges Congress to fund the SRFs to their full authorizations
    in the law--$3 billion each.
        According to the results of the 7th Drinking Water Needs Survey,
    America needs to invest $625 billion over the next 20 years to provide
    safe drinking water to communities across the Nation, a 32% increase
    from previous assessment. While Congress reauthorized the SRFs at
    significantly higher levels in the IIJA, Congress has failed to fund
    the SRFs at new levels.
        Increasing Federal funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water
    SRFs is a long-term, fiscally responsible approach to funding
    infrastructure that protects public health and the environment. As
    revolving loan programs, the SRFs provide a perpetual, renewable source
    of revenue for the never-ending, and always evolving, need for ongoing
    investment in water infrastructure. Every Federal dollar provided to
    the SRFs is loaned and repaid over and over again--funding projects
    that would never have been built if the SRFs were a traditional grant
    program. Federal funding provided in 2024 will pay for projects for
    future generations, forever.
        The SRFs efficiently and effectively deliver State and Federal
    funding to thousands of communities across the Nation. States, not
    Federal agencies, pick the projects based on State and local
    priorities. In 2021, the SRFs provided nearly $9.4 billion--including
    more than $6.4 billion in state funds--for 2,767 projects. That year,
    68% of SRF subsidized loans were directed to projects in small, rural
    and disadvantaged communities, many of which couldn't otherwise afford
    to pay for the infrastructure needed to meet stringent water quality
    standards.
        Subsidized loans provide significant savings to communities, which
    relieves pressure on utilities to raise rates on households. Compared
    to a municipal bond at the current rate of 3.65%, an SRF subsidized
    loan at 1% can save as much as 75% in interest payments over the life
    of the loan. With rising interest rates in the municipal bond market,
    savings from SRF subsidized loans will increase. Increased funding is
    also needed to help keep pace with historic inflation, which
    disproportionately impacts water infrastructure due to increased
    competition from other well-funded infrastructure sectors.
        While the IIJA provided significant supplemental appropriations to
    the SRFs, nearly half of funding in the IIJA--$20 billion--can only be
    used to replace lead service lines and address emerging contaminants;
    these funds can't be used to repair or replace a broken water main--
    even one made of lead!
        Additionally, CIFA urges Congress to fully fund delegated water
    quality programs, including the Public Water System Supervision Grants
    and Water Pollution Control (Section 106) Grants. These programs play
    an integral role in the permitting of water infrastructure projects
    that protect water quality and public health. Without increased Federal
    funding, States may not have adequate resources to implement these
    delegated programs and process permit applications for drinking water
    and wastewater infrastructure projects, the number of which have
    increased due to supplemental appropriations in the IIJA.
       fund congressional projects without cutting srf funding for state
                                    projects
        CIFA urges Congress to fund congressional projects (earmarks) in
    addition to fully funding the SRFs for state projects. Over the last 2
    years, Congress used the SRF capitalization grant to pay for earmarks
    which has resulted in cuts to net Federal funding (SRFs + earmarks) for
    water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure in 36 States, Puerto
    Rico and Washington, D.C. State profiles on the impact of earmarks.
        As a result of these cuts, an estimated one-third of
    ``supplemental'' funding for 2023 in the IIJA was needed to offset cuts
    in annual Federal funding. In addition to less funding for SRF state
    projects, using the capitalization grant to pay for congressional
    earmarks has a cascade of consequences:

      --Less funding for principal forgiveness and grants for small, rural
            and disadvantaged communities.

      --Increased interest rates on SRF subsidized loans to secure a bond
            for leveraged programs.

      --Cuts to State and local water quality programs and technical
            assistance for small and disadvantaged communities.

      --A permanent reduction in funding for future water infrastructure
            projects.

        If funding remains the same as 2022 or 2023 levels and all project
    requests from the U.S. House of Representatives are funded, funding for
    the Clean Water SRFs would be cut by more than 75% and the Drinking
    Water SRFs would receive zero funding.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Funding                Clean Water SRF     Clean Water SRF
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    2022 Capitalization Grants......      $1,638,826,000      $1,126,088,000
    2024 Project Requests (House)...    - $1,296,973,173    - $1,233,158,539
    2024 Project Requests (Senate)..                 TBD                 TBD
    Remaining Funding...............        $341,852,827      ($107,070,539)
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

         eliminate duplicative federal mandates for additional subsidy
        CIFA urges Congress to eliminate mandates for additional subsidy in
    the annual appropriations bill. Additional subsidy is the portion of an
    SRF subsidized loan that doesn't have to be repaid and comes in the
    form of principal forgiveness or a grant.
        Federal mandates for additional subsidy erode the fundamental
    nature of the SRF subsidized loan programs which were intended to
    create a permanent, protected, recurring source of funding to meet
    water infrastructure needs for future generations.
        In addition to the additional subsidy mandates in the IIJA, the
    2023 appropriations bill required the Clean Water SRFs to use 10% of
    annual Federal funding and the Drinking Water SRFs to use 14% of annual
    Federal funding for grants or principal forgiveness.

      --The IIJA mandates that 55% of total SRF appropriations in the law
            be provided as grants or principal forgiveness.

      --The IIJA doubled the amount of annual Federal funding to the
            Drinking Water SRF that must be provided as grants or principal
            forgiveness, from 6% to 12%. SRFs may provide up to 35% of
            annual Federal funding for additional subsidy.

      --The IIJA established a new mandate for additional subsidy for the
            Clean Water SRF, requiring 10% of annual Federal funding be
            provided as grants or principal forgiveness. Previously, Clean
            Water SRFs had the flexibility to provide up to 30% of annual
            Federal funding to communities that met affordability criteria
            or implemented green projects.
    eliminate state match for federally mandated additional subsidy in the
                                      iija
        CIFA urges Congress to exclude federally mandated additional
    subsidy from state match requirements. Mandates for additional subsidy
    jeopardize the ability of SRFs to generate adequate revenue for state
    match and program administration and have the unintended consequence of
    increased costs for borrowers.
        States can only use interest payments, not loan repayments, as a
    way to generate state match. When mandates for additional subsidy
    reduce funding for subsidized loans, SRFs must increase interest rates
    on loans to generate enough revenue to meet its obligations.
                   remove barriers for generating state match
        CIFA urges Congress to remove the prohibition on cross-
    collateralization for bonds used for state match. Cross-
    collateralization allows interest payments from both programs to secure
    a bond. Combining the assets of both programs can reduce interest rates
    on bonds, which is especially helpful for the Drinking Water SRFs that
    have fewer assets than the Clean Water SRFs. While Federal law allows
    cross-collateralization to leverage a program, Federal law doesn't
    extend the cost-saving benefits for the purposes of generating state
    match.
     increase flexibility for lead service lines and emerging contaminants
                                  in the iija
        CIFA urges Congress to increase flexibility for IIJA funding to
    replace lead pipes and remediate emerging contaminants with a focus on
    per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). No permanent changes are
    needed, but providing more flexibility to these restricted funds will
    allow the SRFs to move Federal funding more quickly into communities to
    address these serious threats to public health.

        Drinking Water SRF Funding for Lead Service Line Replacement:

      --Maintain the current 49% mandate for additional subsidy but allow
            SRFs to use up to 100% of Federal funding for grants or
            principal forgiveness for any community. Additional flexibility
            is needed to cover the cost of replacement of the private
            portion of the lead service line without passing on the cost to
            homeowners. In many communities, replacement projects are less
            likely to move forward without additional financial assistance.

      --Provide SRFs with the flexibility to contract directly for lead
            service line inventories. Additional flexibility is needed to
            more efficiently procure services to conduct the inventories,
            especially for small, rural and disadvantaged communities.

      --Allow communities to use lead funding to replace all lead pipes,
            including lead water mains which are currently ineligible.

      --Allow funding to be used to replace indoor lead plumbing in limited
            circumstances, such as water fountains and faucets, in public
            buildings or buildings that serve vulnerable populations, such
            as daycare centers, schools, nursing homes, libraries, and
            courthouses.

        Clean Water SRF Funding for Remediation of Emerging Contaminants:

      --Allow communities to use funding for testing, monitoring and
            watershed studies to find the existence and sources of emerging
            contaminants. U.S. EPA currently prohibits the use of this
            funding to find PFAS, which is ubiquitous.

      --Allow SRFs to use funding to contract directly for remediation
            efforts. Additional flexibility will allow States to remove
            known contaminants that are a threat to water quality on
            property not owned by a water system.

      --Extend the deadline to apply for the capitalization grant by 1 year
            to provide sufficient time for SRFs to build a pipeline of
            high-quality projects for this funding.

        [This statement was submitted by Deirdre Finn, CIFA Executive
    Director.]
                                     ______

                  Prepared Statement of 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 one million species are facing
    extinction. In February 2023, a new study \2\ found that 40% of animals
    and 34% of plants in the United States are at risk of extinction, while
    41% of ecosystems are facing collapse. The health of wildlife and
    ecosystems is directly related to human health--healthy ecosystems
    support clean water, clean air, and pollination, on which we all
    depend. The 2023 World Economic Forum Global Risks report continues to
    find that biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse is seen as one of
    the fastest growing global risks over the next 10 years.\3\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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\ NatureServe. 2023. Biodiversity in Focus: United States
    Edition.
        \3\ World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2023
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The biodiversity crisis cannot be addressed without funding--more
    than 1,900 scientists previously 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). While we appreciate the modest increases provided in the final
    FY 2023 bill, years of severely inadequate funding and the scale of the
    catastrophe facing the planet's wildlife make them gravely
    insufficient. Significantly more funding is needed in every area.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ Malcom, J et al. 2019. ``Solve the biodiversity crisis with
    funding.'' Science 365 (6459): 1256
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        In addition, Defenders is deeply disturbed that, although neither
    the House nor Senate FY 2023 bill included the sage-grouse rider, the
    omnibus yet again included this longstanding prohibition on protecting
    the sage-grouse under the ESA that has been in the bill since 2014.
    This rider, which undermines sound science and the ESA, must be removed
    from the FY 2024 bill once and for all. Any additional riders that
    undermine the ESA and protections for wildlife must also be rejected.
                           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 additional 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--Defenders is part of a coalition of more than
    120 organizations requesting a significant infusion of funds into the
    Ecological Services program to begin to address the biodiversity
    crisis. We very much appreciate the $384.5 million in the president's
    request, but the need is far greater. Based on available data on the
    needs and costs for ESA implementation by FWS across its programs, as
    well as inflation adjustment, our recommendation is $723.7 million, or
    $455.2 million more than the FY 2023 level:

      --Listing: There are approximately 200 species on the FWS National
            Listing Workplan for FY 2022-FY 2027 that must be reviewed for
            protections under the ESA, with more species petitioned for
            protection every year. For FWS to meet this obligation, a total
            of $66.3 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 $467.9 million is needed annually, an increase of
            $353.7 million. We very much appreciate the continuation of
            report language directing FWS to incorporate climate change
            adaptation into recovery plans and recovery implementation
            strategies. We urge ongoing oversight of this effort.

      --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
            agency also has significantly increased obligations under the
            Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). To meet these
            needs and to work with non-federal stakeholders to develop
            Habitat Conservation Plans, $179.3 million is needed annually,
            an increase of $58.5 million. We are grateful for the continued
            support for the Integrated Planning and Consultation system and
            for compliance monitoring and we urge continued oversight. In
            addition, we strongly support the request in the president's
            budget to expand authority beyond existing reimbursable and
            Economy Act authorities to enable Federal agencies to transfer
            funds provided under the IIJA to FWS and the National Marine
            Fisheries Service to increase capacity for planning and
            consultation.

      --Conservation and Restoration: At least $10.2 million per year is
            needed for the Candidate Conservation element of Conservation
            and Restoration to assist with early conservation action on the
            current 23 candidate species.

      --Wolf Livestock Loss Demonstration Program: Defenders urges
            continued funding at no less than $1 million for this program
            that assists livestock owners co-existing with wolves.

        National Wildlife Refuge System Operations and Maintenance--A key
    component in addressing the biodiversity crisis in the U.S. is to
    refocus Federal land management on it. Our National Wildlife Refuge
    System is the largest network of public lands and waters in the Nation
    dedicated to wildlife conservation. Since 2010, the System has added 2
    million land acres, 14 national wildlife refuges, and nearly 600
    million acres of marine national monuments, has experienced a 34
    percent increase in visitation, and has worked to significantly expand
    its urban refuge program in historically excluded communities. Yet the
    System has lost 25 percent of its staff since 2010, and despite
    increases provided in the FY 2023 bill, its funding is far below the FY
    2010 inflation adjusted level of roughly $700 million. Defenders
    recommends $1.5 billion, an increase of $958 million, which is needed
    for the System to meet its mission.
        Partners for Fish and Wildlife--Defenders supports the $79.7
    million in the president's request, an increase of $19.5 million, to
    address a backlog of applications and fund practices that could restore
    tens of thousands of land acres and stream miles on private land. We
    urge inclusion of report language directing continued prioritization of
    projects that connect, enlarge, and buffer National Wildlife Refuges.
        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.\5\ The administration is currently working to develop
    regulations to govern incidental take under the Migratory Bird Treaty
    Act following the reversal of harmful Trump-era policies. We are
    extremely pleased with the $78.5 million in the request, an increase of
    $24.6 million, to support crucial survey and monitoring programs, to
    build resilience of bird species and their habitats, to help support
    development of proposed regulations under the MBTA, and to support
    Urban Treaties intended to create bird-safe environments in cities.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \5\ Rosenberg, L. V. et al. 2019. ``Decline of the North American
    avifauna.'' Science 366 (6461): 120-124.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and International Affairs (IA)--For
    OLE, we support the $104.4 million in the request, an increase of $12.3
    million, to help OLE continue to address the crisis in the illegal
    global wildlife trade and the threat of zoonotic disease. For IA, we
    support $31 million, an increase of $1.9 million, crucial in continuing
    to combat illegal wildlife trade and to build capacity in range
    countries.
        Science Applications--We support the request of $55.5 million, an
    increase of $20.1 million, to support partnerships and habitat
    strategies focused on biodiversity, adaptation, and resilience.
        Key grant programs--We support: $117.7 million for the Cooperative
    Endangered Species Fund, an increase of $60.3 million; $10 million for
    the Neotropical Migratory Bird Fund, an increase of $4.9 million; and
    $30 million for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, an
    increase of $9 million.
                u.s forest service and bureau of land management
        The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service
    (FS) manage close to 20 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 recover imperiled species.
    We thank the subcommittee for increases provided in the FY 2023 bill.
    Proactive investments to recover at-risk species can prevent the need
    for listing under the ESA. Likewise, recovery actions help listed
    species reach the point where they can eventually be delisted. Given
    the enormity, urgency, and complexity of the extinction crisis and the
    importance of Federal public lands, continued increases are still
    needed for programs listed below to help prevent species' extinctions
    and restore resilient native ecosystems.
        FS Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive (TES) Species--Defenders
    recommends $23 million, an increase of $21 million, and reestablishing
    a specific line item for TES under Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat
    Management (WFHM). This amount should also be reflected in top-line
    increases for WFHM to ensure that increased capacity for TES does not
    detract from WFHM's other mission-critical functions. Based on cost
    estimates in ESA recovery plans, the FS would need to spend $43 million
    annually to start meeting its obligations to help recover the over 400
    listed species that occur on FS-administered lands. Recognizing the
    significant gap between current funding and projected need, Defenders
    recommends a 2-year ramp-up to reach this $43 million goal by the end
    of this Congress, starting with $23 million in FY 2024. Additionally,
    we request report language stipulating that these funds are intended
    for recovery programs and actions rather than consultations under ESA
    Section 7(a)(2), which should be funded by the benefitting programs. We
    also request report language directing the FS to provide an accounting
    of how funds are allocated to specific recovery programs and
    activities.
        FS Legacy Roads and Trails (LRT)--Defenders recommends $100 million
    for LRT, an increase of $94 million, including salaries and expenses to
    support the program. The increase would restore capacity and address
    the $4.4 billion backlog of projects that the FS has identified. LRT
    lacked specific funding between FY 2018 and FY 2021 when the line item
    was absorbed into the broader Capital Improvement and Maintenance
    budget, mostly halting projects and compounding the backlog. IIJA
    provided funding to partially address this funding gap, but annual
    appropriations remain essential. The enacted level of $6 million is a
    fraction of the $40 million that LRT received prior to budget
    modernization. Contracts and materials account for a much higher
    proportion of LRT's costs than other programs and must be accounted for
    in a significantly higher line item.
        BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration--Defenders supports $34.7
    million, an increase of $14.1 million, for BLM, in coordination with
    other agencies, to operationalize recent National Academy of Sciences
    (NAS) recommendations \6\ for providing a reliable supply of native
    seeds necessary for ecological restoration and climate resilience. NAS
    warned that insufficient supplies of native seeds and plant materials
    are a major barrier to ecological restoration and revegetation and that
    ``substantial inter-institutional commitment...at a much more intensive
    and expansive level than is currently underway'' is needed. We also
    urge establishment of the program as its own activity with requisite
    FTEs and report language directing the Departments of the Interior and
    Agriculture to brief the Committee on implementation of the NAS report.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
    2023. An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their
    Supply: Final Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
    https://doi.org/10.17226/26618.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        BLM Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species--Defenders recommends
    $38.5 million, an increase of $4.5 million, and elevation of the
    program to its own subactivity to meet its obligations to help recover
    the over 300 listed species that occur on public lands and promote
    conservation of over 2,400 additional at-risk (unlisted) species. This
    increase should be reflected in top-line increases for Wildlife Habitat
    Management (WHM) to ensure that increased capacity for T&E does not
    detract from WHM's other mission-critical functions.
        BLM Wildlife Habitat Management (WHM)--Defenders supports $176.7
    million, an increase of $27.7 million and $14.7 above the president's
    budget. The increase addresses the recent deficit of $6.3 million that
    resulted from recent increases in the T&E and Plant Conservation and
    Restoration programs without fully commensurate increases in WHM. It
    also accounts for recommended FY 2024 increases for the nested programs
    as well as inflation.
                             u.s. geological survey
        Ecosystems--Defenders supports the $395 million in the request, an
    increase of $87.8 million to support development of crucial scientific
    information for sound management of our Nation's biological resources.
    This includes a total of $87.3 million, an increase of $24.2 million
    for the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Centers.

        [This statement was submitted by Mary Beth Beetham, Director of
    Legislative Affairs, Defenders of Wildlife.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Department for Professional Employees
        On behalf of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
    (DPE), I write in support of funding the National Endowment for the
    Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at no
    less than $211 million each in fiscal year (FY) 2024.
        Many members of DPE's affiliate unions in the arts, entertainment,
    and media industries earn their living working on NEA and NEH-supported
    productions, programs, and performances. Still, more union creative
    professionals who work now in the commercial parts of these industries
    benefited from the nonprofit arts and media sector's role as a proving
    ground for establishing their lifelong careers.
        Funding the NEA and NEH at no less than $211 million each will
    ensure that the agencies can continue to support good-paying, family-
    supporting jobs for creative professionals in every State and
    congressional district, including the members of DPE's unions. Through
    grants, seed money, and technical support, the two agencies help put
    these people to work on artistic and educational content that is
    available to Americans of all means, geographies, and abilities. NEA
    and NEH-funded programs help veterans heal from the invisible scars of
    war, inspire the next generation of creators and innovators, and
    deliver content that unites people across small towns and big cities.
    Increasing the NEA and NEH annual funding level to no less than $211
    million each in FY 2024 is also an important step toward a full funding
    level of $1 per capita.
        Additional NEA and NEH funding will help ensure that creative
    professionals can continue to work safely and sustain their recovery
    from the COVID-19 pandemic's economic devastation. Creative
    professionals were among the first to lose their jobs at the pandemic's
    outset, and they have been among the last to return to their jobs.
        Increased funding for the NEA and NEH is also good for local
    communities and the small businesses that rely on the customer traffic
    that gets generated when people attend a nearby production or
    performance. Pre-pandemic research shows that audiences spend an
    estimated $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission,
    on lodging, restaurants, clothing, transportation, and other goods and
    services.
        In addition, DPE believes the NEA and NEH are instrumental to
    creating diverse talent pipelines and developing a well-trained,
    representative workforce for a sector that generates more than four
    percent of the United States' GDP and produces a positive trade
    balance.
        Put simply, the NEA and NEH are critical agencies for working
    people and local economies. Their work delivers a high return on
    investment and cannot be replaced by the private sector. I urge the
    subcommittee to fund the NEA and NEH at no less than $211 million each.
        If you have any questions, please contact me or DPE Assistant to
    the President/Legislative Director, Michael Wasser, at
    mwasser@dpeaflcio.org.

                                       Sincerely,
                                       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                            Jennifer Dorning, President
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Dine Bi Olta School Board Association
        The Navajo Nation established the Dine Bi Olta School Board
    Association (DBOSBA) to represent the locally-elected school boards
    within the Navajo Nation. With its representation of school boards from
    the 66 Bureau of Indian Education-funded (BIE) schools located on the
    Navajo Nation in Arizona and in New Mexico, DBOSBA's membership
    constitutes more than one-third of the 183 BIE-funded schools
    nationwide. Of those 66 BIE-funded schools, 32 are operated by the BIE
    and 34 are tribally-operated (33 pursuant to grants under the Tribally
    Controlled Schools Act, Public Law 100-297 (TCSA) and one pursuant to a
    contract under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
    Act, Public Law 93-638 (ISDEAA)). DBOSBA unites school boards to
    advocate for educational programs and services that help ensure each
    Navajo student graduates with the preparation necessary to lead a
    productive and fulfilling life, with knowledge and understanding of
    Navajo language and culture.
        DBOSBA appreciates the key increases the subcommittees provided FY
    2023. DBOSBA respectfully asks that Congress continue to build upon
    these achievements. Our priorities for the FY 2024 Indian Affairs
    budget are:

      --50% increase for ISEP Formula Funds (BIE);

      --Ensure full funding for Teacher Pay Parity (BIE);

      --Ensure that the employees of all BIE-funded schools are eligible to
            participate in the Federal Employee Retirement System (BIE);

      --Forward and full funding for Facilities Operations and Facilities
            Maintenance (BIE);

      --Increases for Student Transportation (BIE) and Road Maintenance for
            School Bus Routes (BIA);

      --Increases for Early Childhood and Family Development and Special
            Education (BIE);

      --Increases for Education IT (BIE);

      --Continued full funding for Tribal Grant Support Costs (BIE);

      --Mandatory funding for Tribal 105(l) (``full service'') leases
            (BIA);

      --Increases for Education Construction (BIE);

      --Accountability for how the percentage of COVID relief funds set-
            aside for the BIE was allocated and distributed (BIE);

      --Rescission of Secretarial Order 3334 Reorganizing the BIE; and

      --End unlawful reporting requirements imposed on schools (BIE).

        ISEP Formula Funds are the core account for BIE-operated and
    tribally controlled schools (also known as ``grant schools''). This
    account funds everything from classroom instruction materials and
    teacher salaries to gifted and talented programs, summer programs, and
    food services. Increases in ISEP Formula Funds directly benefit
    students and help attract and retain the quality teachers vital to our
    students' academic success. BIE-funded schools across the Nation are
    facing a significant teacher shortage, but that shortage is
    particularly acute here on the Navajo Nation, where many schools
    operate in remote locations and because the surrounding public schools
    in New Mexico and Arizona have responded to the teacher shortage by
    substantially increasing teacher pay. Having the resources to attract
    and retain quality teachers is one of our biggest challenges and
    substantial increases are needed.
        Full Funding for Teacher and Counselor Pay Parity is a critical
    tool for attracting and retaining quality teachers. Federal law
    requires the BIE provide funding so that teachers and counselors in the
    BIE-funded school system may be paid equivalent salaries to their
    counterparts in the Department of Defense Education Activity. Federal
    law also provides that, at the discretion of the local school board, a
    BIE-operated school may pay salaries consistent with those paid by
    public schools in the state where the BIE school is located.
        DBOSBA would like to thank the subcommittees for the ongoing
    references to the FY 2021 House Report 116-448 and the Joint
    Explanatory Statement accompanying the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations
    Act which direct the BIE to ``clearly display funding amounts required
    to comply with Defense Department-equivalent pay rates as part of
    future budget justifications and to include sufficient funding in its
    budget request to fully fund these requirements.'' We ask the
    subcommittees to continue to hold the BIE accountable for quantifying
    and requesting the correct amount for pay parity and ensuring that the
    amounts provided are sufficient to match the increases provided by the
    Defense Department schools or are consistent with the rate of pay of
    public schools in the States where our BIE-operated and tribally
    controlled schools are located, whichever of these rates is higher.
    Given the acute teacher shortages, this parity is essential to our
    schools' ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers.
        Ensuring that employees of all BIE-funded schools are eligible to
    participate in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) would
    significantly bolster the ability of grant schools in the BIE school
    system to attract and retain quality teachers. Congress recently
    extended grant schools the opportunity to offer their employees
    insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and
    Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) programs. Also, in House
    Report 117-400 accompanying the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act,
    Congress directed Indian Affairs to ``study the systems, processes, and
    authorizations necessary to extend FERS benefits to police officers
    employed under a Public Law 93-638 contract or compact.'' DBOSBA is
    seeking similar language for teachers and staff employed by Bureau of
    Indian Education-funded, Tribally Controlled Schools operated under
    Public Law 100-297 grants or Public Law 93-638 contracts.
        Forward and full funding for Facilities Operations and Facilities
    Maintenance. These two accounts play a pivotal role in the health and
    safety of our students and staff. These two accounts are also severely
    underfunded and two of the remaining core school operations accounts
    not forward funded. This means that when there are government shut
    downs or continuing resolutions, some schools do not receive these
    critical funds until the end of the school year! Further, significantly
    more funding is needed to address the BIE system-wide maintenance
    backlog (of more than $725 million as of 2019) and to ensure schools
    have enough funding to adequately heat and cool buildings. DBOSBA
    encourages Congress to both fully fund and to shift these two accounts
    to the forward funded portion of the BIE's budget to further insulate
    schools from the uncertainties of continuing resolutions and government
    shutdowns.
        Student Transportation (BIE) and Road Maintenance for School Bus
    Routes (BIA) are of particular importance to schools located on the
    Navajo Nation. Our students travel some of the longest distances to
    their schools on some of the worst roads in the Nation. Outdated buses
    improperly equipped to handle the many unpaved and unimproved roads put
    our students' safety at risk or can mean that our students miss
    critical instruction days and fall behind their peers in other
    jurisdictions. DBOSBA also cautions that the proposed conversion to
    electric buses could actually present new problems given the extensive
    distances of remote bus routes on the Navajo Nation and the limited
    electric system capacity of many of our communities. Without further
    increases for Student Transportation and Road Maintenance, and the
    alignment of new technologies to our circumstances, this precarious
    situation will continue.
        Early Childhood and Family Development funding plays a critical
    role in preparing children for school and supporting and empowering
    their parents. Substantial program increases are needed each year to
    expand these opportunities to more BIE-system schools. Of the 183
    schools in the BIE school system, the Administration's FY 2023 budget
    justification reports that just 51 receive Early Childhood and Family
    Development funds. The National Education Association finds that
    children in early childhood education programs are: less likely to
    repeat a grade; less likely to be identified as having special needs;
    more prepared academically for later grades; more likely to graduate
    from high school; and more likely to become higher earners in the
    workforce. DBOSBA asks the subcommittees to increase funds for this
    critical line item.
        Special Education requires greater investment and improved
    congressional oversight of the BIE. American Indian children are more
    likely to require special education services than any other group in
    the United States (18% of students, according to the National Center
    for Education Statistics in 2020, but our experience indicates an even
    higher rate for students at Navajo Nation schools). Yet, our schools do
    not have the resources to recruit qualified and culturally
    knowledgeable special education teachers. In addition to funding,
    greater accountability of the BIE is needed to ensure that the
    resources made available to the BIE serve to enhance special education
    programming and services for the students who need them.
        Education IT, specifically, funding to increase connectivity for
    schools and students is critical: our schools' connectivity needs
    persist even after the worst of the pandemic recedes.
        School Facilities Improvement & Repair and School Replacement
    Construction in the BIE's Education Construction budget also
    significantly impact the health and safety of our students and staff.
    This funding not only helps keep our students and staff safe, it also
    helps prolong the useful life of our school buildings. Unfortunately,
    many schools throughout the BIE system are far beyond the end of their
    safe and useful life and must be replaced. Many of these schools in
    poor or dangerous condition are located on the Navajo Nation. The BIE's
    FY 2023 budget justification reports that only two of the 10 schools on
    the 2016 School Replacement List are complete. It is critical for
    Congress to continue to provide robust levels of funding for School
    Replacement Construction so the remaining schools on the list can be
    completed expeditiously and progress can be made on the list of schools
    identified through the now yearly Site Assessment Capital Investment
    (SA-CI) program.
        Continued Full Funding for Tribal Grant Support Costs means that
    tribally controlled schools can focus ISEP funds where it counts:
    supporting students, improving classroom instruction, and attracting
    and retaining quality teachers. DBOSBA thanks Congress for providing
    full funding for Tribal Grant Support Costs since FY 2016.
        Shifting 105(l) Tribal Leases to Mandatory Funding would make the
    discretionary budget process more predictable and would free up
    additional funding for Indian programs within the topline allocation
    for the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
    In FY 2024, the Administration is requesting that this account be
    classified as mandatory spending. DBOSBA strongly supports the
    Administration's request.
        Accountability for how the percentage of COVID relief funds set-
    aside for the BIE was allocated and distributed (BIE). DBOSBA is
    particularly concerned by the BIE's failure provide regular updates on
    its COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. The BIE withheld 10% of pandemic
    relief funding-or $124,939,000-for BIE-system schools without providing
    meaningful updates on how the funds have been allocated and
    distributed. The agency previously communicated that it would dedicate
    a portion of its overall pandemic relief monies to carry out much
    needed upgrades to information technology and ventilation systems, but
    the BIE has not been transparent about its progress in implementing
    these upgrades or how it will use or distribute the remaining balance
    of the amounts withheld from the allocation of pandemic response funds.
    Many students and schools in the Navajo Nation continue to face
    significant technological limitations, which includes limited or no
    access to reliable internet connectivity. Further, many of our schools
    operate in buildings with substandard heating, ventilation and cooling
    systems. As schools in the Navajo Nation continue to adapt to changes
    in Federal guidance and the threats posed by new COVID-19 variants, it
    is critical that the BIE regularly consult with schools as to pandemic-
    recovery priorities and that BIE expeditiously utilize its pandemic
    relief funding to implement the targeted upgrades it promised.
        Rescission of Secretarial Order 3334 Reorganizing the BIE. DBOSBA
    asks that the subcommittees urge the Department of Interior to rescind
    Secretarial Order No. 3334 (``Order'') which directed the
    reorganization of the BIE, and to instead implement programs and
    changes consistent with the Order's overarching purpose, and reaffirm
    Interior's commitment to ``facilitate Indian control of Indian affairs
    in all matters relating to education,'' and, more broadly, to support
    Tribal sovereignty and self-determination in the education of Native
    children.
        End unlawful reporting requirements imposed on schools. DBOSBA asks
    that the subcommittees urge the BIE to immediately halt the imposition
    of burdensome reporting requirements that are not permitted by statute,
    have not been agreed to by the schools, and that operate to perpetuate
    the Federal bureaucratic domination of Indian education programs.
        DBOSBA thanks the subcommittees for the opportunity to provide this
    testimony.

        [This statement was submitted by Ervin Chavez, Executive Board
    Chair of the Dine Bi Olta School Board Association.]
                                     ______

           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) 2024,
    ESA recommends $967.8 million for the EPA Science and Technology (S&T)
    account, with $40 million towards the Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
    Program, as well as strong support for programs across the agency that
    advance the safe application of pesticides. ESA also 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 $9.7 billion in discretionary funds. Within
    the Forest Service, ESA requests the Forest and Rangeland Research
    budget be supported with at least $349 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 request level of $100
    million. ESA also recommends that DOI continue to support the important
    work of the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), at a level 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, 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 through a more judicious use of pesticides. Entomology also
    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 to protect 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 supply the
    Nation with clean water, clean air, a safe food supply, and communities
    free from pollution and harmful chemical exposures. EPA's Pesticides
    Licensing Program Area, supported by EPA's Science & Technology and
    Environmental Program & Management budgets, evaluates, and regulates
    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, consume agricultural and horticultural products, and become
    established as invasive 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 within EPA's
    purview, the agency has not been a major sponsor of entomology
    research. However, EPA has provided support to projects that promote
    IPM adoption and the safe application of pesticides while also
    promoting pollinator protection. For example, the EPA has supported the
    Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC), a cooperative
    agreement between the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs and University
    of California Davis Extension, in collaboration with Oregon State
    University, which empowers farmworkers and other pesticide handlers to
    employ better and safer practices in pesticide use. Since 2016, PERC
    has developed and implemented over 40 multilingual pesticide-related
    training programs, manuals, videos, and guides which are widely relied
    upon by the community.\1\ The program has been so successful that it
    was renewed in 2021 for a second cycle, along with a similar program,
    PERC-Med focused on education and awareness raising of the safe
    application of pesticides among health professionals. In addition, the
    EPA's Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) grants enable
    grantees to ``implement sustainable pest management practices that
    reduce unnecessary risks from pests and pesticides.\2\ While IPM is a
    long-standing paradigm for mitigating pests, relatively few focused
    funding sources are available to support entomologists conducting
    research or participating in community outreach on this subject. ESA
    encourages the committee to encourage EPA to expand its investment in
    IPM and other innovative programs to promote the safe use of pesticides
    through increased funding for such activities across the agency's
    research and regulatory portfolios. ESA also requests $967.8 million
    for EPA S&T account including $40 million for the EPA's Science to
    Achieve Results (STAR) Program.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ EPA Awards $6 Million to the University of California, Davis to
    Support Pesticide Safety Outreach https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-
    awards-6-million-university-california-davis-support-pesticide-safety-
    outreach. Accessed March 14, 2023.
        \2\ Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Grants https://
    www.epa.gov/pesp/pesticide-environmental-stewardship-program-grants.
    Accessed March 14, 2023.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        ESA is also supportive of increased funding for scientific studies
    and other efforts to protect pollinator populations and health.
    Pollinators play a vital role in our Nation's agriculture industry.
    Honeybees alone pollinate more than 100 crops in the U.S. and are
    essential to produce an estimated one-third of all the food we eat or
    export, contributing over $24 billion in annual crop and seed
    production in the U.S. alone, with even greater contributions when
    accounting for ecosystems services. 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 identify methods for protecting bee
    health. The agency has 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. ESA
    supports EPA's continued participation in multi-agency efforts to
    investigate pollinator health and implement plans to prevent pollinator
    population decline -including the new vulnerable Species Pilot Project.
        The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) 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 USFS 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, USFS scientists are working to understand the impact of the
    mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae) 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.\3\ 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 with at least $349 million
    for FY 2024.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ 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).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Forest Health Management program, also implemented by the USFS,
    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 aids State and local partners to prevent and
    control outbreaks that threaten forest health. 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.\4\ Initiatives within the
    Forest Health Management program help control these costly pests. The
    program's ``Slow the Spread'' activities have led to a 60 percent
    reduction in the rate of the spread of the spongy moth (Lymantria
    dispar dispar), another invasive species, resulting in a consistent
    estimated benefit-to-cost ratio of 3:1 since the program started in
    2000. Additionally, the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis)
    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 further northward. The new northeast range of the southern pine
    beetle includes threatened and rare pine ecosystems, such as the Pine
    Barrens of New Jersey\5\. Funding for the Forest Health Management
    Program supports detection, monitoring, prevention, and management of
    this pest to 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 $100
    million for Forest Health Management.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ 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.
        \5\ 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) plays a critical role
    in coordinating policy, communication, and technology application to
    address invasive species detection and response across 16 Federal
    agencies. NISC serves a vital function since the impacts of invasive
    species are felt across a variety of sectors (agriculture,
    environmental protection, public health). According to the NISC,
    invasive species impose substantial costs on society, leading to an
    estimated $120 billion in environmental damages and losses annually in
    the United States. Invasive insects have directly impacted native
    insect populations and entire ecosystems through predation, plant
    consumption, and disease transmission. For example, emerald ash borer
    (EAB, Agrilus planipennis) is an exotic beetle that was discovered in
    Michigan in 2002. Since its discovery, EAB has been detected in 36
    States, Washington, D.C. and five Canadian provinces. It has killed
    hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America and cost cities,
    property owners, Major League Baseball, tree nurseries, and forest
    products industries hundreds of millions of dollars.\6\ Preventing
    establishment of invasive species like EAB depends on early detection
    and rapid response. Improving these efforts requires not only relying
    on standard means of inspection and tracking but taking advantage of
    new technologies as well. To respond to such threats, NISC helped
    coordinate the development of guidelines for use by decision makers
    that improve access to and analysis of invasive species information\7\.
    Such methods can enable more effective communication and aid in 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. ESA requests that
    the Committee provide the DOI funds to support NISC at no less than $2
    million in FY 2024.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ Emerald Ash Borer Information Network http://
    www.emeraldashborer.info/index.php. Accessed March 14, 2023.
        \7\ Enabling Decisions that Make a Difference: Guidance for
    Improving Access to and Analysis of Invasive Species Information 2018.
    https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/isim_guidance.pdf.

        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 programs at the National Invasive Species
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Council, Forest Service and EPA programs.

        For more information about the Entomological Society of America,
    please see http://www.entsoc.org/.

        [This statement was submitted by Marianne Alleyne, Ph.D. President,
    Entomological Society of America.]
                                     ______

         Prepared Statement of the Environmental Council of the States
        The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)--the national
    nonprofit, nonpartisan association of State and territorial
    environmental agency leaders--appreciates the opportunity to submit
    written testimony on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) President's budget
    request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ECOS
    requests $692.3M for four specific Categorical Grant programs and
    support for addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and
    other EPA programs.
          states lead in implementing the nation's environmental laws
        Congress has established in the Nation's three key environmental
    statutes--the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the
    Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C--its intent
    for States to have primary responsibility and rights to prevent,
    reduce, eliminate, and control water, air, and hazardous waste
    pollution through the management of permit and enforcement programs.
    EPA notes in its March 2022 FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan that ``States
    and local governments serve as primary implementers of many of the
    Nation's environmental laws.'' As an example, of the 51,927 facilities
    permitted for air emissions in 2022, States were the permitting agency
    for more than 47,300 facilities--that is 91%--with just under 4,000
    facilities permitted by local governments and 663 by EPA.\1\ Through
    permitting, state environmental agencies protect human health and the
    environment while also supporting economic development. States conduct
    public meetings to promote understanding and help communities and
    regulated entities, including small businesses, navigate the sometimes-
    complex permitting process through technical assistance. States also
    conduct most inspections and enforcement activities nationwide through
    Federal delegation to ensure compliance, a level playing field, and
    protect communities. Sufficient funding is critical to maintaining the
    core ability of state staff to issue and renew permits, gather data for
    determinations regarding the health of local and regional air and water
    resources, and meet inspection and enforcement priorities for existing
    and new obligations.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Source: Analyze Trends: EPA/State Air Dashboard ECHO US EPA,
    March 15, 2023
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The scope and breadth of state environmental agency activities is
    ever expanding. With respect to PFAS, ECOS has requested that EPA
    urgently provide States funding and flexibility to address PFAS.\2\
    Many States report spending significant resources taking samples,
    gathering data, conducting testing, and investigating and responding to
    complaints and concerns related to drinking water, air quality,
    wastewater discharges, contaminated properties and the management of
    waste. While States, Federal agencies, industry, and others have worked
    together on PFAS through the Interstate Regulatory and Technology
    Council (ITRC) and ECOS has published a PFAS and biosolids report and a
    paper on setting state PFAS standards, States will need more funding to
    build capacity and infrastructure to implement and enforce PFAS-related
    regulations.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ ECOS Resolution 21-1: Advancing Collaboration and Coordination
    on Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        In addition to the challenges posed by emerging contaminants, there
    are new Federal expectations regarding the implementation of delegated
    programs, such as stepped-up community engagement including increased
    translation service expenses, support for public involvement,
    cybersecurity protection, and other activities that require expanded
    state activities to support permit issuance and other delegated
    activities. For example, EPA has asked States to analyze disparate
    impacts in the issuance of some permits.
        Categorical Grant funding to States is the most significant Federal
    support for core day-to-day delegated program activity and state staff
    capacity. In FY2002, State & Tribal Categorical Grants received $1.1B.
    Two decades later, funding is $1.16B. At the same time, inflationary
    pressures \3\ make it hard for States to keep up with recruitment and
    retention of key staff given the rising cost of living. There is also
    an increasing need for investment in modern infrastructure like
    electronic permitting and air monitoring networks and a corresponding
    need for analysis of growing environmental monitoring data. In sum,
    Federal support to States has eroded.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ Current inflation for the period ending February 2023 is
    approximately 6 percent. Source: Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2023
    US Inflation Calculator
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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:
       i. increase state and tribal assistance (stag) categorical grants
        ECOS has looked closely at three critical Categorical Grant
    programs: State and Local Air Quality Management (CAA Sec. Sec. 103,
    105, and 106); Pollution Control (CWA Sec. 106); and Resource Recovery
    and Hazardous Waste (formerly Hazardous Waste Financial Assistance)
    (RCRA Sec. 3011) and determined that a course correction is necessary
    to address persistent erosion in Federal support. ECOS finds that a
    modest 1% compounding annual escalation is the minimum ongoing Federal
    funding trajectory needed. Going back to FY10 and course correcting
    based on a 1% compounding increase would amount to a $51.7M funding
    increase in FY24. Accordingly, for FY24, ECOS requests that Congress
    enact a combined $642.3M for these three programs as shown in the table
    below--$260.4M for air; $263.5M for water, and $118.8M for hazardous
    waste.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     State and Local                     Resource
                                       Air Quality         Water       Recovery and       13-year
        STAG Categorical Grant       Management (CAA     Pollution       Hazardous     Enacted Level       Total
                                    Sec.  Sec.  103,   Control (CWA     Waste (RCRA      Increase
                                      105, and 106)     Sec.  106)      Sec.  3011)
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FY10 Enacted*.................          $226.6M          $229.3M         $103.3M  ..............         $559.2M
    FY23 Enacted**................          $249.0M          $237.0M         $105.0M          $31.8M         $591.0M
    FY24 Funding Request based on           $260.4M          $263.5M         $118.8M  ..............         $642.3M
     1% Escalation starting FY10..
    Delta: 1% escalation vs. FY23            $11.4M           $26.5M          $13.8M  ..............          $51.7M
     enacted......................
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    *Source: FY11 EPA Budget in Brief pg. 69;
    **Source: FY23 Joint Explanatory Statement

        In FY23, Congress provided small increases over FY22 levels to all
    Categorical Grant programs. However, some increases funded new work
    rather than existing core work. As an example, the increase of $2.5M
    for the Resource Recovery and Hazardous Waste Categorical Grant
    includes $4M for development and implementation of state coal
    combustion residuals (CCR) programs, effectively a cut to State
    hazardous waste programs. True increases for hazardous waste program
    work, independent of CCR program work, are needed.
        Changes in Federal law have resulted in a steady decrease in the
    volume of hazardous waste being regulated in many States impacting
    program funding. While there has been a drop in revenues from decreased
    hazardous waste volume, the number of entities requiring permits and
    inspections has increased, particularly small quantity generators. The
    Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials
    state survey from 2019 indicated the total cost of operating the RCRA
    program nationwide was $168.8M. States were required to provide a 25%
    match, and with congressionally enacted funding, States provided
    another $37M beyond the required match, a rate that is not sustainable.
    In 2018, EPA's OIG noted, ``Most States are authorized to implement the
    majority of new required hazardous waste rules promulgated by the EPA.
    However, States and the EPA have taken many years to authorize rules-
    from less than 1 year to more than 31 years. No state has been
    authorized by the EPA for all required rules. For the 173 required
    rules, the number not authorized ranges from six to 98 per State; eight
    States have not been authorized for more than 50 rules.'' Further,
    ``For Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) rules, EPA
    regions can administer the requirements if a State has not received
    authorization. However, for non-HSWA rules, the EPA cannot administer a
    rule when a State has not yet been authorized for the rule, which
    creates regulatory gaps. Unauthorized non-HSWA rules create risks to
    human health and the environment.'' \4\ A second OIG report in 2022
    noted that not all treatment, storage, or disposal facilities are being
    inspected at the frequency mandated by RCRA.\5\ Underfunding may lead
    to program challenges and delays.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ July 2018 EPA OIG report, Incomplete Oversight of State
    Hazardous Waste Authorization Creates Regulatory Gaps and Human Health
    and Environmental Risks.
        \5\ June 2022 EPA OIG report, The EPA Continues to Fail to Meet
    Inspection Requirements for Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and
    Disposal Facilities.
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Given constraints on the use of major source air permit fees under
    the CAA and Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 70, many other
    critical--and federally required--activities are under-funded,
    including updating State Implementation Plans, support for small
    business programs and emission reductions from smaller sources, support
    for enhanced community air monitoring, and the development of
    inventories and rules. Congress has mandated that the U.S. Forest
    Service conduct prescribed fires yet has not provided a companion
    declaration for EPA to respond to increased prescribed fires and their
    potential impact on State and local air quality attainment. EPA is now
    considering lowering fine particulate matter levels under the National
    Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which would likely result in
    many areas nationally falling out of compliance with those lower NAAQS.
    This may also create further tension with wildfire risk mitigation
    strategies with prescribed burns that may be limited by air quality
    standards. The majority of the State and Local Air Quality Management
    Categorical Grant is provided as CAA Sec. 105 air grants that require a
    40% match or maintenance of effort, whichever is higher. States
    continue to seek an increase in funding and for this to be provided as
    CAA Sec. 103 awards to avoid a match requirement and allow agencies
    that do not have suficient matching funds to still obtain grants.
        CWA Sec. 106 grants support work with 900,000 National Pollutant
    Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulated facilities with
    increasing complex challenges to reduce nutrients in surface waters,
    meet electronic reporting requirements, address PFAS and other
    contaminants, and more.\6\ State water programs also need funding to
    close the monitoring gap for state water quality impairments and
    improvements including the use and tracking of nature-based solutions.
    These and other such activities are needed to develop water quality
    standards and total maximum daily load listings, improve surface water
    quality, restore impaired waterbodies, increase water reuse activities
    to respond to climate change, address backlogged NPDES general permits,
    and conduct other core water pollution control activities.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ Source: Association of Clean Water Administrators FY23
    testimony to the U.S. Senate, April 2022.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ii. ``off the top'' cuts erode clean water state revolving fund (cwsrf)
            and drinking water state revolving fund (dwsrf) programs
        In the FY23 enacted budget, Congress stipulated $863M of CWSRF and
    $609M of DWSRF funds go to Community Project Funding/Congressionally
    Directed Spending (CPF/CDS). EPA has taken $1.472B for 715 CPF/CDS
    projects ``off the top'' of the state capitalization grants, 53% of the
    annual SRF funding provided, prior to state capitalization awards being
    made and importantly, before state ``set-asides'' are taken. The state
    set-asides are used to supplement public water system supervision
    program funding, to protect source water, to address failing septic
    systems, to provide stormwater control measures, to take cybersecurity
    measures, to provide technical assistance, and more--up to 6% for CWSRF
    and up to 31% for DWSRF. These across-the-board cuts create challenges
    and uncertainty for States with year-to-year staff planning, with
    budgeting for non-infrastructure support activities, and with long-term
    viability of SRFs, as funds will not ``revolve'' in future years as the
    CPF/CDS funds are not repaid. CPF/CDS projects are also managed outside
    existing State programs, creating a parallel bureaucracy. States ask
    that CPF/CDS not be taken from SRFs and ask that Congress maintain and
    increase SRF funding levels for state-run programs in FY24 and beyond.
                         iii. additional considerations
        These issues also remain important to state environmental agencies:

    1. Fund Multipurpose Categorical Grants. States seek $50M for these
        flexible funds, which can be applied broadly to state identified
        priorities, do not require a match, and expand state implementation
        capacity of Federal environmental programs.

    2. Continue to invest in data modernization for drinking water, clean
        water, and clean air. Through E-Enterprise for the Environment,
        States, Tribes, and EPA are working jointly to modernize the
        complex reporting processes for sharing Safe Drinking Water Act and
        Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act state enforcement information, a
        critical collaboration to develop effective multi-directional data
        flows that are not duplicative, burdensome, and expensive and focus
        on efficient data exchange solutions and on providing more accurate
        information to the public.

    3. State Research Needs. ECOS affiliate the Environmental Research
        Institute of the States published its 2022 biannual survey of state
        environmental agency research needs. ECOS urges Congress to provide
        funding to EPA to help States meet these needs.

        On behalf of ECOS, I thank the subcommittee for considering the
    views of state environmental agencies as you prepare EPA's FY24 budget.
    Please don't hesitate to reach out to me or ECOS Executive Director Ben
    Grumbles at bgrumbles@ecos.org or (202) 266-4929.

        [This statement was submitted by Myra Reece, Director of
    Environmental Affairs, South Carolina Department of Health and
    Environmental Control.]
                                     ______

       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,
    actionable, and coordinated data to make informed decisions to reduce
    their climate risks and safeguard the ecosystems on which they depend.
        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. EESI's
    Congressional briefing, Building a Durable National Framework for Large
    Landscape Conservation,\1\ provides more information on the
    intersection of collaborative, landscape-scale conservation and climate
    adaptation efforts.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Building a Durable National Framework for Large Landscape
    Conservation: https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/032922fed
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        To advance this work, we support the following funding requests in
    the President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request:
                         u.s. fish and wildlife service
      --$55.5 million for the Science Applications Program. This program
            effectively coordinates large landscape conservation, climate
            resilience, and habitat connectivity efforts across the Federal
            Government and with state, Tribal, and nongovernmental partners
            nationwide. More specifically, this funding would support
            collaborative partnerships in areas ranging from the
            Appalachian Mountains to the Pacific Northwest. It would also
            support landscape conservation designs, which are developed
            with communities to spatially identify the most strategic
            conservation and restoration priorities in areas such as the
            Southeast and the sagebrush sea.

      --$79.7 million for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program under
            the Habitat Conservation activity. In particular, we urge you
            to fund the $3M requested within this program to specifically
            to expand successful work with private landowners and other
            partners to conserve wildlife migration corridors, improve
            landscape connectivity, and restore fish passage. This funding
            enables implementation Secretarial Order 3362, Improving
            Habitat Quality in Western Big Game Winter Range and Migration
            Corridors, which has transcended Republican and Democratic
            administrations. Securing dedicated funding for this work is
            essential, as continuing to compete for and cobble together the
            funding necessary for this program is neither a strategic nor a
            sustainable funding strategy.

      --$20.4 million for the Coastal Program under the Habitat
            Conservation Activity. This program enhances the resilience of
            coastal communities while enhancing coastal habitat
            connectivity. Additionally, if funded at the requested level,
            this program could remove dozens of fish passage barriers.

      --$624.9 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System. This
            funding would enable the agency to take a large landscape
            conservation approach to planning, conservation, and
            restoration of the habitat they manage, which is especially
            important for migratory species.

      --$18.5 million for the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures Program under
            the Migratory Bird Management activity. This funding would
            enable continued collaboration with diverse stakeholders to
            conserve and restore habitat within critical flyways across the
            country.
                           bureau of land management
      --$162 million for the Wildlife Habitat Management activity. This
            funding would allow the bureau to conserve seasonal habitats
            and migration corridors, as well as support Tribal co-
            stewardship efforts, including habitat connectivity
            initiatives. More specifically, it would enable the bureau to
            implement a landscape-scale approach to conserving and
            restoring the threatened sagebrush ecosystem, which provides
            essential habitat for migratory birds, pollinators, and big
            game.
                             u.s. geological survey
      --$13 million for the Species Management Research subactivity under
            the Ecosystems Activity. This funding would support important
            conservation science, including producing maps of desert
            tortoise connectivity to guide responsible solar energy
            development decisions.

      --$79.6 million for the Land Management Research subactivity under
            the Ecosystems Activity. In particular, we urge you to fund the
            $2.4 million requested within this program for the agency to
            expand its work with States and Tribes to map big game
            migration corridors in the western U.S. The additional $2
            million of funding for this work would also allow the agency to
            support partners to incorporate the data into conservation,
            restoration, and transportation planning to enhance habitat
            connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.
                             national park service
      --$509.6 million for the Resource Stewardship subactivity of the Park
            Management activity. This funding would support conservation of
            our natural and cultural heritage, including support for
            collaborative landscape conservation science and projects.
                           u.s. bureau of reclamation
      --$2.3 million for the Cooperative Watershed Management Program
            within the WaterSMART Program. This program provides crucial
            financial assistance for collaborative groups to coordinate,
            plan, and implement strategic watershed management projects.

        Overall, these programs provide critical support for landscape
    conservation and connectivity-a practice that conserves biodiversity,
    supports regional economies, and enhances the resilience of communities
    and nature in an era of rapid change.
        Thank you for your consideration.

        [This statement was submitted by Daniel Bresette, President,
    Environmental and Energy Study Institute.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of the Federation of State Humanities Councils
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, my name is Phoebe Stein and I am the President of the
    Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation), the membership
    organization of the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony.
        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 (F/SP) line in the National Endowment for the Humanities
    (NEH) budget. The councils are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, with
    voluntary boards and they leverage their NEH funding to raise millions
    of dollars to invest in local projects and grassroots organizations.
    While councils' funding comes from a variety of sources, NEH support is
    critical, especially for on-going operations.
        The Federal/State Partnership (F/SP) funding, currently (FY 2023)
    at $65 million, goes directly to the state councils by formula. To
    ensure that every council receives approximately $100,000 in additional
    funding in a year, an additional appropriation in excess of $6 million
    is needed in the F/SP; for a $50,000 increase for each council, an
    additional $3+ million is needed.
        Councils operate in nearly all Congressional districts. Each year,
    councils make thousands of grants to local cultural organizations--
    schools, libraries, museums, historical societies, preservation groups,
    and other non-profit organizations--to develop and/or present programs,
    exhibits, lectures, and discussions free to their communities. Many
    councils conceive, create, and deliver their own programs. In 2022,
    councils made more than 3,700 grants to local entities, partnered with
    more than 5,000 local organizations and reached more than 71 million of
    your constituents.
        In response to COVID, councils served as the grant-making agency
    for both CARES and ARP funding. Councils oversaw the award of more than
    7,000 grants under the two programs. But, those funds were obligated
    quickly; and the ARP process identified more than $40 million in
    proposals unmet for lack of resources; furthermore new community needs
    and interests continue to arise. Thus, we are back to the
    appropriations level that supports approximately 3,700 grants, a
    reminder of the needs that exist not only in COVID's aftermath (such as
    teacher institutes and re-learning in the K-12 system) but also in new
    and expanding areas (history, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration
    of Independence, health and well-being, inclusion and belonging,
    environmental humanities, and the multitude of other issues where the
    humanities help define us and our communities).
        Furthermore, numerous studies have indicated that thriving,
    innovative communities require a combination of factors. Economic
    strength and opportunities depend not only upon jobs, housing, a
    trained workforce, access to healthcare, and transportation, but also,
    importantly, local cultural and recreational activities as well.
    Placemaking is a significant part of economic development.
        Councils seek to meet the needs of a multitude of interests and
    constituencies in the States, but, there are common threads. In 2022,
    over 85% of councils provided cultural resources to rural residents;
    55% of councils provided programs for veterans, active military, and
    families; and 43% of councils provided programs focused on health and
    well-being outcomes.
           strengthening rural connections and cultural opportunities
        Ninety-seven percent of the American landscape is rural and rural
    areas play a role in many aspects of our lives: food supply, water and
    other natural resources, forest products, recreational activities, and
    are home to millions of Americans. As previously noted, 85% of councils
    bring excitement and vitality to rural areas of their States and
    promote discussion of challenges facing these locations.
        For more than 25 years, councils have partnered with the
    Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a series of traveling
    exhibitions that facilitate local discussions, understanding, and
    connections. Last year alone, councils supported MoMS programming in 76
    communities across 21 States. The current exhibit ``Crossroads''
    focuses on the changing rural landscape, with other exhibits relating
    to such topics as food, work, water, local stories, innovation, and
    culture. In 2023-24, the Alabama Humanities Alliance will enhance the
    exhibits with local discussions of how small places in the state are
    being transformed by economic pressures, the pandemic and population
    changes.
        In addition, many councils offer programs for their States and
    communities. In Montana, for example, the council developed ``Hometown
    Humanities'' which works with individual communities to build capacity
    and make long-term investments to strengthen cultural infrastructure.
    Humanities North Dakota's Public University Program provides quality
    lifelong learning opportunities to residents of rural communities
    through a wide range of courses from literature and history to
    economics and social science.
                     understanding and sharing our history
        Historical and cultural events, local, State, national, and
    international, have been a mainstay of councils over the past half-
    century. A review of any council website will illustrate the breadth
    and scope of programming on historical topics. The West Virginia
    Humanities Council maintains eWV, a comprehensive collection of
    articles on West Virginia's people and places, history, arts, science
    and culture. The council also partners with public radio to provide
    podcasts on historical events. eWV also includes under its eWV
    Classroom section a selection of lesson plans designed by West Virginia
    teachers. Humanities Washington supported a program, ``A Matter of
    Loyalty: Poetry, Stories, and Images,'' in honor of Day of Remembrance
    of Japanese-American Incarceration and several other programs honoring
    Japanese culture.
        Most councils participate in the annual National History Day
    Program which reaches far beyond a ``day.'' The effort involves more
    than half a million students in grades 6-12 and tens of thousands of
    teachers annually in the student history contest which culminates in a
    week-long session for 3,000 winners. Students produce papers, exhibits,
    performances, documentaries, and websites as part of their research and
    communications work. The Alabama Humanities Alliance has initiated a
    vigorous outreach throughout the state to teachers, parents and
    students to broaden and diversify participation in the program. And,
    councils are involved in plans for the Semiquincentennial in 2026 when
    our Nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of
    Independence. Nevada Humanities, for instance, has held many events
    through A More Perfect Union to deepen appreciation of humanities'
    connection to untold stories in Nevada communities and promote
    understanding the founding of the Nation in all its complexities.
                                civic education
        For decades, the State and jurisdictional humanities councils have
    actively conducted or supported nonpartisan programs, resources, and
    events providing civic education in support of our democracy. Recently,
    the humanities councils offered programs in 43 States and territories
    as part of the ``Why It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation''
    initiative. These events provided 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 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. Rhode Island Humanities,
    with its partners, has produced a Civic Health Index that examines five
    areas: community well-being, social connection, public participation,
    collective understanding and engagement with government.
                         serving teachers and students
        Support for our Nation's educators and students has never been more
    important. Kentucky Humanities, continues to support educators,
    students, and families with nationally-recognized literacy programs,
    such as ``PRIME TIME, Inc.''. Humanities Nebraska holds Capitol Forum
    Day to enable high school students from across the State to discuss
    important global issues and interact with the Governor and Members of
    Congress.
        Councils are also seeing the need for additional teacher and
    student support in the aftermath of COVID and the expansion of pre-
    school programs. Many schools continue to confront problems associated
    with learning and academic loss and recovery, staff shortages,
    absenteeism, and mental and emotional issues. Creation of resource
    materials, teacher institutes, and support for summer, after school,
    and other literacy interventions alleviate academic gaps and improve
    pre-school preparation for developing reading skills.
                       inclusion, respect, and belonging
        Helping to bridge the divides in our communities remains of
    paramount importance. Programs such as Oregon's onstage conversation
    with author and journalist Monica Guzman examined creating connections
    across political divides and depolarizing our Nation. California
    Humanities has featured programs on Black Mariners, looking at maritime
    practices of commercial mariners, whalers, fishers, explorers, and
    sailors from the 16th to the 20th century.
              collaborating with native and indigenous populations
        Councils have regularly partnered with Indigenous communities over
    the years. For example, the New Mexico Humanities Council has supported
    Native American storyteller Esther Martinez and her work to preserve
    the Pueblo history and culture, as well as the Tewa language. Michigan
    Humanities in their Great Michigan Read program has featured the debut
    novel Fire Keeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member
    of the Sault Ste.Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Boulley writes about
    her Ojibwa community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
                            environmental humanities
        Environmental humanities programs use literature and history to
    make sense of the changing environmental concerns facing Americans.
    Humanities Nebraska conducted a session, Weathering Nebraska, that
    explored the interrelationships of water, climate, health, agriculture,
    and local impact. Humanities Washington worked with a small community
    to present the lecture ``After the Blast: Mt. St. Helen's 40 Years
    Later.''
                         healthcare and the humanities
        Councils have a long history of collaborating with the medical
    community and play a prominent role in enhancing the lives and work of
    healthcare providers. Council work also helps 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,'' the reading and discussion
    program for healthcare workers has been a hallmark effort for many
    councils. Councils have also targeted specific medical challenges, such
    as opioid addiction, with their programming.
                                    veterans
        Councils support veterans and their families in many ways,
    including the collection of oral histories, the sharing of experiences,
    the examination of service as seen through literature, writing
    workshops that encourage the expression of and reflection on aspects of
    war and its aftermath, dealing with injuries and medical conditions,
    support for VA medical staff, and helping communities to understand
    their challenges. Literature & Medicine, mentioned above, has been
    offered in various veterans' hospitals and medical facilities.
        Since 2015 Maryland Humanities has worked with veterans and
    community partners to plan and facilitate small group reading and
    discussion programs for veterans in five counties. This program
    supports current and former service members by offering an opportunity
    to give voice to their experiences. Families and friends have
    benefitted from a deepened understanding of the history, experience,
    and meaning of war.
                                     youth
        Youth programs have been integral to council activities for
    decades. For example, Alaska's ``Ilakucaraq Project,'' conducted in
    collaboration with the Alaska Native American Education Program,
    empowers youth to identify their heritage as a source of strength
    through personal reflections, positive self- and cultural- identity
    formation, cross-cultural experiences, peer-to-peer learning, elder and
    culture-bearer teachings, and art. National History Day is designed for
    6-12 graders. Other programs impact youth, such as sessions at book
    festivals, participation in literacy programs, and increasing
    collaborations with community colleges. Humanities North Dakota's We
    The People: The Citizen and the Constitution program for high school
    students focuses on the Constitution and its relevance to the lives of
    young people today.
                             community connections
        In August the Alaska Humanities Forum will offer training sessions
    for discussion facilitators to lead conversations about vital issues
    and ideas across differences, beliefs and backgrounds. These
    discussions will help build strong relationships within organizations
    and among communities. As previously mentioned the Rhode Island council
    has developed a civic health index to examine engagement across
    communities.
        In this space, I described only a very few of the activities
    underway in communities across the Nation. Councils are proud of their
    work and their contributions. But we are far from meeting the needs and
    interests of the States and localities. We need additional resources
    and we ask this subcommittee's support for directing those additional
    resources to cities, towns, and rural areas throughout the Nation. With
    additional funding, we can easily move forward with doubling the 3,700
    grants currently awarded annually.
        We can reach beyond the 71 million currently served. Councils are
    on-the-ground, grassroots organizations with broad and deep connections
    to other local organizations. Investments in the Federal/State
    Partnership are a direct investment in communities. In a complex, fast-
    paced and rapidly-changing nation, much work remains to be done.

        [This statement was submitted by Phoebe Stein, President,
    Federation of State Humanities Councils.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of the Geological Society of America
                                    summary
        The Geological Society of America (GSA) recommends that Congress
    provide $1.85 billion in annual appropriations for the U.S. Geological
    Survey (USGS) in Fiscal Year 2024. As one of our Nation's key science
    agencies, the USGS plays a vital role in locating, characterizing and
    documenting mineral and energy resources that underpin economic
    security and growth; researching and monitoring potential natural
    hazards that threaten lives and property; keeping communities informed
    about the impacts of a changing climate; and determining and assessing
    water quality and availability. 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, USGS research, data, and products are used by communities
    across the Nation to make informed decisions in land-use planning,
    emergency response, natural resource management, engineering, and
    education. To fully implement the agency's mission and fulfill the USGS
    21st-Century Science Strategy will require $1.85 billion in annual
    appropriations.

        The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a scientific society
    with 19,000 members from academia, government, and industry. 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) thanks the Committee for
    recognizing the importance of the work of the U.S. Geological Survey
    (USGS) to protect lives, property, and national security, and to
    stimulate economic growth. GSA urges Congress to provide USGS $1.85
    billion in Fiscal Year 2024. This increase will allow the USGS to
    implement new initiatives, maintain the base funding for critical
    research and monitoring, fill vacant positions, and address deferred
    maintenance on existing facilities.
    u.s. geological survey contributions to national security, health, and
                                    welfare
        The USGS is one of the Nation's premier science agencies, with the
    unique capacity to engage interdisciplinary teams of experts to gather
    data, conduct research, and develop integrated decision-support tools.
    USGS research is used by communities across the Nation to make informed
    decisions regarding land-use planning, emergency response, natural
    resource management, engineering, and education. USGS provides
    practical, pragmatic science that informs many of society's greatest
    challenges related to national security, economic competitiveness,
    health, and welfare. Several are highlighted below.
                              energy and minerals
        As articulated in the Energy Policy Act of 2020, there is a vital
    need to understand the global and domestic abundance and distribution
    of critical mineral resources, as well as the geologic processes that
    form them. Achieving this goal will require continually expanding
    collection and analysis of geological, geochemical, and geophysical
    data. Specifically, GSA supports completing the new Energy and Minerals
    Research Facility on the Colorado School of Mines campus, a USGS
    facility that will be critical to establishing the workforce needed to
    secure our energy future by expanding STEM talent, and increasing
    diversity through student engagement and university partnerships.
        GSA supports energy and minerals science, research, data collection
    and analysis that will allow for more economic and environmental
    management and utilization. GSA appreciates congressional support for
    the EarthMRI program, which will both provide new resources and
    leverage current data to accelerate geological and geophysical mapping,
    identify critical mineral sites for further scientific study to aid
    defense, security, and economic uses. The mapping has a central focus
    on minerals still in the ground and minerals that may be reprocessed
    from legacy mine waste, and will also provide important data for
    abandoned mine remediation and for understanding other natural
    resources.
                                natural hazards
        Natural hazards are a major cause of fatalities and economic
    losses. In 2022 alone, NOAA found that the U.S. disaster costs exceeded
    $165 billion. An improved scientific understanding of geologic and
    atmospheric hazards will reduce future losses by informing effective
    planning, mitigation, and resilience. USGS's products are innovative,
    reliable, timely, and actionable, providing critical information on
    potential and developing hazards like floods, droughts, earthquakes,
    volcanos, landslides, and space weather events. GSA urges Congress to
    continue supporting efforts for USGS to both maintain its fundamental
    research capabilities, and modernize and upgrade its natural hazards
    monitoring and warning systems, such as the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early
    Warning System which, even while still under development, produced
    several successful earthquake alerts in California this past year.
        Decision makers in many sectors rely upon USGS data to respond to
    natural hazards. For example, USGS volcano monitoring provides data to
    enable decisions to ensure aviation safety. Similarly, the USGS plays a
    key role in the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program by tracking
    tsunami sources using seismic data, and USGS research on storm surge is
    used by the National Hurricane Center.
        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) provides a path forward for USGS research to
    understand and mitigate space weather risks. In addition, the new Space
    Weather Advisory Group established by the PROSWIFT Act will conduct a
    comprehensive survey to identify the research, observations,
    forecasting, and modeling advances required to improve response to
    space weather products.
        GSA recommends adequate funding to implement recently-enacted
    hazards-related legislation. For example, the National Landslide
    Preparedness Act expanded the USGS Landslide Hazards Program, and
    authorized the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) which leverages partnerships
    with the private sector, State and local governments, and other
    agencies to update and coordinate the collection of high-resolution
    elevation data across the country. Directives to USGS include
    identifying, mapping, and understanding landslide hazards, responding
    to landslide events, and developing landslide guidelines for
    geoscientists, emergency management personnel, and land-use decision-
    makers in order to reduce landslide losses and protect communities at
    risk.
                                water resources
        Improved understanding of the quantity, quality, distribution, and
    use of water resources through monitoring, assessment, research, and
    delivery of actionable information by the USGS and associated partners
    is necessary to ensure adequate and safe water resources for the health
    and welfare of society. For example, the USGS national network of
    stream gages provides key data for the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor Maps
    and classifications, but its funding has been flatlined for many years.
    A reinvestment in this program will allow the Survey to maintain
    significant long-term data collection necessary for assessing impacts
    to water resources brought on by stressors such as climate change.
                                 climate change
        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. Much of this work operates through the network of nine
    regional Climate Adaptation Centers (CASC). For example, the Alaska
    CASC has assessed future landslide risks along road corridors in Denali
    and other Alaska parks, which will assist planning for new and existing
    infrastructure to endure under a changing climate. In addition, the
    Southeast CASC is using artificial intelligence to predict flood damage
    changes in response to rising sea levels, and Northwest CASC
    researchers studied the impacts of wildfire severity and climate change
    on tree species that rely on fire to release their seeds. Additionally,
    the Federal Climate Data Portal will provide actionable climate tools
    and products that will help public and private decision-makers address
    climate risks.
             core science systems, facilities, and science support
        Activities from hazard monitoring to mineral forecasts are
    supported by Core Science Systems, 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.
    Investment in advanced scientific computing will allow the agency
    cutting-edge analytics and models needed to study wildfires and
    droughts. Stagnant funding has created backlogs in the hiring of new
    scientists; the agency has fewer employees than in FY1995. Increased
    investment is needed to fill these critical roles and allow for the
    recruitment and training of a strong and diverse STEM workforce
    pipeline, paving the way for increased diversity, equity, inclusion,
    and accessibility within the field of Earth sciences.
        GSA appreciates the committee's recent investments in USGS
    facilities, including the creation of the Energy and Mineral Research
    Facility, and encourages continued investment to address deferred
    maintenance issues. GSA also 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.
        The Landsat satellites have amassed the largest archive of remotely
    sensed land data in the world, a tremendously important resource for
    land use planning, and for assessment of water, energy, mineral and
    other natural resources, the impacts of natural disasters, and global
    agriculture production. GSA encourages continued support for existing
    programs, as well as interagency efforts for LandsatNext with improved
    spatial resolution and the ability to provide updated imagery with
    greater frequency.
        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 kwhite@geosociety.org.

        [This statement was submitted by Kasey White, Director for
    Geoscience Policy.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
        I am Howard Learner, the Executive Director of the Environmental
    Law & Policy Center (ELPC), which is the Midwest's leading
    environmental legal advocacy and sustainability innovation
    organization. ELPC's staff works throughout 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 testimony in support
    of full funding of $425 million in FY 2024 for the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative as provided in the Great Lakes Restoration
    Initiative Act of 2019 (signed into law on January 5, 2021). GLRI funds
    have been effectively deployed to protect safe clean drinking water
    supplies, clean up toxic sites, protect wetlands and shorelines, hold
    off invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, and safeguard
    aquatic resources. Restoring the Great Lakes creates substantial
    environmental, public health, and recreational benefits, as well as
    fostering economic growth. GLRI is a program that has worked very well
    and has demonstrated success consistently.
        The Great Lakes are a global gem. They contain 21% of the planet's
    fresh water supply, and 42 million people rely on the Great Lakes for
    safe drinking water. They provide a rich aquatic habitat for many
    species. They support a $7 billion annual fishing industry, and 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 strongly supported reauthorization of the GLRI and the ramp up
    of funding to $475 million in 2026, matching the funding the program
    received in its initial year. We request that the Committee fully fund
    the GLRI program with at least the authorized $425 million for FY 2024
    and, hopefully, consider a higher amount.

        I'll make two points in support of fully funding the GLRI:

        First, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vitally important,
    and it is successful. This is a model Federal program providing
    significant environmental and economic benefits, and it is working
    well.
        Second, the challenges to the Great Lakes from increases in harmful
    algal blooms and climate change merit full funding of at least the
    authorized $425 million for FY 2024, and the program could benefit from
    a higher funding amount in FY 2024.

    1. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vitally important and
            successful. This is a model Federal program providing important
            benefits, and it is working well with strong bipartisan
            federal, State and local support.

        The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been a breakthrough
    program injecting critical funding and structure that had been missing
    in order to restore the Lakes. Over the past 14 years, the GLRI 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 algal
    blooms. Congress' recognition of the effectiveness of the Great Lakes
    Restoration Initiative is reflected in the strong bipartisan support
    for fully funding this program with increasing funding.
        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 agricultural and other nutrient runoff that causes harmful
            algal blooms.

        The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative creates an effective system
    of coordination among Federal agencies, State entities and local
    partners to achieve important outcomes to make a meaningful difference
    for the Great Lakes. Since its inception, the program has achieved
    strong results with sustained funding.
        There are countless examples of GLRI projects that deliver multiple
    benefits to the Great Lakes: from watershed and natural area
    restoration projects, to addressing and ultimately delisting Areas of
    Concern. The Healing Our Waters Coalition provides examples of projects
    across the region. Projects include:

      --Rouge River Area of Concern (MI): This heavily populated and
            industrialized area in southeast Michigan includes highly
            degraded natural habitat and high levels of contamination.
            Multiple GLRI-funded projects are addressing nine habitat areas
            including the Venoy Dorsey Park habitat project to restore
            wetlands and stabilize streambanks.

      --Wequoick Creek Restoration (WI): This project in Lake Michigan's
            watershed is restoring Midwestern oak savanna/wet meadow and
            riparian forest adjacent to the Point au Sable Nature Reserve
            in lower Green Bay, Wisconsin. This project will control
            invasive species and restore a native riparian corridor.

      --Grand Marais (MN): This project will update stormwater management
            for the City of Grand Marais with wetlands, trees and riparian
            habitat to store and filter stormwater to reduce flooding. This
            project will address increasing storm intensity and add native
            plants to the areas to better protect Lake Superior.

        GLRI projects bring together a broad array of partners to achieve
    the program's goals and create jobs. The GLRI Action Plan III details
    work to address Areas of Concern, including those that are now
    delisted: Ashtabula River in Ohio, Lower Menominee River in Wisconsin,
    Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania, and Deer Lake and White Lake in
    Michigan. Significant work remains to be done, however, to fully
    address the 25 Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes basin. We
    greatly appreciate that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
    added $1 billion for the GLRI to accelerate clean up and restoration of
    these toxic Areas of Concern.
        GLRI has broad regional economic benefits. A University of Michigan
    study showed that every Federal dollar 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 to the Great Lakes from fluctuating lake levels and
            increases in harmful algal blooms and climate change merit full
            funding of at least the authorized $425 million for FY 2024,
            and we urge Congress to consider an even higher amount.

        While recognizing the GLRI's success, the growing threats from
    climate change and recurring severe algal outbreaks are getting worse.
        ELPC commissioned 18 leading Midwest and Canadian university and
    research center 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, which wreak havoc on communities,
    homes, beaches, businesses and the overall shoreline's built
    environment. Annual precipitation in the region has increased at a
    higher percentage than in the rest of the country, and more
    precipitation is coming in unusually large events, such as derechos and
    intense storms. Lake Michigan had record-high water levels in 2021--
    especially when whipped by strong winds and heavy waves, this caused
    extensive flooding that damaged the shoreline and infrastructure.
        According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    (NOAA), 2022 was the 6th hottest year on record as climate change
    continues to impact the Great Lakes region.
        ELPC issued a report in June 2022 focused on the threats to people,
    communities and businesses from high Lake Michigan water and wave
    levels: Rising Waters: Climate Change Impacts and Toxic Risks to Lake
    Michigan's Shoreline Communities. Using NOAA's Enhanced Digital
    Elevation Model data, this report visualizes the extent and severity of
    inundation at 12 hot spots along Lake Michigan's shoreline and
    surrounding areas due to extreme weather events of the scale expected
    in the near future. This report points to opportunities for the GLRI
    and other programs to invest in projects that will enhance coastal
    protection and resilience, and flood control.
        Climate change impacts on the Great Lakes also exacerbate the
    growing problem of agricultural runoff pollution--mostly fertilizers
    and manure--that is the principal cause of severe recurring toxic algal
    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 flowing into western Lake
    Erie.
        The current 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 Great Lakes. The nutrient pollution threats from CAFOs to the Great
    Lakes region, including those in the Maumee River flowing into Lake
    Erie, continue and are exacerbated by changing rainfall patterns. GLRI
    funds could be used to support wetlands restoration to more effectively
    capture phosphorous, and water testing and monitoring to identify
    effective approaches to reducing agricultural runoff pollution. A more
    robust GLRI will continue to be an important source of solutions to
    address this urgent problem.
        In conclusion, the Environmental Law & Policy Center and I commend
    the Senate Appropriations Committee and this subcommittee's strong
    support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with each year's
    budget. GLRI is a successful program and a model for federal, State and
    local cooperation. We urge the Committee to fully fund the program with
    at least the authorized $425 million for FY 2024 and, also, to consider
    additional funding.

        [This statement was submitted by Howard Learner, Executive
    Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
    1.  Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Operations of
            Indian Programs

       a. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Rights Protection
                Implementation (RPI) No less than the $49,542,000 proposed
                for FY 2024 and a proportionate share for Great Lakes Area
                Resource Management.

       b. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Tribal Management/Development
                Program (TM/DP): At least the $18,658,000 proposed for FY
                2024 and the TM/DP requests of GLIFWC's member Tribes.

       c. Trust-Natural Resources Management, Fish/Wildlife/Parks Program:
                At least $24,935,000 the amount proposed for FY 2024.

        Funding Authorizations: Snyder Act, 25 U.S.C. s. 13; Indian Self-
    Determination and Education Assistance Act, (Public Law 93-638), 25
    U.S.C. ss. 450f and 450h; and the treaties between the United States
    and GLIFWC's member Ojibwe Tribes.\1\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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. Environmental Protection Agency

       a. Environmental Programs and Management, Geographic Programs, Great
                Lakes Restoration: At least $368,154,000, including no less
                than $20,900,000 for the Distinct Tribal Program (DTP).

       b. State and Tribal Assistance Grants, Categorical Grants, Tribal
                General Assistance Program: At least $85,009,000, the
                amount proposed in FY 2024.

        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.
                  glifwc's fy 2024 funding request highlights
    1.  Should Congress provide an increase to the RPI line item, GLIFWC's
            top funding priority would be to adjust the overall grades/
            steps of current and incoming employees. With the increase
            provided in FY 2023, GLIFWC was able to match the FY 2023 GS
            scale, however GLIFWC is still unable to compensate its
            employees at rates similar to their State and Federal
            counterparts, and this is hindering its ability to attract
            candidates for open positions. GLIFWC was recently unable to
            fill 17% of its conservation officer force due to this pay
            discrepancy. Annual RPI increases are needed to keep pace with
            the Federal scale so that no such shortfall occurs again.

    2.  Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding of no less than
            $368,154,000, as proposed in FY 2024, with an increase to the
            Distinct Tribal Program (DTP) to at least $20,900,000, the
            amount EPA has committed to provide in FY 2023.

    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 11 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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. GLIFWC's
    FY 2024 funding request includes two main elements:

    1.  BIA Rights Protection Implementation/Great Lakes Area Management
            (Within the RPI Line Item):

        No less than $49,542,000, the amount proposed in the
    Administration's FY 2024 budget. The five treaty commissions have
    estimated the cost of full implementation of the court orders governing
    their treaty-reserved rights at, collectively, no less than
    $66,000,000. The overall FY 2023 increase of $3,513,000 is greatly
    appreciated. GLIFWC continues to support allocating increases to the
    RPI line item among the treaty commissions in the historically
    proportionate amounts, regardless of additional directed funding. As we
    stated in our testimony before this subcommittee last year, GLIFWC's
    top priority with any increase to RPI funding was to compensate its
    employees at a rate commensurate with colleagues in other agencies.
    With the FY 2023 increase, GLIFWC was able to adjust its pay to the FY
    2023 pay scale. However, the funding discrepancy is still significant.
    GLIFWC estimates that it would need an increase of approximately
    $963,000 to fully adjust its compensation structure.
        There is a long history of Federal funding for treaty rights
    protection and implementation programs. For more than thirty years,
    Congress and each Administration have appropriated funding for these
    programs. GLIFWC has testified about the fact that the need is
    consistently greater than RPI funding, and the impacts that
    underfunding has on treaty rights programs. The Federal Government, as
    a treaty signatory, is required to uphold treaty rights. It has
    appropriately chosen to invest in our programs as efficient, cost-
    effective service delivery mechanisms at the governmental level most
    appropriate to most effectively implement Federal court orders and to
    protect and restore the natural resources on which the treaty rights
    are based. GLIFWC continues to support allocating any increase to the
    RPI line item among the treaty commissions in the historically
    proportionate amounts.
        GLIFWC's holistic approach to protecting treaty rights and the
    natural resources that support them requires that we undertake a
    variety of activities that promote Tribal lifeways and inform natural
    resource management activities. These include scientific, technical and
    policy analyses, promotion of healthy foods, and language
    revitalization. To this end, maximum flexibility should be provided to
    GLIFWC and its Tribes to define for themselves the science and research
    activities best suited to the needs of their member Tribes and the
    particular issues within their region.

    2.  EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: $368,154,000. Distinct
            Tribal Program (DTP): $20,900,000.

        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 $368,154,000 proposed in FY 2024.
        GLIFWC continues to appreciate the directive that EPA should follow
    the guidance in House Report 117-83, which directs the EPA and other
    Federal agencies to fund Tribal activities at not less than $15
    million. The DTP has proven to be a successful program, and an
    increasing number of Tribes are participating. This is in part because
    the EPA and the BIA have proven to be engaged and cooperative partners
    with Tribes throughout the implementation of the DTP. However, the DTP
    should include some insurance of predictability when overall GLRI
    funding changes. We ask that Congress provide direction to the EPA to
    direct no less than 5% of total GLRI funding to the DTP, never to fall
    below the $15 million base.
                   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 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.

        [This statement was submitted by James G. Thannum, Acting Executive
    Administrator.]
                                     ______

                       Prepared Statement of GreenLatinos
        As an organization engaging in Federal public lands issues since
    2013, GreenLatinos in partnership with our 802 members throughout the
    United States and its territories, including ECODiversity and the
    Latino Heritage Sites Action Network, appreciate the opportunity to
    provide comments on the proposed FY 2024 Department of Interior (DOI)
    and National Park Service (NPS) budget.
        The Department of Interior is a critical agency charged with the
    stewardship of some of the United States' most critical cultural and
    environmental resources including over 480 million acres of lands. We
    expect that all agencies within DOI, especially the Park Service and
    Bureau of Land Management which administer public lands significant to
    Hispanic and Latino cultures and histories, are accountable to the
    various executive orders and agency memorandums intending to establish
    increasingly equitable outcomes for underserved communities, including
    but not limited to:

      --Executive Order 13171--Hispanic Employment in the Federal
            Government--Recognizes that Hispanics are underrepresented in
            the Federal workforce and directs deal agencies to maintain
            programs for the recruitment and career development of
            Hispanics in Federal employment.

      --Executive Order 13985--Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
            Underserved Communities Through the Government: Directs Federal
            agencies to assess whether and to what extent their programs
            perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for
            people of color and other underserved groups

      --Executive Order 14045--Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence,
            and Economic Opportunities for Hispanics: Directs agencies to
            design plans and measurable actions to advance educational
            equity and economic opportunity for Hispanic and Latino
            communities.

      --Executive Order 13583--Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide
            Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal
            Workforce: Directs executive departments and agencies to
            develop and implement a more comprehensive, integrated, and
            strategic focus on diversity and inclusion as a key component
            of their human resources strategies.

      --Executive Order 11478--Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal
            Government: Prohibits discrimination in employment because of
            race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or age;
            promotes the full realization of equal employment opportunity
            through a continuing affirmative program in each executive
            department and agency.

      --Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our
            National Parks, National Forests, Marine Protected Areas, and
            other Public Lands and Waters--Expands on Executive Order 13985
            to further direct agencies to pursue additional efforts to
            create and maintain a diverse and inclusive Federal workforce.

      --Department of Interior Secretary Order 3406--Creates a Diversity,
            Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Council that will
            ensure that the Department prioritizes action on the
            advancement of DEIA and further its implementation of the DEIA
            executive orders.

        We appreciate the overall commitment in the proposed FY 2024 budget
    towards improving the quality of equitable outcomes for the Department
    of Interior's workforce and managed lands such as highlighting the need
    for racial justice and the ``inclusion of underserved communities''. To
    further support these goals, GreenLatinos has identified three areas
    for improvement regarding the proposed FY 2024 budget:

        1) Advancing equitable hiring practices and removing barriers to
    career pathways within DOI and its umbrella agencies to ensure fair and
    equitable representation of Hispanics and Latinos in employment through
    the Federal Government.

        2) Ensuring adequate funding for the maintenance of existing Latino
    Heritage sites and public lands in close proximity to communities of
    color and;

        3) Ensuring accurate and equitable representation of Hispanic and
    Latino histories at conservation and recreation sites under DOI
    jurisdiction.
     advancing equitable hiring practices and removing barriers to career
       pathways within doi and its umbrella agencies to ensure fair and
                            equitable representation
        We support DOI's increased funding to expand the total number of
    full-time equivalent staff (FTEs) up to 1,369 FTEs through 2023. A
    fully-staffed workforce is essential to successfully meet the Nation's
    environmental goals, yet at the end of 2020, Interior's staffing was at
    a 10-year low, with 60,558 FTE (OS-10). Although progress has been made
    on the aforementioned commitments to diversity DOI's workforce
    composition, much work is needed to ensure this projected expansion
    includes Latinos and other members of underserved communities. For
    example, a 2021 DOI assessment of workplace composition further
    revealed that:

      --26.2 percent of the total DOI workforce in FY 2021 was identified
            of race and ethnicity categories other than ``White'' or ``Not
            Identified.''' In comparison, the Civilian Labor (CLF)
            benchmark from 2014 to 2018 was 32.5 percent

      --6 of 11 bureaus fall below the DOI average of 26.2 percent for
            workforce representation from race and ethnicity categories
            other than ``White'' or ``Not Identified'' in FY 2021

      --65.7 percent of the promotions in 2021 were issued to employees in
            the category ``White"

      --Of the 887,383 applications received for DOI job opportunities that
            were audited in FY 2021, 78.4 percent of the applicants were
            ``White"

      --81.6 percent of selected applicants in FY 2021 were ``White"

        As such, we are supportive of the $20+ million dedicated to
    advancing DEIA initiatives within DOI and its umbrella agencies.
    Congress must support the Biden Administration's proposed budget
    allocations to ensure timely advancement and adequate resourcing of
    these efforts. Moreover, successful implementation will also support
    eliminating barriers to access for underrepresented communities.
    Specifically, we support the following allocations in the proposed FY
    2024 budget:

      --increase of $11.1 million as part of a Department Wide Diversity,
            Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiative

      --increase includes $3.2 million to address resourcing and compliance
            gaps identified by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
            (EEOC) .

      --increase of $7.0 million for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion,
            and Civil Rights; Office of Human Capital; and Office of
            Collaborative Alternative Dispute Resolution.
    ensure adequate funding for the maintenance of existing latino heritage
       sites and public lands in close proximity to communities of color
        We are supportive of the increase of $266.3 million for operational
    capacity and visitor services for the public. We hope this increased
    funding can support visitor services and the backlog of maintenance for
    Latino-serving sites under DOI's jurisdiction such as Cesar Chavez
    National Monument, etc. Towards this end, we also support the proposed
    $3 million allocation to support start-up costs for sites recently
    added to the National Park System, in particular the $250,000 for the
    Blackwell School National Historic Monument (NPS Overview-7). We also
    support the $8.2 million for new and critical responsibilities at parks
    and offices (NPS Overview-8), in particular the $215,000 for Cesar
    Chavez National Monument for interpretation and education capacity.
    (NPS Overview-9,12)
     ensuring accurate and equitable representation of hispanic and latino
                 histories at conservation and recreation sites
        The FY24 National Park Service appropriations for National
    Recreation and Preservation programs, and the Historic Preservation
    Fund indicate specific program funding related to African American,
    Japanese American, Indigenous American, and Native Hawaiian histories
    and cultural resources including but not limited to historic sites,
    landscapes, ecosystems, parks and rivers. We celebrate and commend the
    Park Service's work to elevate the stories of underserved communities
    but we are struck by what past NPS budgets have meant for the minority
    groups that are not explicitly identified from the Historic
    Preservation Fund, National Recreation and Preservation, and other
    program appropriation. At worst, the exclusion of other racial and
    ethnic groups of color makes a Statement that those who are excluded do
    not matter. Hispanic and Latino Americans, Middle-Eastern Americans,
    and Alaska Natives have been excluded from meaningful investments in
    the Historic Preservation Fund and the National Recreation and
    Preservation appropriations year after year during the Biden
    Administration.
        Despite the robust framework of policy direction, Latinos,
    communities of color, and other underrepresented identity groups such
    as the LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other
    communities are not currently equitably represented in lands managed by
    DOI and its umbrella agencies. For example, less than eight percent of
    designated landmarks specifically represent the stories of Native
    Americans, African Americans, American Latinos, Asian Americans, women
    and other underrepresented groups.
        Specifically regarding Latino history, the National Park Foundation
    reports that only 24 of the more than 400 National Park units
    specifically preserve Latino/a/x history; most represent the history of
    Spanish colonization rather than recognizing contemporary history and
    the multitude of Latino cultures. Moreover, there are 190 Latino
    Heritage Sites out of the nearly 96,000 sites in the National Historic
    Register that are managed by the National Park Service and many are
    tied to Spanish colonial or military history such as the Cabrillo
    National Monument (CA), Old Spanish National Historic Trail (NV), San
    Antonio Missions National Historical Park (TX), and San Juan National
    Historic Site (PR). Additionally, while States like California, New
    Mexico, and Texas have many sites, other States with significant Latino
    populations have much less Latino Heritage Sites such as Illinois, New
    York, and New Mexico. Other States do not have any Latino Heritage
    Sites at all such as Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
        Additionally, we were dismayed to see that land acquisition for the
    National Park Service was reduced by nearly $30 million. While the Land
    and Water Conservation Fund and Great American Outdoors Act have
    provided much-needed additional funding for various park and site
    protections, Congress must ensure land acquisition funding is increased
    in order to reach the long-term goals set through the America The
    Beautiful Initiative. Increased land acquisition funding will also
    support DOI's goals of expanding the equitable representation of
    various historically marginalized communities in conservation and
    recreation site designations.
            establish funding specifically for latino heritage sites
        As is, the NPS budget does not meet its declared intention to fund
    ``new and critical responsibilities at parks preserving the stories of
    underrepresented communities and for interpretive projects that tell
    these stories''. We recommend a one-time allocation of funds in the
    FY2024 budget to allow the Department of Interior, in close
    collaboration with agency staff and conservation, historical, and
    community experts to conduct a national systematic review of existing
    parks, recreation areas, and historic sites to identify areas to
    include Latino and Hispanic history where appropriate, including
    potential sites for new Federal protections.
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide our recommendations. For
    any questions or clarifications please reach out to Pedro Hernandez at
    pedrohernandez@greenlatinos.org.

        [This statement was submitted by Pedro Hernandez, Public Lands
    Advocate, GreenLatinos.]
                                     ______

                Prepared Statement of Historic Preservation Fund
               fiscal year 2024 historic preservation fund (hpf)
                          apportionment total request:
    $70 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs)

    $40 million for the Save America's Treasures grant program

    $34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs)

    $28 million for the African American Civil Rights grant program

    $17 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant program

    $13 million Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) grant
    program

    $11 million for the Semiquincentennial grant program

    $7 million for the History of Equal Rights grant program

    $5 million for the Underrepresented Community grant program

        Funded through withdrawals from the Historic Preservation Fund (16
    USC 470h), U. S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service.
                unique and successful federal-state partnership
        Understanding the importance of our National heritage, in 1966
    Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA, Title 54
    U.S.C. 300101 et seq), which established historic preservation as a
    national priority, particularly in the face of widespread loss of
    historic buildings and places that represent the American identity in
    communities throughout the country. Recognizing that State officials
    have local expertise and knowledge with the ability to work most
    directly with and for constituents, 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 to fulfill this vital national priority through a
    remarkably successful exercise in federalism.
        Federal NHPA 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.
        Ten years later in 1976, Congress established the Historic
    Preservation Fund (HPF) to assist the States in accomplishing this
    federally delegated work. Congress at that time opted to fund the HPF
    from outer-continental shelf lease revenues (rather than tax dollars),
    based on an initial premise that the depletion of one non-renewable
    resource could be used to help preserve another non-renewable
    resource--our heritage. The States also contribute to the current
    funding mechanism, matching at least 40 percent of the Federal HPF
    funding they receive.
                           saving america's heritage
        The foundational step in preserving and protecting America's
    heritage is to identify it--through the survey, documentation,
    stewardship and sharing of historic place data. Adequate funding is
    essential for SHPOs to do this work in a way that takes advantage of
    and reflects advances in technology. Recent shortfalls in funding mean
    that many States must continue to rely upon outdated paper records and
    inefficient manual processes. Having accurate, up-to-date, and
    digitally accessible information about our Nation's historic resources
    dramatically increases the efficiency of project consultation as well
    as builds a permanent record of our Nation's physical heritage. From
    decisions on the design of local infill development, to state
    transportation planning projects, to Federal large-scale energy
    projects and disaster recovery efforts--every single project that could
    impact historic places, and by extension, the American people, benefit
    from enhanced and accessible historic resource maps and databases.
        Once identified and documented, America's historic resources are
    primarily recognized at the local, State, and national levels by
    listing on both the National Register as well as State and local
    historic registers with varying degrees of protection, consideration,
    and recognition. SHPOs, through the authority of the NHPA assist,
    support, and encourage communities with their preservation efforts and
    are the gateway to listing on 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 as well as provides incentives for the further preservation of
    these irreplaceable places, often through public-private partnerships.
        Allow me to underscore that 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. Rather, the program, through the States and
    SHPOs, provides individual Americans and communities, together with
    local, State, and Federal Governments with the tools they need to
    identify, preserve, and utilize the historic assets of importance to
    them. SHPOs are constituent-oriented and constituent-focused, and
    working closely and cooperatively with individual Americans to preserve
    historic places across the Nation is a fundamental role.
        Directing $70 million for FY 2024 to SHPO offices will provide much
    needed operational funding to aid in increased capacity and efficiency
    to maximize constituent assistance and responsiveness. Specifically,
    with the recent $500 billion in new Federal infrastructure spending,
    SHPOs are in dire need of resources to operate programs as they
    continue to fulfill responsibilities to review and comment on
    increasing numbers of Federal undertakings under NHPA. Likewise, Tribal
    Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs) assume many of the
    responsibilities of the SHPO on their respective Tribal lands. The
    number of THPOs continues to increase annually, requiring funding to
    keep pace with expanding needs. With over 200 THPOs in place, funding
    of $34 million for THPO offices is necessary to prevent a decrease in
    the average THPO grant.
        HPF funds also support competitive grant programs aimed at
    protecting and promoting the Nation's historic and cultural resources,
    while furthering efforts to tell the full scope of America's history
    through recognition and preservation of our irreplaceable historic
    places. As such, NCSHPO encourages HPF funding of $40 million for the
    Save America's Treasures grant program; $28 million for the African
    American Civil Rights grant program; $17 million for the Paul Bruhn
    Historic Revitalization grant program to support historic preservation
    in rural communities; $13 million to assist in the preservation and
    rehabilitation of buildings on the campuses of Historically Black
    Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); $11 million to support the
    Semiquincentennial grant program to commemorate the Nation's 250th
    anniversary; $7 million for the History of Equal Rights grant program;
    and $5 million for competitive grants to identify, recognize and
    preserve the sites and stories related to Underrepresented Communities.
        The FY23 omnibus spending level for the HPF in the amount of $204.5
    million underscores Congresses commitment to the need of having
    appropriate funds to protect and promote our historic and cultural
    assets. This historic allocation exceeded the previously authorized
    level for the HPF of $150 million, a sum that has gone unchanged since
    the program's inception five decades ago.
             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 positively
    combatting the effects of blight and vacancy through respectful
    repurposing of existing historic building stock, historic preservation
    is frequently a catalyst for positive community change--resulting in
    dynamic destinations for visitors and residents alike. Further,
    preservation incentives and programs foster affordable housing and
    solutions to the challenge of climate change.
        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.
    Throughout the program's history, the HTC has driven completion of
    nearly 48,000 individual projects since 1976, and leveraged over
    $122.90 billion in private investment nationwide, and created 192,314
    low and moderate income housing units\1\. On average, the HTC leverages
    $5 dollars in private investment for every $1 dollar in Federal
    funding, cultivating highly effective public-private partnerships and
    community focused re-investment. 39 States currently offer a historic
    tax credit program\2\, including my own state of North Carolina. State
    tax credit programs complement the Federal HTC program incentives and
    provide additional opportunities for community revitalization and
    saving historic places for the use and enjoyment of future generations
    of Americans.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ 2023. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior,
    Technical Preservation Services. Federal Tax Incentives for
    Rehabilitating Historic Buildings--Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022.
        \2\ 2022. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Preservation &
    State Historic Tax Credits.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        As an example of return on the Federal HPF investment in my own
    state of North Carolina, the modest Federal funding provided to our
    office of less than $1.5 million in the last fiscal year helped our
    professional staff to facilitate in that 1 year approximately $200
    million of historic tax credit-fueled private investment in historic
    buildings, which employs local workers at the construction and post-
    rehab stage, brought about local construction material spending,
    generated new sources of local, State, and Federal tax revenue, and
    enhanced community pride through the renewal of historic building stock
    for a new generation of productive use.
        Historic preservation also stimulates economic development through
    heritage tourism. SHPOs are essential local partners in identifying and
    interpreting the historic places that attract and inspire 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 likewise lead
    to job creation, new business development and strong community
    identity.
              state historic preservation offices' accomplishments
        The HPF has facilitated nearly 100,000 listings to the National
    Register, with over 1.9 million contributing resources, 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
    Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, which has generated
    more than $39.4 billion in Federal tax revenue from historic
    rehabilitation projects from inception through FY 20202. In FY 2021,
    HPF funding also enabled SHPOs to review 124,300 Federal undertakings,
    and in so doing, aid in a conscientious public consideration of how to
    balance two fundamental needs--public investments for the future and
    preservation of America's historic places.
        Many SHPOs have also made extensive use of HPF grant programs that
    are intended to make sure that a wide variety of historic places are
    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 2022 award through this program will survey and nominate
    to the National Register extant Green Book properties, as examples of
    Black entrepreneurship during the difficult segregation era. 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 update the existing National Register
    listing for the home to capture its Civil Rights significance. A
    current American Battlefield Protection Program planning grant is
    providing needed funding to study the combat role of US Colored Troops
    in North Carolina with an eye to strategizing battlefield preservation
    priorities in the future.
                                   conclusion
        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. The national network of State Historic
    Preservation Offices, employing public history professionals in service
    to American citizens, helps 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 federalism partnership, SHPOs remain committed to working
    together to identify, protect, and maintain our Nation's heritage and
    in doing so, provide Americans with a strong sense of orientation
    towards our common history.
        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.

        [This statement was submitted by Ramona Bartos, President, National
    Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers.]
                                     ______

                      Prepared Statement of the Hopi Tribe
        Greetings Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of
    the subcommittee on Interior, Environment, & Related Agencies. My name
    is Timothy Nuvangyaoma and I have the honor of serving as Chairman of
    the Hopi Tribe (``Tribe''). The Hopi Reservation, located in the
    northeast corner of Arizona, includes more than 1.5 million acres. The
    Tribe has over 14,000 enrolled Tribal members, over half of whom reside
    in the Reservation's 12 villages. The residents of the Reservation
    suffer from a 60% unemployment rate due, in part, to the lack of
    economic development opportunities caused by the remote and landlocked
    nature of the Reservation.
        I would like to begin my testimony by thanking the subcommittee for
    fully funding the new Hopi Detention Center (``HDC''). As you may
    recall, in December 2016, the Hopi Tribe declared a State of emergency
    following the abrupt condemnation and closure of the previous detention
    center by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (``BIA''). The subcommittee was
    integral in appropriating funding for the HDC, as well as conducting
    oversight as there were constant delays with the project. The Tribe is
    now pleased to report that construction on the Hopi Detention Center is
    nearly 50 percent complete.
        With construction of the HDC well underway, the Tribe is now
    focused on securing funding for the proposed Hopi Justice Complex (``A
    New House''). Since the HDC design does not provide for an integrated
    comprehensive justice complex and services, the Tribe needs funding for
    facilities that would house the Trial, Appellate, Wellness, and Traffic
    Courts; Probation; Security; and Administration.
        The need for the A New House project is outlined in the 2020 Hopi
    Judicial Commission Annual Report and Findings, as well as the 2022
    Tribal Court Assessment, which was conducted by the BIA's Tribal
    Justice Support Division. Collectively, these reports found that
    critical capital improvements are needed to renovate or construct a
    comprehensive service Judicial Complex, and that an inspection needs to
    be undertaken by a trained environmental hazard expert to determine if
    the current facility must be abandoned.
        President Biden's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 calls on Congress to
    provide $75.3 million for Public Safety & Justice (``PS&J'')
    Construction, an increase of $23.7 million over the FY 2023 enacted
    level. Managed by the BIA Division of Management and Construction
    (``DFMC''), PS&J Construction supports law enforcement, detention, and
    court facility replacement, improvements, and repairs, employee housing
    construction, fire safety improvements and repairs, and other various
    programs that support the mission of the BIA Office of Justice Services
    (``OJS'').
        Within the proposed $75.3 million for PS&J Construction is $48.5
    million for Facilities Replacement/New Construction, an increase of $15
    million over the FY 2023 enacted level; and $15.8 million for
    Facilities Improvement & Repair, an increase of $6 million over the FY
    2023 enacted level. The Hopi Tribe strongly supports these proposed
    increases in funding and urges the subcommittee to substantially
    increase funding for PS&J Construction.
        The Hopi Tribe thanks the subcommittee for the opportunity to
    provide testimony on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

        [This statement was submitted by Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Chairman of
    the Hopi Tribe.]
                                     ______

               Prepared Statement of Hoopa Valley Tribal Council
        On behalf of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council and our citizens, it
    is an honor to provide our funding priorities and recommendations for
    the FY2024 Budgets for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Indian
    Health Service (IHS), and Related agencies. First, we strongly urge
    this Committee to protect the Federal trust and treaty obligations as
    you consider Tribal program funding for FY 2024. While the United
    States has yet to fully live up to the promises it has made to Tribal
    nations, the Hoopa Valley Tribe (``Tribe'') continues to pursue our
    goals in building a strong and prosperous economy and providing
    necessary public services to our citizens. Second, the Tribe is one of
    the initial Tribes to enter into a Compact of Self-Governance with the
    United States in both the Departments of the Interior and Health and
    Human Services. We have had great success in implementing Tribal Self-
    Governance, but we are still woefully underfunded in many of our
    critical programs, services, functions and activities. The following
    summarizes our priority funding requests and justifications.

    I. Hoopa Valley Tribe Specific Requests

      1. $800,000 Increase--Law Enforcement--Special Agents in Charge--BIA
      2. $740,000--Hoopa Office of Emergency Services (OES)--BIA
      3. $750,000--Social Services/Indian Child Welfare Act--BIA
      4. $160,000--Forestry--BIA
      5. $1.25 million Base Funding Increase--Wildland Fire--BIA
      6. $750,000 Increase--Fisheries--BOR and Related Agencies
      7. $750,000--Irrigation--BIA
      8. $900,000 Annual Allocation--Hoopa Valley Public Utility District
        (Operation/Maintenance)--IHS
      9. $3.6 million Increase--Clinic Staffing, Recruitment & Retention
        (Human Resources)--IHS
      10. $760,000--Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance)--IHS

        Support National and Regional FY 2024 Budget Requests and
    Recommendations for the BIA and IHS--by the National Congress of
    American Indians, National Indian Health Board, National Indian
    Education Association, and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

    II. Background on the Hoopa Valley Tribe

        The Tribe is located in northeast Humboldt County, California along
    the Trinity River, approximately fifty-nine miles east of Eureka and
    272 miles north of Sacramento. The Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
    (Reservation) is approximately 89,400 acres of forest and mountain land
    ranging in elevation from 320 to 5,000 feet.

    III. Hoopa Valley Tribe Specific Requests/Justifications

    1. $800,000 Increase--Law Enforcement--Police Officers and Special
    Agents in Charge (SACs)--BIA

        The Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department (HVTPD) was officially
    formed in 1984. In November 2016, the Department of Justice consented
    to the Tribe's request for reassumption of concurrent Federal criminal
    jurisdiction over the Indian Country of the Tribe. To allow all Tribal,
    Federal and State partners involved sufficient time to establish
    appropriate guidelines and procedures to effectuate concurrent Federal
    jurisdiction in the Tribe's jurisdiction, the Tribe subsequently
    entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Attorney for
    the Northern District of California, the District Attorney for the
    County of Humboldt and the Sheriff of the County of Humboldt.
        Since that time, the HVTPD has provided enforcement at all three
    levels of authority, with inadequate and minimal funding provided from
    BIA. As a result, HVTPD has been unable to meet the BIA's assessment of
    the Department, which identified a need for 15 officers to function
    properly. Presently, HVTPD has seven full-time officers. The costs of
    hiring, training and outfitting an officer is on average $100,000/
    officer. To meet this shortfall and hire the necessary officer, the
    Tribe is requesting an increase in BIA Law Enforcement funding. Further
    the need for additional BIA Special Agents in Charge (SAC) is for more
    than on-the-ground response. We need BIA support for processing Special
    Law Enforcement Commissions (SLEC) applications, assisting with officer
    training and other administrative matters. California is a big State
    and deserves at least 3 SACs.

    2. $740,000--Hoopa Office of Emergency Services (OES)--BIA

        OES is a Tribal emergency management program established in 2011 to
    develop and implement emergency management plans and programs for the
    Tribe. OES is responsible for coordinating emergency management
    activities, including planning, training, and response operations, and
    for working closely with Tribal, State, and Federal partners to ensure
    effective emergency response and recovery. OES provides a service to
    all community members, both Tribal members and non-Tribal members. The
    program is a critical service that plays a vital role in the safety and
    well-being of the entire Hoopa Valley community. Unlike State and local
    county emergency management programs, Tribal emergency management
    programs do not have annual funding s or compact agreements. Emergency
    management and response is particularly challenging due to the remote
    and rugged terrain. Therefore, the requested funding will assist with
    operations, will enable OES to have more control over the emergency
    management resources available to the Tribe, and to better meet the
    needs of the Tribal community in emergency situations.

    3. $750,000--Social Services/Indian Child Welfare Act--BIA

        The Tribe receives inadequate funding to properly administer
    services to our abused and neglected elders, dependent adults and
    children. These disparities include inadequate funding for Indian Child
    Welfare Act (ICWA) cases. The Tribe has the second largest ICWA
    caseload in the State of California. There is no funding for ICWA
    attorneys and only enough funds for one ICWA social worker (whereas our
    caseload dictates the need for 3 to 5 case managers). Further, there is
    no funding support for our at-risk youth. The requested funding will be
    used to address these shortfalls including prevention activities to
    address drug, alcohol, violence and abuse.

    4. $160,000--Forestry--BIA

        The Forestry Department (Forestry) receives compact funding which
    has averaged $849,013 over the last 6 years. In 2017, the payment was
    $812,325; however, these funds were underpaid, and the funding has not
    increased for well over a decade. In 2008, the end of the Timber
    Harvest Initiative funds had a detrimental impact on Forestry's ability
    to cover wages for personnel and Arch and Geological surveys producing
    required NEPA documentation. As a result, the continued lack of funding
    and uncertainly of funding is negatively impacting our workforce
    retention and operations. Separately, we have experienced delays in
    processing of timber sale contracts and timber sales payments from the
    BIA. This is very troubling and has placed additional burden on
    existing staff. It is crucial for the Department's to receive
    reimbursements from the BIA in a timely manner.

    5. $1.25M Base Funding Increase--Wildland Fire--BIA

        The Hoopa Valley Tribe Self-Governance base amount for Wildland
    Fire preparedness has not increased for 24 years. The Hoopa Valley
    Tribe is one of two Tribes within the Pacific Region that took
    advantage of the 1999 opportunity to dedicate their staff and resources
    to complete the only approved Fire Management Planning Analysis (FMP).
    This enabled the Tribes to receive updated funding for their operation
    of BIA wildland fire programs. Now in 2023, Hoopa is still one of two
    Tribes to meet the 90 International Association of Machinists and
    Aerospace Workers (IAM) Chapter 3 Wildland Fire Management Preparedness
    policy combined with a legitimate approved method of funding needs
    analysis. In the face of a very real and probable risk of catastrophic
    wildland fire, there is a life and death need for the Tribe to have a
    base funding increase of $1.25 million for wildland fire preparedness.
    Timely reimbursements are critically needed. The delay is resulting in
    detrimental and negative impacts.

    6. $750,000 Increase--Fisheries--BOR and Related Agencies

        The Fisheries Department (Fisheries) is charged with the health and
    safety of the Trinity River, the fish, and water quality. Fisheries
    emphasizes the United States trust responsibility in defending and
    protecting the Trinity River which holds cultural, historical, and
    sacred significance to our people. Fisheries requires funding to assist
    with the hiring and retention of specialized personnel; equipment;
    operational, maintenance, and legal expenses; and the renovation of a
    conservation hatchery project.

    7. $750,000--Irrigation--BIA

        The Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD) is a duly
    chartered entity of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. Per the Charter and By-Laws
    of HVPUD, the District is responsible for maintaining and managing the
    irrigation system within the Reservation. Per the Self-Governance
    Compact and Funding Agreement with the BIA, the HVPUD receives $47,416
    on an annual basis to operate and manage Hoopa's entire irrigation
    infrastructure. This amount has remained the same since the early
    1990's. The cost to operate and maintain the irrigation system greatly
    outweighs the funding that is received. These expenses include
    staffing, fuel, parts, pumping costs, repair and replacement from
    normal wear and tear, repair due to vandalism and damage, heavy
    equipment costs, etc. HVPUD has spent more than its annual funding
    allocation trying to remedy the irrigation pumping issue. HVPUD
    requires an increased annual allocation for the irrigation funding
    provided in the BIA Self-Governance Funding Agreement.

    8. $900,000 Annual Allocation--Hoopa Valley Public Utility District
    (Operation/Maintenance)--IHS

        The HVPUD provides critical health and safety related services to
    the residents of the Reservation, including safe drinking water,
    irrigation services, fire flow, sanitation facilities (water and septic
    installation) and solid waste management. In addition, HVPUD
    facilitates the broadband and energy related projects on behalf of the
    Tribe. For 42 years, HVPUD has provided essential utility services to
    this Tribal community with zero allocated funding to support the
    operation and maintenance of the largest Tribal water utility in the
    State of California.
        The Hoopa Valley wide system (Public Water System #: 0605126)
    consists of 2 water treatment facilities, 20 water storage tanks, 14
    pumping facilities, 13 distribution systems and miles and miles of
    waterlines of various age, make, and size. HVPUD lacks the means to
    adequately cover the operations and maintenance of our public water
    system, which are the functions, duties and labor associated with the
    daily operations and normal repairs, replacement of parts and
    structural components, and other activities needed by a water system to
    preserve its capital assets to continue to provide safe drinking water.
        The IHS has a trust responsibility to provide service to Indians
    including healthcare. Safe drinking is a critical component of having a
    healthy community for hydration, cooking and sanitation uses.

    9. $3.6M Increase- Clinic Staffing, Recruitment & Retention (Human
    Resource)--IHS

        K'ima:w Medical Center (KMC) is a rural ambulatory clinic and
    entity of the Tribe. The expenses for locums to fill critical positions
    has grown exorbitantly. At the height of the COVID- 19 pandemic, KMC
    had over 30 vacancies. In FY2022 alone, KMC had to utilize 8 different
    locum agencies and 27 different locum providers. Staff cover multiple
    duties and roles to carry out health services. Clinical staff, both
    nurses and providers, are currently majority locums/travelers. This has
    led to high salary costs, but also barriers for continuity of care and
    an increased burden on staff who are recruiting, training, and
    orienting new staff members every few months. While third-party revenue
    and grants help cover some operating costs, the resources put into
    recruitment and retention are increasing exponentially, and sadly, we
    aren't even achieving the goal of full permanent staffing. KMC remains
    at a disadvantage when competing with appropriately funded urban
    organizations.

    10. $760,000--Emergency Medical Services (Ambulance)--IHS

        Given the transportation challenges of our rural residents, coupled
    with not having emergency care at our local health facility, ambulance
    services are critical for mitigating harm and saving lives. Our
    ambulance service has been a cornerstone for care within our community
    for two decades. Private ambulance services do not cover rural areas
    because it is not lucrative (less calls and greater distance to
    travel), as is our case. In 2022, KMC Ambulance responded to 1,257
    calls. We rely on unstable funding to subsidize our ambulance
    department, such as Measure Z/O. Although clearly demonstrating how
    vital ambulance services are for our community, KMC does not receive
    the needed HIS funding to support these operational costs.
        I appreciate the opportunity to provide our FY2024 BIA, IHS, and
    related agency budget priorities of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and
    respectfully urge your support of these requests.

        [This statement was submitted by Joe Davis, Chairman, Hoopa Valley
    Tribe.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of Humane Society Legislative Fund and the Humane
                          Society of the United States
        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 2023 appropriations bill.
    We appreciate your continued consideration in Fiscal Year 2024 and urge
    you to address the following requests in the FY24 Department of
    Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget:

      --FWS Big Cat Public Safety Act: report language
      --FWS Office of Law Enforcement: increase of $7.2 million and 29 FTEs
            per President's Budget request
      --FWS trophy hunting reporting: report language
      --FWS Endangered Species Act: exclude policy riders that delist
            species, including grizzly bears and gray wolves
      --FWS Ecological Services Program: $841 million
      --BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: $175 million; implementation of
            nonlethal management strategy addressing the considerations
            detailed below; expeditious action to fill staff vacancies
      --BLM & USFS prohibition on destruction of healthy wild horses and
            burros: bill language per President's Budget request
      --EPA sunsetting mammalian testing: report language

     fish and wildlife service--big cat public safety act implementation &
                           office of law enforcement
        The Big Cat Public Safety Act (Public Law 117-243) was signed into
    law on December 20, 2023. This law revises restrictions on the
    possession and exhibition of big cats, including restrictions on direct
    contact between the public and big cats. Numerous large cat species are
    now subject to seizure and forfeiture when possessed or exhibited
    illegally, the disposition of which will require collaboration with
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Justice, and private
    sector entities to ensure proper placement and care.

        We urge the inclusion of the following report language:

    Big Cat Public Act Implementation.-The Committee is aware of the U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service's additional responsibilities pursuant to the
    enactment of Public Law 117-243. The Committee encourages the Service
    to collaborate with United States Department of Agriculture and the
    Department of Justice and directs the submission of a report within 90
    days of enactment of this act describing staffing and resource needs,
    implementation including reporting violations, and enforcement status
    related to Public Law 117-243.

        We also support and urge inclusion of the President's Budget
    request for an additional $7.2 million and 29 FTEs for Wildlife Law
    Enforcement Capacity to investigate possible violations of, and as
    appropriate enforce, the Big Cat Public Safety Act and other wildlife
    laws. This function is within the Office of Law Enforcement's Law
    Enforcement Operations program, which was funded at $91.2 million in
    FY23.
              fish and wildlife service--trophy hunting reporting
        African elephant and lion numbers have dropped steeply in the last
    decade from poaching, habitat loss, and other threats. Poorly managed
    trophy hunting exacerbates this decline. The Endangered Species Act
    requires that imports of these and other listed species enhance their
    survival. Congress previously directed FWS to reevaluate its trophy-
    import policy to this end, but the agency has not yet done so. It is
    time for FWS to show that importing African elephant and lion trophies
    helps, not harms, the species.

        We therefore urge the inclusion of the following report language:

    Trophy Hunting Reporting.-The Committee reminds the Service of its
    direction in the joint explanatory statement accompanying the Fiscal
    Year 2023 omnibus for the Service to continue to provide updates on
    actions regarding protecting lions, elephants, and other iconic species
    that are hunted for trophies. The Service is directed to provide
    quarterly reports to the Committee on these actions.
      fish and wildlife service--endangered species act implementation &
                          ecological services program
        Maintaining Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for large
    native carnivores such as grizzly bears and gray wolves is vital to the
    long-term, sustainable recovery of these species, to our Nation's
    interest in preventing the loss of vulnerable species, and to
    maintaining healthy ecosystems. Large native carnivores are
    particularly likely to be imperiled. In addition to their direct
    killing by poachers, trophy hunters, and trappers, they face many other
    threats, including loss of habitat and prey species. This is
    exacerbated by the fact that they have long reproductive cycles and
    produce relatively few offspring.
        When Congress passed this landmark law 50 years ago, it did so with
    the intention that decisions under the statute be made on scientific
    grounds. Delisting individual species through legislation undermines a
    system that has successfully prevented 99% of listed species from going
    extinct. It also sets a dangerous precedent that politics may trump
    science, even in the face of extinction. We therefore urge the
    subcommittee to exclude policy riders that delist species, including
    grizzly bears and gray wolves, from the ESA in the FY24 Interior,
    Environment and Related Agencies bill.
        As we prepare to celebrate the ESA's 50th anniversary, we urge
    Congress to make a bold investment to our Nation's most vulnerable
    species by appropriating $841 million to the Ecological Services
    Program to fully implement the Endangered Species Act. Currently, the
    Service only receives around 50% of the funding required to fully
    implement the act. As a result, too many species sit in limbo, or
    receive funding only after declining even closer to extinction, when
    the costs of action are higher or the options for conservation more
    limited. The requested funding level will ensure every listed species
    receives a minimum of $50,000 per year for recovery, allowing the
    Endangered Species Act to be implemented the way Congress originally
    intended.
            bureau of land management--wild horse and burro program
        To maintain the wild horse population in a humane and fiscally
    conservative manner, we, along with our partner stakeholders in the
    Path Forward for Wild Horse and Burro Management, request continued
    support for BLM's implementation of a humane, nonlethal, and effective
    program. We support a funding level of $175 million for the Wild Horse
    and Burro Program, an increase of $27.1 million from the FY23 enacted
    level. We support directives to implement a nonlethal management
    strategy with specific attention on: increasing the use of fertility
    control, including measurable objectives in reducing population growth
    with fertility controls; targeting removals from the most heavily
    ecologically impacted and populated areas; expanding long-term, off-
    range humane holding; developing contingency plans for emergency
    situations to ensure the continuation of proactive management under a
    variety of conditions including extreme drought; and continuing
    adoptions while fully implementing and enforcing existing safeguards,
    including pre-approval of adoption applicants and postadoption
    compliance checks for adopted wild horses and burros. Additionally, we
    request that the agency act expeditiously to fill the high number of
    staff vacancies within the program.
        bureau of land management & u.s. forest service--prohibition on
                 destruction of healthy wild horses and burros
        We strongly support and urge the subcommittee to include as bill
    language text from the President's FY24 request that bars 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 bars any federal, state, or local government that
    receives any wild horse or burro transferred from BLM or USFS from
    doing likewise.
         environmental protection agency--sunsetting mammalian testing
        The EPA has a history of embracing new approach methodologies
    (NAMs) that do not use animals to assess the safety of pesticides and
    industrial chemicals. In 2019, EPA confirmed its commitment to NAMs by
    setting a goal to end reliance on mammalian testing for its regulated
    products by 2035 and achieve a 30% reduction by 2025 (including tests
    commissioned in-house and that businesses must conduct). The Frank R.
    Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Public Law 114-
    182) included statutory language to reduce and ultimately end use of
    animals in toxicity testing for risk assessments of chemicals under the
    Toxic Substances Control Act.
        Non-animal approaches include cell cultures, computer modeling,
    organ-on-a-chip technologies, and other methods that are often faster,
    cheaper and more predictive of human health or environmental risks than
    animal tests. Different animal species and even differing sexes or sub-
    species can respond differently when exposed to the same chemicals. As
    a result, results from animal tests may not be relevant to humans or
    other non-target species, or may under- or over-estimate health
    hazards. NAMs, by contrast, are much more likely to provide relevant
    safety information to protect human health and the environment.
    Finally, because animal testing is time-consuming and expensive, it
    limits the number of chemicals and products that can be tested.
    Thousands of new chemicals are created every year with tens of
    thousands more already in use. Using animal tests to evaluate the human
    and environmental safety of all these chemicals would take decades to
    complete and cost millions of animal lives.

        We therefore urge the inclusion of the following report language:

    Expedite Sunsetting Mammalian Testing.-The Committee recognizes that
    new approach methodologies (NAMs) represent the cutting edge of
    toxicity testing and should be prioritized for use in testing the
    safety of pesticides and industrial chemicals over the use of animals
    and encourages EPA to continue to fund the development of NAMs and
    eliminate animal testing where possible. The Committee reminds the EPA
    that the joint explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 117-328
    directed the agency to publish information regarding NAMs, including
    submissions to the NAMs list that are currently being evaluated and
    those that have been rejected; incorporate specific goals reflecting
    the current regulatory landscape; and outline the necessary steps to
    reduce animal testing and to assess progress in order to end the use of
    mammals in testing and to assess associated progress. U.S. EPA
    Memorandum ``Directive to Prioritize Efforts to Reduce Animal Testing''
    issued on September 10, 2019 outlined that the agency would end the use
    of mammals in testing by 2035; we urge the EPA to expedite this
    timeline.

        [This statement was submitted by Jocelyn Ziemian, Senior
    Legislative Specialist, Humane Society Legislative Fund.]
                                     ______

              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
    Fiscal Year 2024 for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of
    Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Indian
    Health Service (IHS) budgets. We continue to urge Congress to provide
    robust investments in Tribal programs and services to ensure Tribes are
    empowered with the tools and resources needed for effective and
    efficient governmental operations; a critical prerequisite to achieving
    Tribal self-sufficiency.
        Congress can further Tribal Self-Governance and support strong
    Tribal governments, economies, and communities by enacting measures
    that address the structural deficiencies across the Federal system. To
    include, providing mandatory funding for all Tribal programs and
    services, requiring the Administration to submit an annual estimate of
    the total cost to fully fund trust and treaty obligations, break down
    the funding silos and allow funding from all Federal agencies to be
    allocated through Self-Governance compacts and funding agreements,
    provide direct funding to Tribes, increase funding for base and
    recurring programs instead of grant programs, and empower Tribes with
    maximum flexibility to improve programmatic outcomes.

    Tribal Funding Priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, DOI

      1. $712 Millon Operations and Maintenance Funding for the National
            Wildlife Refuge

      2. $100 Million State and Tribal Wildlife Grants

        1. $712 Million--National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Fund--A significant
    investment of at least $712 million in Operations and Maintenance
    funding for the NWR is needed to meet our shared mission and goals and
    to begin to address a range of critical services, including wildlife
    and habitat management, conservation planning, conservation law
    enforcement, infrastructure, maintenance and repairs, and visitor
    services. Encompassing over 850 million acres, the NWR is the largest
    and most diverse network of conservation lands and waters in the world.
    There are 568 NWR across the United States and these lands and waters
    are comprised of critical ecosystems that serve as habitat for hundreds
    of rare, threatened, and endangered species of fish, animals, and
    plants. However, chronic underfunding and understaffing has undermined
    the ability of the FWS to fulfill its core mission.
        Our Tribe has a strong interest in ensuring the health and vitality
    of the NWR ecosystems. The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) is
    part of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's ancestral homelands. Our Tribal
    villages were located along the shoreline and we continue to use and
    inhabit the Dungeness as we have done since time immemorial. Jamestown
    has significant historical, cultural, and spiritual connections to
    these lands and waters and this area is critical to the preservation of
    our oral history, creation stories, language, ceremonies, and culture.
    We have an obligation to protect these lands and waters for our future
    generations which is why we are partnering with the FWS by entering
    into a Co-stewardship Agreement. Tribal Nations have developed
    comprehensive approaches to implementing programs and services at the
    local level using holistic techniques, innovative solutions, and
    partnerships that have proven successful in leveraging the Federal
    dollar to yield a higher return on the investment.
        2. $100 Million--State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program--The
    State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program (STWGP) funds foster strong
    partnerships between Federal, State, and Tribal Governments as well as,
    Private and Non-Profit entities. These partnerships pool resources to
    enable wildlife professionals to implement conservation techniques that
    benefit over 12,000 at risk species. We request that Congress
    appropriate $100 million to support this grant program.

    Tribal Top Three Priorities and Recommendations for the BIA/BIE and
    IHS:

      1. Advanced Appropriations for Tribal Programs and Services

      2. Mandatory Appropriations for Section 105(l) Leases and Contract
            Support Costs

      3. Increase Funding for Tribal Base Budgets

        Advance Appropriations for Tribal Programs and Services--We are
    grateful that Congress enacted Advanced Appropriations for the Indian
    Health Service for FY2024; however, we now urge Congress to make
    Advanced Appropriations for the Indian Health Service permanent and to
    extend advanced appropriations to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the
    Bureau of Indian Education. Providing appropriations 1 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 economies and businesses and increase the quality of care and
    well-being of our Tribal citizens and communities.
        Reclassify Discretionary Spending for Section 105(l) Leases and
    Contract Support Costs (CSC) to Mandatory -Separate, indefinite
    accounts were established to support Section105(l) leases and CSC but
    have resulted in the unintended reduction of funding for critical
    Tribal programs. Funding for 105(l) leases and CSC should be
    reclassified as mandatory funding to prevent programmatic decreases. In
    addition, we urge Congress to take legislative action to clarify its
    intent that space used to provide services within the scope of the
    ISDEAA to any patient is compensable under 105(l). Many Tribes are the
    only healthcare providers in their rural communities and the only ones
    who will accept Medicare and Medicaid patients. Tribes generate third
    party revenue by serving these individuals as authorized under Section
    813 of the IHCIA and this money in turn is used to provide healthcare
    to their own citizens. The IHS, however, has adopted a policy that
    denies compensation to Tribes for the portion of their healthcare
    facility that the agency decides serves non-beneficiaries even though
    Congress authorized such services under Section 813 of the IHCIA.
        Increase Funding for Tribal Base Budgets--Tribal Priority
    Allocations (TPA) and Recurring Programs are consistently identified as
    funding priorities by the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) because
    they provide core funding that supports critical government programs
    and services. Flexibility in the use of funds to support local needs is
    an important aspect of this funding. TPA and Recurring Program funding
    provides security and certainty for Tribes rather than funding provided
    through grant dollars. 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 obligations.

    Tribal Priorities, National & Regional Requests and Recommendations for
    the BIA:

    1. Trust Natural Resources/Treaty Rights/Habitat Restoration/Climate
            Resiliency

      --$60 million BIA Rights Protection Implementation

      --$17.1 million Western Washington Fisheries Management

      --$10 million Wildlife & Parks Program TPA

      --$35 million BIA Climate Resilience

    2. Human Services

      --$70 million Social Services

      --$100 million Welfare Assistance

      --$30 million Indian Child Welfare Act

        $60 million--BIA Rights Protection Implementation--Rights
    Protection Implementation is essential to preserve our Tribal treaty
    rights through resource management activities. The Federal investment
    in our trust natural resources serves two primary purposes: (1) It
    allows us to fulfill our environmental stewardship responsibilities
    through the protection and restoration of the ecosystems and habitats
    of our Tribal homelands and waters through sustainable conservation
    policies and practices; and (2) it fosters Tribal self-sufficiency by
    allowing us to grow our economies and cultivate partnerships with State
    and local governments and other entities. It also allows us to create
    jobs for our Tribal citizens and community members and promotes and
    advances trade of our marine resources in local, regional, national,
    and international markets.
        $17.1 million--Western Washington Fisheries Management--This
    critical funding supports Tribal co-management activities of our treaty
    resources with the State of Washington. 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. 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.
        $15 million--Wildlife and Parks- Aquaculture allows us to
    demonstrate best practices in restoring our waterways, producing more
    seafood to alleviate food insecurity, combining our Tribal ecological
    knowledge with advanced technology in marine science to address
    endangered species concerns, and create economic opportunities while at
    the same time protecting the environment and preserving our cultural
    heritage and traditional practices. This funding supports our hatchery
    operations that harvest salmon, oysters and other fish and shellfish
    stocks. Our Tribal culture and traditions, ceremonies and subsistence
    are dependent on the survival of these species.
        $35 million--BIA Climate Resilience--Climate resilience funding is
    essential to restore ecological functions, healthy habitats, and
    protect our resources. 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.
        $200 million--Human Services/Social Services/Welfare Assistance/
    ICWA--Funding for our social service programs is an investment in our
    most important resources, our elders, our children, and our Tribal
    families. American Indian/Alaska Native children have a unique legal
    status as citizens of Tribal governments and the Indian Child Welfare
    Act (ICWA) provides safeguards to maintain Tribal and family
    connections and relationships. We lead our citizens down the path of
    self-sufficiency by developing their leadership skills, educational
    skills, job skills, and fostering their health and well-being in a
    culturally appropriate way. The return on this investment is measured
    by the increased number of Tribal citizens and descendants entering
    higher education and earning degrees, the composition of our growing
    workforce with over 80% comprised of Tribal citizens, descendants, and
    other Natives, participation in cultural preservation classes that
    instill a sense of pride in our people to create marketable products
    that are sold through the Tribe's retail outlet.

        Tribal Priorities, National and Regional Requests and
    Recommendations for the IHS:

        1. $2.9 billion to Support Current Services

        2. $1 billion for Purchased and Referred Care

        3. $82 million for Behavioral Health Mental and Alcohol and
    Substance Abuse

        $2.9 billion--Support Current Services--The Federal trust
    obligation requires significant investment in Tribal 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.
        $1 billion--Purchased and Referred Care (PRC)--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. PRC funds are extremely
    important to the Portland Area Tribes because the Portland Area lacks
    hospitals and specialty care centers, so Tribes in the Northwest are
    forced to turn to the private sector to fulfill this need.
        $82 million--Behavioral Health Mental and Alcohol and Substance
    Abuse -The Jamestown Healing Clinic will provide a holistic approach to
    treatment for those who suffer from opioid use disorders through the
    provision of wrap-around services, to include, primary care, dental
    services, transportation to and from the clinic, employment, housing,
    and other associated needs.
        The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribes supports the National and Regional
    Tribal Organizations requests for FY 2024. Thank you.

        [This statement was submitted by the Honorable W. Ron Allen, Tribal
    Chairman/CEO, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.]
                                     ______

              Prepared Statement of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians
    Summary of Budget Requests:

    I.  Bureau of Indian Affairs, Trust--Real Estate Services--Increase
            base funding for Tribes whose land base has changed since 1995.

    II.  Bureau of Indian Affairs, Trust--Real Estate Services--Provide
            Real Estate Services funding to support backlogged, inaccurate,
            and expired easements, surveys, and leases

    III. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase
            funding for Criminal Investigation & Policing Services

    IV. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Provide
            additional funding for Detention/Correction Services

    V.  Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase funding
            to expand Tribal access to Fire Protection Services Tribal
            Priority Allocation base funding.

        The Kalispel Tribe of Indians' (``Kalispel'' or ``Tribe'')
    aboriginal territory spanned over 2.3 million acres or about twice the
    size of Delaware. The territory follows the Pend Oreille and Clark Fork
    Rivers throughout present-day northeastern Washington, northern Idaho,
    and western Montana. Today, our Tribe resides on a 4,600-acre
    Reservation located along the Pend Oreille River near Usk in
    northeastern Washington State with an additional area of Reservation in
    Airway Heights.
        These 4,600 acres are essential to who we are as a Tribal Nation.
    These are the lands President Woodrow Wilson designated as our
    Reservation by Executive Order in 1914. This was the substantially
    reduced land base assigned to us after we refused to submit to Isaac
    Stevens' treaty negotiations or demands--first as an Indian agent and
    after as the territorial governor, a testament to the fact that the
    Kalispel people will not be separated from them.
        Since 1991, Kalispel has worked strategically to build a stronger,
    more resilient community with healthy Tribal Members through the
    development of economic opportunities, and the preservation of forests
    and other natural resources. These initiatives have allowed the Tribe
    to expand services for Tribal Members and our neighbors in Usk. The
    Tribe provides health services, natural resources management, fire
    protection, and law enforcement services with very little support from
    the Bureau of Indian Affairs (``BIA'').
        Historically, the Kalispel Tribe has delivered services when the
    Federal Government has failed to deliver. Over the last three decades,
    the BIA has treated the Kalispel Tribe inequitably compared to other
    Tribes in the Northwest. More recently, the BIA Regional Office has
    made changes that negatively impacted the Tribe's access to funding to
    manage and operate Federal programs on the Reservation. Despite the
    lack of funding and services, the Tribe continues to make substantial
    investments in health care services, emergency management, and economic
    development to become a regional leader. If Congress were to increase
    the funding available to Kalispel, the Tribe could continue to support
    our Tribal Member, other Reservation residents needs along with
    regional partners.
        On behalf of the Kalispel Tribe, I appreciate the opportunity and
    respectfully request that the subcommittee strongly consider the
    following funding increases to better support the Kalispel Tribe's
    self-governance and fulfill the Federal Government's trust
    responsibility.

      I. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Trust--Real Estate Services--Increase
            Base Funding for Tribes Whose Land Base Has Changed Since 1995.

        In recent discussions with BIA, we learned that the 1995 value of
    realty services available to Kalispel was $211. The value in Fiscal
    Year 2023 was $231. This funding level is based solely on the total
    number of the Tribe's trust acres in 1995. Since 1995, Kalispel has
    made significant investments to reacquire property, transfer property
    into trust, and protect individual trust landowners. The lack of
    investment in this line has resulted in trespass and right-of-way
    issues across Tribal and trust property including inaccurate easements,
    surveys, and leases of trust property. If trespass issues are not
    addressed by the BIA, Tribal authority and ownership diminish over time
    and the loss of property and lawful access becomes a reality. These
    land defects and trespasses undermine the Tribe's sovereignty.
        The Tribe was served for many years by a BIA Agency which had two
    (2) full time employees dedicated to Realty issues. When the other
    Tribe served by that agency contracted to provide those services
    themselves, the Kalispel Tribe was left with the $211 worth of
    services.
        The Committee should take action to provide an increase in Real
    Estate Services to protect trust property. Further, the Committee
    should direct the BIA to prioritize distribution of those increases to
    Tribes who have expanded their land base, instead of using historical
    bases that do not represent current Tribal landholdings. The BIA's
    current practice enshrines past funding systems that detrimentally
    impacted the Kalispel and will continue to detrimentally impact my
    people.

      II. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase
            Funding for Criminal Investigation & Policing Services

        The Kalispel Tribe directly through their Public Safety Department,
    and through direct contracts, provides law enforcement, fire
    protection, and emergency medical services to residents and businesses
    of the entire Reservation, surrounding communities, and Tribal
    businesses. This department serves everyone from Tribal Members on the
    Reservation in Usk to apartment complex residents in Airway Heights, as
    well as patrons of all Tribal businesses. Recently the Tribe had to
    contract with a local agency at the rate of over $400,000 per year to
    provide fire and emergency medical services to the Tribal Reservation
    and trust land in Airway Heights. The Kalispel Law Enforcement
    Department is partially funded through a BIA Indian Self-Determination
    and Education Assistance Act contract. The funding provided from the
    BIA only supports twenty-seven (27) commissioned officers between the
    two sites--Usk and Airway Heights--which are separated by over sixty
    (60) miles of mostly rural highway. This can result in no officers left
    on a shift on the Usk Reservation and a limited number available for
    Kalispel Tribal residents, economic enterprises, and non-Indian
    residents, visitors, and customers.
        Maintaining this limited force is increasingly difficult because
    the BIA has not received any pay cost support for law enforcement
    officers, leaving the Tribe without the ability to pay competitive
    wages for the area. This funding must also support all capital costs
    and regular maintenance for police vehicles, buildings, and equipment.
    Most importantly for a division like that of Kalispel's is the need to
    regularly replace and maintain a motor vehicle pool for law enforcement
    officers that must travel large distances between the two Reservations.
    The current funding provided from the BIA to cover all equipment
    maintenance and fuel is less than $40,000 annually. Without additional
    funding, Kalispel will lose traction in recruiting and retaining
    officers, resulting in more risk to the safety of those officers in the
    field due to insufficient vehicle maintenance and equipment safety.

      III. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Provide
            Additional Funding for Detention/Correction Services

        Lack of local detention services also creates a significant
    personnel challenge for the Kalispel Police Department because the BIA
    only provides support for detention services at the Wellpinit Adult
    Detention Center. Transportation to the Wellpinit Detention Center is
    at a least a four-hour trip, leaving Kalispel with limited force,
    sometimes during an inmate transport there are no officers on duty on
    the Reservation. The BIA historically contracted with local county
    facilities to provide detention services for Kalispel. However, the BIA
    recently unilaterally ended those contracts, which now requires
    significantly more transports to Wellpinit, without additional
    maintenance or fuel cost support to Kalispel. Unfortunately, this is
    the only BIA detention center in the region, leaving no services for
    juvenile incarceration. The detention center is often in a State of
    disrepair leaving portions of it unsafe for inmates and reducing the
    availability of detention services. While the instances of juvenile
    incarceration are rare, the BIA Office of Justice Services does not
    have a readily available solution should a serious case arise. Kalispel
    asks that Congress increase the funds available for detention services,
    and that new increases are distributed to those Tribes without BIA-
    operated detention services. If increases are provided, Kalispel, and
    similarly positioned Tribes, can contract the services needed closer to
    their highest need areas and increase efficiency for their Police
    Division.

      IV. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase
            Funding to Expand Tribal Access to Fire Protection Services
            Tribal Priority Allocation Base Funding.

        The Kalispel Public Safety Division also includes fire protections
    services for the entire Reservation and all Tribal properties. Kalispel
    provides these fire services without any support from the BIA. These
    services are vital for the safety of people and property across the
    Tribe. The distance between the Tribe's Reservation locations in Usk
    and Airway Heights requires two different fire stations with three fire
    suppression units. In addition to servicing the Reservation, Kalispel
    also coordinates with surrounding communities to coordinate and provide
    services in response to emergencies. Kalispel urges this subcommittee
    to consider increasing funds for Fire Protection, specifically for
    those Tribes providing this service to reservations and trust property
    without any support from the BIA. Increases in this funding would allow
    Kalispel to plan capital equipment purchases and regular maintenance of
    equipment, in addition to compensation for Fire Protection employees.
        We hope that you will consider the above recommendations. We
    appreciate the partnership this subcommittee has shown to Tribes. We
    look forward to working with you and others to ensure that the Federal
    Government upholds the trust responsibility.

        [This statement was submitted by Glen Nenema, Chairman and CEO,
    Kalispel Tribe of Indians.]
                Prepared Statement of Kalispel Tribe of Indians
    Summary of Budget Requests:

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase funding
            for Criminal Investigation & Policing Services

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Provide
            additional funding for Detention/Correction Services

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase funding
            to expand Tribal access to Fire Protection Services Tribal
            Priority Allocation base funding.

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Safety & Justice--Increase Tribal
            Courts funding for Public Law 280 States

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs, Trust--Real Estate Services--Provide Real
            Estate Services funding to support backlogged, inaccurate, and
            expired easements, surveys, and leases

      --Indian Health Service, Clinical Service--Increase funding for
            Purchased/Referred Care

      --Bureau of Indian Affairs & Indian Health Service, Payments for
            Tribal Leases--Maintain indefinite appropriation for 105(l)
            Leases
        Our aboriginal territory spanned over 2.3 million acres or about
    twice the size of Delaware. The territory followed the Pend Oreille and
    Clark Fork Rivers throughout present-day northeastern Washington,
    northern Idaho, and western Montana. Today, our Tribe resides on a
    4,600-acre Reservation located along the Pend Oreille River near Usk
    and Cusick in northeastern Washington state with an additional area of
    Reservation in Airway Heights.
        These 4,600 aces are the center of our universe. These are the
    lands we clung to after the arrival of homesteaders and that we refused
    to negotiate over when Isaac Stevens-first as the Indian agent and
    later as the territorial governor-came to discuss a treaty with the
    United States. We view President Woodrow Wilson's designation of these
    lands as our Reservation by Executive Order in 1914 as a testament to
    the fact that the Kalispel people will not be separated from them.
        Since 1991, Kalispel has worked strategically to build a stronger,
    more resilient community with healthy Tribal citizens through the
    development of economic opportunities, and the preservation of forests
    and other natural resources. These initiatives have allowed the Tribe
    to expand services for Tribal members and our neighbors in Usk and
    Cusick. Today, the Tribe provides health care services, natural
    resources management, fire protection, and law enforcement services
    with very little support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the
    Indian Health Service.
        Historically, the Kalispel Tribe has delivered services when the
    Federal Government has failed to deliver. Over the last three decades,
    the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has treated the Kalispel Tribe
    inequitably compared to other Tribes in the Northwest. More recently,
    the BIA Regional Office has made changes that negatively impact the
    Tribe's access to funding to manage and operate Federal programs on the
    Reservation. Despite the lack of funding and services, the Tribe has
    made investments in health care services, emergency management, and
    economic development to become a regional leader. If Congress were to
    increase funding or make funding available to Kalispel, the Tribe could
    continue to support members' needs with regional partners.
        On behalf of the Kalispel Tribe, I appreciate the opportunity to
    submit this testimony and respectfully request that the subcommittee
    strongly consider the following funding increases to better support the
    Kalispel Tribe's self-governance and fulfill the Federal Government's
    trust responsibility.
    bureau of indian affairs, public safety & justice--increase funding for
                   criminal investigation & policing services
        The Kalispel Tribal Public Safety Division provides law
    enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services to
    residents and businesses of the entire Reservation, surrounding
    communities, and Tribal businesses. This department serves everyone
    from Tribal members in Usk to apartment complex residents in Airway
    Heights, as well as patrons of all Tribal businesses. The Kalispel Law
    Enforcement Division is partially funded through a BIA Indian Self-
    Determination and Education Assistance Act contract. The funding
    provided from the BIA only supports 24 commissioned officers between
    the two sites--Usk and Airway Heights--which are separated by over 60
    miles of mostly rural highway. This results in just five officers
    during a single shift for all Kalispel Tribal residents, economic
    enterprises, and non-Indian visitors and customers. Maintaining this
    limited force is increasingly difficult because the BIA has not
    received any pay cost support for law enforcement officers, leaving the
    Tribe without the ability to pay competitive wages for the area. This
    funding must also support all capital costs and regular maintenance for
    police vehicles, buildings, and equipment. Most importantly for a
    division like that of Kalispel's is the need to regularly replace and
    maintain a motor vehicle pool for law enforcement officers. The current
    funding provided from the BIA to cover all equipment maintenance and
    fuel is less than $40,000 annually. Without additional funding,
    Kalispel will lose traction in recruiting and retaining officers,
    resulting in more risk to the safety of those officers in the field due
    to insufficient vehicle maintenance and equipment safety.
     bureau of indian affairs, public safety & justice--provide additional
                   funding for detention/correction services
        Lack of local detention services also creates a significant
    personnel challenge for the Kalispel Police Department because the BIA
    only provides support for detention services at the Wellpinit Adult
    Detention Center. Transportation to the Wellpinit Detention Center is
    at a least a four-hour trip, leaving Kalispel with a total force of no
    more than four officers during an inmate transport. The BIA
    historically contracted with local county facilities to provide
    detention services for Kalispel. However, the BIA recently unilaterally
    ended those contracts, which now requires significantly more transports
    to Wellpinit, without additional maintenance or fuel cost support to
    Kalispel. Unfortunately, this is the only BIA detention center in the
    region, leaving no services for juvenile incarceration. The detention
    center is often in a State of disrepair leaving portions of it unsafe
    for inmates and reducing the availability of detention services. While
    the instances of juvenile incarceration are rare, the BIA Office of
    Justice Services does not have a readily available solution should a
    serious case arise. Kalispel asks that Congress increase the funds
    available for detention services, and that new increases are
    distributed to those Tribes without BIA-operated detention services. If
    increases are provided, Kalispel, and similarly positioned Tribes, can
    contract the services needed closer to their highest need areas and
    increase efficiency for their Police Division.
    bureau of indian affairs, public safety & justice--increase funding to
       expand tribal access to fire protection services tribal priority
                            allocation base funding
        The Kalispel Public Safety Division also includes fire protections
    services for the entire Reservation and all Tribal properties. Kalispel
    provides these fire services without any support from the BIA. These
    services are vital for the safety of people and property across the
    Tribe. The distance between the Tribe's Reservation locations in Usk
    and Airway Heights requires two different fire stations with three fire
    suppression units. In addition to servicing the Reservation, Kalispel
    also coordinates with surrounding communities to coordinate and provide
    services in response to emergency. Kalispel urges this subcommittee to
    consider increasing funds for Fire Protection, specifically for those
    Tribes providing this service to Reservations and Trust property
    without any support from the BIA. Increases in this funding would allow
    Kalispel to plan capital equipment purchases and regular maintenance of
    equipment, in addition to compensation for Fire Protection employees.
      bureau of indian affairs, public safety & justice--increase tribal
                    courts funding for public law 280 states
        The State of Washington exercises limited jurisdiction over
    Kalispel Tribal members, requiring the Federal and Kalispel Tribal
    Governments to fill the gaps. However, the BIA does not provide
    consistent funding for Tribal Courts within Public Law 280 States, like
    Washington, nor does it provide services directly. Therefore Kalispel,
    and other similarly positioned Tribes, are forced to fund the costs of
    a Tribal Court without Federal support. Kalispel has managed to support
    Court services in Usk and Airway Heights using Federal competitive
    grants and economic development funding. Recurring funding through the
    BIA would provide a base for operations and allow the Tribe to address
    civil and criminal dockets more readily. It would also allow for
    capital improvements necessary to appropriately provide judicial
    services.
        Bureau of Indian Affairs, Trust--Real Estate Services--Provide Real
    Estate Services Funding to Support Backlogged, Inaccurate, and Expired
    Easements, Surveys, and Leases In the last several years, the Kalispel
    Tribe has identified numerous rights-of-way in trespass across Tribal
    and Trust property. The Kalispel Planning Department has shared their
    concerns regarding inaccurate easements, surveys, and leases of Trust
    Property with the agency and region, but no additional funding or
    immediate action has been taken to resolve trespass issues. If trespass
    issues are not addressed by the BIA, Tribal authority and ownership
    diminish over time and the loss of property and lawful access becomes a
    reality. These land defects and trespasses undermine the Tribe's
    sovereignty. Kalispel asks that Congress fund Real Estate Services so
    that the Tribe can correct decades of BIA neglect.
        Indian Health Service, Clinical Service--Increase Funding for
    Purchased/Referred Care The Kalispel Tribe receives funding from Indian
    Health Service (IHS) to provide valuable health services for Tribal and
    Non-Tribal members in Usk and Airway Heights. The Kalispel Compact
    transfers funding for basic administrative and behavioral health
    services, public health nursing, and purchased/referred care (PRC). The
    Tribe has grown this funding to provide primary care, dental services,
    aquatic physical therapy, and naturopathic services for Tribal and
    community members. Kalispel is one of just a handful of providers that
    accept Washington Medicaid and Medicare for dental services, keeping
    the dental clinic very busy. While Kalispel has experienced success
    providing community-based services, there remains a significant need
    for additional funding to provide services that the Tribe cannot
    provide directly. The Portland Area is one of the only IHS areas in the
    Nation without a single IHS or Tribal hospital. Therefore, Kalispel and
    other Tribes in the Area are PRC dependent. The incremental increases
    to PRC have provided additional support in the wake of COVID-19, but
    the need to support long-term COVID disorders and other complications
    has not yet been realized. Therefore, Kalispel asks that this
    subcommittee continue to provide increases so that Tribes do not leave
    patients without access to critical health services and support.
     bureau of indian affairs & indian health service, payments for tribal
          leases--maintain indefinite appropriation for 105(l) leases
        Like many other Tribes, Kalispel believes that 105(l) Leases
    provide critical maintenance and operation support for former Federal
    programs. Indefinite appropriations for these leases support Tribal
    self-determination and acknowledge Tribal investments in the operation
    of Federal programs. Kalispel appreciates the work this subcommittee
    has done to support Tribal self- determination and urges the
    subcommittee to maintain access to these funds.
        We hope that you will consider the above recommendations. We
    appreciate the partnership this subcommittee has shown to Tribes. We
    look forward to working with you and others to ensure that the Federal
    Government upholds the trust responsibility.

        [This statement was submitted by Glen Nenema, Chairman and CEO,
    Kalispel Tribe of Indians.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the Land and Water Conservation Fund
        Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony in support of
    the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the FY 2024 Interior
    Appropriations Bill, as a spokesperson on behalf of the LWCF Coalition.
    As a broad coalition of sportsmen, veterans, business, recreation,
    historic preservation and conservation leaders concerned with America's
    outdoor heritage, we support LWCF as our Nation's most important
    conservation and recreation program, delivering an array of benefits
    from protecting drinking water and conserving natural infrastructure,
    to providing landscape conservation, habitat protection, and outdoor
    recreation access for all. The program and its many benefits are
    critical to preserving America's most treasured landscapes for future
    generations. However, LWCF needs increased investment in Fiscal Year
    2024 to address all the outstanding conservation and recreation
    priorities across the country.
        Investments in LWCF support public land conservation and ensure
    access to the outdoors for all Americans, in rural communities and
    cities alike. It has created outdoor recreation opportunities in every
    State and 98 percent of counties across the country, opening up key
    areas for hunting, fishing, and other recreational access; supporting
    working forests and ranches; and acquiring inholdings and protecting
    critical lands in national parks, national wildlife refuges, national
    forests, Civil War battlefields, and other Federal areas. Our federal,
    State, and local public lands represent a critical economic asset and a
    smart investment. The parks, trails, forests, rivers, wildlife refuges,
    battlefields, historic sites, and working lands sustained by LWCF
    funding support an outdoor recreation and tourism sector that
    contributes a total of $1.06 trillion annually to the American economy,
    supporting 9.4 million jobs (1 out of every 15 jobs in the U.S.).
        We greatly appreciate the FY 2023 Interior, Environment and Related
    Agencies bill's investment in LWCF and urge that in the FY 2024 bill
    you recognize the resounding level of support for LWCF, and the backlog
    of compelling now-or-never conservation and recreation needs in
    communities across America by investing the increased resources needed
    to successfully implement this valuable, time-tested program. We thank
    the subcommittee for its vital work in FY23 to produce a bill with
    strong project oversight and balanced allocations among LWCF
    subprograms according to the formula set down by the Dingell Act: at
    least 40% for Federal agency conservation priorities, at least 40% for
    the suite of LWCF State and local grant programs, and the remaining 20%
    divided between those two sides based on need.
        Just as importantly, by retaining unobligated, prior-year
    discretionary LWCF funds within appropriated programs rather than
    allowing them to be rescinded, the FY23 bill also recognizes that the
    programs under the LWCF umbrella are oversubscribed and that full
    funding of LWCF has not eliminated the backlog of time-sensitive
    conservation and recreation priorities. We appreciate the
    subcommittee's commitment to addressing unmet needs by keeping funds in
    place for viable funded projects within these accounts, and for
    reinvesting them in LWCF program needs through reprogrammings in the
    event specified project needs have changed. With demand continuing to
    outstrip available LWCF funding, we urge you to retain this approach in
    FY24.
        However, there is real, urgent need to look beyond this solid
    foundation of funding for LWCF to meet the current moment of continuing
    rapid nature loss, persistent inequality of access to parks and outdoor
    recreation opportunities, and growing climate impacts. In FY 2024, the
    Biden Administration submitted more than $1.1 billion in LWCF needs in
    its budget request (including $201 million on the ready-to-go
    supplemental project lists), and hundreds of millions more were
    identified during the budget process but left off the final submission
    lists. Overall demand for LWCF is even higher, with many projects on
    the priority lists representing single phases of much larger projects.
    To avoid losing irreplaceable natural and cultural resources, we urge
    the subcommittee to include $450 million in discretionary funding, to
    complement the mandatory allocations provided by the Great American
    Outdoors Act (GAOA), in the FY 2024 Interior appropriations bill.
        Under GAOA, annual revenues covered into the LWCF account since
    FY2021 are dedicated for LWCF expenditure, allowing for increased
    investment in landscape-level conservation, working forests and
    ranchlands, historic and cultural sites, and access to the outdoors for
    all. The legislation left intact the ability of future Congresses to
    appropriate additional discretionary LWCF funds, and over $22 billion
    in prior LWCF receipts remain unspent from the LWCF Special Account in
    the Treasury. Meanwhile, project demand in every State continues to
    outstrip the level set for the program, with many now-or-never
    opportunities at risk.
        LWCF's $900 million level was authorized in 1978, when the
    purchasing power of that amount was more than four times what it is
    today. Since that time, chronic underfunding of LWCF created a backlog
    of unmet conservation and recreation needs and a long line of willing-
    seller landowners and community stakeholders clamoring for access to
    these funds. GAOA's dedicated funding can begin to address these
    critical needs; to more fully address urgent conservation priorities
    and inequities, additional targeted investment is needed from the
    unobligated balances of the LWCF Special Account.
        Now is the time for America to make significant progress towards
    its conservation goals, to address longstanding disparities in equal
    access to the benefits of nature for underserved communities, and to
    avoid loss of sensitive lands and waters. We urge you to consider an
    investment of $450 million in discretionary funds, in addition to
    mandatory LWCF funding, be part of the subcommittee's legislation in FY
    2024 to support the numerous ready-to-go project opportunities. To
    maintain the strength of the land management agencies and the integrity
    of their overall work, we ask that these additional LWCF funds be
    provided to augment the budgets of these agencies, and not diminish
    other necessary operating spending.
        Thank you for your attention to this important program and we look
    forward to working with you to grow investment in conservation and
    recreation across the Nation.

        [This statement was submitted by Jay Leutze of the LWCF Coalition.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of the League of American Orchestras
                        national endowment for the arts
        The League of American Orchestras urges the Senate Interior,
    Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee to
    provide no less than $211 million for the National Endowment for the
    Arts in fiscal year 2024, as recommended by President Biden. We are
    grateful for the strong bipartisan support from Senate and House
    Appropriators over the last several years and encourage Congress to
    enable more communities across the country to inspire the next
    generation, provide connectivity, and continue to advance the arts as a
    necessary, creative way to express the full range of what makes us
    human.
        The NEA holds a unique and valuable Federal leadership role through
    direct and indirect grantmaking, cross-cutting research, and convenings
    that facilitate shared learning and advancement among arts
    organizations and practitioners. A direct grant awarded by the National
    Endowment for the Arts is a respected national designation that conveys
    an organization has passed a rigorous panel review and offers an
    artistic engagement worthy of Federal investment. Every orchestra-large
    and small-is a vital part of its local ecology, and those that receive
    an award from the National Endowment for the Arts highly value the
    support in their continual work to enhance the experience of live music
    for people of all ages and respond to community needs. The following
    examples offer a glimpse of recent orchestra-led engagement made
    possible in part by the NEA.
        The Utah Symphony presented Olivier Messiaen's Des canyons aux
    etoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) at O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in
    Springdale, Utah this past June, with assistance from a Grants for Arts
    Projects award. This marked a rare opportunity for a capacity audience
    of more than 1,600 people from across the State-many driving hundreds
    of miles-to hear this monumental 12-movement work performed outside in
    one of the settings that inspired the composer. Maestro Thierry Fischer
    emphasized how fitting it was for the Utah Symphony to showcase its
    artistry with music that arose out of the composer's spiritual
    experiences stirred by the landscapes, night skies, and bird life of
    Zion and Bryce national parks and Cedar Breaks National Monument. ``It
    will be incredibly unique to hear Messiaen's music performed... by
    musicians who live in, know, and love the natural beauty of Utah,''
    said Maestro Fischer when announcing the concert. This performance was
    one of the highlights in a multi-year vision introducing Utah audiences
    to the works of 20th and 21st-century composers, focused on music
    animated by nature and celebrating the natural beauty of Utah and its
    power to inspire.
        Also bringing music outdoors is The Jackson Symphony, which
    received an NEA Challenge America grant for its ``Symphony On the
    Move'' program. Eight communities across six counties in West Tennessee
    will enjoy free hour-long concerts along the theme of ``A Musical
    Journey Around the World.'' This year's theme informs not only the
    musical performances but is also designed in partnership with local
    schools and libraries to complement the summer read program. The
    ensemble itself will include six professional Jackson Symphony
    musicians and one local vocalist. Together, they will perform works of
    international composers and representing the diverse populations of
    Tennessee. Concerts will be performed in town squares, parks, and local
    gathering areas in each town, amplifying a sense of community and
    togetherness in each location. To date, the Jackson Symphony has
    performed more than 50 of these Symphony On the Move concerts, and in
    recognition of the limited ability of many Tennesseans to travel to a
    performance, this NEA support will directly assist in the orchestra's
    mission to bring the live music experience to more Tennesseans.
        Performing in wider parts of its state is also a priority for the
    Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO)-the only professional symphony
    orchestra in Tarrant County. One of the ways the FWSO has historically
    achieved its goal of providing its community with equitable
    opportunities to access classical music is through its Statewide
    Touring Initiative, which brings live performances of classical music
    and engaging music education programs to adults and children living in
    rural areas of Texas. In fiscal year 2022, the FWSO received an NEA
    Grants for Arts Projects award to support this initiative and put that
    funding toward its tour to rural communities in North Texas such as:
    Glen Rose, Graham, Granbury, Keller, Stephenville, and Waxahachie. In
    each of these places, the FWSO performed a combination of educational
    concerts-designed to address cross-curricular goals and meet the Texas
    Essential Knowledge and Skills State educational standards-and free or
    reduced-cost evening concerts in familiar venues that residents of the
    communities could easily access.
        Picking up on the theme of both touring and engaging young people,
    the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra's Young People's Concert Tour
    introduces students to new music using a familiar genre that grabs
    their attention and creates a bond among the artist, conductor and the
    orchestra. Grammy nominated Progressive Hip-Hop Artist Christylez
    Bacon, in collaboration with composer Evan Meier and music director
    John Devlin, will perform Migrations in Rhythm that explores the
    progression of hip-hop from its beginnings. Christylez will perform
    lyrics and beat-box with orchestral accompaniments for 5,000 elementary
    students and their teachers from public, private and home-schools in
    West Virginia counties of Ohio, Marshall, and Brooke; Ohio counties of
    Belmont and Jefferson; and Washington County, Pennsylvania. With
    support from the NEA, free concerts will be performed in three school
    auditoriums in mid-April 2023, and to reach even more students in West
    Virginia, the performance will be filmed and distributed to students in
    school districts unable to travel the distance to attend one of the
    concerts in person. Using the Teacher's Guide prepared by the president
    of the WV Music Educators' Conference, teachers in each school will
    prepare students to attend the concert.
        The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is responding to both
    young people and adults in its NEA-supported expansion of its Care &
    Wellness Initiative. This arts accessibility program is built around
    addressing barriers due to health or disability status. Now in its
    second year, the Care and Wellness Initiative brings RPO musicians to
    hospitals, memory care units, special education centers, and more to
    bring appropriate, therapeutic performances directly to individuals who
    otherwise may not have access to live performance. This year the
    Philharmonic is mounting its first-ever Sensory-Friendly Concert for
    children and families with sensory challenges such as Autism spectrum
    disorder. Planned accommodations include noise-reduction headphones,
    ``quiet rooms'' for those who are overstimulated or otherwise need a
    break, preparatory materials for families such as a social narrative,
    and adaptive concert etiquette. The orchestra anticipates that more
    than 1,250 individuals will be able to access and experience the RPO
    and live music through this initiative in 2023.
        Part of how orchestras respond to community is to utilize the art
    form to share the deep connection between music and historically
    significant events. The Portland Symphony Orchestra's Grants for Arts
    Project award contributed toward the production of a Concerts of
    Remembrance project last October which consisted of performances as
    well as exhibitions of more than 60 instruments from Violins of Hope.
    The exhibitions, which took place at the Maine Jewish Museum (MJM) in
    Portland and the Holocaust and Human Rights Center (HHRC) in Augusta,
    shared stories about the musical instruments and the Jewish people to
    whom they belonged before they were confiscated by the Nazis before and
    during World War II. Principal string players of the orchestra
    performed on instruments from this collection, offering free string
    quartet concerts of music by Jewish composers at MJM and HHRC. The PSO
    also offered performances and education programs at three area schools,
    reaching between 800-1,000 students in all. Lastly, the full symphony,
    along with Choral Art, gave two performances of Verdi's Requiem, which
    was made available for viewing on PSO TV throughout the month of
    November. These Requiem performances brought this poignant programming
    to more than 2,000 people, with an additional 1,000 viewers of the
    digital concert.
        The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) is similarly planning to
    engage its audiences with music informed by historically and culturally
    significant events. Its NEA-supported program will focus on works by
    one contemporary and three historic Black composers: Margaret Bonds's
    Montgomery Variations (1964) was inspired by the civil rights movement;
    Florence Price's 1934 Piano Concerto in One Movement incorporates
    spirituals as well as the Juba, a dance originated by enslaved people;
    Helen Hagan's 1912 Concerto in C Minor has been re-orchestrated to
    intersperse Ragtime into a late Romantic style; and contemporary
    composer Quinn Mason describes A Joyous Trilogy as ``the very
    embodiment of happiness.'' Pianist Michelle Cann will join the Symphony
    for this performance. In addition to the performances at Lyman Center
    for the Performing Arts, free concerts will be held in community venues
    throughout New Haven featuring the orchestra's Harmony quartet and
    soprano Lisa Williamson, and will include opportunities for community
    artists to perform.
        The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is also using music as a
    means to highlight important issues of our time, past and present-
    focusing in particular on people who were not fully acknowledged in
    their own time. An NEA grant will assist the orchestra in highlighting
    several women in the field of classical music as part of the SPCO's
    larger efforts to include more historically underrepresented artists in
    its performance repertoire. Curated and led by Artistic Partner Tabea
    Zimmermann and SPCO musicians Maureen Nelson and Eunae Koh, the project
    additionally celebrates women in music leadership roles. A combination
    of 18 performances will showcase 6 women composers: Clara Schumann,
    Valborg Aulin, Hilary Tann, Louise Farrenc, Gabriela Lena Frank, and
    Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. In culmination, SPCO flautist Alicia
    McQuerrey will deliver a solo performance of Amy Beech. Delivering on
    the SPCO's mission of serving as many in the community as possible,
    performances will take place at 10 venues across the Minneapolis/Saint
    Paul Metro Area, and one program will be livestreamed for free.
        Thank you for this opportunity to share how the National Endowment
    for the Arts supports orchestras' engagement with their communities.
    These grants, and many others throughout the country, make a tremendous
    difference by helping orchestras provide employment to musicians and
    staff while fulfilling their core purpose of educating and serving. We
    applaud the NEA's consistent leadership in promoting public engagement
    with all forms of art and for its responsiveness to both present and
    future concerns for the sector. With Congressional support for an
    annual appropriation of at least $211 million for the National
    Endowment for the Arts in FY2024, more communities throughout our
    Nation will be able to experience the life-changing and affirming
    benefits of the arts.
        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. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962,
    the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists,
    conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and
    business partners.

        [This statement was submitted by Simon Woods, President and CEO,
    League of American Orchestras.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians
    Summary of Budget Requests:

      I. Bureau of Indian Affairs--Increase ``Aid to Tribal Government
            (TPA)'' funding

      II. Bureau of Indian Affairs--Increase ``Indian Child Welfare Act
            (TPA)'' funding

      III. Indian Health Service--Increase ``Purchased/Referred Care''
            funding

      IV. Indian Health Service--Support for ``Accreditation Emergencies''
            Funding

        Greetings Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Honorable
    Members of the subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies. My name is Gerald Gray and I am honored to serve as Chairman
    of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Thank you for the
    opportunity to provide written testimony regarding the Tribe's Fiscal
    Year (``FY'') 2024 funding priorities within the subcommittee's
    jurisdiction.
        Little Shell Tribal members became eligible for services provided
    by the Indian Health Service (``IHS'') and the Bureau of Indian Affairs
    (``BIA'') after enactment of the Little Shell Restoration Act in
    December 2019. Following restoration, these two Federal agencies
    requested specific funding to support Little Shell--essentially setting
    base funding for any future inflationary or appropriated increases. In
    FY 2024, the Tribe's funding will transition from ``New Tribes''
    funding to ``Aid to Tribal Government.'' While the Tribe never received
    adequate ``New Tribes'' funding to meet the demands of our expanding
    government and growing population, it is critical to ensure that future
    allocations meet the Tribe's basic governmental needs.
       i. bureau of indian affairs--increase ``aid to tribal government
                                (tpa)'' funding
        When a Tribe is recognized or restored to Federal recognition, the
    BIA requests additional funding for the newly recognized Tribe through
    the ``New Tribes'' program. The amount requested customarily becomes
    the base funding for the newly recognized tribe-essentially the amount
    the Tribe will receive every year going forward. ``New Tribes'' funding
    was designed to provide newly acknowledged Tribes with funding and
    assistance in initiating federally funded operations by strengthening
    Tribal government systems. New Tribes \1\ receive assistance under the
    program for 3 years, then funding for those Tribes is transferred to
    the ``Aid to Tribal Government'' program so that they may begin to
    establish program and funding priorities.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ The term ``new Tribes'' is meant only to reflect Tribes that
    are in the New Tribes funding line. Tribes cannot be new or created,
    only acknowledged. They have existed since time immemorial.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Prior to FY 1997, the amount of ``New Tribes'' funding received by
    newly recognized Tribes varied greatly. New Tribes would assess their
    needs, design, or propose operational programs to meet their needs, and
    submit proposed budgets to implement the proposed programs. In FY 1996
    alone, this led to newly recognized Tribes receiving amounts as small
    as $127,000 and as large as $1.492 million in ``New Tribes'' funding.
    In FY 1997, the ``New Tribes'' funding methodology was simplified by
    providing $160,000 in base funding for new Tribes with less than 1,500
    members and $320,000 to Tribes with a population of 1,501 to 3,000
    members. The funding level for new Tribes with more than 3,000 members
    was to be determined on a case- by-case basis.
        In FY 2011, the population component of the methodology was
    slightly changed moving from 1,500 to 1,700 members for the $160,000
    base level funding and 1,701 to 3,000 for the $320,000 funding level.
    The funding level for Tribes with over 3,000 members would still be
    determined on a case-by-case basis. This policy appears to have
    remained in place for the six Virginia Tribes recognized by Congress in
    January 2018.
        The Little Shell Tribe, with a Tribal membership of approximately
    6,300 members, qualifies for the ``case-by-case'' determination under
    the BIA's longstanding policy. Under the current methodology, Tribes
    with 1,701 to 3,000 members receive $320,000, which equals to a range
    of $106.66 to $188.12 per Tribal member. According to this methodology,
    the Little Shell Tribe's ``New Tribes'' allocation should be in the
    range of $671,000 to $1.18 million annually. However, in FY 2023, the
    Tribe only received $480,000 in ``New Tribes'' funding, which is
    hindering the Tribe's ability to operate its government.
        As the Tribe now transitions to receive funding for centralized
    government functions under the ``Aid to Tribal Government'' program, it
    is critically important to provide the Little Shell Tribe with adequate
    funding. In addition, Aid to Tribal Government funds have the broadest
    flexibility for Tribes to leverage in government operations. The Tribe
    strongly recommends that BIA prioritize funding to this program
    precisely because of its flexibility and because all Tribes would
    benefit from a programmatic increase. The Little Shell Tribe requests
    that the subcommittee provide, at a minimum, a $1.18 million increase
    in the Aid to Tribal Government program to provide the Tribe with the
    resources necessary to provide basic governmental services to its
    Tribal citizens.
       ii. bureau of indian affairs--increase ``indian child welfare act
                                (tpa)'' funding
        Enacted in 1978 to help prevent the separation of Indian families
    and provide for family reunification, the Indian Child Welfare Act
    (``ICWA'') has been an invaluable tool for Tribes. Given that the
    Little Shell Tribe was reacknowledged by the Federal Government only 3
    years ago, we have missed out on countless opportunities to achieve the
    goals of ICWA. Since becoming eligible to utilize ICWA, the Tribe has
    initiated work to develop a Tribal ICWA code, retained an attorney to
    support ICWA activities, responded to hundreds of ICWA requests from
    many state ICWA agencies, and actively engaged in several ICWA case in
    Montana and Idaho.
        While the Tribe has identified resources to provide these services
    from non-recurring sources, we urge the subcommittee to increase ICWA
    funding to provide base funding for all Tribes. The current Federal
    funding streams for ICWA programming are sporadic, non-recurring, and
    no single funding source provides adequate assistance to support an
    entire Tribal ICWA program. This has caused the Little Shell Tribe to
    worry each year on how it will secure the required funding to ensure
    that Little Shell Tribal children are being protected.
        The Little Shell Tribe continues to build up its Tribal ICWA
    programming to protect the Tribe's culture and heritage by maintaining
    Tribal member connections to customs, traditions, and community. The
    Tribe would like to continue to grow and establish the necessary
    support and assistance to Little Shell Tribal children in the foster
    care system. Through the fundamentals of ICWA, the Little Shell Tribe
    is focused on preserving our cultural values and promoting stable
    placements of Little Shell children in loving, permanent homes,
    connected to their families and our culture.
       iii. indian health service--increase ``purchased/referred care''
                                    funding
        Purchased/Referred Care (``PRC'') is typically used to purchase
    private care in areas where IHS does not provide services directly or
    when IHS provided care is not sufficient to meet patient needs.
    However, in FY 2021 the Little Shell Tribe asked and the IHS agreed to
    provide direct service care using the Tribe's PRC allocation, as
    allowed under the PRC regulations. The Little Shell Tribe acquired,
    renovated, and equipped a new health clinic for IHS to provide direct
    care in the four-county service area in late 2021.
        In FY 2021, IHS requested $2.560 million in Purchased/Referred Care
    funding ``to fund direct health care services'' for the Little Shell
    Tribe. IHS received the requested amount in FY 2021 and in FY 2022 for
    Little Shell. In FY 2022, IHS received $2.917 million for services, a
    slight increase due to this subcommittee's support for the program. The
    President's FY 2024 budget requests calls for $1.17 billion for
    Purchased/Referred Care, which is an increase of $181 million above the
    FY 2023 enacted level. It is critical that Congress provide a
    substantial increase for Purchased/Referred Care in the FY 2024 bill to
    meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native patients, including
    Little Shell patients.
        IHS has been a good partner in establishing appropriate direct care
    services within the service area in collaboration with Little Shell.
    However, IHS has limited authority to budget appropriated PRC funds to
    reflect common IHS operating lines, such as Hospital and Health Clinic,
    Dental Health, Mental Health, etc. This makes it challenging for
    Congress and Little Shell Tribal leadership to track how and if health
    priorities of the community are met. More importantly, it does not
    accurately capture the Service Unit operational status. The Little
    Shell Tribe also requests that IHS be given the flexibility to create
    operational budgets within the PRC line item that accurately reflect
    day-to-day operations of those facilities like to those of the Little
    Shell Service Unit.
       iv. indian health service--support ``accreditation emergencies''
                                    funding
        Finally, Little Shell requests support for the Accreditation
    Emergencies Funding. While Little Shell Service Unit is in operation,
    it has not yet initiated the accreditation process. There are no
    existing concerns for patient safety or operational concerns. However,
    Little Shell acknowledges that accreditation ensures that regular
    safety protocol and standard operating procedures are observed by all
    staff. Access to these funds would ensure that the Little Shell Service
    Unit provides the highest standard of care.
        On behalf of the Little Shell Tribe, I would like to thank the
    subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities for FY
    2024.

        [This statement was submitted by Gerald Gray, Little Shell Tribe of
    Chippewa Indians.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of Medical Library Association and Association of
                       Academic Health Sciences Libraries
        I, Mary M. Langman, Director, Information Issues and Policy,
    Medical Library Association (MLA), submit this statement on behalf of
    MLA and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL).
    MLA is a global, nonprofit, educational organization with a membership
    of more than 400 institutions and 2,500 health information
    professionals. AAHSL supports academic health sciences libraries and
    directors to advance the patient care, research, education and
    community service missions of academic health centers through visionary
    executive leadership and expertise in health information, scholarly
    communication, and knowledge management.
        We thank the subcommittee for the opportunity to submit testimony
    supporting appropriations for the National Library of Medicine (NLM),
    an institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and recommend
    $521 million for NLM in FY24, a 5% increase. Working in partnership
    with the NIH and other Federal agencies, NLM is a key link in the chain
    that translates the results of research, including data, findable and
    accessible to all who need it. As NLM works to achieve key objectives
    of its Strategic Plan--accelerating data powered discovery and health,
    reaching new users in new ways, and preparing a workforce for a future
    of data-driven research and health--it also supports NIH-wide efforts
    to answer the call to respond to national priorities, close the gap in
    health disparities, and capitalize on fundamental investments. NLM
    accomplishes this through effective preservation of valued scientific
    and data resources, judicious investments in extramural and intramural
    research, informed stewardship of Federal resources, and innovative
    partnerships to align priorities and leverage investments across HHS,
    the Federal Government, and the biomedical research community.
        As health sciences librarians who use NLM's programs and services
    every day, teach others how to use NLM resources, and promote NLM in
    our local communities, we can attest that NLM resources literally save
    lives. Investing in NLM is an investment in good health.
               leveraging nih investments in biomedical research
        NLM's budget supports information services, research, and programs
    that drive the Nation's biomedical research enterprise. In FY24 and
    beyond, NLM's budget must continue to be augmented to support the
    transformation and expansion of its information resources, services,
    research, and programs which collect, organize, and develop new ways to
    make readily accessible rapidly evolving biomedical knowledge resources
    and data. NLM maximizes the return on investment in research conducted
    by the NIH and other organizations. It also makes the results of
    biomedical information and data accessible to researchers, clinicians,
    business innovators, students, and the public, enabling such data and
    information to be used more efficiently and effectively to drive
    innovation and improve health. Rapid growth of data also necessitates
    funding that will ensure long-term sustainability of these valuable
    information resources. NLM is unique because it stimulates and supports
    innovative research in data science and information management that
    transcends specific disease areas and data types. This is especially
    crucial in an era where artificial intelligence algorithms are being
    rapidly developed and integrated into the systems of daily life,
    including healthcare.
        NLM plays a critical role in NIH's data science and open science
    initiatives. Its intramural and extramural research programs develop
    and apply data science techniques to accelerate discovery and improve
    health through all stages of life. `` In support of open science, NLM
    collaborates across NIH and the Federal Government to accelerate public
    access to federally funded research results through PMC and other
    relevant NLM data repositories. ``
        NLM builds, sustains, and augments a suite of almost 200 databases
    which provide information access to health professionals, researchers,
    educators, and the public. It supports the acquisition, organization,
    preservation, and dissemination of the world's biomedical literature.
    In FY 2022, NLM continued to support sharing of genetic sequence data
    in support of public health response. It launched the SARS-CoV-2
    Variants Overview interactive web resource. This free, open-access tool
    supports the identification of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, and
    provides the public health community with valuable information needed
    to guide COVID-19 pandemic research and response efforts. NLM continued
    to support NIH and interagency initiatives to make SARS-CoV-2 and
    COVID-19 sequence data widely available for public health response.
                 growing demand for nlm's information services
        Each day, millions of people use NLM websites and download more
    than 115 terabytes of data. Thousands of researchers and businesses
    upload approximately 15 terabytes of data daily. Annually, NLM
    information systems process more than six billion human requests and
    eight billion computer-to-computer interactions. NLM's information
    services help researchers advance scientific discovery and accelerate
    its translation into new therapies; provide health practitioners with
    information that improves medical care and lowers its costs; and give
    the public access to resources and tools that promote wellness and
    disease prevention. Every day, medical librarians across the Nation use
    NLM's services to assist clinicians, students, researchers, and the
    public in accessing information to save lives and improve health.
    Without NLM, our Nation's medical libraries would be unable to provide
    quality information services that our Nation's health professionals,
    educators, researchers and patients increasingly need.
        NLM's data repositories and online integrated services such as
    GenBank, MedlinePlus, dbGaP, MedlinePlus, dbGaP, PubMed, and PubMed
    Central (PMC) are revolutionizing medicine. GenBank is the definitive
    source of gene sequence information. This past year, more than 430
    million users accessed consumer-level information about health topics,
    which contains more than 22,000 links to authoritative health
    information on over 1,000 health topics. PubMed, with nearly 35 million
    references to the biomedical literature, is the world's most heavily
    used source of bibliographic information with almost 3.3 million users
    each day. PubMed Central is NLM's digital archive which provides public
    access to the full-text versions of more than 9 million biomedical
    journal articles, including those produced by NIH-funded researchers.
    In FY22, PubMed Central had an average of 3.2 million unique sessions
    per weekday.
        NLM continually expands biomedical information services to
    accommodate a growing volume of relevant data and information and
    enhances these services to support research and discovery. NLM ensures
    the availability of this information for future generations, making
    books, journals, technical reports, manuscripts, microfilms,
    photographs and images accessible to all Americans, irrespective of
    geography or ability to pay, and guaranteeing that citizens can make
    the best, most informed decisions about their healthcare.
                    disseminating clinical trial information
        NLM's ClinicalTrials.gov is the world's largest publicly accessible
    database of privately and publicly funded clinical studies. In FY 2022,
    NLM received registration information for more than 38,000 new clinical
    research studies. NLM also added more than 4,000 new results summaries
    to ClinicalTrials.gov. Making this information visible and accessible
    improves transparency, accountability, and encourages public trust in
    science consistent with legislative requirements. With the support of
    NIH, NLM continued its ClinicalTrials.gov modernization effort and
    launched the first beta release of the modernized ClinicalTrials.gov
    website in FY 2022. This first release of the modernized website
    provides a more responsive design with an updated search experience and
    new study record display. The website also makes information about race
    and ethnicity, sex and gender, and age of participants easier to find
    and access.
    partnerships ensuring outreach and engagement in communities across the
                                     nation
        NLM's outreach programs are essential to the MLA and AAHSL
    membership and to the profession. The NLM coordinates its Network of
    the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) of more than 8,800 academic
    health science libraries, hospital and public libraries, and community
    organizations to improve access to health information for all. Through
    the NNLM, NLM educates medical librarians, health professionals, and
    the general public about its services and provides training in their
    effective use. The NNLM serves the public by promoting educational
    outreach for public libraries, secondary schools, senior centers and
    other consumer settings, and its outreach to underserved populations
    helps reduce health disparities.
        Since May 2018, the NNLM has partnered with the NIH All of Us
    Research Program to support community engagement efforts by United
    States public libraries and to raise awareness about the program.
    Together, NLM and NIH have built the NNLM All of Us Community
    Engagement Network (CEN). The CEN focuses on NNLM's mission to improve
    the public's access to health information and provide awareness of All
    of Us to communities that are Underrepresented in Biomedical Research
    by partnering with libraries across the United States. The CEN is
    designed to leverage the mission of the NNLM to help libraries in
    supporting the health information needs of their users.
        NLM's MedlinePlus provides consumers with trusted, reliable health
    information on 1,000 topics in English and Spanish. It attracts more
    than 1 million visitors daily. NLM continues to enhance MedlinePlus and
    disseminate authoritative information via the website, and social
    media. MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en Espanol have been optimized for
    easier use on mobile phones and tablets. NIH MedlinePlus Magazine and
    NIH MedlinePlus Salud are available in doctors' offices nationwide, and
    NLM's MedlinePlus Connect enables clinical care organizations to link
    from their EHR systems to relevant patient education materials.
              strengthening data science and open science capacity
        NLM is a leader in data science and open science, including the
    acquisition and analysis of data for discovery and the training of
    biomedical data scientists. The library aims to strengthen its position
    as a center of excellence for health data analytics and discovery, and
    to spearhead the application of advanced data science tools to
    biological, clinical and health data. NLM is building a workforce for
    data-driven research and health by funding PhD-level research training
    in biomedical informatics and data science. The library also partners
    with NIH to ensure inclusion of data science and open science core
    skills in all NIH training programs, and is expanding training for
    librarians, information science professionals, and other research
    facilitators. NLM is participating in NIH-wide efforts to foster a
    culture that advances science and ensures the development and retention
    of a diverse, safe, and respectful workforce for data-driven research
    and health well into the future. In FY 2022, NLM hosted 28 postdoctoral
    researchers, 10 post-baccalaureate trainees, 3 predoctoral researchers,
    18 summer interns, 19 research fellows, 1 clinical fellow, and 2
    visiting scientists. It also launched a new research summer internship
    program in data science and informatics that provides biomedical
    informatics training and research opportunities to students from
    diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups. The
    inaugural cohort of five interns worked on a variety of projects to
    improve methods to derive meaning from free text clinical data, explore
    whether different modes of gene expression occur within a tumor,
    characterize elements of cells that control genetic expression, use AI
    to predict progression of eye disease, and understand bias in machine
    learning.
                    responding to the coronavirus (covid-19)
        NLM has continued to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic
    through the SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing for Public Health Emergency Response,
    Epidemiology, and Surveillance (SPHERES) consortium. NLM's involvement
    resulted in improved SARS-CoV-2 data submission and validation
    processes, enhanced graphic interfaces for data retrieval, coordinated
    U.S. efforts to provide publicly accessible SARS-CoV-2 data via GenBank
    and SRA, and support for the mpox public health emergency response with
    the creation of a reference genome sequence as a template for
    submissions. NLM continued to participate in the NIH Accelerating
    COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) Tracking
    Resistance and Coronavirus Evolution (TRACE) initiative to develop
    processes and infrastructure to monitor and evaluate emerging SARS-CoV-
    2 variants, and to standardize, gather, and share variant sequencing
    data. In FY 2022, as part of its engagement in ACTIV TRACE, NLM refined
    data processing and analysis methods, and provided results in a format
    that supports findability of data records and large-scale analysis.
       supporting biomedical informatics research and health information
                             technology innovation
        NLM conducts and supports informatics research, training and the
    application of advanced computing and informatics to biomedical
    research and healthcare delivery. NLM's National Center for
    Biotechnology Information (NCBI) focuses on genomics and biological
    data banks, and the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical
    Communications (LHC), is a leader in clinical information analytics and
    standards. Many of today's biomedical informatics leaders are graduates
    of NLM-funded informatics research programs at universities nationwide.
    A number of the country's exemplary electronic and personal health
    record systems benefit from findings developed with NLM grant support.
    A leader in supporting the development, maintenance, and dissemination
    of standard clinical terminologies, NLM partners with the Office of the
    National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to support the
    interoperability of EHRs. NLM also develops tools to make it easier for
    EHR developers and users to implement accepted health data standards
    and link to relevant patient education materials. In FY 2022, NLM
    funded 208 awards across the country, including 28 co-funded with other
    NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. NLM-funded researchers develop
    methods to improve access, storage, retrieval, management,
    dissemination, and use of biomedical data and information to support
    discovery and decision-making. Active NLM-supported projects develop
    and test health IT solutions that support clinical care and patient
    self-management, employ computational approaches and tools to interpret
    and analyze health records, and develop new AI and machine learning
    tools and approaches.
                     closing the gap in health disparities
        The National Library of Medicine supports NIH's efforts to close
    the gap in health disparities and improve the diversity of the
    biomedical information science workforce. Their work supports our
    mission and core values to make MLA and AAHSL more diverse and
    inclusive organizations. NLM accomplishes this by:

      --Providing open access to scientific literature through PubMed and
            PubMed Central make scientific literature accessible, lading to
            biological discoveries and providing the foundation to
            developing clinical guidelines that inform health care.
            Resources include PubMed Special Query for Health Disparities
            and Minority Health Information Resources.

      --Utilizing the Network of the National Library of Medicine to
            provide equal access to biomedical information and improves the
            public's access to information. NNLM supports events including
            the recent DEI webinar series ``Nine Conversations that Matter
            to Health Sciences Librarians'' as well as NNLM Reading Clubs
            on Disability Health, LGBTQ Health, Racism and Health and
            Diversity in Medicine.

      --Funding grant programs that support research to advance health
            equity and grants to reduce health disparities research
            supplements to promote diversity in health research and
            leveraging health information technology to address minority
            health and health disparities.

      --Raising awareness and sparking conversations about the intersection
            of society and ethical considerations in biomedical research
            and technology through the annual NLM Science, Technology, and
            Society lecture series.

        The NLM Information Resource Grants to Reduce Health Disparities
    support projects that bring useful and understandable health
    information to populations affected by health disparities and to their
    health care providers. In FY 2022, NLM awarded two grants to develop:
    1) an online guide for people in rural Georgia living with and managing
    autism spectrum disorder, as well as resources for physicians, and 2) a
    combination digital resource and training program for Afghan and Syrian
    refugees to improve reproductive health literacy. The NLM Grants for
    Scholarly Works in Biomedicine and Health supports the development of
    monographs and books by health professionals, public health officials,
    biomedical researchers, and health science historians. In FY 2022, NLM
    awarded three grants for scholarly works about: 1) the history of
    health care in U.S. prisons, 2) a comparative study of medical examiner
    and coroner offices in the United States, and 3) the role of statistics
    and statisticians in modern medicine.
        We look forward to continuing this dialogue and thank you for your
    efforts to support funding of at least $521 million for NLM in FY24,
    with additional increases in future years.

        [This statement was submitted by Mary M. Langman, Director,
    Information Issues and Policy, Medical Library Association.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of the Metlakatla Indian Community
    Recommendations:

        1) Support increased overall funding and advance appropriations for
    the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

        2) Provide full funding and continued advance appropriations for
    the Indian Health Service (IHS)

        3) Fund critical infrastructure investments for the Indian health
    system (IHS)

        4) Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l)
    lease payments

        5) Amend Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
    (ISDEAA) to clarify CSC provisions

        6) Increase funding and authorize a self-governance funding
    mechanism option for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (IHS)

        7) Support for Tribal Hatcheries at the Bureau of Indian Affairs
    (BIA)

        8) Support for U.S. Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty (BIA)

        9) Support for Tribal Court Assistance for Tribes subject to PL 83-
    280 (BIA)

        10) Support funding to address the impacts of climate change (BIA)

        11) Continue increases for Native language programs (BIA)

        12) Reduce dependence on competitive grants for Indian Country (all
    agencies)

        Thank you Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of
    the subcommittee for the opportunity to share our funding priorities
    for the FY 2024 Federal budget. The Metlakatla Indian Community (MIC)
    is located on the Annette Islands 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 ISDEAA. The
    following testimony provides recommendations on FY 2024 BIA and IHS
    priorities.
            increased funding and advance appropriations for the bia
        In FY 2024, we recommend a substantial increase for the Operation
    of Indian Programs at the BIA. This base funding is critical in the
    functioning of our government and our survival as a Tribal Nation. As
    noted by the National Congress of American Indians ``Tribal nations are
    resilient and have demonstrated their resolve and dedication since time
    immemorial, yet are uniquely reliant on their Federal partner to
    fulfill the promises made in exchange for the land that created the
    foundation of the United States.'' These funds are essential as they
    provide for social services, law enforcement, court services, child
    care services, public health and safety, and other essential government
    functions.
        Unfortunately, year after year, we experience large funding
    shortfalls across all BIA-funded programs, causing government services
    in our community to constantly depend on an inconsistent patchwork of
    Federal funding. For example, we have been forced to choose between
    meeting water quality standards or providing scholarships to our
    students. In some cases, these shortfalls force us to cut services
    altogether. The programs that have been impacted are realty, higher
    education, Tribal scholarships, social services, and limiting services
    from the fire department.
        Additionally, we request that BIA appropriations be funded on an
    advance appropriations cycle. It has sadly become the norm that the
    Tribe does not receive its full yearly appropriation until several
    months (sometimes longer) after the start of the fiscal year. These
    funding delays make it impossible for the Tribe to plan and manage
    their annual budgets. Congress recognized these challenges when it
    provided the Veterans Administration with advance appropriations over a
    decade ago and then last year in a historic step, finally provided
    advance appropriations for key IHS accounts. However, when it comes to
    our critical BIA accounts, Tribes still remain vulnerable while
    awaiting funding. The practical implication of this is that the Tribe
    does not have the ability to plan our finances even weeks ahead due to
    the uncertainty as to the level of funding. It is nearly impossible to
    Tribes to plan, grow, or achieve self-sufficiency. Advance
    appropriations for the BIA would lead to better stability for Tribal
    self-governance, reduce dependence on uncertain grant funding, and
    improve practices over all.
                       improving the indian health system
        Full Funding for the IHS: 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. We support the IHS Tribal
    Budget Formulation Workgroup calculated need of $51.4 billion for full
    funding in FY 2024.
        Continuing Advance Appropriations for the IHS: For many years,
    Tribes have requested that the IHS be funded on an advance
    appropriations cycle, a position championed by the Biden Administration
    and many on this subcommittee. In the FY 2023 Consolidated
    Appropriations Act, Congress in a historic move, finally provided
    advance appropriations for the IHS for FY 2024. We thank this
    subcommittee for your decisive leadership of this effort and applaud
    the 117th Congress for supporting this. Going forward, we urge the
    subcommittee to take the necessary steps to continue advance
    appropriations for the IHS for FY 2025 and beyond.
        Fully Fund Critical Infrastructure Investments: We would like to
    thank the subcommittee for funding Electronic Health Record
    modernization at $217 million for FY 2023, which was an increase of
    $72.5 million (50%) over FY 2022. For FY 2024, we ask that the
    subcommittee continue robust 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. 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. We were thrilled to see that the Sanitation
    Facilities Construction program received $3.5 billion in appropriations
    in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58). That
    said, it is critical that Congress make still significant investments
    in Tribal health facilities construction. IHS and Tribal facilities are
    some of the oldest in the Nation, meaning that 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 $9.6 billion for Facilities in FY 2024.
        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 recent years for
    both of these accounts. We support the Biden Administration's request
    to transition these accounts to mandatory funding. This change would
    bring appropriations process into line with the clear legal
    requirements of the authorizing statute. CSC and 105(l) lease funds are
    already an entitlement under substantive law for the ISDEAA to function
    as intended by Congress. It is contradictory and problematic to
    appropriate funding for CSC on a discretionary basis. A simple
    amendment to a permanent appropriations statute could solve this
    challenge.
        Amend Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to
    Clarify CSC Provisions: We also request that the committee consider
    amending the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
    (ISDEAA) to clarify that when agency funding paid to a Tribe for
    program operations is insufficient for contract and compact
    administration, contract support costs will remain available to cover
    the difference. In the recent court decision Cook Inlet Tribal Council,
    Inc. v. Dotomain, a Federal appeals court held that costs for
    activities normally carried out by IHS are ineligible for payment as
    CSC-even if IHS transfers insufficient, or even no, funding for these
    activities in the Secretarial amount. Under this new ruling, if
    facility costs are higher for a Tribe than for IHS, the Tribe is forced
    to cover the difference by diverting scarce program dollars. Recently,
    this serious misinterpretation of the ISDEAA that has been applied to
    one Tribal organization resulting in a 90% reduction of contract
    support costs reimbursement threatens Tribal self-governance and self-
    determination. Therefore, we call upon Congress to provide a
    legislative fix to clarify the intent on Congress for this matter, and
    ensure consistency with precedent.
        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 3-year
    reauthorization of SDPI in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
    (Public Law 116-260). SDPI's success rests in the flexibility of its
    program structure that allows for the incorporation of culture and
    local needs into its services. 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. Additionally, SDPI has not had an increase in funding since FY
    2004. We recommend permanent reauthorization for SDPI at a minimum of
    $250 million per year with annual adjustments for inflationary
    increases.
        Tribal Hatcheries: We deeply appreciate the $1 million increase for
    the operation of fish hatcheries in the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks sub-
    activity within the BIA Trust-Natural Resources Management budget in FY
    2023 and are asking the subcommittees to continue increased funding
    levels FY 2024.
        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 the subcommittee for your continued support for this program
    in FY 2023, including the $3.5 million increase for Rights Protection
    Implementation, and encourage further investments in FY 2024.
        Tribal Court Assistance for Tribes Subject to PL 83-280: We
    appreciate the much-needed support for Tribes who are affected by
    Public Law 83-280 and who are striving to serve our communities with
    competent and appropriate judiciary systems. Specifically, under the
    BIA Public Safety and Justice Law Enforcement-Tribal Justice Support
    program element we appreciate the helpful report language continued
    from the 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 also appreciate the $2
    million increase for this program in FY 2023 and ask that in FY 2024,
    the subcommittees continue to include PL 280-specific funding under
    this program element and continue to reference the Senate
    Appropriations Committee report (116-123).
        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, sea level rise, 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 to be successful we
    need additional support. We appreciate the $216 million provided to the
    BIA through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-
    58). We also appreciate the subcommittee's inclusion of $34.9 million
    for Tribal Climate Resilience in FY 2023 appropriations, but request
    significantly more investment in this account, specifically to
    implement mitigation actions identified through Climate Resilience
    plans. Tribal Nations throughout the United States, and especially in
    Alaska, are increasingly impacted by the threats of climate change.
        Continue Increases for Native Language Programs: As we have seen in
    the news everyday, through wars, plague, famine, and climate change,
    our health and wellbeing is under threat from many directions. While we
    urgently need the Federal Government to support our efforts to face
    these often existential challenges, there is also an invisible threat
    lurking all around us. Honorable Members of this subcommittee, the
    heritage language of my people is dying. Those in academia refer to the
    Tsimshian language as ``critically endangered.'' Just as our ocean
    coastline is eroding away, so too is the Sm'algyax, the Tsimshian
    language. There are only a few dozen speakers remaining in the entire
    world. We must impart the grave seriousness to every Member of this
    subcommittee. With permanent reoccurring annual funding as part of our
    compact, we can, in partnership with Congress, meet this challenge, and
    hold back the coming storm. We would like to thank to the subcommittee
    for the $2 million increase to the Community Development Central
    Oversight sub-activity under the Community and Economic Development
    activity directed towards supporting Native language instruction and
    immersion programs to Native students not enrolled at Bureau of Indian
    Education schools, including those Tribes and organizations in States
    without Bureau-funded schools.
        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 and compete
    against other Tribes to see that services are provided to our people.
    Tribes must also be granted the flexibility needed to respond to the
    specific needs of our own communities, not those prescribed by Federal
    grants. This also means providing enough resources so that funds are
    provided in meaningful amounts to all Tribes.

        [This statement was submitted by David R. Boxley, Councilmember and
    Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Metlakatla Indian Community.]
                                     ______

     Prepared Statement of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land
                                    Programs
        My name is Benny McCament and I serve as the Chief of the Ohio
    Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources
    Management. 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 27 implement abandoned mine land reclamation (AML) programs
    authorized under Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
    Act (SMCRA), and many implement state level programs for hardrock AML.
    My office's address is 29371 Wheelabout Road, McArthur OH 45651 and my
    office phone number is (740) 274-4947. My email is
    Benny.Mccament@dnr.ohio.gov.
        State and Tribal Hardrock AML Grants NAAMLP represents many States
    and Tribes with significant hardrock and noncoal AML problems
    (``hardrock AML'' hereafter). Hardrock AML threatens and damages the
    health and safety, environment, and economic vitality of impacted
    communities throughout the Country, especially in the West, but in
    every other region as well. There is no comprehensive accounting of the
    National hardrock AML problem at this time, but it is often cited in
    the tens of billions of dollars. In the absence of a steady hardrock
    AML funding source, State and Tribal hardrock AML programs struggle to
    maintain adequate funding and make consistent progress, and many States
    and Tribes with hardrock AML problems have no state/Tribal level
    program at all.
        The $3 billion funding authorization for hardrock AML grants ($1.5
    billion for States and Tribes) in Section 40704 of the Infrastructure
    Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is a very exciting development, despite
    the funding not yet being appropriated on the scale authorized. The
    $1.7m in funding for States and $400k for Tribes appropriated in FY
    2022 and 2023 for the energy community revitalization program (ECRP) is
    an encouraging start but is not enough to go around or to make
    meaningful progress addressing hardrock AML problems. We urge Congress
    to appropriate the amount authorized for hardrock AML by the IIJA at a
    rate of $300m per year.
        NAAMLP and IMCC have been working closely with DOI's Office of
    Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC) since the passage of the
    IIJA. We convened a group of 40+ States and Tribes to provide input to
    OEPC on how the new grants program should work. We believe a good plan
    has been developed, based on the amount of funding available, and
    appreciate OEPC's willingness to take state/Tribal input. These plans
    include a new national hardrock AML inventory being developed by USGS
    with State and Tribal input, which will eventually provide Congress
    with a nationwide picture of the scope and cost of the hardrock AML
    problem. It will take a significant amount of time and resources for
    this inventory to be fully developed.
        Congress does not need to wait for the inventory to be completed
    before increasing hardrock AML funding. The States and Tribes already
    know where the most dangerous safety and environmental problems exist.
    The know-how, planning, and will are already in place for States and
    Tribes to deliver immediate and ongoing benefits to communities in
    virtually every State.
        IIJA Coal AML Funding Implementation The infusion of much-needed
    funding for coal AML in the IIJA has ushered in a new, re-invigorated
    era for coal AML work. We thank Congress for recognizing the critical
    role the AML programs play in health and safety, environmental
    restoration, and the creation of jobs and economic growth. These
    benefits are appreciated throughout the Country, especially in places
    like Appalachia that are most affected by the energy transition. We
    also thank Congress for the passage of the STREAM Act at the end of
    last year, which ensures the gains enabled by the IIJA for AML water
    restoration will be lasting.
        We have been working closely with our sister organization, the
    Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC), as well as our Federal
    partners at the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
    (OSMRE) on implementing the new AML funding. We are confident the
    program will be successful in delivering the many benefits Congress
    envisions. However, implementation of the IIJA coal AML funding has met
    with challenges. While some progress is being made in addressing them,
    we believe that Congressional oversight would be helpful to ensuring
    the new funding is implemented in the best way possible.
        The States and Tribes have primacy under SCMRA and are on the
    forefront of implementation of the new IIJA funding--but we have found
    OSMRE's willingness to collaborate with and accept the input of the
    States and Tribes on IIJA implementation to be lacking. We have
    repeatedly and in a variety of ways communicated our concerns to OSMRE
    and DOI leadership. We recently held a Roundtable meeting with OSMRE at
    DOI headquarters in attempt to improve the working relationship between
    the agency and the States and Tribes. This meeting was a promising step
    forward and led to a breakthrough for collaboration on a particular
    aspect of IIJA implementation. However, the majority of OSMRE's IIJA
    implementation plans currently remain unchanged.
        The changes OSMRE plans for the AML program are generally
    burdensome, reflect misunderstanding of how State and Tribal AML
    programs operate, and will ultimately be detrimental to the program and
    the AML-impacted communities that rely on it. For example, OSMRE is
    requiring entirely separate grant applications for the new IIJA
    treasury-sourced funding and pre-existing AML fee-based funding,
    despite the fact that the funding is for the same programs and purposes
    and could easily be tracked separately without separate applications.
    OSMRE reportedly plans to hire roughly 70 new staff to help it
    implement its new, unnecessary grant application and reporting
    processes. Congress should seek to ``right-size'' OSMRE's budget to
    give the agency the personnel it needs to efficiently oversee and
    manage the AML program but not allow it to over-manage and smother the
    program with bureaucracy.
        The State and Tribal AML programs have long been committed to
    preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, which is evidenced by the more than
    45-year history of the program absent any such issues. The unfortunate
    irony is that OSMRE's new requirements will themselves result in waste
    by diverting State and Tribal AML staff time and energy toward
    unnecessary, disproportionate administrative requirements and away from
    their core mission of planning and conducting AML projects. State and
    Tribal AML programs have no staff time to spare on non-essential
    activities. The bottom-line is that, for the IIJA-funded AML program to
    be maximally successful, Congressional oversight would be useful to
    encourage OSMRE to listen to the States and Tribes that implement these
    programs on the ground and retain as much as possible the existing
    processes for the well-established, reasonably efficient, and highly
    successful AML program. OSMRE's current plans for its training programs
    are another particular concern.
        OSMRE's current plans for the training program are not adequate to
    provide for the the upcoming influx of new State and Tribal AML
    personnel, which is necessary for the State and Tribal AML programs to
    utilize the greatly increased funding provided by the IIJA. The demands
    of implementing the increased funding will also mean that the training
    program will not be able to rely on volunteer trainers from State
    agencies as it currently does. We recommend Congress increase NTTP/TIPS
    funding and consider report language to encourage OSMRE to hire full-
    time, paid instructors for the training program.
        OSMRE's current plans for the inventory funding provided by the
    IIJA is another cause for concern. IIJA section 40701(g) made $25
    million available ``to provide States and Indian Tribes with the
    financial and technical assistance necessary for the purpose of making
    amendments to the inventory maintained under section 403(C) of
    [SMCRA]''. We believe the intent for this funding was that all of it be
    delivered to the States and Tribes to supplement their efforts to
    visit, catalogue, and assess AML problem areas so that a more complete
    inventory of coal AML problems can be achieved. However, we understand
    that OSMRE intends to distribute only $8 million to the States and
    Tribes and keep the rest for cyber-security related and other upgrades
    to the inventory database known as e-AMLIS. We believe that these kinds
    of updates to e-AMLIS should be funded out of OSMRE's budget and not
    from funding set aside for States and Tribes' inventorying work.
        SMCRA Title IV Coal AML We encourage Congress to maintain OSMRE
    funding for SMCRA Title IV purposes that serves the agency's role of
    supporting State and Tribal AML programs. For example, we recommend
    continued funding for technical assistance and applied science. We also
    recommend continued funding for the NTTP and TIPS programs, including
    moneys for State and Tribal travel. These initiatives provide essential
    training, continuing education, and technical assistance for State and
    Tribal AML personnel.
        We also recommend funding for Watershed Cooperative Agreements be
    maintained. 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.
        AMLER The States are proud of the projects they have conducted
    through the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program
    (formerly known as the ``pilot program''), which look for creative ways
    to turn AML sites into opportunities for economic development. We
    request that funding in the amount of $135 million continue. However,
    we remain concerned with implementation of the AMLER program, which has
    been impeded by the same kind of untenable administrative processes and
    lack of respect for state primacy described above.
        The AMLER program suffers most of all from the ``vetting'' process,
    in which, despite not being anticipated in the law, OSMRE reviews and
    approves or denies every potential AMLER project before they have been
    fully planned. Poor communication and opaque vetting standards have led
    to paralyzing delays and uncertainty and a disproportionate amount of
    AML program staff time being devoted to this program. Meanwhile,
    OSMRE's review in the vetting process adds little if any value to AMLER
    project outcomes. The process involves slow, unproductive back-and-
    forth regarding project details and administrative concerns and often
    amounts to OSMRE asserting its own opinions on how best to approach
    AMLER projects in place of the States and Tribes' better, more locally-
    informed expertise. This is not how the AMLER program was meant to
    work.
        The vetting process has also become increasingly untenable for the
    States' project partners, whose cooperation is essential. Local
    businesses and community groups find it difficult to navigate the
    process or receive reasonable assurance that their projects will
    succeed if they do things right. For example, a proposed AMLER project
    that would have built affordable housing in an economically depressed
    coal community in Virginia was caught up in the OSMRE vetting process
    for over 1,200 days with virtually no communication until the project
    proponents withdrew due to their understandable frustration.
        We ask that Congress conduct oversight of the AMLER program and
    consider how to alleviate these problems. Stronger report language
    encouraging clearer vetting standards and better deference to State
    programs would be welcome. However, we believe report language is not
    enough to resolve the issues at hand and that a deeper change is
    necessary.
        We recommend OSMRE be directed to distribute AMLER funding directly
    to eligible State and Tribal Programs for deposit into State and Tribal
    accounts within 60 days. This would return the AMLER program to the way
    we believe Congress originally intended for it to operate, in which
    projects would be chosen and developed by States and Tribes in
    consultation with their economic development agencies and local
    stakeholders without unnecessary, unproductive involvement by OSMRE
    through vetting. The oversight and reporting processes already in place
    in the AML program will be more than enough to ensure funding is spent
    transparently and in the proper way as Congress envisions. The bottom-
    line is that this approach would yield more, faster, and better health,
    safety, environmental, and economic benefits from the AMLER program.
                                   conclusion
        In closing, the States and Tribes represented by NAAMLP again
    express our gratitude to Congress for the recognition of the value of
    the AML programs, both coal and hardrock, and the investment in their
    future represented by the IIJA. We look forward to beginning this new
    chapter for coal AML and are thrilled to be moving toward a national-
    scale hardrock AML grants program as well. With Congress' continuing
    attentiveness to AML implementation issues, we feel confident that
    continued success of the State and Tribal AML programs can be assured.
        Statement of Benny McCament, Chief, Division of Mineral Resources
    Management, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, on Behalf of the
    National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs re. the FY 2024
    Proposed Budgets for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
    Enforcement and Energy Community Revitalization Program before the
    Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies subcommittee of the Senate
    Appropriations Committee--May 24, 2023.

        [This statement was submitted by Benny McCament, Chief, Division of
    Mineral Resources Management, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.]

                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of National Association of Clean Water Agencies
        The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) represents
    over 350 public wastewater and stormwater utility members nationwide,
    who collectively provide essential clean water services to more than
    150 million Americans daily. These utilities serve communities both
    large and small, urban and rural, in nearly every State and work around
    the clock to protect public health and the environment and support
    economic growth.
        Providing these essential clean water services comes with a great
    deal of complex challenges including reinvesting in aging
    infrastructure, managing escalating operation and maintenance costs and
    supply chain disruptions, attracting and retaining a skilled workforce,
    addressing water quality impairments and regulations such as for per-
    and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), emerging contaminants, and
    nutrients, and investing in climate resilience and system security.
    Public clean water utilities are working each day to overcome these
    challenges and provide the highest level of service to the communities
    they serve while ensuring rates remain affordable for families and
    local businesses.
        NACWA greatly appreciates the direct appropriations provided for
    clean water by Congress under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
    Act (IIJA). Other programs were authorized but not directly or fully
    funded through IIJA itself. It is important that Congress fully
    appropriate the clean water programs authorized and reauthorized under
    the IIJA to ensure local communities have the complete resources they
    need to provide essential public wastewater and stormwater services.
        Below are NACWA's FY24 Appropriations requests. As always, NACWA
    appreciates the subcommittee's strong engagement and collaboration with
    the Association and our members and 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 utilize to help meet their
    Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations and infrastructure needs. The CWSRF
    has been instrumental to communities' successes in advancing water
    quality and public health protection. While the IIJA provided a 5-year
    infusion of additional funds into the CWSRF, NACWA knows that it was
    clearly the intent of Congress for these funds to supplement--not
    supplant--continued robust annual CWSRF appropriations. NACWA supports
    annual CWSRF funding at the full IIJA authorized level of $3 billion
    for FY24.
        Additionally, NACWA members who benefited from Congressionally
    Directed Spending greatly appreciate the direct funding provided them
    through the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations. But as the Committee considers
    Congressionally Directed Spending moving forward, NACWA requests that
    funding for these projects not be taken from the CWSRF's annual
    appropriation. This will help ensure that communities who secured
    Congressionally Directed spending for their projects are funded without
    reducing access to the CWSRF by all eligible communities in a State,
    and will protect the revolving funds' long-term viability.
        Lastly, NACWA wishes to emphasize that innovative technology will
    play a vital role in ensuring public clean water utilities are able to
    continue efficiently and cost-effectively providing the highest level
    of safe, sustainable wastewater and stormwater services for their
    residents. NACWA appreciates the work of the subcommittee in the FY23
    Omnibus Appropriations package to enhance the use of clean water
    technology and looks forward to building on the role of innovative
    technology in FY24.
        NACWA requests that the Committee include language prioritizing
    eligibilities for technological innovation through the CWSRF by
    allowing States the ability to use up to five percent of the funds
    provided to them for projects that utilize proven or emerging clean
    water technology for publicly owned treatment works optimization and to
    meet or enhance local public health and environmental objectives.
              sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants
        Reducing sewer overflows has been a key driver of financial strain
    on many communities and their ratepayers. This is especially clear in
    communities under Federal consent decrees, addressing aging
    infrastructure, and/or adjusting to population and economic shifts, all
    while dealing with the growing impacts of climate change and extreme
    weather events.
        The Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants program
    provides grant dollars that can assist municipal clean water utilities
    and communities in more affordably managing combined sewer overflows,
    sanitary sewer overflows, and capturing stormwater flows for water
    reuse. NACWA strongly supports this key program which provides
    communities with direct grant dollars (as opposed to loans) to make
    these critical investments and supports full funding of the
    reauthorized level of $280 million in FY24.
                          low-income water assistance
        NACWA has long supported the creation of a Federal low-income water
    assistance program to assist households in maintaining access to
    affordable and reliable public clean and drinking water services.
    Similar Federal programs exist to help low-income households with food
    and energy costs, and the time has come for water to be equally
    recognized as a costly but vital public health need. A robust and
    permanent Federal water assistance program is critical to ensuring
    communities and public utilities can provide service to all customers
    while also being able to charge the rates necessary to maintain safe,
    reliable water and wastewater systems.
        NACWA is grateful for the steps Congress has taken to advance this
    important need by providing funding for a temporary emergency Low
    Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) administered by the
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as
    authorizing the establishment of an EPA low-income water customer
    assistance pilot program in the IIJA.
        However, HHS' LIHWAP funding is set to expire at the end of 2023,
    potentially leaving many struggling families in a position to not be
    able to afford their essential water services. Additional resources are
    needed to bridge this gap and ensure long-term viability of a permanent
    low-income water assistance program, and NACWA requests the Committee
    provide $225 million in FY24 for EPA to implement its pilot program.
                              integrated planning
        Integrated Planning (IP), codified into the CWA by Congress in
    2018, can assist both large and small communities in managing costs and
    sequencing and prioritizing their clean water investments-empowering
    communities to maximize environmental benefits and prioritize their
    most critical environmental outcomes. The IP approach requires a shift
    from business as usual, requiring significant work upfront by
    communities, States, and EPA to achieve improved outcomes.
        NACWA greatly appreciates the $2 million provided by the Committee
    in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations package to provide EPA with
    dedicated resources to help communities develop IP frameworks. The
    Agency is working with state regulators to incorporate IP approaches
    into permitting and enforcement, a critical step. NACWA requests an
    additional $2 million in FY24 appropriations to continue these efforts.
                 water workforce infrastructure grants program
        The public clean water sector can provide stable career paths
    across skill levels where workers can take pride in serving their
    community. However, the water utility workforce is retiring rapidly,
    and public utilities are struggling more than ever to compete with
    other sectors for workers.
        NACWA strongly supports EPA's Water Workforce Infrastructure
    Development Grant Program and requests that FY24 funding is provided
    at, or higher than, the FY23 level of $6 million. This funding will
    support innovative efforts to develop tomorrow's utility workforce and
    ensure long-term stability in the sector.
        water infrastructure finance and innovation act (wifia) program
        The WIFIA program is a complement to the SRFs, accelerating
    significant water infrastructure investments and leveraging limited
    Federal resources. NACWA supports funding equal to the FY23
    appropriated amount of $75.6 million in FY24. NACWA also supports an
    additional $5 million for the SWIFIA program, which allows state
    financing authorities that administer the SRFs to apply for WIFIA loans
    directly through EPA. This ability of a State to bundle multiple
    projects on its approved intended use plan can increase participation
    in smaller, rural, and lesser-resourced communities.
        clean water infrastructure resilience and sustainability program
        NACWA is strongly supportive of this program that was established
    under the IIJA to help clean water utilities that are on the front
    lines of mitigating the impacts of climate change and wet weather
    events. Communities vary with regard to how climate change is impacting
    their utility systems and are trying to implement locally-appropriate
    solutions that ensure resilience for critical water services. NACWA
    requests the fully authorized amount of $25 million in FY24 to
    jumpstart this program.
                                      pfas
        Clean water utilities are very concerned about the presence of
    emerging contaminants in their influent, the impacts these chemicals
    have on their treated effluent and biosolids, and the potential costs
    that may accrue to public ratepayers. NACWA urges funding for EPA to
    advance its work to better develop a scientific understanding of PFAS
    in the environment--particularly exposure pathways, toxicity levels,
    and treatment technologies--to guide the development of appropriate,
    scientific, risk-based standards that protect public health and the
    environment. This work can also help advance source control and the
    transition from PFAS in products and supply chains to alternative
    materials. It is vital that EPA get the science right and determine
    actual risk levels from PFAS to human health before moving too quickly
    on regulatory requirements that could impose significant costs on
    public clean water utilities and the communities they serve.
        As a key part of this, NACWA urges Congress to provide dedicated
    funding to bolster EPA's Biosolids Program, which regulates the
    beneficial reuse of wastewater treatment residuals. EPA's ongoing work
    on the problem formulation for biosolids is critical to providing
    certainty regarding continued safe residuals management.
        NACWA strongly supported the $1 billion in appropriations under the
    IIJA for clean water utilities to address emerging contaminants such as
    PFAS. However, since these funds are flowing through the CWSRF there
    have been challenges to getting these funding plans approved and funds
    disbursed quickly. Some of the most immediate costs clean water
    utilities are facing is to proactively understand and limit PFAS in
    their systems through monitoring, analysis, and implementing
    pretreatment programs in conjunction with industries to reduce
    concentrated PFAS discharges into public sewer systems. However, these
    important steps are not necessarily eligible uses for IIJA funds as
    those dollars are coming through the CWSRF, which is focused on capital
    investments.
        NACWA has been working to identify potential near-term clean water
    utility uses of the IIJA PFAS funds that align with the CWSRF
    eligibilities and providing EPA and our members with recommendations.
    However, Congressional clarity from the Committee that these IIJA CWSRF
    emerging contaminant funds can be used for PFAS monitoring and
    assessment work would be an important step to ensure the funds are be
    put to their best possible use, meeting timely clean water PFAS needs.
    Clarifying language will support the work public clean water agencies
    are doing to understand and control PFAS before they enter the utility
    system or are released to the environment.
                            additional key programs
        NACWA also supports increased funding for EPA's Geographic
    Programs, which support critical watershed-based investments; Section
    319 Nonpoint Source grants that support watershed solutions to
    pollution driven by nonpoint sources, which remain the largest
    outstanding driver of water quality impairments; and for EPA's National
    Priorities Water Research grant program which supports work on timely
    national water research priorities.

        [This statement was submitted by NACWA Director of Legislative
    Affairs, Jason Isakovic, jisakovic@nacwa.org.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of National Association of Clean Air Agencies
        On behalf of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies
    (NACAA), thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony on the FY
    2024 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 four recommendations with respect to FY 2024 appropriations. The
    association urges Congress to 1) provide $500 million in grants to
    State and local air agencies, which is an increase of $251 million over
    the FY 2023 appropriation of $249 million and $100 million above the
    Administration's request; 2) provide flexibility to State and local air
    quality agencies to use Federal grants to address the highest priority
    programs in their areas; 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; and 4) provide
    grant increases under authorities of the CAA that do not require
    matching funds (e.g., Section 103) as much as possible to allow
    agencies that do not have sufficient matching funds to still obtain the
    additional grants.
        NACAA is the National, non-partisan, non-profit association of air
    pollution control agencies in 40 States, including 117 local air
    agencies, the District of Columbia and five 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
    conduct an array of critical activities intended to improve and
    maintain air quality and protect public health.
               air pollution poses serious public health problems
        Overall, very few problems this subcommittee addresses pose greater
    threats to public health than air pollution and climate change. Air
    quality programs under the CAA have greatly reduced air pollution
    while, at the same time, our country has continued to experience strong
    economic growth.\1\ However, air pollution continues to threaten public
    health and welfare, especially in overburdened environmental justice
    communities that disproportionately suffer adverse human health and
    environmental impacts.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Every year tens of thousands of Americans die prematurely from air
    pollution and millions are exposed to unhealthful levels of air
    contaminants, resulting in cancer, damage to respiratory,
    cardiovascular, neurological and reproductive systems and other health
    problems.\2\ In 2021, approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population--
    about 102 million people--lived in areas that exceeded one or more
    Federal health-based air pollution standards.\3\ Additionally, EPA's
    most recent hazardous air pollution data show that ``millions of people
    live in areas where air toxics pose potential health concerns.'' \4\
    Environmental justice communities are particularly at risk.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-
    current-and-future-challenges
        \3\ https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-national-summary
        \4\ https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-02/
    AirToxScreen_2018%20TSD.pdf (page 113)
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        With respect to climate change, there is much work to be done to
    address increasing greenhouse gas emissions that result in more and
    worse wildfires, longer ozone seasons and upward-trending global
    temperatures. State and local governments have led the way by
    instituting some of our Nation's strongest climate change programs,
    making meaningful progress towards reducing greenhouse gases. It is
    essential that these and other programs be well funded.
            state and local air agencies continue to be underfunded
        Under the CAA, State and local agencies have the primary
    responsibility for implementing the Federal clean air program. This
    massive undertaking calls for monitoring, issuing permits, planning,
    developing emission-reduction strategies, enforcing rules, educating
    the public, hiring and training staff and conducting many other complex
    activities. Increasingly, these agencies are tasked with new and high-
    priority responsibilities to reduce air pollution, address the
    disproportionate harm facing overburdened communities and tackle
    climate change. Unfortunately, this simply cannot be accomplished with
    current levels of funding.
        State and local air agencies have been underfunded for many years.
    Federal grants to State and local air quality agencies (under Sections
    103 and 105 of the CAA) were not much higher in FY 2023 than they were
    20 years ago, representing a substantial decrease in purchasing power
    when factoring in inflation. During this time, air quality issues have
    become more and more complicated and costly. Moreover, while Federal
    grants were originally intended to cover 60 percent of the cost of
    implementing the CAA, they cover less than a quarter of that today,
    with the remainder coming largely from State and local programs
    themselves.
        funds from recent legislation and permit fees are not the answer
        On August 12, 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act
    (IRA),\5\ which includes essential and welcome funding for State and
    local air agencies to address climate change in particular. However,
    the IRA funds are not a substitute for the increases NACAA recommends,
    the latter of which are intended to make up for the historical deficits
    in State and local grant funding and bring the appropriations to the
    level they should be for these agencies to carry out the ongoing
    responsibilities that existed prior to the IRA and will continue into
    the future. It is essential that many State and local agencies hire new
    staff to carry out their traditional responsibilities and new programs
    to address more complex clean air and climate change programs. To cover
    the continuing costs of increased staffing, agencies require ongoing
    and permanent additional resources, such as those we are recommending
    here. The limited-time IRA funds will not replace the need for such
    increases. Finally, the successful implementation of the IRA will
    likely increase the responsibilities typically borne by State and local
    air agencies' core programs, but for which the measure did not allocate
    specific additional funding.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \5\ https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/
    text
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Similarly, funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
    \6\ are not the solution, as most are directed to water and
    infrastructure projects. While worthwhile, they do not address the day-
    to-day work of State and local air agencies and much of those funds are
    tied to specific new work, rather than existing responsibilities, which
    does not address the current funding deficit.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684/
    text
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Finally, the permit fee program under Title V of the Clean Air Act
    is not the solution to State and local air agencies' financial
    problems. While it provides essential revenues, it has significant
    limitations. First, Title V fees only support the operating permit
    program and must not be used for other activities (i.e., Federal grants
    and permit fees must not be mingled). Second, those fees apply only to
    major sources and do not cover the significant costs for non-major
    sources (e.g., permits, monitoring, enforcement, compliance
    assistance). Third, the current fees already are substantial and there
    would be considerable resistance to any increases. Fourth, and perhaps
    most significantly, fee revenue has decreased drastically due to
    reductions in emissions on which they are based (i.e., success in
    controlling emissions results in diminished fee revenue).
        These two significant pieces of legislation and the Title V fee
    program, while important to State and local agencies, are not the
    solutions to the funding shortfall. Traditional Federal grants must be
    expanded to meet the significant resource requirements.
                     how would additional funding be used?
        Many agencies report inadequate funding for the basic
    responsibilities identified above, which are the foundations of their
    programs. The recommended increases would allow for the continuation of
    these essential activities. In addition, increased Federal grants would
    support:

      --advancing new programs and expanding existing efforts that protect
            all Americans, especially vulnerable communities that continue
            to bear the greatest pollution burdens;

      --strengthening pollution detection and visualization efforts through
            monitors, sensors and airborne- and mobile-detection equipment
            for a variety of pollutants;

      --supporting small business programs and emission reductions from
            smaller sources, including inspections, compliance assistance
            and technical support;

      --addressing climate change with efforts including planning,
            monitoring, permitting and enforcement; energy-transition
            assistance for communities dependent on fossil fuels; and
            adaptation and resilience for communities that face extreme
            weather and climate impacts;

      --empowering State and local agencies to take on the additional air
            quality responsibilities in new Federal clean energy and clean
            transportation programs; and

      --tackling the ever-increasing threats posed by wildfires, including
            mitigating adverse health impacts and communicating with the
            public.
                 agencies need flexibility in the use of grants
        Air pollution problems are not the same everywhere and each State
    or local agency must adapt its approach to fit its unique circumstances
    and the issues facing its community. A one-size-fits-all strategy for
    grants applied nationally may not recognize the need to focus resources
    effectively. Therefore, NACAA recommends that Congress provide State
    and local air agencies with the flexibility to use grant funds on the
    highest priority programs in their areas.
               allow agencies that cannot match to receive grants
        Section 105 of the Clean Air Act requires grant recipients to
    provide matching funds, while Section 103 does not. Providing certain
    grants under Section 103 authority, therefore, is very helpful for
    those State or local agencies that are unable to raise additional
    matching funds.
        In the past, EPA has proposed shifting the PM2.5 monitoring grant
    program from Section 103 authority to Section 105. NACAA has asked
    Congress in previous years to retain PM2.5 monitoring grants under
    Section 103 so that no agencies would be forced to refuse critical
    monitoring grants due to their inability to afford the required match.
    We are very grateful that Congress has been agreeable to this request
    in the past and we ask that these funds once again remain under Section
    103 authority in FY 2024.
        Concerns about agencies' abilities to match grant funds go beyond
    just the PM2.5 monitoring grant program, however. While some agencies
    have adequate matching funds, others do not. Often, these are the same
    agencies in dire need of the additional grants we are seeking.
    Therefore, we request that Congress provide as much of the grant
    increase as possible under authorities that do not require matching
    funds (e.g., Section 103), so that no agency would be ineligible for
    the additional grants, even if they do not have sufficient matching
    funds.
                                   conclusion
        Federal grants to State and local air quality agencies are a
    relatively small piece of the National budget. Yet the return on
    investment is among the highest when considering the benefits of
    protecting public health and the environment against the serious
    threats posed by air pollution and climate change.
        State and local air quality agencies' efforts to protect and
    improve air quality are critically important both for public health and
    a sound economy. NACAA recommends that in FY 2024 Congress 1) provide
    $500 million in grants to State and local air agencies, which is an
    increase of $251 million over the FY 2023 appropriation of $249 million
    and $100 million above the Administration's request; 2) provide
    flexibility to State and local air quality agencies to use Federal
    grants to address the highest priority programs in their areas; 3)
    retain grants for monitoring PM2.5 under the authority of Section 103
    of the Clean Air Act, rather than shifting it to Section 105; and 4)
    provide grant increases under authorities of the CAA that do not
    require matching funds (e.g., Section 103) as much as possible to allow
    agencies that do not have sufficient matching funds to still obtain the
    additional grants.
        Thank you very much for this opportunity to provide testimony. If
    you require additional information, please contact Miles Keogh
    (mkeogh@4cleanair.org) or Mary Sullivan Douglas
    (mdouglas@4cleanair.org) of NACAA.

        [This statement was submitted by Miles Keogh and Mary Sullivan
    Douglas of NACAA.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Energy
                                   Officials
        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 submits
    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 $50 million in FY'24, 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 $38 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. We are also encouraged by the ENERGY STAR
    Home Upgrades Program.
        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 2022, 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.
        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. At the close of 2021, more than 750 U.S. industrial sites had
    committed to the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry.
        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 more than 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 more than 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 $50 million in FY'24.
    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.
        Contact: David Terry, NASEO President (dterry@naseo.org); and Jeff
    Genzer, NASEO Counsel (jcg@dwgp.com).

        [This statement was submitted by David Terry, President.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Foresters
        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) 2024 appropriations
    recommendations. Our priorities focus primarily on appropriations for
    the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) State, Private, and Tribal
    Forestry (SP&TF) 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
    SP&TF 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. State Forest Action Plans-completed in
    2010, updated in 2015, and comprehensively revised in 2020 by all 59
    States, U.S. territories, freely associated States, and the District of
    Columbia-offer practical and comprehensive roadmaps for investing
    federal, State, local, and private resources where they can be most
    effective in achieving national conservation goals. SP&TF 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 SP&TF mission area of the
    Forest Service, are best positioned to maximize the effectiveness of
    available resources by focusing work on priority forest issues where
    resources are needed most.
        The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA/BIL) has provided
    game changing support in the form of flexible funding for State Forest
    Action Plan implementation-allowing States to address the highest
    priority forest management activities within their state, as identified
    and developed collaboratively with partners and stakeholders.
    Additionally, the IIJA/BIL provided critical support for the State Fire
    Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance Programs. We look forward to
    working with you to develop pathways for these historic investments to
    continue beyond FY2026.
        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 have 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 2022,
    roughly 69,000 wildland fires burned more than 7.5 million acres.\1\
    State and local agencies respond to the majority of wildfires across
    the country; in 2022 State and local agencies were responsible for
    responding to 57,492 (83%) of the 69,988 reported wildfires across all
    jurisdictions.\2\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ National Interagency Fire Center, Historical Wildland Fire
    Summaries, Last accessed March 14, 2023 at https://www.nifc.gov/fire-
    information/statistics/wildfires
        \2\ Id.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        SFC and VFC 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. SFC 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 Capacity Program at $79 million, a $3M increase
    from the FY 2023 enacted level. and Volunteer Fire Capacity Program at
    $22 million in FY 2024, a $1M increase from the FY 2023 enacted level.
                        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. 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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 $39.43 million in FY
    2024, a $6.43M increase from the FY 2023 enacted level.
         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 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 significantly increased
    funding levels commensurate with the increased funding provided to the
    LWCF by the GAOA.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ Forest2Market. The Economic Impact of Privately-Owned Forests.
    2009.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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. In FY2022, the Forest Stewardship
    Program added 1.68 million acres of new or revised plans for a total of
    over 20 million acres currently enrolled in the program. Forest
    landowners with 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 them 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 $22 million, a $9.5M increase from the FY 2023
    enacted level and the Forest Legacy Program at $128 million in FY 2024,
    a $50M increase from the FY 2023 enacted level.
                urban and community forest management challenges
        Urban forests are essential for 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 2022, the U&CF program delivered technical,
    financial, educational, and research assistance to 7,447 communities
    across all 50 States, U.S. territories, three nations in compacts of
    free association with the U.S., and the District of Columbia. NASF
    supports funding the Urban and Community Forestry Program at $42
    million in FY 2024, a $2M increase from the FY 2023 enacted level.
        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 appreciates Congress supporting this program with a significant
    increase in FY 2023, and encourages ongoing support of the Forest
    Inventory and Analysis Program at $32.4 million in FY 2024, a $200K
    increase from the FY 2023 enacted level. Furthermore, we continue our
    request that you to work with the Forest Service to establish a budget
    line item for FIA for salaries and expenses.
                       landscape scale restoration (lsr)
        The Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) program is an important way
    that States address critical forest priorities across the landscape, in
    collaboration with the Forest Service and other partners. LSR projects
    focus on the most critical priorities identified in each State's Forest
    Action Plan and on achieving resource objectives outlined in the 2018
    Farm Bill. The program prioritizes funding projects that reduce the
    risk of uncharacteristic wildfires, improve fish and wildlife habitats,
    maintain or improve water quality and watershed function, mitigate
    invasive species, insect infestation and disease, improve important
    forest ecosystems, and measure ecological and economic benefits
    including air and soil quality and productivity. As a result, LSR
    contributes to achieving results across the landscape and to making
    meaningful local, regional, and national impacts. NASF supports funding
    the Landscape Scale Restoration Program at $20 million in FY 2024, a
    $3M increase from the FY 2023 enacted level.
        NASF appreciates the opportunity to share our FY 2024
    appropriations recommendations for the Forest Service with the
    subcommittee.

        [This statement was submitted by Kacey KC, Nevada State Forester,
    and President, NASF.]
                                     ______

         Prepared Statement of 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 2024 appropriations. My name is Valerie
    Grussing and I am the Executive Director.
        We greatly appreciated the Committee's decision to include $23
    million in the Tribal line item of the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)
    in the Fiscal Year 2023 Interior Appropriations bill, which matched the
    Biden Administration's request. And we were beyond thrilled that the
    FY23 Omnibus bill followed through on this commitment! What this means
    for THPOs: for the first time in the history of the Federal Tribal
    Historic Preservation Program, funding at this level provides each one
    an average of $108,000 per THPO, which funds one whole staff member per
    Tribe. Following decades of underfunding, we and our members have been
    ecstatic at this increase and its real impacts on THPOs' ability to
    protect Tribal Nations' cultural resources and sacred places.
        It is imperative that the subcommittee continue to close the gap by
    adequately funding the Tribal line item of the HPF. We urge the
    subcommittee to provide funding for Fiscal Year 2024 that continues to
    make up for more than two decades of failures to adequately support the
    Federal THPO program. Specifically, we urge the subcommittee to support
    these funding levels:

    1. National Park Service, Historic Preservation Fund, Tribal line item
        ($34 million)

    2. National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program:

      a. Exclusively for NAGPRA Grants ($10 million)

      b. Program administration ($1 million for Program Use)

    3. Bureau of Indian Affairs--Create line items and support the
        following divisions:

      a. Cultural Resource compliance at the 12 Regional BIA Offices ($8
            million);

      b. Central Office cultural resource efforts throughout the bureau
            ($800,000);

      c. NAGPRA compliance work ($1.5 million);

      d. To fight ARPA crimes on Indian reservations ($850,000);

      e. Museum property and curation ($400,000).

    4. Smithsonian Institution: For repatriation activities, including
        Review Committee and repatriation office ($3 million)

    5. Bureau of Land Management: Tribal Liaison Program, NAGRPA compliance
        ($3 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 Historic
    Preservation Officers (SHPO), 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 NATHPO NATHPO is a national non-profit association of THPOs
    protecting culturally important places that perpetuate Native identity,
    resilience, and cultural endurance.

    1. Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by NPS--Tribal line
    item ($34 million)

        As of March 1, 2023, there were 215 National Park Service (NPS)-
    recognized THPOs. Each THPO represents an affirmative step by an Indian
    Tribe to assume the responsibilities of the SHPO for their respective
    Tribal lands, as authorized by Congress in the 1992 amendments to the
    National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Collectively, they exercise
    responsibilities over a land base exceeding 50 million acres in 30
    States. The HPF is the sole source of Federal funding for THPOs. We
    recommend $34 million to carry out the requirements of the NHPA. This
    would provide the 215 federally recognized THPOs an average of $158,139
    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 to proceed, 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 (FY 1996), the original 12 THPOs each received an average of
    $80,000, while in FY 2022, 208 THPOs received an average of $76,923.
    This funding was inadequate for THPOs to handle their current
    workloads, which have increased exponentially with the enactment of the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. 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 supports the request of the National Trust for Historic
    Preservation that Congress provide a total FY 2024 HPF appropriation of
    $225 million. Within that funding we recommend:

      --$70 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs);

      --$34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs);

      --$28 million for competitive grants related to African American
            Civil Rights;

      --$7 million for the History of Equal Rights Grants program;

      --$13 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and
            Universities;

      --$40 million for Save America's Treasures grants;

      --$17 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants;

      --$5 million for grants related to communities underrepresented on
            the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic
            Landmarks;

      --$5 million for grants related to communities underrepresented on
            the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic
            Landmarks;

      --$11 million for the Semiquincentennial grant program to preserve
            historical sites commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the
            United States of America.

        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.

        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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Cultural items include human remains, funerary or sacred
    objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        NAGPRA Grants Program:

        The National Park Service is currently revising the regulations
    implementing NAGPRA. These revisions will dramatically increase the
    burden on Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and museums. We
    request that the NAGPRA grants program be funded at $10 million to be
    used exclusively for NAGPRA Grants to Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian
    organizations, and museums. We also request that you direct the
    Government Accountability Office to evaluate the effectiveness of this
    grant program.

        Administration of National NAGPRA Program:

        $1 million, additionally, for NAGPRA program administration,
    including the publication of Federal Register notices, grant
    administration, civil penalty investigations, and Review Committee
    costs. We also request that you direct the Government Accountability
    Office to evaluate the effectiveness of the National NAGPRA Program's
    implementation of civil penalty investigations.

        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. Until recently, the BIA did not have any special
    agents or law enforcement forces to combat this uniquely destructive
    crime in Indian Country. There are now four agents nationwide and we
    urge the Committee to enable two additional agents nationwide plus two
    in Alaska.

        NATHPO recommends the BIA create line items and support the
    following divisions:

      a. Cultural Resource compliance at the 12 Regional BIA Offices ($8
            million);

      b. Central Office cultural resource efforts throughout the bureau
            ($800,000);

      c. NAGPRA compliance work ($1.5 million);

      d. To fight ARPA crimes on Indian reservations ($850,000);

      e. Museum property and curation ($400,000).

    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 $3 million
    specifically directed to expediting its repatriation activities.

    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 the
    Committee's continuing support for the agency to enhance its National
    Cultural Resources Information Management System (NCRIMS).
        Additionally, responsive to recommendations in the 2010 GAO report
    on NAGPRA, BLM stated at that time that nine new positions and $22
    million were needed to improve compliance. Neither of these has
    happened, and now the current proposed NAGPRA regulation changes are
    anticipated to present further demands that BLM (and other agencies as
    well as Tribes) are not equipped to meet. It is incumbent upon this
    Committee to provide commensurate resources to assist with the critical
    and overdue task of bringing ancestors home. We recommend providing
    specific funding of $3 million above enacted, specifically to continue
    building the vital Tribal Liaison Program, including the Headquarters
    agency lead and 12 State Office positions, and staffing related to
    NAGPRA compliance.
        Thank you for considering our testimony. I would be pleased to
    answer any questions you have.

        [This statement was submitted by Valerie J. Grussing, PhD,
    Executive Director.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the National Endowment for the Arts
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and members of the
    subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in
    support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funding for the National Endowment for
    the Arts (NEA) on behalf of The Creative Coalition. We respectfully
    request the Committee provide $211 million for the NEA in the upcoming
    fiscal year, building on the continued investment made by this
    Committee in Fiscal Year 2023 to support the arts economy of the United
    States.
        Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the entertainment
    community, The Creative Coalition dedicates itself to educating,
    mobilizing, and activating its members on the necessity of access to
    the arts for ALL Americans and the benefit of the arts to our society
    and economy.
        Art is a form of creative expression encompassing various
    disciplines, such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, theatre,
    literature, and film. Each of these aspects is an integral part of our
    society and the economy, reflecting the cultural, social, and economic
    values held. Year after year, the question arises about the importance
    of funding for the arts. While some continue to argue it is an
    unnecessary use of resources, The Creative Coalition sincerely
    appreciates the Committee's and Congress' recognition that Federal
    funding for the arts is a valuable investment, as illustrated by the
    historic level of funding provided to the NEA in the last fiscal year.
    Our testimony today reiterates the benefits of Federal funding for the
    arts, as well as arts education, and why both are prudent investments
    for society and the economy.
        Funding for the arts in education has numerous benefits, both for
    students and society as a whole. First and foremost, art education
    fosters creativity and imagination, two critical skills essential for
    success in any field. Art classes encourage students to think outside
    the box, experiment with different materials, and develop their own
    unique style of expression. This creativity can spill over into other
    subjects, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
    (STEM)\1\, helping students approach problems and challenges in
    innovative ways.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Huser, Joyce et al (2020). STEAM and the Role of the Arts in
    STEM. New York: State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        In addition, art education can have a significant impact on
    academic achievement. Studies have shown that students who participate
    in arts programs tend to have higher grades, better attendance records,
    and are more likely to graduate from high school.\2\ This is because
    art education engages students in learning and helps them develop
    critical thinking skills. For example, a student learning to draw a
    still life must analyze the shapes, proportions, and colors of the
    objects in front of them. This kind of analysis and problem-solving
    applies to other subjects such as science, math, and social studies.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Thomas. M. K., Singh, P. & Klopfenstein, K. (2015). Arts
    education and the high school dropout problem. Journal of Cultural
    Economics, 39 (4): 327-339
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Arts education also positively impacts the mental health and well-
    being of students. According to the CDC's Adolescent Behaviors and
    Experiences Survey, more than 40 percent of high school students
    surveyed expressed feelings of sadness and or hopelessness for weeks at
    a time.\3\ Addressing the mental health crisis is a priority for all
    Americans, especially in the wake of the pandemic that so profoundly
    impacted our collective mental health. Arts education provides
    opportunities for students to improve cognitive development, self-
    esteem, and relationship skills to enhance their lives.\4\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ Jones SE, Ethier KA, Hertz M, et al. Mental Health,
    Suicidality, and Connectedness Among High School Students During the
    COVID-19 Pandemic--Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United
    States, January-June 2021. MMWR Suppl 2022;71(Suppl-3):16-21. DOI:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7103a3external icon
        \4\ Goessling, K., & Doyle, C. (2009). Thru the Lenz: Participatory
    Action Research, Photography, and Creative Process in an Urban High
    School. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 4(4), 343-365.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Moreover, funding for the arts in education can promote cultural
    understanding and tolerance. Art classes expose students to different
    styles, cultures, and traditions, allowing them to appreciate and
    respect diverse perspectives. This appreciation of diversity is
    essential in a globalized and changing world, where understanding
    different cultures and perspectives is becoming increasingly important
    to professional and personal development.
        Funding for the arts is not only a good investment in education but
    also in the economy. The arts sector contributes significantly to the
    economy in terms of job creation and revenue generation. According to
    the Department of Commerce, the arts and culture sector generated $1.02
    trillion in economic activity in 2021, supporting 4.9 million jobs.\5\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \5\ Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Arts and Cultural Production
    Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2021 (March 15, 2023). https://
    www.bea.gov/news/2023/arts-and-cultural-production-satellite-account-
    us-and-States-2021
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Funding for the arts can also help revitalize local economies,
    which is another critical contribution as we recover from the pandemic.
    Arts and cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, and theatres
    attract tourists and visitors, stimulating the local economy. These
    visitors spend money on transportation, lodging, food, and other goods
    and services, creating jobs and generating tax revenue. For example,
    the New Orleans French Quarter Festival attracted over 500,000
    visitors, generating a total economic impact of $190 million annually
    for the local economy in 2019.\6\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ French Quarter Festival Facts (2019): https://
    frenchquarterfest.org/festival-facts/
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        In addition, funding for the arts can spur innovation and
    creativity in other industries. Many technological advancements have
    been made possible because of the intersection between art and
    technology. For instance, computer graphics and animation were
    initially developed for the film industry but are now widely used in
    video games, advertising, and virtual reality. This kind of cross-
    disciplinary innovation can create new products, services, and
    industries, leading to job creation and economic growth.
        Despite the notable benefits of funding for the arts and arts
    education, some argue it is a waste of limited Federal resources. They
    argue art is a luxury society cannot afford, particularly in times of
    economic hardship, and that private funding can sustain the arts.
    However, this argument ignores the fact that art is not just a form of
    entertainment but an essential component of human expression and
    cultural heritage. It also ignores the mission of the NEA, which is to
    ensure that even the most impoverished Americans experience the arts.
    The NEA funds projects that are unlikely to benefit from private
    funding because of their location.
        Funding for the arts, and thereby the NEA, is not just about
    supporting artists and performers, but also about supporting the
    communities and institutions that promote art. Funding for the arts can
    help maintain and improve museums, galleries, theatres, and other
    sites, which is necessary for local revenue and economic growth. In
    President Biden's FY24 budget request, 40 percent of grant funding for
    promoting the arts is dedicated to NEA's State and Regional Partnership
    Program.\7\ Furthermore, in 2021, nearly 20 percent of NEA projects
    occurred in rural and small communities, impacting Americans from all
    walks of life.\8\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \7\ NEA: Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2024 (March 13, 2023)
    https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/NEA-FY24-Congressional-Budget-
    Request.pdf
        \8\ NEA: NEA Quick Facts (August 9, 2022) https://www.arts.gov/
    sites/default/files/NEA-Quick-Facts-8.9.22-two-pager.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        NEA funding is also directed to Americans and organizations in
    great need of mental health and financial support. Thirty-five percent
    of Arts Endowment grants take place in high-poverty neighborhoods, and
    35 percent of grants reach low-income audiences or underserved
    populations such as people with disabilities, people in institutions,
    and veterans. NEA funding supports military families through its
    Creative Forces program, a collaboration with the Departments of
    Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to serve the unique needs of
    military patients and Veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury
    (TBI) and psychological health conditions such as post-traumatic stress
    disorder (PTSD). During visits to Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir over the
    years, members of The Creative Coalition have witnessed firsthand the
    healing power of the arts and art therapy. This funding is a necessary
    instrument to better the lives of our heroes through the arts.
        Thank you for this opportunity to submit this testimony, and thank
    you to Congress for demonstrating its support for the arts in America.
    The Creative Coalition again urges the Committee to continue to support
    all Americans' access to the arts by providing at least $211 million
    for the National Endowment of Arts for Fiscal Year 2024.

        [This statement was submitted by Robin Bronk, CEO, The Creative
    Coalition and Tim Daly, President, The Creative Coalition.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the National Endowment for the Arts
        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, writes to affirm the integral impact the Endowment plays in
    communities throughout the West. Through innovative programming,
    advocacy, research, technology, and grantmaking, WESTAF encourages the
    creative advancement and preservation of the arts in the West, serving
    the States and jurisdictions of Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona,
    California, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands,
    Guam, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
    Washington, and Wyoming. We express gratitude for Congressional support
    in funding the National Endowment for the Arts and the National
    Endowment for the Humanities in the FY 2023 Interior Appropriations
    bill at the historic level of $207 million to broaden opportunities for
    western Americans to realize the cultural, educational, and economic
    benefits of the arts and to advance creativity and innovation in
    communities across the United States. 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 investment in arts and creativity is a high return investment
    that benefits every American in every city, town and rural community
    nationwide. As such, we urge you to increase the Arts Endowment's FY
    2024 budget to at least $211 million.
        Because of the leadership of Congress, this increase will mean
    expanded investment in arts and culture across the West driven by
    decisions made at the community level, indeed the structure of NEA and
    NEH investments are focused on the local control model. We also urge
    Congress to continue bipartisan support in substantially increasing
    National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the
    Humanities funding in the FY 2024 Interior Appropriations Bill in order
    to broaden opportunities for Western Americans to engage in 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 arts sector by allowing the Arts
    Endowment to continue to provide more and larger grants, and offer
    general operating support funding to be provided within the scope of
    its grantmaking to arts and cultural organizations. Finally, we ask
    that Congress maintain parity between the National Endowment for the
    Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities budgets.

        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 investment reaches every congressional district in
            the West and throughout the United States. Its support is a
            critical component in ensuring that arts funding reaches every
            community in the U.S. Its support increases the grant making
            capability of state arts agencies.

    3.  The federal-state partnership is vital to the WESTAF region with
            nine States and jurisdictions receiving over a third of agency
            funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Investment is
            particularly critical to the most rural States and
            jurisdictions within the region.

    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 a nearly 10:1 return on investment based on 2023 data
            (see table below). In addition to leveraging significant State
            and local government dollars, the Arts Endowment is also
            leading to increased investment of private foundation funds
            beneficial to arts activity and economic development.

                      Arts Endowment Contribution to State Arts Agency Revenue in the West in FY23

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  % of Total Funding
                            State                            Total Agency       Arts Endowment         From Arts
                                                              Revenue ($)          funds ($)           Endowment
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Alaska..............................................          $2,791,414            $770,707               27.6%
    American Samoa......................................            $481,180            $327,680               68.1%
    Arizona.............................................          $7,449,832          $1,008,332               13.5%
    California..........................................         $58,273,600          $1,397,600                2.4%
    Colorado............................................          $2,921,849            $867,500               29.7%
    Guam................................................            $947,800            $336,400               35.5%
    Hawai'i.............................................          $8,082,489            $805,300               10.0%
    Idaho...............................................          $1,795,822            $889,160               49.5%
    Montana.............................................          $2,069,937            $943,700               45.6%
    Nevada..............................................          $2,996,692            $828,600               27.7%
    New Mexico..........................................          $2,320,400            $827,400               35.7%
    Northern Marianas...................................            $533,634            $309,700               58.0%
    Oregon..............................................         $12,912,833            $901,800                7.0%
    Utah................................................         $11,178,800            $857,400                7.7%
    Washington..........................................         $14,190,957            $983,800                6.9%
    Wyoming.............................................          $1,768,683            $797,183               45.1%
    WESTAF region.......................................        $130,715,922         $12,852,262               29.4%
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2023

        Examples of the Arts Endowment's support in the West include grants
    for local arts agencies in Juneau and Fairbanks, Alaska to regrant to
    interior communities and direct grants to organizations such as the
    Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Arts Endowment programming also includes Creative
    Forces(r) in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and
    Veterans Affairs to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life
    for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma. 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 and cultures 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.
        In the West, jobs in creative occupations, creative industries
    earnings, and cultural nonprofit revenues have been on an upward growth
    trajectory for a decade. 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 85% between 2011 and 2020 (Creative Vitality Suite,
    2022).
           creative industries earnings growth in the west, 2011-2021

        Arts and creativity are an American economic engine. According to
    the BEA, in 2021 Arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.4
    percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or $1.02 trillion. 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 workforce development opportunities for young
    people. Empirical analysis conducted by Douglas Noonan at Indiana
    University studied the role of the arts in economic recovery following
    the Great Recession revealed that the creative sector grew more quickly
    than the general economy. Unlike conventional industrial supply chains,
    the arts often grow independently from other sectors, which helps to
    diversify state economies. States with varied arts ecosystems 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.
        Since 2020, the arts and cultural sector has faced tremendous
    challenges due to the in-person nature of the sector's work. Due to
    inflation, rising salaries, increased demand for services post-
    pandemic, and receding pandemic-related support, experts are predicting
    a fiscal cliff in the sector. Investing in the creative economy will
    allow industries to get back on track and will reap rewards for the
    region and the Nation as a whole.
        Public funding for arts and creativity improves the lives of all
    Americans, equips an innovative workforce, and keeps us competitive
    globally. It is a great example of good management in government 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. We encourage the Senate Interior Appropriations
    subcommittee to work with other Congressional leaders to build a
    specific path to index funding for the National Endowment for the Arts
    and National Endowment for the Humanities at $1 per capita. Currently
    funding is at about $0.62 cents per capita. A more robust agency budget
    would 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,

    Teniqua Broughton

    Chair

    Christian Gaines

    Executive Director

    David Holland

    Deputy Director

    Endorsed by:
    Regional Organization
    Western Arts Advocacy Network
    Co-Chairs: Andrew Schneider, Jessi Wasson

    State-Wide Organizations
    Arizona Citizens for the Arts
    Inspire Washington
    Colorado Business Committee for the Arts
    Creative New Mexico
    Utah Cultural Alliance

        [This statement was submitted by David Holland, Deputy Director,
    Western States Arts Federation in support of the National Endowment for
    the Arts.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony regarding fiscal
    year FY 2024 funding and thank you for your years of steadfast support
    of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) natural resource
    conservation work. Consistent with its mission, NFWF works to sustain,
    restore and enhance the Nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats
    for current and future generations. Many NFWF conservation outcomes
    also enhance nature-based infrastructure that protects communities
    across the Nation from the impacts of flooding, drought, wildfire, and
    other natural threats.
        NFWF will match FY 2024 funding provided to the Foundation at least
    dollar for dollar with non-federal funds to increase conservation
    benefits across the country through local partnerships. NFWF will
    accomplish this by applying 100% of the appropriated funding to on-the-
    ground conservation projects with ZERO administrative cost to the
    Federal Government as required by law.
        We believe that NFWF is a sound investment because of our proven
    track record of leveraging Federal funding with private contributions
    to maximize the impact Federal resources can achieve. We appreciate the
    subcommittee's past support and respectfully request your approval of
    funding at the following levels:

      --$3.0 million provided through the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM)
            Management of Lands and Resources appropriation and restoration
            of legislative bill text directing BLM to provide this funding
            for NFWF to administer in support of BLM's wildlife
            conservation efforts \1\;
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Prior to the FY18 spending bill, the appropriations language
    required BLM to provide NFWF the full amount of appropriated funds. The
    FY18 appropriation bill changed the law by making the provision of
    funds to NFWF the discretion of the Director of the BLM and removed the
    language from the bill. This created questions about BLM's legal
    authority to provide funding to NFWF and has hindered the two
    organizations' ability to partner in the most effective manner. We
    request that the FY17 bill language be restored in the FY24 bill.

      --$7.032 million provided through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
            Service's Resource Management appropriation and inclusion of
            this legislative text in the legislation as opposed to the bill
            report in past years \2\ (same funding level as FY 2023); and
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ In the past, the FWS appropriation for NFWF was included in the
    report accompanying the appropriations bill. We respectfully request
    that it be included in bill language. This will make NFWF's direct
    appropriations in the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Bill
    consistent across all agencies in the bill and expedite the permitting
    of conservation projects. The exclusion of this provision from the bill
    text increases the time needed by FWS to approve permitting of
    conservation projects and significantly delays the implementation of
    urgent conservation efforts.

      --$3.0 million with the standard bill language through the Forest
            Service's National Forest System appropriation (same funding
            level as FY 2023).
                           bureau of land management
        The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has partnered with NFWF for
    many years to further conservation efforts on public lands throughout
    the United States. In the past 5-years (FY 2018--FY 2022), NFWF
    leveraged $10.8M in BLM appropriated funds across 102 projects into a
    total of $63.3 million in on-the-ground conservation impact. NFWF
    continues to work closely with the BLM, other Department of the
    Interior agencies, and 11 western States to achieve significant
    conservation gains.
        For example, the Foundation has administered a program since 2019
    that conserves habitat and migration corridors to maintain healthy
    populations of migratory animals. To date, the program has awarded
    $11.7 million across 52 projects, leveraging $57.5 million in matching
    contributions to generate a total conservation impact of more than
    $69.2 million. The projects collectively will protect 111,060 acres of
    private land from fragmentation through voluntary conservation
    easements; restore 68,000 acres of public, private and Tribal land
    through efforts like invasive weed and conifer removal treatments;
    improve management on 695,500 acres of public, private and Tribal land
    through efforts like grazing and wildlife management plans; remove or
    improve 670 miles of fencing to be more wildlife friendly, reducing
    direct mortality and increasing landscape connectivity; and reconnect
    307 miles of migration corridors for big game species.
        The committee's support for continuing funding for NFWF from BLM
    appropriations would help continue this work and help drive other
    conservation outcomes. For FY22, NFWF worked with BLM's Wildlife
    Division to determine allocations and priorities for four NFWF program
    landscapes, including Northern Great Plains, RESTORE Colorado, Pecos
    Watershed Conservation Initiative, and Southwest Rivers Headwaters.
    These programs focus on outcomes including perennial grassland
    management through the Northern Great Plains Program; wet meadow and
    sagebrush restoration through the Rocky Mountain Rangeland Program;
    watershed and associated upland restoration to benefit declining
    species through the Pecos, and emerging Gila River Initiatives. Other
    BLM partnership areas of interest include pollinator recovery through
    the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund and desert
    conservation through a new Mojave Desert Tortoise Initiative. Each of
    these programs provides opportunities to leverage BLM resources with
    corporate and foundation private sector partners.

        Requested restoration of FY17 BLM Bill Language for FY 2024:

                    ``; of which $3,000,000 shall be available in fiscal
                    year 2024 subject to a match by at least an equal
                    amount by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for
                    cost shared projects supporting conservation of Bureau
                    lands; and such funds shall be advanced to the
                    Foundation as a lump-sum without regard to when
                    expenses are incurred.''
                    united states fish and wildlife service
        The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been a
    trusted partner since NFWF was created by Congress in 1984. In the past
    5-years (FY 2018--FY 2022), NFWF leveraged $34.2M in FWS appropriated
    funds across 344 projects into a total of $185.2 million in on-the-
    ground conservation impact. The funds appropriated to NFWF serve as a
    magnet to attract funds from the private sector to create public-
    private partnerships critical to restoring fish, wildlife, eco-system
    restoration, improving aquatic passage, addressing climate change, and
    increasing natural processes for immediate carbon sequestration.
        In the past, the FWS appropriation for NFWF has existed in the
    report accompanying the appropriations bill. However, we respectfully
    request that it be included in bill language. This will make NFWF's
    direct appropriations in the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
    Bill consistent across all agencies in the bill and expedite the
    permitting of conservation projects. The exclusion of the FWS
    appropriation for NFWF from bill text increases the time needed to
    approve permitting of conservation projects and significantly delays
    the implementation of urgent conservation efforts.

        Requested FWS Bill Language for FY 2024:

                    ``; of which $7,032,000 shall be available in fiscal
                    year 2024 subject to a match by at least an equal
                    amount by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for
                    cost-shared projects supporting conservation of
                    wildlife and other natural resources; and such funds
                    shall be advanced to the Foundation as a lump-sum grant
                    without regard to when expenses are incurred.''

        Additionally, because NFWF works with FWS on discretionary
    cooperative agreements for conservation programs, we respectfully
    support the highest possible funding levels for the Delaware River
    Basin Conservation Act, Klamath Basin Restoration, Chesapeake WILD
    program, efforts to combat white-nosed syndrome in bats, and Recovery
    Challenge matching grants within the FWS, Resource Management
    appropriation.
                          united states forest service
        Congress has appropriated approximately $3 million in annual
    funding to NFWF for partnerships with the United States Forest Service
    (USFS) since FY 1998. In the past 5-years (FY 2018--FY 2022), NFWF
    leveraged $15.0M in USFS appropriated funds across 198 projects into a
    total of $110.5 million in on-the-ground conservation impact. This
    partnership between NFWF and USFS has proven extremely successful
    providing a 7:1 return on investment for Federal USFS dollars. We
    respectfully request that the Committee continue supporting cost
    effective partnership.

        Retain US Forest Service Language for FY 2023 as it has been in
    past years:

                    ``Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of Public Law 98-244, up
                    to $3,000,000 of the funds available to the Forest
                    Service may be advanced to the National Fish and
                    Wildlife Foundation in a lump sum to aid cost-share
                    conservation projects, without regard to when expenses
                    are incurred, on or benefitting National Forest System
                    lands or related to Forest Service programs: Provided,
                    That such funds shall be matched on at least a one-for-
                    one basis by the Foundation or its sub-recipients:
                    Provided further, That the Foundation may transfer
                    Federal funds to a Federal or non-Federal recipient for
                    a project at the same rate that the recipient has
                    obtained the non-Federal matching funds.''
                        environmental protection agency
        NFWF has partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    since FY 1997 and since FY 2000 has worked with EPA to make grants to
    States and other grantees within the Geographic Programs appropriation.
    Therefore, we respectfully support the highest possible funding levels
    for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of
    Mexico, and Long Island Sound within the Environmental Protection
    Agency Geographic Programs. We also respectfully ask that the long-
    standing report language that delineates the amount of funding for
    nutrient and sediment removal grants and small watershed grants within
    the Chesapeake Bay program be continued (Approved FY 2023 Senate
    language is below).

                    Chesapeake Bay.-The Committee recommends $91,000,000
                    for the Chesapeake Bay program. The Committee directs
                    the Agency to allocate this funding and the Fiscal Year
                    2023 supplemental appropriation of $47,600,000 provided
                    in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public
                    Law 117-58) to support the three successful grant
                    programs that drive conservation dollars to State and
                    local partners as follows: at least $20,500,000 for
                    nutrient and sediment removal grants; at least
                    $25,500,000 for small watershed grants to control
                    polluted runoff from urban, suburban, and agricultural
                    lands; and at least $22,708,000 for State-based
                    implementation in the most effective basins.

        An example of a project made possible with EPA Geographic Programs
    funding is the Nutrient and Sediment Reduction through Healthy Soils
    and Regenerative Agriculture project. NFWF awarded $764,000 which was
    matched by the grantee with another $764,800 to a total conservation
    impact of $1,528,000. The project will use partnerships to catalyze
    nutrient and sediment reduction through healthy soils and regenerative
    agriculture in Maryland. Project will combine entry-level educational
    opportunities, advanced peer-to-peer learning via knowledge
    cooperatives; financial incentives for practice implementation; state-
    specific economic case studies; and vouchers for technical assistance
    to support the adoption of soil health management systems (SHMS) and
    drive demand for soil health resources.
                                nfwf background
        NFWF was established by Congress in 1984 to catalyze private
    investments to conserve fish, wildlife and their habitats. NFWF raises
    private funds not only to leverage appropriated dollars, but also to
    support the associated management costs of implementing the
    appropriated funds. Since its creation by Congress in 1984, NFWF and
    its partners have funded more than 21,600 projects and supported more
    than 6,000 grantee organizations. The Foundation's investments since
    its founding have leveraged matching contributions from grantees and
    other partners to generate a total conservation impact of $8.1 billion.
        NFWF remains fully transparent and is required by law to notify
    Congress 30 days in advance of every grant that exceeds $10,000 in
    Federal funds. Details of all projects awarded during FY 2022 can be
    found in NFWF's annual investment guide and all NFWF's grants can be
    found on our website: https://www.nfwf.org/grants/grants-library
        In FY 2022, NFWF was audited by an independent accounting firm and
    issued an unqualified report with no material weaknesses identified and
    no deficiencies identified. This is the FOURTEENTH consecutive year of
    unqualified audits. In addition, NFWF has continually qualified as a
    low-risk auditee under OMB guidelines.
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and members of the
    subcommittee, we greatly appreciate your continued support and stand
    ready to answer any questions you or your staff might have.

        [This statement was submitted by Will Heaton, Director, External
    Relations, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of the National Humanities Alliance
        On behalf of the National Humanities Alliance (NHA), with our more
    than 260 member organizations, I write to express strong support for
    the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
                                    overview
        For FY 2024, we respectfully urge the subcommittee to consider no
    less than $211 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
        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) build strong communities and foster civic dialogue;
    2) preserve cultural heritage, including Indigenous languages; 3)
    cultivate knowledge of world histories and cultures; and 4) shore up
    local tourism economies and community institutions.
        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. The NEH does not have
    the capacity 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.
            building strong communities and fostering civic dialogue
        NEH funding builds strong, civically-engaged communities through
    its support of cultural organizations. The agency's grantmaking helps
    establish and sustain robust community institutions, providing
    opportunities for learning, empathy, and understanding. The
    International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee, regularly
    hosts programs that promote discussion and dialogue. Ninety-three
    percent of respondents to an NHA survey indicated that they were
    ``motivated to listen to the stories of people whose background was
    different from their own'' after participating in a program featuring
    the stories of Black Appalachians. Meanwhile, Dialogues on the
    Experiences of War grants strengthen communities by offering veterans
    the chance to reflect upon their experiences while building bonds with
    each other and with civilians. Ninety-nine percent of respondents
    across eight programs reported a desire to ``keep in touch with some of
    the people [they] met during the program.'' Programs have been held
    throughout the U.S. and are tailored to local audiences. In California,
    San Francisco's Chinese Historical Society of America is hosting a
    program on Chinese American Veteran experiences, while Cal Poly
    Pomona's program featured California voices more broadly. In Maryland,
    Bowie State University's program brings together ROTC cadets, student
    Veterans, and Veterans from the broader community, while a 2017 program
    hosted by the University of Maryland was designed for women Veterans.
        NEH funding has an especially outsized role in small and rural
    communities, where it can build and support the infrastructure and
    programs that are vital to strong communities. Foundational support
    from the NEH has enabled Bend, Oregon's High Desert Museum to create
    engaging exhibitions and programs that showcase the region's diverse
    history. Recently, NEH funding has helped the museum strengthen
    relationships with and support for local Indigenous populations. In
    Matewan, West Virginia, NEH funding has proven transformative for the
    grassroots Mine Wars Museum, enabling it to hire staff, engage with
    partners and stakeholders, and create events for the local community
    that explore the region's significance to U.S labor history and the
    struggle to unionize the southern coalfields. And in Red Cloud,
    Nebraska, NEH funding helped the Willa Cather Foundation expand its
    facilities and programming, having a robust impact on the rural town of
    1,000 as both an employer and as an educational and cultural center
    that hosts theatrical adaptations on Cather's work, children's film
    screenings, and an annual conference.
          preserving cultural heritage, including indigenous languages
        Our cultural heritage lives in many forms, from presidential
    letters and great works of art to community archives and endangered
    languages. It is also vulnerable and requires protection from natural
    and man-made disasters as well as decay over time. NEH funding is
    indispensable to ensuring that our cultural heritage is both accessible
    now and preserved for future generations. The NEH funds documentary
    editions that make the papers of significant Americans accessible-from
    The Papers of John Adams and Civil War Governors of Kentucky to New
    Mexico's Amador Family Correspondence, 1856-1949. In a partnership with
    the Library of Congress, the agency's Chronicling America program is
    digitizing the historic newspapers of every State. And the NEH helps
    small and mid-size institutions invest in their own preservation needs.
    Institutions such as Dothan, Alabama's Wiregrass Museum of Art and the
    Stillwater Public Library in Oklahoma have used NEH funds to help
    ensure their collections are protected for the future.
        Funding for documenting traditional cultures and endangered
    languages supports Indigenous people throughout the United States.
    Through the Dynamic Language Infrastructure-Documenting Endangered
    Languages (DEL) program, a partnership with the National Science
    Foundation, NEH funding has preserved and made accessible languages
    spoken by Indigenous communities, having a profound impact on their way
    of life. In North Dakota, DEL grants have supported Sitting Bull
    College's Standing Rock Lakota/Dakota Language Project, including funds
    for a Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program and to expand an
    accessible digital language archive. NEH support for the Coeur d'Alene
    Online Language Resource Center helped create a single, searchable
    repository for a wide range of language resources, from dictionaries to
    archival recordings of personal narratives and coyote stories. The NEH
    additionally supports the documentation and revitalization of
    Indigenous American languages through its regular grant programs.
              cultivating knowledge of world history and cultures
        Established in the midst of the Cold War, the NEH has always
    provided funding to support research and programs that help Americans
    understand and engage with timely world issues. From scholarly
    exchanges with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and language
    institutes in the 1970s to international research support for American
    scholars and professional development for schoolteachers today, NEH
    funding supports efforts to understand other nations' languages,
    cultures, and geopolitical contexts. NEH funding has supported the
    research and publication of books such as Treason in Transit: Soviet
    Defectors and the Borders of the Cold War World (2022), by Erik R.
    Scott, and Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956
    (2013)- among many other works of history that shed light on current
    events. NEH-supported English translations of Ukrainian literature,
    including Words for War: New Poems from Ukraine (2017) and The White
    Chalk of Days: The Contemporary Ukrainian Literature Series Anthology
    (2017) bring Ukrainian literature to broader American audiences.
        NEH funding also provides high-quality education on world affairs
    for school teachers and college educators. Using the Holocaust as a
    case study, Kean University's 2021 two-week seminar ``The Search for
    Humanity after Atrocity'' helped higher education faculty integrate
    atrocity studies into their research and curricula. A 2016 program for
    K-12 educators, hosted by Ferris State University, explored U.S.-
    Russian/Soviet relations from 1776 to the present. Moreover, from 2013-
    2018, a series of NEH grants helped community colleges throughout the
    U.S. integrate the study of world cultures into their curricula. These
    programs included content on Latin America, Asia, Russia, Eastern
    Europe, and the Middle East, among other topics.
     building local tourism economies and shoring up community institutions
        NEH funding catalyzes growth in local tourism economies and shores
    up local institutions so that they can continue serving their
    communities. A series of grants to the Dubuque County Historical
    Society, in Iowa, helped the organization transform from a small,
    regional museum into a world-class institution dedicated to the
    Mississippi River and its history-one that contributes more than $10.5
    million per year to the local economy. NEH support has also proven
    crucial to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, which is an important
    economic driver in its Virginia region: 50 percent of the site's
    400,000 annual visitors stay in a hotel for at least one night,
    contributing no less than $13.1 million to the local economy.
        Humanities organizations play a crucial role in their communities,
    and NEH funding helps ensure their financial stability and longevity.
    From offering COVID relief funding to New Hampshire's Currier Museum of
    Art, to supporting Appalshop following historic flooding in Kentucky,
    NEH funding helps cultural organizations survive times of crisis. NEH
    funding also offers crucial financial support necessary for
    accomplishing the more mundane tasks that private funders often
    overlook, such as replacing the roof on Libby, Montana's Heritage
    Museum or upgrading HVAC systems and improving ADA compliance at
    Detroit's Opera House.

        [This statement was submitted by Stephen Kidd, Executive Director,
    National Humanities Alliance.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of the National Indian Health Board
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and the distinguished
    members of this subcommittee, on behalf of the National Indian Health
    Board (NIHB) and the 574 sovereign federally recognized American Indian
    and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal nations we serve, thank you for the
    opportunity to provide testimony on the Indian Health Service (IHS).
        Tribal nations have a unique legal and political relationship with
    the United States. Through its acquisition of land and resources, the
    United States formed a fiduciary relationship with Tribal nations
    whereby it has recognized a trust relationship to safeguard Tribal
    rights, lands, and resources.\1\ In fulfillment of this Tribal trust
    relationship, the United States ``charged itself with moral obligations
    of the highest responsibility and trust'' toward Tribal nations.\2\
    Congress reaffirmed its duty to provide for Indian health care when it
    enacted the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1602),
    declaring that it is the policy of this Nation, in fulfillment of its
    special trust responsibilities and legal obligations to Indians-to
    ensure the highest possible health status for Indians and to provide
    all resources necessary to effect that policy. Unfortunately, those
    responsibilities and legal obligations remain unfulfilled and Indian
    Country remains in a health crisis.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832).
        \2\ Seminole Nation v. United States, 316 U.S. 286, 296-97 (1942).
        \3\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for
    Disease Prevention and Control, Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates
    for 2021 (hereinafter, ``Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates''),
    Report No. 23, August 2022, available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
    data/vsrr/vsrr023.pdf, accessed on: October 13, 2022 (total for All
    races and origins minus non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      the health status of indian country
        The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now reports
    that life expectancy for AI/ANs has declined by nearly 7 years, and
    that our average life expectancy is now only 65 years-equivalent to the
    Nationwide average in 1944.\3\ With a life expectancy 10.9 years less
    than the National average,\4\ Native Americans die at higher rates that
    those of other Americans from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis,
    diabetes mellitus, unintentional injuries, assault/homicide,
    intentional self-harm/suicide, and chronic lower respiratory
    disease.\5\ Native American women are 4.5 times more likely than non-
    Hispanic white women to die during pregnancy.\6\ The CDC also found
    that, between 2005 and 2014, every racial group experienced a decline
    in infant mortality except for Native Americans \7\ who had infant
    mortality rates 1.6 times higher than non-Hispanic whites and 1.3 times
    the National average.\8\ Native Americans are also more likely than
    people in other U.S. demographics to experience trauma, physical abuse,
    neglect, and post-traumatic stress disorder.\9\ Additionally, Native
    Americans experience some of the highest rates of psychological and
    behavioral health issues as compared to other racial and ethnic groups
    \10\ which have been attributed, in part, to the ongoing impacts of
    historical trauma.\11\ The chronic underfunding of the IHS is one
    significant contributing factor to this disparities.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ Id.
        \5\ See, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises:
    Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans (hereinafter
    ``Broken Promises''), 65, available at: https://www.usccr.gov/files/
    pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf, accessed on: November 20, 2022.
        \6\ Broken Promises at 65.
        \7\ Broken Promises at 65.
        \8\ Broken Promises at 65.
        \9\ Broken Promises at 79-84.
        \10\ Walls, et al., Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
    Preferences among American Indian People of the Northern Midwest,
    COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH J., Vol. 42, No. 6 (2006) at 522, https://
    link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10597-006-9054-7.pdf, accessed
    on: November 20, 2022.
        \11\ Kathleen Brown-Rice, Examining the Theory of Historical Trauma
    Among Native Americans, PROF'L COUNS, available at: http://
    tpcjournal.nbcc.org/examining-the-theory-of-historical-trauma-among-
    native-americans/, accessed on: November 22, 2022.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
              the resources provided to the indian health service
        Although annual appropriations for IHS have increased significantly
    since 2009, after adjusting for inflation and population growth, the
    IHS budget has remained static in recent decades.\12\ In December 2018,
    the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' Broken Promises report found that
    Tribal nations face an ongoing funding crisis that is a direct result
    of the United States' chronic underfunding of Indian health care for
    decades, which contributes to vast health disparities between Native
    Americans and other U.S. population groups.\13\ We saw this crisis
    manifest in the worst way possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and
    now we see it in the data.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \12\ Broken Promises at 67.
        \13\ Broken Promises at 65.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Supplemental appropriations enacted during the pandemic were
    historic investments for Indian Country. It cannot be lost to history
    that Congress' swift action saved lives, democracy saved lives, but it
    must also be clear that the IHS is so disproportionately underfunded by
    Congress that a historic investment in response to a global virus still
    provided less resources than the estimate of annual obligations for IHS
    services--an amount collaboratively developed each year by the IHS
    National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup.
        According to IHS data from April 2022, actual IHS spending per user
    remains less than half of Medicaid spending per enrollee, less than
    half of Veterans medical spending per patient, and less than one-third
    of Medicare spending per beneficiary--even after including 3rd party
    revenue received by IHS.\14\ The Federal Disparity Index Benchmark,
    which assumes IHS users are provided services similar to those
    available to the U.S. population, recommends more than twice the
    investment per user than IHS receives \15\--an estimate that excludes
    approximately two-thirds of the population that could be served by an
    appropriately funded IHS.\16\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \14\ Indian Health Service, email correspondence to the National
    Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup, attachment ``2021 IHS Expenditures
    Per Capital and other Federal Care Expenditures Per Capita--4-27-
    2022,'' dated February 14, 2023.
        \15\ Id.
        \16\ The Indian Health Service estimates the population served as
    of January 2020 at 2.56 million; The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the
    AI/AN population as of July 2021 at 7.2 million.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Congress provides more than $1 trillion in resources for Federal
    health care each year, it just disproportionately under funds IHS. When
    comparing FY 2023 omnibus spending for IHS to other Department of
    Health and Human Services (HHS) spending, only 0.66 percent of the
    total funding is provided to IHS. While this analysis of HHS spending
    includes spending from other Appropriations subcommittee jurisdictions,
    it underscores the purposeful inequity that continues to result in AI/
    ANs with some of the worst health statistics. Surely, this cannot be
    the highest possible health status promised by the United States in the
    Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
      just like our life expectancy--u.s. spending policy is stuck in the
                                termination era
        Regardless of the Fund source or authorizing provision, Congress is
    making an annual budget policy decision much like the dark Termination
    Era policy that we pretend is behind us. Tribes and their citizens
    originally had a system of health care delivery imposed on them.
    Meanwhile, States and local governments violated Tribes' tax
    jurisdiction, effectively rendering Tribal nations without a way to
    fund basic infrastructure and governance in often isolated and
    drastically reduced or wholly taken lands. As part of this imposed
    system, the resources provided to the IHS have been chronically
    underfunded and measurably unequal compared to investments in other
    U.S. populations. We see this systematic isolation, sovereign
    infringement, forced dependence, assimilation, and termination in the
    annual appropriations process each year. We feel it in our communities,
    and the outcomes and data have been placed before us. We cannot expect
    Tribal communities' health to improve when they are consistently
    starved for resources. Too often, Tribal nations are trapped in a
    Federal funding structure operating on the assumption that only State
    governments are worthy of base funding, essentially, assuming that we
    do not exist as jurisdictional sovereigns.
                   full funding for the indian health service
        Since 2003, Tribal leaders, technical advisors, and other policy
    advisors have met during the annual national Tribal Budget Formulation
    work session to collaboratively develop an estimate for full IHS
    funding. The IHS need-based funding aggregate cost estimate for Fiscal
    Year (FY) 2024 is approximately $51.4 billion, and the cost estimate
    for FY 2025 is $53.8 billion.\17\ For FY 2024 and 2025, the Workgroup
    continues to request the Hospitals & Health Clinics ($13.6 billion for
    FY 2025) and Purchased/Referred Care ($9.1 billion for FY 2025) IHS
    line items receive the largest increase. The Workgroup also continues
    to request the Alcohol and Substance Abuse ($4.8 billion for FY 2025),
    Mental Health ($4.5 billion for FY 2025), Indian Health Care
    Improvement Fund ($3.7 billion for FY 2025), and Healthcare Facilities
    Construction ($2.5 billion for FY 2025) line items receive the next
    largest increases for IHS. The annual Workgroup request includes a
    detailed justification for spending by IHS account or budget policy
    issue and NIHB supports the Tribally-driven, data-based cost estimates
    and justifications of the National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup
    for the IHS.\18\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \17\ Workgroup publications available at: https://www.nihb.org/
    legislative/budget_formulation.php, accessed on: February 26, 2023.
        \18\ Id.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                mandatory funding for the indian health service
        IHS spending should be provided through mandatory direct
    appropriations with adjustments for inflation and population growth in
    an allocation mutually agreed to by Tribal governments. NIHB supports
    Tribes in their call for a direct appropriation codified in statute.
    Additionally, and as this subcommittee has reported for years, certain
    IHS account payments, such as Contract Support Costs and Payments for
    Tribal Leases, fulfill obligations that are typically addressed through
    mandatory spending. Inclusion of accounts that are mandatory in nature
    under discretionary spending caps has resulted in a net reduction on
    the amount of funding provided for Tribal programs and, by extension,
    the ability of the Federal Government to fulfill its promises to Tribal
    nations.
                 expand and sustain ihs advance appropriations
        Until such time that IHS is provided mandatory direct
    appropriations, advance appropriations for the IHS are consistent with
    the trust and treaty obligations reaffirmed by the United States in the
    Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The advance appropriation enacted
    in the FY 2023 omnibus excluded certain accounts in the IHS budget and
    flat-funded the IHS accounts that it did include. While historic in its
    inclusion, a flat-funded IHS needs FY 2024 adjustments, at a minimum,
    for fixed costs and staffing for newly completed facilities and should
    also include the amounts requested by the IHS National Tribal Budget
    Formulation Workgroup. As the process begins to normalize, both IHS and
    Tribes have the collaborative tools to produce reliable advance
    appropriation requests. For this appropriations cycle, Tribes have
    already provided official input on the FY 2025 budget to IHS with
    representatives of the Office of Management and Budget in attendance.
    hold the indian health service harmless in any spending cuts or control
                                    measures
        The IHS budget remains so small in comparison to the National
    budget that spending cuts or budget control measures would not result
    in any meaningful savings in the National debt, but it would devastate
    Tribal nations and their citizens. As Congress considers funding
    reductions in FY 2024, IHS must be held harmless. As we saw in FY 2013
    poor legislative drafting subjected our tiny, life-sustaining, IHS
    budget to a significant loss of base resources. Congress must ensure
    that any budget cuts--whether automatic or explicit--hold IHS and our
    people harmless. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of the First
    Americans.
                                   conclusion
        This subcommittee can break the cycle of inequity. You can each
    stop terminating our people. Tribal nations seek no more than the duty
    affirmed and reaffirmed by the U.S. Constitution, treaties, statutes,
    court decisions, and Federal administrative law. The Budget Committee
    and Appropriations Committee must put the spending caps in place to
    achieve Tribal health spending equity, and this subcommittee must
    prioritize IHS funding within its jurisdiction. We thank you, again,
    for the opportunity to provide testimony and look forward to working
    with you for the betterment of the American people. Again, we encourage
    you to review in detail the Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup's
    request for IHS, which is available on NIHB's website.

        [This statement was submitted by William Smith of the National
    Indian Health Board.]
                                     ______

         Prepared Statement of 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 National Park Service (NPS) FY24 budget and provide
    commentary on related agencies supporting park wildlife and resources.
        We fear the impact an impending budget deal could have on the
    National Park Service in FY24 and even beyond. Ten years ago, the
    failure of the Budget Control Act of 2011 to prevent a budgetary
    sequester led to a six percent cut to NPS that was deeply damaging. NPS
    lost 1,900 permanent and seasonal staff while superintendents were
    forced to close facilities, reduce park or facility opening hours,
    eliminate visitor programs or otherwise make hard decisions that
    threatened resource protection and undermined visitor access. Our
    parks-and the countless gateway economies and American families that
    depend on them-cannot afford to again fall to the cutting room floor.
    The FY24 budget and appropriations process should instead allow for a
    needed increase for NPS.
     our highest priority: support for the operation of the national park
                                 system (onps)
        We commend the committee for increases to the ONPS account in
    recent years, in particular the significant $153 million increase in
    FY23. These funds were direly needed to help address the challenges
    resulting from years of losing ground. The increase is providing for
    nearly 500 staff (in FTEs) that can return to parks and supporting
    offices to address their many urgent needs. We urge the committee to
    build on this increase to continue restoring staffing and provide other
    resources to operate our parks.
        We request a $266 million increase for ONPS above FY23 levels,
    which is equivalent to the president's FY24 request. There is much
    justification for this level of an increase. We respect, however, that
    this will likely be a difficult year with a constrained allocation. In
    this event, we urge the committee to-at a minimum-meet NPS' $125
    million in fixed costs. These fixed costs are significant because NPS
    is a personnel-heavy agency, which requires annual Cost of Living
    Adjustments, merit increases, insurance rate increases and other costs.
    With inflation and materials costs on the rise, superintendents also
    have increased costs like fuels, contracting with the private sector,
    and procurement. Providing for these uncontrollable costs would at
    least allow NPS to stay level in real terms because flat funding in
    reality would mean that superintendents would have to make cuts.
        Unfortunately, NPS is still struggling with basic operating needs
    due to the impact of these uncontrollable fixed costs and the long-term
    erosion of staffing levels that preceded last year's increase. This
    understaffing is being compounded by record visitation increases.
    Between 2012 and 2022, NPS gradually lost 13% of its staff capacity, or
    nearly 3,000 FTEs. Meanwhile, visits to NPS sites grew by 10 percent.
    Even after the FY23 increase, NPS is still more than 2,600 FTEs below
    staffing levels in FY12.
        High visitation and related needs further accentuate the need for a
    sizable ONPS increase: It would be difficult to overstate the impact of
    park superintendents' reduced spending power and inability to refill
    lapsed positions, particularly in the context of increased visitation
    and the challenge of adapting our parks to a rapidly changing climate.
    Because of insufficient personnel, sometimes compounded by the need to
    divert staff to high visitation, staff commonly cover multiple
    collateral duties. It is not uncommon to have, for example,
    interpretive staff addressing increased restroom use or law enforcement
    assisting with cars in parking lots. As a result, other needs go
    unaddressed and morale sinks. Natural and cultural resource protection,
    research and monitoring, programming, and other services central to
    parks meeting their mission go unaddressed or delayed indefinitely.
        ONPS funding must include personnel to implement management changes
    including visitation planning processes needed in numerous parks. Parks
    have many different tools and techniques that can help protect
    resources and ensure a quality visitor experience, but they all require
    additional resources to research and implement. NPS should have the
    capacity to systematically study outcomes to adapt and improve plans
    and ensure they provide fair and equitable access for currently
    underrepresented communities. Funding should also provide for
    maintenance staff dedicated to visitor facilities and for project
    compliance and oversight. These challenges are discussed more below.
        ONPS support for cultural resources is needed: We commend the
    increases appropriators have been providing for the Historic
    Preservation Fund. However, despite these and other investments in
    cultural and historic resources, the ability for NPS to staff its
    cultural resource operations has fallen disproportionately. Inventory
    and monitoring, climate-related needs, museum collections and more are
    all overdue for added investments through ONPS. FY24 is an opportunity
    to help meet these needs and highlight the importance of NPS' world-
    class, nationally significant cultural and historic resources through
    an enhanced investment in cultural resource stewardship. A significant
    shortfall in cultural resources funding has undermined the agency's
    ability to plan and manage the resources in their care. It is difficult
    to impossible to care for these resources when NPS has not been able to
    even properly inventory the resources they are tasked with stewarding.
    Given the threat of climate change to cultural resources under the care
    of NPS, we commend the president's proposed investment in Cultural
    Resources Climate Assessment Teams. More must be done in the coming
    fiscal years to bring the budgetary attention to cultural resources
    more on par with natural resource stewardship.
        NPS Housing: Unfortunately, the lack of affordable housing facing
    countless Americans has been taking a toll on NPS' capacity to house
    its employees. Rent and home sale prices have increased prohibitively
    so that as staff who have long served parks retire, new incoming staff
    cannot afford to live near parks. In absence of housing within a
    reasonable commuting distance and with limited housing stock in parks,
    prospective park employees turn down jobs and superintendents struggle
    to fill positions even when funds are available. We commend the
    committee for its increase in FY23 for the NPS housing program and the
    president's requested FY24 increases. We ask the committee to continue
    investing in this program through multiple accounts to help address
    this issue.
        Management Planning: We are concerned that planning is not
    happening at the pace needed to guide park decision-making, especially
    when considering the dual and intersecting challenges of climate change
    and skyrocketing visitation at may parks. NPS must be equipped to
    successfully respond to rapidly evolving and increasing visitor use to
    meet one of its major challenges. We urge investments to conduct
    research and prepare and implement visitor use management plans.
    Visitor experience and impacts to resources are key considerations.
    There are many visitors, some of whom are relative newcomers to outdoor
    recreation, whose behaviors can threaten not only their safety and that
    of search and rescue crews, but also resources, some of which are
    vulnerable to climate change. Concerns include disturbance to
    vegetation and soils, wildlife, and aquatic systems; impacts to
    cultural resources; human waste impacts; introduction of non-native
    species; and impacts to natural sounds. NPS needs support to determine
    carrying capacities that consider higher temperatures, fire, drought,
    flooding, and other climate change impacts that may compound visitation
    challenges.
        NPS should be equipped to provide staff and resources to collect
    baseline data on visitation and resource conditions to inform visitor
    use management planning processes; enhance NPS' capacity for social
    science to guide visitor use management planning and adaptive
    management; study the application of recreation ecology science in
    visitor use management planning; and support coordinated regional
    visitor use management planning with gateway communities and other
    agencies. With careful planning, visitor use management tools can also
    help ensure fair and equitable access for young and more diverse
    audiences to discover their parks. NPS can also improve its
    communications systems to reach new and underrepresented communities.
        Investing in park operations can assist NPS with needs related to
    climate change adaptation, resiliency and mitigation. Disaster relief
    funding is also critical. 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. The president's FY24 budget
    contains many needed investments that we support.
        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. Management planning is needed in many areas including
    related to climate and increased visitation.
        Catastrophic weather events increasingly related to climate
    continue to cause massive harm to park communities and infrastructure.
    We commend the committee for its $1.5 billion investment in NPS
    disaster relief last year, which will go a long way to address the
    damage that was caused to numerous parks. We hope that this year will
    be a less damaging one for parks and communities. However, when
    disasters strike, we urge the committee to respond with needed
    investments for our parks whether through supplementals or annual
    appropriations bills.
        We encourage continuing support for the Heritage Partnership
    Program. This program supports National Heritage Areas (NHAs) in dozens
    of communities throughout the country. NHAs 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. We applaud the committee's $2 million increase
    for this important program in FY23 and request continuing increases, in
    particular now that the NHA system has been formalized through
    legislation at the end of the last Congress.
        Support for new park designations and other efforts related to
    diversity, accessibility and inclusion are needed. We applaud the
    president's proposed investment in Racial Justice and Equity for
    Underserved Communities Initiative to increase representation in parks
    and other public lands. We are particularly heartened by the funding
    for new parks. We ask the committee to continue its support for sites
    including Amache and Freedom Riders and urge that support to be
    extended to Blackwell Schools and other new and emerging NPS
    designations. They are important to broaden the stories NPS preserves
    and interprets and makes NPS more inclusive, relevant and attractive to
    diverse audiences while more completely preserving our history. We also
    applaud the committee's support for DOI's efforts towards diversity,
    equity, accessibility and inclusion in FY23; we encourage support in
    FY24 for the president's budget's targeted investments seeking to make
    NPS a more inclusive agency.
        Great American Outdoors Act: We applaud the committee's support for
    this important law and the oversight it has shown over its successful
    implementation. Give the continuing backlog, we hope members of this
    subcommittee will support eventual legislation we hope will be
    introduced to extend the law's Legacy Restoration Fund with at least an
    additional 5 years of funding.
        Investments are needed for related agencies supporting the health
    of park resources and communities. We commend the committee's work to
    better invest in the many agencies and programs that support the
    wildlife, clean air and water in our parks and help understand and
    address climate change. Park wildlife, for example, benefit from US
    Fish and Wildlife Service funding. We urge the committee to make
    significant investments in the protection and recovery of our most
    vulnerable species, including the more than 600 threatened and
    endangered plants and animals in our National parks. The US Fish and
    Wildlife Service needs robust funding for Endangered Species Act
    programs. Investments in EPA's Geographic Programs are also critical
    for restoring and maintaining the health of the Great Lakes, Chesapeake
    Bay and other waterways and ecosystems in and surrounding units of the
    National Park System. There are many important investments the
    committee can continue to make that helps our parks adapt to climate
    change. For example, USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers are
    critical to support climate science that benefits our National parks
    and their ecosystems. We applaud the support in FY23 and recommend
    continuing added investments for scientific support.
        On behalf of NPCA and our millions of members and supporters, thank
    you again for your investments in our parks and consideration of the
    needs facing the National Park Service and related agencies and
    programs that protect and support our Nation's cultural and natural
    treasures.

        [This statement was submitted by John Garder, Senior Director of
    Budget and Appropriations.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
        Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the
    subcommittee:
        I appreciate the opportunity to present the National Trust for
    Historic Preservation's recommendations for FY 2024 appropriations. My
    name is Shaw Sprague, and I am the Vice President of Government
    Relations. The National Trust is a privately funded nonprofit chartered
    by Congress in 1949. We work to save America's historic places to
    enrich our future.
        We offer our deep gratitude for the robust funding this
    subcommittee provided for all historic preservation priorities during
    the FY 2023 cycle. Thank you for considering recommendations made by
    the National Trust. We look forward to continuing our work with this
    subcommittee as you address the ongoing need for investments to sustain
    our Nation's rich heritage of cultural and historic resources that also
    generate lasting economic and civic vitality for communities throughout
    the Nation.
        For the fifth year in a row, we have also produced ``The
    Preservation Budget: Select Preservation Priorities for FY 2024
    Appropriations,'' \1\ which includes more information on the programs
    identified below, including funding levels over time and many
    remarkable examples of program successes.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ https://forum.savingplaces.org/viewdocument/the-preservation-
    budget-fy2024
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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 six successive historic funding levels the
    subcommittee has provided to the HPF, including the FY 2023 enacted
    level of $204.515 million, the highest appropriated amount in the
    program's history. While increased investment in the HPF has
    facilitated innovative and impactful historic preservation work across
    the country, additional appropriations are needed to ensure a more
    complete historic narrative is preserved for future generations and
    lesser-known places of historic and cultural significance may continue
    to enrich our communities.
        HPF funding supports fundamental preservation activities such as
    surveying, nomination of properties to the National Register of
    Historic Places, public education, and project reviews required for
    Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) projects. Among many highlights, we
    would like to emphasize the subcommittee's sustained support for the
    African American Civil Rights grants program to preserve and highlight
    sites and stories associated with securing civil rights for All
    Americans. We would also like to highlight the extraordinary impact
    Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants have in fostering economic
    development in our Nation's rural communities. The competitive grant
    programs within the HPF are having a transformative impact in
    communities throughout the country and these investments are helping
    preserve a broader historic narrative while revitalizing communities
    and creating local jobs.
        State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs and THPOs)
    are at the forefront of protecting our Nation's historic and cultural
    resources and are consistently asked to do more with less funding. The
    National Trust strongly supports addressing this unmet financial need.
    As Congress contemplates changes to the Federal permitting process, we
    urge you to consider the impact limited review times to conduct
    National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) oversight will have on SHPO
    offices. We support efforts to identify efficiencies in Federal
    permitting and believe that adequate funding for SHPO offices is
    critical to achieving permitting reform objectives while adequately
    safeguarding our historic and cultural resources.

        We respectfully request that Congress provide a total FY 2024 HPF
    appropriation of $225 million. Within that funding, we recommend:

      --$70 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs)

      --$34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs)

      --$28 million for competitive grants to preserve the sites and
            stories of efforts to advance African American Civil Rights

      --$7 million for the History of Equal Rights Grants program to
            preserve the sites and stories associated with securing civil
            rights for All Americans, including women, American Latino,
            Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and LGBTQ
            Americans

      --$13 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and
            Universities to preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings

      --$40 million for Save America's Treasures grants

      --$17 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grants

      --$5 million for Underrepresented Community grants

      --$11 million for Semiquincentennial Grants program

        National Park Service: Operation of the National Park System. Over
    the past 25 years, more than 50 park units have been added to the
    System, many of which preserve historic places and themes that have
    been previously underrepresented. We encourage the subcommittee to
    provide funding of $3.26 billion to maintain NPS operations, ensure
    stewardship of historic and cultural resources and prevent reductions
    in visitor services at a time when our National parks are more popular
    than ever. Within this funding, we recommend robust funding for
    Resource Stewardship, the National Underground Railroad Network to
    Freedom, the African American Civil Rights Network, the Reconstruction
    Era National Historic Network, and the Japanese American World War II
    History Network.
        National Park Service: Deferred Maintenance. The NPS is responsible
    for maintaining a system comprised of more than 85 million acres that
    tell the stories of remarkable people and events in our country's
    history. Unfortunately, after over 100 years of operation and
    inconsistent public funding, the NPS faces a multi-million-dollar
    deferred maintenance backlog. 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. We also recommend sustained increases for
    specific line items to ensure the maintenance backlog continues to
    decrease.

      --Construction. We recommend $145 million in funding for Line-Item
            Construction projects that address the deferred maintenance for
            the NPS' highest priority non- transportation assets with
            project costs greater than $1 million.

      --Repair and Rehabilitation; Cyclic Maintenance. We recommend
            additional increases for Repair and Rehabilitation at $150
            million and $205 million for Cyclic Maintenance to ensure
            routine and emerging needs are met.

        National Park Service: Cultural Programs. Within its cultural
    programs, the NPS manages many critical historic preservation
    activities, including management of the National Register of Historic
    Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program, certification of
    Federal HTC projects, coordination of Federal archaeology programs, and
    the administration of invaluable and targeted grant funding. These
    grant programs include the Native American Graves Protection and
    Repatriation Act Grants, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grants,
    American Battlefield Protection Program Assistance Grants, and many
    more. We also urge the subcommittee to support funding for the newly
    authorized African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program.
        In total, the National Trust recommends $46 million for Cultural
    Programs for FY 2024, which includes $3 million for the African
    American Burial Grounds Preservation Program. Additional increases in
    this account will enhance modernization of the National Register and
    support sustained demands to review and approve Federal HTC projects.
        National Park Service: National Heritage Areas. We recommend $34
    million for the Heritage Partnership Program and National Heritage
    Areas (NHAs). This level would provide funding for each of the 62
    individual NHAs in 35 States, as well as NPS administrative support for
    coordination, guidance, assistance, and training.
        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, as well as the museum collections and
    data associated with them. The National Trust recommends $25 million to
    bolster this program.
        The cultural resources program also supports Section 106 review of
    land-use proposals, Section 110 inventory and protection of cultural
    resources, compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and
    Repatriation Act, and consultation with Tribes and Alaska Native
    Governments. Moving forward, we recommend $1 million in dedicated funds
    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.
        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, including National Monuments, National
    Conservation Areas, Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, National Scenic
    and Historic Trails, and Wild and Scenic Rivers.
        We encourage the subcommittee to provide at least $78 million to
    the base program for the National Landscape Conservation System. 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.
        Independent Agencies: National Endowments for the Arts and for the
    Humanities. We urge the subcommittee to provide no less than $211
    million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National
    Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEA and NEH funding is critical to
    communities around the country and strengthens our Nation by promoting
    the 'lessons of history' to all Americans. This funding has also
    supported efforts by the National Trust's Historic Sites and others to
    tell a fuller American story and engage visitors in compelling ways.
        Independent Agencies: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. We
    recommend $10.5 million for the Advisory Council on Historic
    Preservation (ACHP). This increase would enhance the ACHP's ability to
    perform its essential role in ensuring 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.
        We stand ready to assist the subcommittee in support of our
    recommendations.

        Sincerely,

    Shaw Sprague
    Vice President of Government Relations
    National Trust for Historic Preservation

        [This statement was submitted by Shaw Sprague, Vice President of
    Government Relations.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of National Wildlife Refuge Association
        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. We request an increase in funding for the Operations and
    Maintenance budget of the National Wildlife Refuge System to $1.5
    billion. This includes $560 million to address the growing staffing
    shortage across the Refuge System, as well as accounts for the addition
    of new refuge units, increased programmatic needs and visitation
    levels, and rising inflation since FY 2010. We also request $20 million
    in LWCF funding for the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge,
    $50 million for the National Wildlife Refuge Fund, and $75 million for
    the Partners For Fish And Wildlife Program.
        The National Wildlife Refuge System is the Nation's only set of
    Federal lands dedicated to the conservation and management of America's
    native wildlife. It is the largest and most diverse network of
    conservation lands and waters in the world, encompassing more than 850
    million land and marine acres across dozens of unique habitat types.
    Our national wildlife refuges are essential for protecting biodiversity
    and climate resilient habitats, providing community-driven
    conservation, and expanding wildlife dependent recreational
    opportunities nationwide. However, increased funding needs paired with
    an insufficient budget has led to a Refuge System that is quickly
    eroding in habitat management and an ability to even keep refuges open.
        Wildlife refuges are economic engines for their communities. Over
    64 million people annually visit the Nation's 568 refuges, which are
    found in every State and territory, whether for hunting, fishing,
    wildlife watching, education, recreation, or photography. This
    generates over 41,000 jobs and provides more than $3.2 billion in
    economic output each year. For every dollar appropriated to the Refuge
    System, an average of nearly five dollars is returned to local
    economies.
        Despite these incredible benefits to communities across the
    country, the biggest challenge facing the Refuge System today is a lack
    of funding. The $503 million appropriated to the Refuge System in
    FY2010 is worth approximately $689 million today (as of November 2022),
    yet actual funding sits at $541 million-a mere 64 per acre, or $5.46
    per land acre. The failure to offset the impacts of inflation has
    resulted in a Refuge System long strained under the weight of
    critically low staffing levels and lost capacity. In this age of
    rapidly worsening biodiversity and climate crises, we must invest as
    much funding as possible today so these protected areas are available
    tomorrow for shifting conservation needs.
        While the Refuge System has faced declining budgets over the last
    13 years due to inflation, the Refuge System has still continued to
    grow, adding 14 new refuge units and hundreds of millions of acres of
    marine national monuments. It has also added new services, such as the
    Urban Wildlife Conservation Program launched in 2012 that seeks to
    address inequalities in recreational access and conservation
    participation. This program has dramatically changed the way
    conservation is delivered to communities, and visitor numbers have
    grown to over 67 million visitors a year in FY2022--an increase of 34%
    since FY2010. While the additional acreage, the creation of the urban
    program, and the increased visitors have enhanced the Refuge System and
    benefited the communities around these refuges, this growth has also
    put more pressure on the already stressed and underfunded System. These
    reductions have been so severe that most refuges can no longer operate
    effectively, efficiently, or, at times, safely. Additionally, more and
    more units are facing the reality of having no staff to conduct even
    the most basic management and public use activities.
        Over 800 permanent positions have been lost since FY2011--an
    enormous 25% loss in capacity. Several much-needed positions are
    eliminated every year due to lack of funding. No refuges are fully
    staffed, and more than half of refuges have zero staff on site. Many
    refuges are closed to the public and are completely unmanaged. Today,
    the Refuge System is staffed by approximately 2,400 permanent staff
    while the actual need is estimated to be 7,300. An additional $560
    million is estimated to be needed to hire enough staff to reach full
    staffing capacity. As an example of these dire staffing challenges,
    there are currently 214 law enforcement officers patrolling 850 million
    acres of land and water. Excluding the water acres, that's an average
    of 440,000 acres per officer, leaving much of the Refuge System
    virtually unprotected. In many cases, one officer alone is responsible
    for an entire state, with their refuge units hours away from each
    other. Similar examples can be made of impacts from the loss of
    biological, maintenance, and visitor services staff. Many volunteer
    programs-critical for the operation of individual refuges-have been cut
    back or completely eliminated due to lack of supervision from
    professional full-time staff.
        Funding for planning has also largely been eliminated due to budget
    cuts. By law, the Refuge System must update their Comprehensive
    Conservation Planning (CCP) every 15 years. Up-to-date management plans
    ensure that each wildlife refuge can be adaptable to present and
    upcoming needs, from a changing climate and extreme weather events like
    wildfires, to rising recreational visitors and commercial uses.
    However, lack of funding has resulted in more than 40% of refuges with
    no current CCP. Either an existing CCP is older than the recommended 15
    years or there is no plan. Not only do some wildlife refuges not have
    the staff or capacity to carry out a new CCP process, but some simply
    do not have the resources to renew these important plans. With an
    increased planning budget, the Refuge System could modernize and update
    these important management plans that help them reach their
    conservation goals.
        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
    healthy ecosystems. 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.
         everglades headwaters nwr-the 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 FY2024.
                                  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 National
    Wildlife Refuge Fund in FY2024.
              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
    requests $75 million for the Partners For Fish And Wildlife Program in
    FY2024. Such a funding level would result in an additional $400 million
    worth of conservation across the Nation.
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the FY 2024
    Senate Interior Appropriations bill. 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. Please feel free to contact me at
    lmarking@refugeassociation.org for any questions.

        [This statement was submitted by Libby Marking, Director of
    Government Affairs & Public Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge
    Association.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of National Wildlife Refuge System
        On behalf of the undersigned hunting and fishing organizations,
    thank you for your ongoing work to enhance our Nation's prized public
    lands. Without a supportive budget or your efforts to maintain it, we
    would be unable to properly steward our waters and lands, nor could we
    safely fish or hunt on them. We were especially pleased to see the
    budget increase in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 to $541 million for the U.S
    National Wildlife Refuge System (the System) and we are extremely
    appreciative of the President's proposed budget of $624 million for the
    System. Both these actions are strong, necessary steps to enhance this
    vital public land system.
        We are writing today to express our support for continued funding
    increases to the System. As you begin work on the FY24 Interior,
    Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, we urge you to
    provide the System with an even more robust funding to correct both
    historic underfunding and meet the growing needs of the System.
        Hunting and fishing are fundamentally linked to the System, and
    trace back to earliest days of the refuge System. With the passage of
    the Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997, Congress recognized
    wildlife-dependent recreational uses--which includes hunting and
    fishing--as priority uses in refuge planning and management. Therefore,
    ensuring accessible opportunities to fish and hunt on wildlife refuges
    continue to grow remains critically important for our organizations. We
    applaud the Biden Administration decision to open over 2 million acres
    in the System to angling and hunting, and deeply appreciated the Trump
    Administration actions to open 2.3 million acres. These activities
    provide the opportunity for more citizens to safely enjoy wildlife
    refuges with their families and bolster the strong contributions
    outdoor recreation provides for our economy and local communities.
        Despite its many benefits for hunters and anglers, the System is at
    risk. Since 2010, visitation to the System has increased 38 percent,
    now hosting over 65 million annual visitors. At the same time, the
    System's budget has remained generally stagnant, not growing alongside
    the System's expanding needs. This funding crisis has led to a loss of
    over 800 full time employees throughout the System, including law
    enforcement officers who serve to maintain visitor and community safety
    on refuge lands. On some refuges, lack of funding means, there are no
    full-time, on-site staff. The funding shortfalls hamper the System's
    ability to uphold its conservation mission--many wildlife refuges have
    been unable to keep management plans current. Over 40 percent of these
    plans, known as Comprehensive Conservation Plans, are outdated despite
    their requirement by law to be revised every 15 years. As such, refuge
    management is not keeping pace with today's challenges and
    opportunities.
        Since its establishment in 1903, the System has been our best
    example of how to balance conservation and recreation on Federal public
    lands. To date, there are 567 wildlife refuges that manage 760 million
    marine acres and 95 million land acres. With its primary mission of
    conservation, the System helps conserve 2,000 different species,
    including 1,000 species of fish, 700 species of birds, 250 species of
    reptiles and amphibians, and 220 species of mammals. Currently, 75
    percent of wildlife refuges are open to the public, with 376 open to
    angling, 427 open to hunting, and 101 urban refuges.
        As stewards who care about the wellbeing of our wildlife, fish,
    lands, and waters, it is critical that opportunities to hunt and fish
    on responsibly managed refuges continue to grow. With a significant
    increase in appropriations to the System, vacant positions can be
    filled, conservation goals can be reached, management plans can be
    updated, and more people can enjoy all these prized waters and lands
    have to offer.
        Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward
    to continued collaboration honoring this System.

    Sincerely,

    American Sportfishing Association
    Archery Trade Association
    Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
    Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
    California Waterfowl
    Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
    Delta Waterfowl
    Ducks Unlimited
    Houston Safari Club
    Izaak Walton League of America
    Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society
    National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative
    National Deer Association
    National Shooting Sports Foundation
    National Wild Turkey Federation
    National Wildlife Federation
    North American Grouse Partnership
     Orion: The Hunter's Institute
    Pheasants Forever
    Pope & Young Club
    Quail Forever
    Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society
    Safari Club International
    Texas Wildlife Association
    The AFFTA Fisheries Fund
     The Conservation Fund
    The Wildlife Society
    Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
    Trout Unlimited
    Whitetails Unlimited
    Wild Sheep Foundation
    Wildlife Forever
    Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society

        [This statement was submitted by Trout Unlimited, Grace Olscamp.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of National Wildlife Refuge System
        Federal public lands make up thirty percent of Montana. While
    public lands provide invaluable hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation
    opportunities and contribute to local economies, these lands are not
    part of the tax base, impacting county budgets and the ability to
    provide essential services for our citizens. With a supportive Federal
    budget that includes Federal land payments and funding for proper land
    management, we can both enjoy the benefits of public lands and receive
    much-needed revenue for essential services like schools and roads. We
    appreciate the work you have done to steward these lands and waters.
        Fulfilling its role as a good neighbor, the Federal Government
    provides annual payments to counties and local governments for their
    tax-exempt lands. Within the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System, this
    payment program is called the Refuge Revenue Sharing Fund (RRS), which
    compliments other programs like Payments in Lieu of Taxes. We are
    writing to express our support for increasing appropriations to RRS for
    Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 while opening a dialogue on how to permanently
    improve this program. As you develop appropriations bills, we hope you
    will provide RRS with additional funds.
        In Montana, we have 20 Wildlife Refuges which account for 1.15
    million acres of land in the state. On them, we find respite and make
    memories on pristine landscapes brimming with wildlife and fish. Our
    Wildlife Refuges are hidden gems of recreation where we can still enjoy
    wild places. In 1935, when the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act became law,
    Wildlife Refuges became more than a place to enjoy--they became an
    integral part of our communities. Annual RRS payments help fund public
    needs such as schools, roads, social services, police departments, and
    fire departments. Of Montana's fifty-six counties, thirty receive RRS
    payments. However, a lack of appropriations from Congress and
    resistance to reforming RRS means that annual payments have fallen
    short.
        RRS is funded through commercial net receipts from Wildlife Refuges
    and Congressional appropriations when collected fees fall short. In
    FY21, counties were authorized to receive $80 million in RRS funds, but
    net receipts only totaled $4.3 million, and Congress appropriated $13.2
    million. Thus, in FY21, RRS only provided $17.5 million in funding,
    21.9% of the authorized amount. Every year since 2014, despite net
    receipts and allowed amounts that generally increased, Congress has
    only appropriated $13.2 million. Since 2003, less than 50% of the
    authorized amount has been paid to counties.
        While some densely populated Wildlife Refuge communities may be
    able to make up for this difference through visitor expenditures, rural
    Wildlife Refuge communities cannot. The impact of these lost funds
    hurts our ability to provide public services. Congress should enact
    long-term solutions to this issue, namely reforming the RRS formula,
    which will provide fair and predictable funding. However, these
    legislative efforts require significant time to see through to fruition
    and the lack of funds is felt now. For example, Beaverhead County in
    2022, where the Red Rocks National Wildlife Refuge is located, should
    have received $194,059, 60% of which is allocated for the Lima Public
    School District. However, due to the RRS being underfunded, Beaverhead
    County received only $41,913, leaving the Lima Public School District
    with only $25,147. This insufficiency creates problems for the school
    district in the County. Increasing RRS funding for FY24 and the
    following years will immediately improve community health while we
    collaborate with leaders like you on long-term solutions.
        Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward
    to continued coordination.

    Sincerely,

        Beaverhead County Commission
        Montana Association of Counties
        Montana Wildlife Federation
        National Wildlife Federation
        Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

        [This statement was submitted by Grace Olscamp, Trout Unlimited.]
                                     ______

         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) 2024
    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 2024, 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 $1.85 billion in FY 2024,
    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 highlights the long-
    term benefits of scientific collections and presents a framework for
    estimating and documenting these 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. 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,'' the
    report suggests. ``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 types of research or educational 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. It 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 report's
    recommendations for establishing an action center for biological
    collections and requiring specimen management plans for research
    proposals generating new specimens underscore the importance of
    biodiversity specimen collections and have been supported by the CHIPS
    and Science Act. Such a center will provide leadership, support, and
    coordination for federal, non-federal, and private collections and
    encourage transformative research to address persistent grand-challenge
    questions in human health, bioeconomy, climate change, and
    pharmaceutical discovery.
        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 demonstrated how humans are
    inextricably part of 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 insufficient funding increases in recent
    years. This lack of funding for collections care jeopardizes our
    bioeconomy at a time when critical investments are needed to leverage
    our network of collections to address the myriad issues facing the
    country.
        Interior is an important caretaker of museum collections as well;
    the Department and its bureaus collectively manage an estimated 206
    million museum specimens. 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. The Interior Museum Program supports these collections by
    providing oversight, policy development, advocacy, technical
    assistance, training, and data management support.
        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's 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. With the BSU eliminated, the Smithsonian has taken over
    care of these collections. The work that BSU supported and conducted at
    the NMNH was important and in the National interest.
        The Bureau of Land Management manages nearly 4 million museum
    objects and archives and 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 in order to monitor the Nation's
    protected natural heritage, which means cataloging millions of museum
    objects and connecting the resulting databases to national and global
    data portals to monitor changes through time. 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 research infrastructure 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
    2024 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 urge Congress to provide the USGS with at
    least $1.85 billion in FY 2024, with increased support for collections.
        Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.

        [This statement was submitted by Gil Nelson, Ph.D., President,
    Natural Science Collections Alliance.]
                                     ______

                  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 2024 (FY24) appropriations. The Nature Conservancy
    (TNC) is a nonprofit conservation organization working around the world
    to protect ecologically important lands and waters for people and
    nature. TNC appreciates Congress's work to pass the bipartisan
    Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 and the Inflation
    Reduction Act in 2022. These investments in our natural systems will
    help bolster resiliency, respond to climate change, and, if equitably
    implemented, aid socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
    These investments complement but do not supplant the need for ongoing
    program funding through the appropriations process. Indeed, a robust
    appropriations package will serve as the foundation for implementing
    these bills and ensuring long-term success for critical programs under
    the subcommittee's jurisdiction.
        Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Passage of the Great
    American Outdoors Act and the dedicated funding of LWCF positions the
    program to provide more support for landscape-level conservation,
    working forests and ranchlands, access to the outdoors for underserved
    communities, climate resilience, conservation of historical and
    cultural sites, and advancing the America the Beautiful initiative.
    However, project demand in every State and county continues to far
    outstrip the $900 million a year in available funding for the program.
    TNC appreciates the continued support from Congress to improve the
    appraisal process and real estate policies of the agencies delivering
    the LWCF programs. While there is more to do, the organization is
    grateful for the subcommittee's efforts to lay the foundation for
    ongoing work with the agencies.
        Forest Restoration and Fire. TNC also recommends funding for U.S.
    Forest Service (USFS) and Department of the Interior (DOI) programs
    that address catastrophic megafires, pests and drought--all impacts
    exacerbated by climate change--in our forests. TNC supports substantial
    reinvestments in programs that increase forest resilience, specifically
    those that support collaboratively developed, science-based, climate-
    informed and ecologically focused activities across all forests. These
    programs not only contribute to forest resilience but also create jobs,
    support local economies and reduce wildfire risk to communities, among
    other benefits.
        TNC's funding recommendations for the USFS are based on the modern
    budgeting practices undertaken by USFS. The organization also
    recommends increased salaries and expenses proportional to any program
    increases, as well as directing the USFS and DOI to identify and
    prioritize projects based on best-available climate vulnerability,
    watershed conditions, and fire risk assessments.
        Investing in Wildfire Resilience. Congress took a major step toward
    stabilizing the USFS and DOI budgets with the 2018 ``fire fix,'' for
    which TNC continues to be thankful. The organization urges Congress to
    ensure the fire fix remains durable and comprehensive. An estimated 50
    million acres are in critical need of wildfire resilience treatments
    across all forests due to the impacts of these challenges. A TNC report
    recommends an investment surge of $5-6 billion per year over the next
    10 years for the highest-priority work of increasing wildfire
    resilience and providing communities with much-needed resources for
    infrastructure and adaptation.
        TNC recommends investing in the USFS's Hazardous Fuels Program at
    $323 million and DOI's Fuels Management Program at $293 million. In
    addition, TNC urges the subcommittee to repeat its 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, and State Fire Assistance at a minimum of $76
    million. TNC appreciates the critical investment in Burned Area
    Rehabilitation in the IIJA supporting forest recovery. This is a
    significant management need and has been historically overlooked. TNC
    supports sufficient funding for post-fire restoration for Burned Area
    Rehabilitation activities in FY24.
        Investing in Ecosystem Restoration, Reforestation and Planting. TNC
    supports sufficient funding for programs that enhance water quality,
    biodiversity, and forest health. TNC additionally recommends funding
    the Urban and Community Forestry program at a minimum of $40 million to
    support the increase in tree cover in urban landscapes to improve air
    quality, reduce electricity, and help cities mitigate stormwater and
    floodwater.
        Research and Planning. TNC recommends sufficiently funding research
    programs to include the USFS Research and Development Program (with
    carve-outs for climate research and climate hubs), Forest Inventory and
    Analysis (FIA), and Joint Fire Science for USFS and DOI. The Research
    and Development Program offers a vital scientific basis for policies
    that improve the health and quality of urban and rural communities.
    Advances in FIA technology in measuring and monitoring are critical for
    public and private forest carbon management. Investments in the Joint
    Fire Science programs would provide competitive and focused applied
    science solutions to improve the management of forests and watersheds
    while protecting communities, water and air through interagency
    partnerships. TNC also recommends sufficiently investing in land
    management planning, inventory, and monitoring. USFS must update many
    outdated forest plans and increase its efforts to appropriately
    incorporate climate change into land management planning and project-
    level documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act.
        Endangered Species. TNC supports continuing funding of at least $60
    million for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This
    funding supports 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. Substantial Federal investments
    are essential to support strategic actions by State, Tribal and Federal
    agencies, and the conservation community, to protect wildlife and their
    habitats. TNC appreciates the continued support from members of this
    subcommittee to address these significant funding needs through its
    work to pass the bipartisan Recovering America's Wildlife Act (S.
    1149).
        Wildlife Conservation Programs. TNC urges the subcommittee to
    continue funding for North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants,
    the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, Migratory Bird Joint
    Ventures, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Migratory Bird
    Management Programs and FWS Coastal Program at no less than the FY23
    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 DOI and the USFS 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 increases over FY23 funding levels for these
    programs and for implementation of the Lacey Act to manifest U.S.
    leadership in addressing the dual crises of biodiversity loss and
    climate change globally.
        National Wildlife Refuge System. Found in every State and
    territory, national wildlife refuges conserve the diversity of
    America's environmentally sensitive and economically vital ecosystems,
    including oceans, coasts, wetlands, deserts, tundra, prairies and
    forests. TNC supports increased funding for the system's operations and
    maintenance accounts to meet the well-documented needs of the National
    wildlife refuge system. At a minimum, funding for the program should be
    maintained at FY23 enacted levels.
        Sage Grouse Conservation. 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). 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. TNC continues to request the removal of
    language that would bar FWS from proposing a rule to list the Greater
    Sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act from the FY24 bill.
        BLM Land Management and Renewable Energy Development. TNC supports
    ongoing work to expedite renewable energy development, including
    funding to operationalize the Renewable Energy Coordination Offices and
    regional clean energy plans. TNC recommends robust funding to support
    BLM's thoughtful planning and management of public lands. This includes
    the National Landscape Conservation System (no less than FY23 level of
    $62 million), the Resource Management Planning (no less than FY23 level
    of $69 million), the consolidated Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat
    Management budget line ($150 million) and the Renewable Energy
    Development program ($35 million).
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Geographic Programs.
    TNC urges the subcommittee to continue robust funding for EPA's
    geographic programs, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
    and the Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, Long Island Sound and Gulf of
    Mexico programs, to make significant contributions to protecting
    habitat, improving water quality and enhancing resilience in the large
    landscapes they encompass.
        Colorado River Basin Recovery Programs. The Upper Colorado River
    Endangered Fish Recovery Program and San Juan River Basin Recovery
    Implementation Program take a balanced approach to the recovery of four
    threatened and endangered fish species in the upper Colorado River
    basin. The FWS budget includes approximately $1.5 million to support
    these programs as well as fish hatchery needs associated with the
    recovery plans. TNC requests the subcommittee maintain this funding in
    FY24.
        Restoring Rivers and Streams. Removing problematic dams and
    upgrading culverts can improve public safety and provide environmental
    and social benefits. TNC recommends at least level funding at $35
    million for the FWS National Fish Passage Program and robust funding to
    support the USFS restoration of streams by removing and restoring dam
    and culvert barriers through programs including the Legacy Roads and
    Trails program, State and Private Forestry programs and National Forest
    System programs such as Vegetation and Watershed Management. Demand for
    aquatic connectivity funds far exceeds the amount of funding available
    as demonstrated by applicants in one region alone of FWS requested $110
    million this year for the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act-
    funded portion of the National Fish Passage Program.
        Federal Priority Streamgage (FPS) Network. USGS operates the FPS
    Network to provide continuous streamflow information at over 8,400
    locations nationwide. TNC supports $32 million for the FPS Network to
    maintain existing gages. TNC also requests $68 million in Cooperative
    Matching Funds (CMF) for streamgaging and protecting the approximately
    5,275 CMF-supported streamgages already in place and functioning
    nationwide. Lastly, TNC supports $35 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.
        3D Elevation Program (3DEP): 3DEP sponsors satellite topographical
    mapping that provides communities with high-quality elevation mapping.
    This mapping provides critical information that communities need to
    assess and develop strategies to abate various challenges such as flood
    risk, drought, coastal and riverbank erosion, and inform investments in
    infrastructure and water resource management and protection, and much
    more. In addition, 3DEP provides USGS and other Federal agencies with
    the best scientific information to prepare for threats from natural
    hazards. Knowledge of flood risks and natural hazards can help prevent
    communities from developing in unsafe areas and allow risk mitigation
    in developed areas. TNC supports continued funding of $42.9 million in
    FY24 for 3DEP to promote resilient communities and environments.
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit TNC's recommendations for
    the FY24 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations
    Bill.

        [This statement was submitted by Brent Keith, Federal Lands Policy
    Team Lead, The Nature Conservancy.]
                                     ______

          Prepared Statement of Navajo Agricultural Products Industry
        On behalf of the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI)
    please find below our requests for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Interior,
    Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
        As you know, NAPI is an agricultural enterprise wholly owned by the
    Navajo Nation that manages over 70,000 acres of farmland. We employ 300
    people annually and an additional 350-375 seasonal workers during
    harvest. NAPI's crops include potatoes, wheat, beans, alfalfa, chili,
    organic watermelon, organic squash, sumac, and corn.
        In 1962, Public Law 87-483 authorized the development of 110,630
    acres of farmland and an annual diversion of 508,000 acre-feet of water
    from the Navajo Reservoir to Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP)
    lands in exchange for the diversion of 100,000 acre-feet of water from
    the Navajo Nation's claim in the San Juan Basin to the Rio Grande
    Basin. In 1970, the Navajo Nation established the Navajo Agricultural
    Products Industry (NAPI) to operate the NIIP and manage the Nation's
    industrial agri-business to build a profitable commercial enterprise,
    provide jobs and training for Navajo people, and to expand markets for
    NAPI's products.
        Approximately 35,000 of the 110,630 acres of farmland authorized
    for construction under Public Law 87-483 (also referred to as the NIIP
    Act) remain undeveloped. Funding to build out the NIIP and increase
    farming capacity is critically needed. Appraisal level costs provided
    by the US Bureau of Reclamation estimated $985 million to complete the
    project in 2019 costs. It should be noted that the basis of the
    estimate for the CCE (Construction Cost Estimates) assumed an estimated
    $35 million in yearly appropriations with an estimated completion date
    of 2059. Additionally, under an existing Indian Self- Determination and
    Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) contract, the Federal Government is
    obligated to cover the NIIP's operations and maintenance (O&M)
    expenses. However, the BIA has failed to keep pace with increasing O&M
    expenses for the NIIP and other Indian Irrigation Projects, thus
    failing in its trust responsibility. The NIIP Condition Assessment,
    which was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2016, estimates
    over $175 million in remediation costs resulting from an extensive
    deferred maintenance backlog. Increased funding is desperately needed
    to ensure the NIIP remains operating at necessary levels.
        NAPI respectfully requests that the subcommittees ensure the
    Federal Government upholds its trust responsibility to the Navajo
    Nation with increased funding to the three programs below in the FY
    2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill:

    1.  Full funding of the NIIP O&M expenses in FY 2024. Due to a
            continued lack of past necessary funding, total funding needs
            for NIIP's O&M will be $8.1 million in FY 2024. We therefore
            request the Natural Resources Management, Irrigation Operations
            & Maintenance funding be increased to $25.5 million total in FY
            2024. This increase will ensure that the NIIP receives enough
            funding to continue to operate at maximum levels.

    2.  Increased funding for the WIIN Act, Public Law 114-322, Title III,
            Subtitle B, Irrigation Rehabilitation and Renovation for Indian
            Tribal Governments and their Economies from $10 million
            annually to $35 million annually. These provisions of the WIIN
            Act provide Indian Irrigation Projects with funding to address
            deferred maintenance.

    3.  NAPI is ready to complete Block 9 stage 2 and 3 of the NIIP but
            lacks obligated funding from the Federal Government to do so.
            We respectfully request that the Resources Management
            Construction fund be increased to $110 million in FY 2024 and
            that the NIIP be funded at a minimum of $12 million from this
            fund.

        The Navajo Nation has not received all of what it was guaranteed in
    the NIIP Act or in our ISDEAA contract with the Federal Government. As
    a result, we are leaving valuable land unfarmed and Navajo Nation water
    rights entitlements unused. In addition, NAPI is forced to cover the
    government's O&M funding shortfalls. NAPI is requesting what was
    promised over 60 years ago.
        All three of these requests are important to the continued
    operation and expansion of the NIIP and the Navajo Nation's farm
    system. Thank you for your consideration of our requests.

        [This statement was submitted by Dave Zeller, Chief Executive
    Officer Navajo, Agricultural Products Industry.]

                                     ______

                   Prepared Statement of the Nez Perce Tribe
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony on behalf
    of the Nez Perce Tribe (Tribe) as the Committee evaluates and
    prioritizes FY 2024 appropriations. This testimony covers funding for
    the needs of Tribal Nations regarding the Bureau of Indian Affairs
    (BIA), Indian Health Service (IHS), Environmental Protection Agency
    (EPA), Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
        The Nimiipuu people want to acknowledge and thank this subcommittee
    for your efforts, on a longstanding, bipartisan basis, to understand
    the needs of Indian Country and advocate for increased appropriations
    to the many programs in your jurisdiction that benefit our citizens,
    our Tribal government, and all members of our communities. We are
    deeply grateful that the many funding increases to Tribal programs in
    the final FY 2023 appropriations build on the increases Congress
    provided in FY 2022.
        Like any government, the Tribe performs a wide array of work and
    provides a multitude of services to its Tribal membership as well as
    the community at large. The Tribe has a health clinic; a Tribal police
    force; a social services department; and a comprehensive natural
    resources program that does work related to forestry, wildlife
    management, land services and land management, habitat restoration, air
    quality and smoke management, water quality, and sewer service. The
    Tribe also operates one of the largest fisheries departments of any
    Tribe in the Nation working on the recovery of listed species under the
    Endangered Species Act. Each of these programs is necessary and vital
    for the Tribe as a sovereign nation that preserves and protects the
    Treaty rights of the Nez Perce People and provides day-to-day
    governmental services to our members and surrounding communities.
        The Tribe has long been a proponent of self-determination for
    Tribes and believes our primary obligation is to protect the Treaty-
    reserved rights of the Tribe and our members. All the Tribe's work is
    guided by this principle. The Tribe works extensively with many Federal
    agencies and proper funding for those agencies and their work with,
    for, and through Tribes is of vital importance. To accomplish this
    work, as members of this subcommittee frequently note, the U.S. must
    affirm its trust responsibility to Indian Tribes by properly funding
    programs. The impact of such underfunding was documented in the 2018
    report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises. This
    report was updated in 2020 to show how this chronic underfunding
    exacerbated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indian Country.
                            bureau of indian affairs
        The Tribe requests that overall funding of $3.8 billion for the BIA
    and Bureau of Indian Education in FY 2023 be maintained in FY 2024. The
    Tribe also supports the indefinite appropriation for contract support
    costs at $328 million for BIA in FY 2024. The Tribe also recommends
    that these costs should be reclassified from discretionary to
    mandatory.
        In relation to the BIA Public Safety and Justice account, the Tribe
    advocates for maintaining funding for law enforcement that was enacted
    for that account in FY 2023. The Nez Perce Reservation spans 1,200
    square miles, covering five counties, and has a mixture of Tribal and
    non-Tribal residents. The Tribe provides a full-service law and justice
    program and recently completed construction of a jail facility. The
    Tribe has a fully trained and staffed police force, a fully staffed
    Tribal court, a prosecutor, a public defender, and other personnel that
    perform related administrative functions. The Tribe received just over
    $1,382,595 in BIA base funding and $990,238 in BIA direct Contract
    Support Cost funds. Currently, the Tribe contributes $1,179,941 to
    cover the shortfall in BIA funding for the Tribe's law enforcement and
    corrections, $745,624 for judicial services/probation, $480,040 for
    prosecutorial services, $318,057 for public defender services, and
    $486,046 for prisoner boarding. This supplemental funding is derived
    from Tribal taxes on goods and fuel and Tribal gaming revenues that
    would otherwise be used for Tribal governmental services. Funding for
    these programs, including additional funding to operate the new jail
    facility, needs to be maintained and ultimately increased to account
    for shortfalls in funding the Tribe must absorb to continue the
    operation of these important services on the Reservation.
        The Tribe also relies on the BIA for funding for our work related
    to endangered species and protection of the Tribe's Treaty resources,
    including Chinook and steelhead salmon. The funding is used to
    supplement research efforts of the Tribe relative to other sensitive
    species. The Tribe recommends a $1 million increase for the BIA
    Endangered Species Program. This account provides the Nez Perce Tribe
    with technical and financial assistance to protect endangered species
    on trust lands. Also, the Tribe recommends an increase of $2.8 million
    for BIA Natural Resource Tribal Priority Allocations which will help
    increase Tribal land and management capabilities.
        In addition, the funding provided under the BIA Rights Protection
    Implementation account is critical to support the exercise of treaty-
    reserved, off-reservation hunting and fishing for Tribes. The Tribe
    supports, at a minimum, the $49.2 million in funding provided in FY
    2023. These funds provide the foundation for core program
    administration and treaty rights protection activities, such as harvest
    monitoring. These efforts are central to the Tribe's fisheries
    management responsibilities as established by the Nez Perce Treaties of
    1855 and 1863 and further delineated in court decisions regarding
    implementation of hunting and fishing Treaty rights. It is also
    important to understand that this funding is used for job creation.
        The Tribe supports maintaining the FY 2023 funding for the BIA
    Fish, Wildlife and Parks account. The Tribe, through our fisheries
    programs, has invested a significant amount of personnel and resources
    into the restoration of salmon. The States of Oregon, Washington, and
    Idaho, as well as sports fisheries, directly benefit from this work.
    These programs have been successful with funding under the Tribal
    Management and Development Program which is critical for the Tribe's
    management of fish and wildlife. We recommend funding a $4 million
    increase over FY 2023 funding for the Tribal Management and Development
    Program.
        The Tribe recommends continued funding for the Columbia River In-
    Lieu Treaty Sites by supplementing the $4.5 million provided in FY 2023
    to implement the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites
    Improvement Act
                             indian health service
        The Tribe operates Nimiipuu Health, a healthcare clinic on the Nez
    Perce Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho, and its satellite facility located
    65 miles away in Kamiah, Idaho. Nimiipuu Health provides services to
    approximately 4,000 patients each year. Annually, this computes to at
    least 40,000 medical/dental provider visits which does not include
    pharmacy or laboratory visits.
        The Tribe applauds the $7 billion provided for FY 2023 and the
    advanced appropriations for FY 2024 of $5 billion. We recommend
    maintaining these levels going forward, but it must be noted that this
    funding amount will not cover the costs the Nez Perce and other Tribes
    have in order to maintain current services because we also have to
    ensure that programs and facilities keep pace with medical and non-
    medical inflation and with population growth. Recommendations of
    substantially increasing this funding to as high as $9 billion has been
    supported by the Tribe.
        The Tribe also supports an increase in funding for purchased/
    referred care (P/RC) since this funding has not adjusted with
    inflation. The Tribe recommends that this $996.7 million allocation be
    substantially increased to continue to meet the P/RC spending needs of
    Tribal health facilities caused by medical inflation.
        The Tribe supports the funding for contract support costs for FY
    2023 of $969 million. However, this change in funding should not be
    accomplished or be offset by reducing other funding for these agencies
    that would adversely affect services or programs. This funding should
    not be reduced by excessive set-asides for administration.
        The Tribe recommends permanent, mandatory funding of the Special
    Diabetes Program at no less than $150 million per fiscal year. In that
    regard, similar levels of funding are recommended for mental health and
    substance abuse treatment. The current annual allocation for mental
    health and substance abuse, while very important, falls well below the
    financial needs to provide adequate care and treatment on reservations.
        Finally, the Tribe would like to express our support for the budget
    recommendations of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
    including, but not limited to recommendations on increases to the $111
    million provided in FY 2023 for 105(l) lease costs and to make the
    funding mandatory.
                         u.s. fish and wildlife service
        The Tribe relies heavily on funding sources within the USFWS.
    First, the operations of Kooskia National Fish Hatchery are funded by
    the USFWS. The Tribe manages the hatchery pursuant to the terms of the
    Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004 (Act). The hatchery is in dire
    need of a new water supply to reduce the extraordinary amount of
    sediment that accumulates in the current water at the facility so the
    Tribe can continue to meet its production goals. The USFWS should be
    allocated adequate funding for the operations of this important
    facility to ensure the United States meets its obligations under the
    act.
        Second, the USFWS-administered State and Tribal Wildlife Grants
    program is an important and cost-effective expenditure for the Federal
    Government and is one of the few sources of funds Tribes can tap into
    for wildlife research. Over the last several years, the Tribe has
    received grants funding for work on diverse issues such as rare plant
    conservation and Condor habitat research. Continued funding for the
    State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program will allow recipient Tribes to
    build capacity and maintain involvement in key conservation issues. The
    Tribe strongly urges this subcommittee to not reduce, but instead
    increase, funding for these competitive grants to $75 million and
    increase the Tribal share to $6.5 million.
                        environmental protection agency
        The Tribe works closely with EPA on many programs that are
    essential to the health and safety of the 18,000 Tribal and non-Tribal
    citizens residing within the Nez Perce Reservation. These programs also
    protect the Treaty-reserved resources of the Tribe that the United
    States has a trust obligation to preserve. These programs include: the
    Clean Water Act 106 Program; the Clean Water Act 319 Nonpoint Source
    (NPS) Pollution Prevention Program; the Indian General Assistance
    Program; the Tribal Brownfields Response Program; the Underground
    Storage Tank Program; the Delegation of Nez Perce Federal
    Implementation Plan; the Clean Air Act 103 Grant-Nez Perce Tribe Air
    Quality Project; and the EPA Region 10 Pesticide Circuit Rider Program.
        The Tribe recommends that the Indian General Assistance Program be
    funded at $75 million; the Tribal allocation under the Clean Water Act
    106 program be increased by 20 percent; Tribal Air Quality Management
    be funded at $16 million; the Brownfields Program be maintained at $100
    million; and a funding amount be specifically allocated in lieu of the
    percent cap on Tribal funding for NPS pollution control.
        The Tribe requests the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program,
    authorized under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation
    Act of 2016, be funded at no less than the $3 million provided to EPA
    in FY 2023 but recommends that number be substantially increased.
                                 forest service
        The Tribe does a tremendous amount of work with the Forest Service
    including landscape restoration and resource management. The Tribe
    entered into a Good Neighbor Authority agreement with the Forest
    Service in 2022 that will allow more collaboration on work that will
    help protect Treaty-reserved resources on forest system land. It is
    important that these programs receive stable and consistent funding to
    allow this work to continue.
        As you can see, the Tribe does a tremendous amount of work in a
    variety of areas. It is important that the United States continue to
    fund this work and uphold and honor its trust obligations to Tribes.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

        [This statement was submitted by the Nez Perce Tribe.]
                                     ______

                  Prepared Statement of Nisqually Indian Tribe
    Summary of Budget Requests:

     I.  Bureau of Indian Affairs--Increase funding for Western Washington
            Program

     II. Bureau of Indian Affairs--Increase funding for Tribal Climate
            Resilience Program

     III. Environmental Protection Agency--Increase funding for Puget Sound
            Program

     IV. Environmental Protection Agency--Funding to Address Impacts of
            6PPD Quinone
                          introduction and background
        Greetings Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Honorable
    Members of the subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies. My name is William Frank III and I have the honor of serving
    as Chairman of the Nisqually Indian Tribe (``Tribe''). Thank you for
    the opportunity to provide written testimony regarding the Tribe's
    funding priorities within the subcommittee's jurisdiction. It is also
    an honor to continue my father, Billy Frank, Jr's, lifetime commitment
    and fight to protect our salmon, water, and environment.
        The Nisqually Indian Tribe has treaty reserved rights enshrined in
    the Treaty of Medicine Creek of 1854 and upheld by Federal courts in
    U.S. vs Washington, also known as the Boldt Decision, in 1974 and in
    numerous decisions in the intervening 48 years. These rights include,
    at their most fundamental of understanding, the ability to continue to
    exist as the Nisqually Indian Tribe in return for allowing the peaceful
    settlement of Americans in our region. The Tribal leaders that were
    signatory to the Treaty envisioned perpetual survival of our people,
    our traditions and cultures, our use of our homelands, and the access
    and use of the natural resources that have been central to our
    existence since time immemorial.
        Access and use of our treaty secured natural resources has been
    diminished significantly over time. Specifically, the salmon of the
    Nisqually River have decreased in numbers over the past 25 years to the
    point where there are two species listed as threatened under the
    Endangered Species Act (``ESA''), the Fall Chinook salmon and the
    steelhead trout; and there are two more candidates for future listing
    considerations, the unique Nisqually late chum and the coho salmon.
        As recently as the 1980's, and throughout time, Nisqually Tribal
    members regularly fished 8 months a year on the river that bears our
    name. By 2015, fishing time has been constrained to a mere 8 days to
    conserve the diminishing resource for future generations. Eight days is
    not using our homelands and waters as promised; 8 days is not
    practicing our cultures and traditions; and 8 days is not honoring the
    promises contained in the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
      bureau of indian affairs: rights protection implementation-western
                          washington (boldt decision)
        The Boldt Decision reaffirmed our Tribe's right to co-manage
    fishery resources with the State of Washington. To honor this Federal
    decision and many other court decisions upholding Tribal rights, the
    Department of the Interior provides Tribal funding under the Rights
    Protection Implementation (``RPI'') Program. Particularly, the Western
    Washington Program provides specific Federal funding to meet its treaty
    obligations to Western Washington Tribes, including the Nisqually
    Indian Tribe.
        The Nisqually Indian Tribe has utilized this vital Federal funding
    to revive our precious fish resources and to build a strong and
    dedicated Natural Resources Program. The Tribe has over 40 staff in
    eight different programs that utilize science-based management of our
    fisheries. These eight different programs include shellfish management,
    environmental management, salmon hatchery operations, salmon recovery,
    Geographic and Information Services, and salmon restoration and
    research. The Tribe is putting all its efforts into the survival of our
    fisheries and trust resources, stretching every dollar. Our obligations
    to manage under the Boldt Decision and the ESA are growing more
    complicated as our world continues to change.
        Despite the effectiveness of RPI, the funding levels are simply
    insufficient. The Tribe has never received dedicated environmental
    staffing support to deal with climate change and impacts from growth.
    Unfortunately, the fiscal resources have failed to keep up with
    economic challenges and competition for staff fully support the proper
    management of our trust resources and treaty protected rights.
        The Tribe appreciates the Administration's proposal to increase
    funding for Rights Protection Implementation by $342 thousand over the
    previously enacted level. This includes an increase of $86 thousand for
    the Western Washington Program. We urge the subcommittee follow suit
    and increase RPI funding to ensure that the Federal Government meets
    its treaty obligations.
          bureau of indian affairs: tribal climate resilience program
        Climate change is real and is having dramatic and significant
    impacts on our people and the resources we depend upon. As a result of
    rising sea levels, we are seeing changes to the Nisqually Delta habitat
    in ways that are impacting salmon survival. The culturally important
    plant species that we use for our food, medicine, and crafts are
    becoming scarcer as their range is being reduced with rising
    temperatures and changes in the timing and magnitude of rainfall.
        We have invested a tremendous amount of time and resources to
    protect and restore our watershed while increasing resiliency, but the
    changes are occurring at a pace that is challenging to match with our
    efforts alone. We need to increase the pace and magnitude of our
    efforts while working on solutions to the climate change that imperils
    the very resources that we all care for and are dependent on for our
    very survival.
        With Western Washington Tribes being on the frontlines of climate
    change, we are encouraged by the Biden Administration's proposal to
    increase funding for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program (``TCRP'')
    by $13 million over the previously enacted level. The TCRP is
    instrumental in assisting Tribal governments with climate adaptation
    and preparedness, implementing strategies for resilient communities,
    and encouraging cooperative solutions. The Nisqually Indian Tribe
    requests that the subcommittee provide substantial increases in funding
    for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program.
              environmental protection agency: puget sound program
        There are many issues challenging our salmon's very survival in the
    Nisqually River and throughout Puget Sound. The Puget Sound is our
    regional icon and it has been designated as an estuary of National
    Significance under the Clean Water Act. The Puget Sound represents the
    promise of a clean, healthy, and vital environment that is central to
    our lives in Western Washington. It is as important to our region as
    the Great Lakes and the Everglades are to those living in those
    watersheds.
        The plight of the salmon is also the plight of our people. Losing
    our promised and generational connection to the salmon and the river
    and our traditional practices has long lasting impacts on our
    communities. When we have salmon, when we have time on our river, when
    we eat our traditional foods and practice our culture, we are healthy.
    When these things are lacking, we too are at risk. Our physical,
    emotional, and spiritual health is directly and permanently connected
    to our river and our salmon. Saving salmon is saving our people.
        We are not alone feeling the impact of disappearing salmon runs.
    Our brothers the Orca of Puget Sound are also struggling. The Southern
    Resident Killer Whales, salmon eaters like us, are now listed as
    threatened under the ESA and are slowly slipping away into extinction.
    We all watched helplessly in shock and horror the vision of the mother
    Orca carrying her dead baby for 18 days in Puget Sound in 2018. As go
    the salmon, goes the Orca and the Nisqually People.
        Under the EPA's Puget Sound Program, the Nisqually Indian Tribe
    receives important funding to conduct research and implement programing
    to revitalize the salmon population. Compared to other nearby bodies of
    water, salmon in the Puget Sound have a much lower survival rate.
    Federal funding allows our researchers to understand why this is
    happening in the Puget Sound. Once we understand the cause, we can
    provide the best measures to protect the salmon. The Nisqually Indian
    Tribe requests that the subcommittee increases funding EPA's Puget
    Sound Program to further assist us in tackling the complicated issues
    in the Puget Sound.
      environmental protection agency: funding to address impacts of 6ppd
                               quinone on salmon
        The Nisqually Tribe has grave concerns regarding the deadly threat
    that 6PPD Quinone is having on our salmon and treaty protected
    resources. The Tribe needs the EPA to provide the critical leadership
    and sense of urgency needed to immediately solve this problem. This is
    a crucial issue for the Tribe and all Tribes that depend upon salmon.
    We have seen our salmon populations decline dramatically over the past
    30 years and the negative impacts that has had on our treaty rights,
    our culture and traditions, and the health of our communities. 6PPD is
    killing our fish every time it rains.
        We assert that there needs to be two pathways that are fully
    supported for success. The first is source removal and we request that
    the pertinent regulatory agencies be fully funded to expedite their
    involvement. The previous administration gutted key programs within the
    EPA and NOAA, resulting in the Federal Government likely being the
    weakest link in approving a safe alternative for time manufacturing and
    future monitoring and research.
        The second pathway must be a commitment to treating stormwater for
    6PPD-Q, and other numerous toxics coming off our roadway with each
    rain, in the Pacific Northwest while we deal with the legacy of 6PPD in
    current tires. The Nisqually Indian Tribe has led an effort to find an
    affordable and scale-able treatment system for roadway runoff with a
    specific focus on 6PPD. Our pilot project is proving successful and
    could be used region wide. Funding for installation and monitoring and
    maintenance is lacking to address the problem at the magnitude of the
    challenge. The Tribe urges the subcommittee to provide funding that
    will address the deadly impacts that 6PPD Quinone is having on the
    salmon population.
                                   conclusion
        The Nisqually Indian Tribe appreciates the opportunity to share our
    Fiscal Year 2024 funding priorities with the subcommittee.

        [This statement was submitted by William Frank III, Chairman.]
                                     ______

          Prepared Statement of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Honorable Members of
    the Subcommittee, for the record my name is Ed Johnstone, and I am
    Chair 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 resource
    management and environmental program funding requests for the Bureau of
    Indian Affairs (BIA), Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and Environmental
    Protection Agency (EPA) Fiscal Year 2024 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
    exercise of our treaty rights.

    Summary of Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) 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 $3.748 million for Washington State Timber-Fish-Wildlife

        --Provide $7.42 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 $1.109 million 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 for Western Washington Treaty Tribes' Wildlife
            Management

      --Provide $48.04 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 $54.0 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 $16.8 million increase over the
    FY23 enacted level of $49.2 million. The large disparity between our
    collective request and the enacted level demonstrates that the basic
    natural resource management functions of the treaty tribes continue to
    be underfunded. Faced with the difficult combination of increasing
    natural resource scarcity and cumulative environmental stressors,
    tribal natural resource management has become more complex and resource
    intensive. Considering this challenge, additional capacity is needed to
    manage treaty-reserved resources and protect tribal rights.
    Unfortunately, most of the programs under RPI, such as Western
    Washington Fisheries Management, have not received a meaningful
    increase since FY18. A summary of the subaccounts of importance to us
    within RPI are identified below.

      --Provide $17.146 million for BIA Western Washington Fisheries
            Management

        We respectfully request $17.146 million, an increase of $5.543
    million over the FY23 enacted level of $11.603 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 and 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.

      --Provide $3.748 million for BIA Washington State Timber-Fish-
            Wildlife (TFW)

        We respectfully request $3.748 million, which is $28,000 above the
    FY23 enacted level of $3.72 million. 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 TFW Agreement--a
    collaborative intergovernmental and stakeholder process between the
    state, industry and tribes.

      --Provide $7.42 million for BIA U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty

        We respectfully request $7.42 million, an increase of $628,000
    above the FY23 enacted level of $6.792 million. 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. government in meeting its obligations to
    implement the treaty by participating in fisheries management
    exercises, cooperative research and data gathering activities. This
    funding also supports participation in the PST process.

      --Provide $2.4 million for BIA Salmon Marking

        We respectfully request $2.4 million, an increase of $948,000 over
    the FY23 enacted level of $1.452 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. This state-of-
    the-art equipment is very complex and requires expert technicians to
    operate and maintain. The operations and maintenance of the trailers,
    coupled with an increasing demand for these important services,
    continues to increase our costs to carry out this Federal directive.

      --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 $2.055 million over the FY23 enacted level of $12.945
    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. 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 $1.109 million for BIA Salmon and Steelhead Habitat
            Inventory and Assessment Program (SSHIAP) (within the Tribal
            Management/Development Program)

        We respectfully request $1.109 million, an increase of $206,000
    above the FY23 enacted level of $903,000 for SSHIAP within the Tribal
    Management/Development Program subactivity. 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 for Western Washington Treaty Tribes' Wildlife
            Management

        We respectfully request $2.0 million for western Washington treaty
    tribes' wildlife management programs from an account within the Bureau
    of Indian Affairs Trust--Natural Resources Management Activity. 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 directly support this critical work.

      --Provide $48.04 million for BIA Tribal Climate Resilience

        We request $48.04 million for Tribal Climate Resilience
    subactivity, an increase of $13.049 million over the FY23 enacted level
    of $34.991. 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 climate resiliency.
                            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, an increase of $1.8 million over the FY23
    enacted level of $6.2 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
    $21.65 million over the FY23 enacted level of $74.75. We also
    respectfully request bill or report language that would improve
    flexibility in the GAP to ensure individual tribal priorities and
    implementation activities would be eligible and that newly proposed
    allocations will not result in a decreased proportion of funds for EPA
    Region 10 tribes and consortia. The GAP builds essential tribal program
    capacity to address environmental issues that impact tribes' health,
    safety and treaty-reserved resources. The GAP also provides critical
    funding to tribal consortia to support intertribal coordination on
    environmental issues.

      --Provide $54.0 million for EPA Puget Sound Geographic Program

        We request $54.0 million for Puget Sound consistent with the FY23
    enacted level. This Geographic Program provides essential funding that
    will help protect and restore Puget Sound--an estuary of national
    significance. Funding for this program supports tribal 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 request the subcommittee's support for these
    requests. We greatly appreciate your attention to these matters and
    thank you for your continued commitment to the tribes.

        [This statement was submitted by Ed Johnstone, Chair of the
    Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of 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 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 2024
    Indian Health Service (IHS) budget and for their continual support for
    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),
    Public Law 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.

        I provide the following testimony to address our long-standing
    needs in the Northwest:

        Health Equity. AI/ANs in the Northwest face high health disparities
    compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW). AI/AN people in the Northwest
    have a life expectancy that is about 7 years lower than that of NHW
    people in the region. Data from the Northwest show that AI/AN people
    experience disparities at all stages of life, and are particularly
    vulnerable to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,
    injuries, substance misuse and overdoses, and violence. In the past
    year, there has been an alarming increase in Fentanyl overdoses in
    Northwest Tribal communities. AI/AN people in the Northwest are less
    likely to have health care coverage and access compared to their NHW
    counterparts.
        These disparities are the consequence of centuries of neglect and
    broken promises by the Federal Government to adequately fund
    healthcare. IHS is chronically underfunded with the overall budget
    covering only a fraction of the healthcare needs of AI/AN people.\1\
    Year after year, Northwest Tribes have unmet healthcare needs due to
    the chronic underfunding and any budget cut to the IHS will result in
    further barriers to accessing health services in the Northwest.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ U.S. COMM'N ON CIVIL RIGHTS, BROKEN PROMISES: CONTINUING
    FEDERAL FUNDING SHORTFALL FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AT 19 (2018) available
    at https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Provide Advance Appropriations for IHS. We thank Members of the
    subcommittee for their support in upholding the Federal Government's
    obligations to provide health services to AI/AN by authorizing advance
    appropriations in FY 2024. Previous government shutdowns have caused
    undue hardship to Northwest Tribes--from Federal employees not
    receiving a paycheck to clinics cutting down their hours. Advance
    appropriations provide predictable funding to enable IHS, Tribes, and
    urban Indian organization leaders to effectively manage budgets,
    coordinate care, and improve outcomes for AI/ANs without any service
    interruptions. For this reason, NPAIHB requests the subcommittee
    continues to provide advance appropriations for FY 2025.
        Provide Mandatory Appropriation for ISDEAA Section 105(l) Leases
    and Contract Support Costs (CSC). Although we are appreciative of the
    subcommittee's support in securing an indefinite appropriation for
    105(l) leases and CSC, we need 105(l) leases and CSC to be moved to
    mandatory appropriations. This will ensure that these appropriations
    are funded year after year without impacting annual programmatic
    increases to IHS and Tribal health facilities.
        1. The Tribes in the Northwest have been relentless advocates for
    Tribal Self-Determination and Self-Governance which is one of the most
    successful programs funded by the Indian Health Service. However, the
    Cook Inlet decision is destabilizing on our Tribal health program
    operations and threaten our indirect cost recovery to support Northwest
    Tribal health program operations. We urgently request the subcommittee
    to support a legislative fix to the Indian Self-Determination and
    Education Assistance Act to restore the longstanding interpretation of
    the act.
        Provide Full, Mandatory Funding for IHS. We are concerned on the
    minimal increase of $327 million to the IHS in the FY 2023 Omnibus
    Appropriations Act. This increase does not support President Biden's
    historic request for an increase of $2.2 billion for the IHS in FY
    2023. The Northwest Tribes will never be able to adequately address
    their chronic health disparities without substantial increased funding
    for the IHS. The National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup
    recommended, and our Area supports, the request of $51 billion in FY
    2024 to fully fund the IHS.\2\ Although we support the Biden
    Administration putting forward a historical request for mandatory
    funding, we request that the IHS and the subcommittee works and
    supports the Portland Area Tribes to develop a legislative proposal for
    mandatory funding for IHS.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup Recommendation,
    Indian Health Service Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, https://www.nihb.org/
    docs/09072022/
    FY%202024%20Tribal%20Budget%20Formulation%20Workgroup%20Recommendations.
    pdf (last visited May 19, 2023).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Fund Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) Expansion. Tribal Leaders
    in the Portland Area support long term sustainable solutions that build
    up our communities, create opportunities for our youth and Tribal
    citizens, educate our healers and train the next generation of work
    force. The CHAP is vital not only to expanding access to care in our
    Tribal communities but tackling important social determinants of
    health. CHAP builds an accessible education ladder into the health care
    professions, increases access to culturally relevsant, trauma informed
    primary care, and creates professional wage jobs in our communities.
    However, the IHS has not provided adequate funding to expand CHAP in
    the Portland Area to support education programs and member Tribes to
    integrate CHAP providers into their health programs. For FY 2024, we
    request $60 million for continuation of the National expansion of CHAP
    with $10 million for Portland Area. We request $5 million to build
    clinical classrooms to train community health aide providers in the
    Portland Area.
        In FY 2021, 2022 and 2023, $2 million was allocated for dental
    health therapy education programs educating students in Washington,
    Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. But, the IHS has not provided any of this
    funding to the Portland Area and will not unless there is an
    appropriation increase. For FY 2024, we request $4.2 million for the
    Dental therapy education programs with a $1.7 million earmark to
    Portland Area and $2.5 million to support Alaska.
        Fund Purchased and Referred Care (PRC) at $8 billion. The FY 2023
    Omnibus Appropriations Act included a 1% increase to PRC-a nominal
    increase that does not even cover inflation and population growth
    costs. Our Area has to purchase all specialty and inpatient care
    because there is no IHS hospital in the Portland Area. The PRC program
    makes up over one-third of the Portland Area budget. When there is no
    increase or consideration of population growth and medical inflation,
    Northwest Tribes are forced to cut health services. Areas with IHS
    hospitals can absorb these costs more easily because of their
    infrastructure and large staffing packages.
        When there are increases to the PRC budget, the Portland Area
    Tribes receive additional funding to account for the lack of an IHS/
    Tribal hospital in the Area, often referred to as the access to care
    factor. However, the IHS has only ever funded this access to care
    factor three times in the past 13 years-in FY 2010, 2012, and 2014.
    Without year to year increases to PRC to fund the access to care
    factor, inpatient care for Portland Area Tribes goes severely
    underfunded. For FY 2024, our Area requests that PRC is funded at $8
    billion. And, PRC should be the second highest budget line item
    increase to conform with the National Tribal Budget Formulation
    Workgroup's Recommendations.
        Fund Mental Health and Substance Abuse at $3.5 billion. In our Area
    and nationwide, there are high rates of depression, anxiety, and
    relapses because of isolation during the pandemic. Our Tribes need
    funds to support mental health provider shortages, expansion of
    services, and training. NPAIHB is 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 greater, and in some communities 10
    times greater, than that for non-Hispanic whites.
        Mental Health and Substance Use programs could be expanded by
    funding programs 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 anticipated needs and to fund much needed programs in
    FY 2024, NPAIHB recommends funding Mental Health and Substance Abuse at
    $3.5 billion.
        In addition, we recommend that all IHS Behavioral Health
    Initiatives provide an option for Tribes to receive funds through
    ISDEAA Title I and Title V compacts and contracts. These programs
    include the Tribes know how to manage and maximize funds to best meet
    the behavioral health needs of their patients. These programs include
    the Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program, the Domestic
    Violence Prevention Program, the Zero Suicide Initiative, and may
    include the recently established Special Behavioral Health Program
    (opioid program).
        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.''
        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.\3\ For FY 2024, we request
    the subcommittee to increase the Indian Health Professions program by
    $25 million.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ NPAIHB Resolution18-03-07.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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 2024 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).
        Portland Area Regional Specialty Referral Center. The FY 2023
    President's Budget Request includes $165 million in nonrecurring
    expense funds for the Portland Area's regional specialty referral
    center. This center is a priority of the Northwest Tribes to address
    the continual barriers AI/AN face in accessing specialty care in the
    Northwest. We look forward to partnering with IHS to develop the
    center. We request that the subcommittee considers additional funding
    to construct the two other facilities in the Portland Area.
        Make Information Technology Modernization Funding Available to
    Tribes. Health IT modernization must be a priority of the IHS with an
    expedited implementation over the next three to 5 years. Resource and
    Patient Management System (RPMS) cannot meet the evolving healthcare
    delivery needs of our Tribes without substantial investment in IT
    infrastructure and software. Tribes in the Northwest have had to invest
    significant amount of their own funds to modernize their Health
    Information Technology. Yet, none of the funds appropriated for HIT
    modernization has been distributed to Tribes. We request that funding
    is provided to our Tribes to reimburse and provide on-going financial
    support for Tribal facilities that have purchased and implemented
    commercial off the shelf systems. For FY 2024, NPAIHB recommends
    funding at $356 million for planning and phased-in replacement of RPMS
    with $22 million for Portland Area Tribes for reimbursement of their
    health IT modernization efforts.
        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 2024, 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 2024, $600 million is needed for IHS to provide the
    life-saving HCV treatment to the 40,000 AI/ANs with HCV.
        Thank you for this opportunity to provide recommendations on the FY
    2024 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.\4\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ For more information, please contact Karol Dixon, NPAIHB, at
    kdixon@npaihb.org or (907) 301-2899.

        [This statement was submitted by Nickolaus Lewis, Chair, Northwest
    Portland Area Indian Health Board.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of Norton Sound Health Corporation
        The requests of the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) for the
    FY 2024 Indian Health Service (IHS) budget are as follows:

      --Recognize Alaska Native communities as Native communities in the
            IHS Sanitation Deficiency System (SDS), eliminating the notion
            of ineligible costs for sanitation projects.

      --Recommend IHS create and fund the operation and maintenance (O&M)
            of sanitation infrastructure.

      --Fund construction of employee housing quarters.

      --Fund construction of patient lodging to support expansion of
            medical and behavioral health care services.

      --Support funding opportunities for Tribal Health to construct day
            care facilities.

      --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.

      --Ensure mandatory funding for Contract Support Costs and 105(l)
            lease payments and clarify CSC provisions.

        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, nursing
    home, 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Funding for Water & Sewer Projects and Operation and Maintenance:
        Recognize Alaska Native communities as Native communities in the
    IHS Sanitation Deficiency System (SDS), eliminating the notion of
    ineligible costs for sanitation projects. 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. The community of Gambell is 70%
    served, with 43 homes in the village 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.
        The health impacts of a lack of sanitation and clean water
    infrastructure, in combination with a shortage of housing in our
    communities, remain an ongoing public health crisis. The CDC has noted
    that one in three infants from communities without running water is
    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), with levels
    over what EPA has deemed safe for human consumption in the long-term.
        In the authorizing statute (Indian Health Care Improvement Act) for
    the 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). These services to
    Norton Sound communities cannot come soon enough. Basic human needs
    that most Americans take for granted do not exist in many of our
    communities.
        We are opposed to the decision of the IHS to implement in the
    FY2018 Sanitation Facilities Construction appropriation using a
    methodology to serve Alaska Native homes. This methodology is based on
    the premise that our Alaska Native villages are 'non-Indian'. Our
    unserved communities on average are 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, clinics, Tribal buildings, and
    teacher housing. All community buildings are for the benefit of the
    Native community, including schools, which serve in some cases as the
    community's evacuation center and 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.
        However, in order to fully address the sanitation crisis in our
    communities, we urge that Congress formally remove the regulatory
    barriers to our unserved and underserved communities and allow
    Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds to cover the
    ineligible costs as requested in the FY22 Tribal consultation.
        Recommend IHS create and fund the operation and maintenance (O&M)
    of sanitation infrastructure. The National Congress of American Indians
    passed Resolution ANC-22-041, that recommends IHS fund the operation
    and maintenance (O&M) of sanitation infrastructure as authorized in 25
    USC 1632 (b). A request for O&M funding was also included in the FY
    2024 Tribal Budget Recommendations put forward by the National Tribal
    Budget Formulation Workgroup. In addition, the unprecedented amount of
    funding provided by Congress for construction and repair of sanitation
    facilities through the IIJA underscores the need to protect the Federal
    investment and ensure the maximum life cycle and sustainable operation
    of these sanitation systems for as long as possible. O&M costs should
    also be used for existing systems to keep projects that are already
    complete off the SDS list in the future. Congress has provided IHS
    funding to train operators, but not a designated O&M fund. IHS must
    request appropriations in the FY 2024 budget for the operation and
    maintenance of sanitation facilities systems, and further such funding
    should be made available through ISDEAA self-governance agreement.
        Funding for employee housing quarters. Since NSHC opened its new
    hospital facility in 2013, the workforce living in both Nome and the
    villages has increased by 12 percent and 23 percent respectively.
    Unfortunately, when the facility was constructed, housing quarters were
    not included with the construction project. NSHC owns 29 apartment
    units in Nome, but still leases over 70 apartment units from various
    landlords in an attempt to meet the needs for adequate housing for new
    hires, locum physicians, nurses, clinicians, health aides in training,
    and students. NSHC's usage of such a large portion of currently
    available Nome housing has created a significant housing shortage for
    Nome. This housing shortage has held NSHC back from filling critical
    health care positions and has created further impediments to hiring a
    permanent local workforce. Typhoon Merbok exasperated the already
    limited housing situation in Nome when the flood destroyed housing
    units and the subsequent fire destroyed a local hotel, which was
    housing homeless individuals and families.
        The approved Port Project for the City of Nome, will require an
    influx of people to the community and vacant housing is non-existent.
    NSHC proposes to construct three, 20-unit apartment buildings, this
    would adequately meet its growing Nome workforce needs. By owning its
    own housing, NSHC would be able to release 70 apartment units which
    could be consumed by Nome Port Project laborers, teachers, and homeless
    individuals and families. NSHC received $5M from the FY23 Omnibus Bill
    to support patient and employee housing construction; the total cost
    for three 20-unit apartment buildings is $30.75M.
        In the surrounding villages, the ability to recruit and retain a
    permanent provider to work at the local clinic and live in the
    community is contingent on housing. There is also a lack of housing for
    local employees. While NSHC has received some funding to construct
    housing in some of its villages, other communities are still challenged
    with inadequate housing: Gambell, Stebbins, Teller, White Mountain,
    Brevig Mission, Shaktoolik, and Elim. The cost to build a total of two
    duplexes in both the communities of Gambell and Stebbins is $26M.
        Funding for the construction of patient lodging to support
    expansion of medical and behavioral health care services. Over the past
    10 years, in-region healthcare services have expanded, and the volume
    of visits has nearly doubled. NSHC's Nome-based Patient Hostel, which
    opened in 2008, is often fully occupied. To meet patient care needs,
    NSHC must locate overflow patient lodging which is rarely available at
    local hotels due to an influx in tourism after COVID-19 restrictions
    lifted and the aftermath of Typhoon Merbok, (which took another local
    hotel out of operation.) The new Wellness and Training Center opened in
    June 2020. The clinical infrastructure is available to provide
    intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization services. In order for
    outlying village residents to benefit from this treatment, additional
    housing is necessary. The infrastructure is now available to support
    substance abuse treatment for the region, but housing is needed. In the
    short-term, NSHC will be converting the former Community Health
    Services building into overflow patient lodging. In the long-term, more
    patient lodging needs to be constructed, which is collocated next to
    the Norton Sound Regional Hospital. The number of housing units needed
    in total is estimated at 50 at a total cost of $15M. NSHC received $5M
    from the FY23 Omnibus Bill to apply to patient & employee housing.
        Funding for Tribal Health to construct day care facilities. There
    is a lack of childcare providers in the Bering Strait region. Childcare
    is a basic need that hinders recruitment and retention. NSHC is
    planning to address its workforce childcare needs through a Nome-based
    facility that is in the conceptual design phase for a 7,460 square foot
    building. The facility would be available to employees and patients for
    drop-in appointments and for village-based health aides during training
    sessions. The project is estimated at $10.35 M. NSHC received $2.5M
    from the FY23 Omnibus Bill to support this project.
        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 synthetics such as fentanyl, the need 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. For the Bering Strait region, the
    substance abuse/misuse data for 2021 is staggering:

      --918 unique individuals across 1,469 encounters presented at Norton
            Sound Regional Hospital's emergency department under the
            influence of substances. Of those, 565 had a primary diagnosis
            of Alcohol Abuse; an additional 100 had a secondary substance
            diagnosis, and 72 had a tertiary.

      --The Nome Volunteer Ambulance Department's 7 primary volunteers
            responded to 424 substance-related calls accounting for an
            astounding 68.8% of all calls totaling 27,984 hours of response
            time.

      --The Nome Police Department were dispatched for 3,394 substance-
            related calls in 2021, 73% of all arrests were substance-
            related. There were 10 officers available to respond to these
            calls.

      --90% of inmates served time for substance-related crimes at Nome's
            Community Residential Center (CRC) and Anvil Mountain
            Correctional Center (AMCC). With 128 beds at AMCC at $168.74
            per inmate per day, and 50 beds at the CRC at $117.00 a day,
            the cost of substance-related incarceration was $9,004,587.
            Imprisoning someone is far more expensive than funding
            prevention, diversionary, and treatment services.

        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 hundreds of miles away to Anchorage or Fairbanks for higher
    levels of care.
        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 2024 for both
    of these accounts. This change would bring appropriations process into
    line with the clear legal requirements of the authorizing statute.
        Amend Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to
    Clarify CSC provisions. We also request that the committee consider
    amending the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
    (ISDEAA) to clarify that when agency funding paid to a Tribe for
    program operations is insufficient for contract and compact
    administration, contract support costs will remain available to cover
    the difference in response to a recent court decision.\2\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. v. Dotomain, 10 F.4th 892 (D.C.
    Cir. 2021).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Thank you for considering the priorities of the Norton Sound Health
    Corporation.

        [This statement was submitted by Angela Gorn, President/CEO, Norton
    Sound Health Corporation.]
                                     ______

                     Prepared Statement of Outdoor Alliance

                           Summary of Recommendations

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Agency                  Program Funding Recommendations
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Department of Agriculture Forest         -Recreation, Heritage, and
     Service\1\                               Wilderness: $94.367M
                                             -Land Mgmt. Planning,
                                              Assessment, and Monitoring:
                                              $26.429M-Cap. Improvements &
                                              Maintenance, Trails: $27.857M,
                                              including $11.957M for
                                              National Scenic and Historic
                                              Trails
                                             -Cap. Improvements &
                                              Maintenance, Roads: $109.64M
                                             -Legacy Roads and Trails: $100M
                                             -Forest and Rangeland Research:
                                              $413.369M
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Department of Interior Bureau of Land    -Recreation Resources
     Management                               Management: $93.398M
                                             -Resource Management Planning:
                                              $97.759M
                                             -National Conservation Lands:
                                              $78M
                                             -Wilderness Management:
                                              $25.701M
                                             -National Trails System:
                                              $13.75M
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Department of Interior National Park     -National Recreation and
     Service                                  Preservation: $118.465M,
                                              including $17.09M for Rivers,
                                              Trails and Conservation
                                              Assistance
                                             -National Trails System:
                                              $20.964M
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Other Priorities                         -Land and Water Conservation
                                              Fund: $1.35B, including $135M
                                              for Outdoor Recreation Legacy
                                              Partnership.
                                             -American Conservation &
                                              Stewardship Atlas: $25.5M
                                             -Hardrock Abandoned Mine Lands:
                                              $287M
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    All Forest Service appropriations should be accompanied by a
      commensurate increase to Salaries & Expenses.

        Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of 10 member-based organizations
    representing the human powered outdoor recreation community. The
    coalition includes Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American
    Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter
    Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the
    Mazamas, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation and
    represents the interests of the millions of Americans who climb,
    paddle, mountain bike, backcountry ski and snowshoe, and enjoy coastal
    recreation on our Nation's public lands, waters, and snowscapes.
        National public lands provide outstanding opportunities for outdoor
    recreation, including at some of the world's most iconic recreation
    destinations. These opportunities, as well as the irreplaceable
    cultural, ecological, and scenic values found across public lands, in
    turn support the growing outdoor recreation economy, which accounted
    for $862 billion in gross economic output, 1.9 percent of U.S. gross
    domestic product, and 4.5 million jobs in 2021.\2\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Bureau of Economic Analysis, BEA 22-55, Outdoor Recreation
    Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2021 (2022).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Due to decades of underinvestment, Federal land management agencies
    face staffing and resource challenges that have left them unable to
    meet modern needs related to recreation access, conservation, and
    sustainability. In recent years, Congress has provided significant
    funding for these agencies through the Great American Outdoors Act
    (GAOA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the
    Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). However, robust baseline budgets remain
    necessary to ensure that land managers can meet the growing needs of
    the American public, adapt to the climate crisis and other challenges,
    and to achieve the maximum return on investment for GAOA, IIJA, and IRA
    dollars.
        In particular, we see a need to increase staffing levels and staff
    retention across all Federal land management agencies, particularly at
    the Forest Service and BLM. As frequent visitors to public lands, the
    outdoor recreation community regularly sees the consequences of
    inadequate staffing to manage current levels of recreational use and to
    plan and implement recreation infrastructure and restoration projects.
    Investments in staffing are essential for ensuring that agencies have
    the capacity to plan effectively and efficiently and advance projects-
    supported by the IRA and IIJA-in a manner that maximizes impact,
    including for co-benefits like outdoor recreation.
                              usda forest service
        Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness: $94.367M. Outdoor Alliance
    strongly supports the agency's FY24 request for Recreation, Heritage,
    and Wilderness-the agency's primary account for providing sustainable
    recreation opportunities to the American public. National Forests have
    seen a steady increase in recreational visits over the past decade.\3\
    However, from 2002-2020 the Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness
    program saw a 48% decrease in staffing and a 27% decrease in
    appropriations adjusted for inflation.\4\ Providing $94.367M will help
    the agency proactively manage recreational use and deliver the
    opportunities that support local economies.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ See, Gwendolyn Aldrich and Evan Hjerpe, The Conservation
    Funding Crisis, Conservation Economics Institute (2022), at 16.
        \4\ Historical budget data derived from Forest Service budget
    justifications.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Land Management Planning/Assessment/Monitoring: $26.429M. Forest
    plans form the foundation for sustainable recreation opportunities and
    restoration activities across our National Forests. Currently, 99 out
    of 128 Forest Service land management plans are outdated. Outdoor
    Alliance supports the agency's efforts to increase the pace and scale
    of forest plan revisions through a new national initiative called the
    Planning Service Organization, which will help initiate more than 30
    plan revisions over the next 4 years, including seven beginning in
    2024.
        Capital Improvements and Maintenance, Trails: $27.857M. The Forest
    Service manages more than 160,000 miles of trails, which provide access
    to extraordinary scenic, cultural, and ecological resources across the
    National Forest system. Increasing trails funding will help the agency
    maintain its trail system, expand it where appropriate, and strengthen
    trails partnerships.
        Capital Improvements and Maintenance, Roads: $109.64M. Forest
    Service roads, bridges, and parking lots are critical access points for
    outdoor recreationists. Significantly increased resources are needed to
    help the agency improve recreation access and increase the resilience
    of the extensive Forest Service road system to high use levels and
    extreme weather events.
        Legacy Roads and Trails: $100M. Outdoor Alliance supports the
    Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative's request for $100M for
    Legacy Roads and Trails. Although Congress permanently authorized this
    program in the IIJA at $50M per year, this number does not meet the
    existing need for road and trail repair, road decommissioning, and
    other needs. The IIJA investments should be augmented with an
    additional $100M to help prevent adverse impacts to water quality,
    sensitive species, and outdoor recreation from Forest Service roads.
        Forest and Rangeland Research: $413.369M. Forest Service research
    is critical to understanding our natural world. This research is more
    important than ever in a changing climate and with novel pressures
    facing our forests and grasslands. Increasing research funding will
    help address pressing ecological questions and develop new techniques
    for forest and rangeland management.
                           bureau of land management
        Recreation Resources Management: $93.398M. BLM manages innumerable
    important recreation resources but needs additional capacity to manage
    the challenges (and opportunities) of increased visitation. BLM plans
    to launch a new ``21st Century Recreation Strategy'' in FY24 to
    modernize the agency's approach to managing sustainable recreation.
    Increased funds are needed to implement the new strategy, to address
    ongoing capacity issues for BLM recreation staff, and to account for an
    increase in the quantity and diversity of recreational use across BLM
    lands.
        Resource Protection and Maintenance-Resource Management Planning:
    $97.759M. Outdoor Alliance strongly supports the agency's request for
    $97.759M for Resource Management Planning. BLM planning ensures the
    best use of BLM lands, including balancing recreation with other
    multiple use values. Approximately 134 of the BLM's 169 Resource
    Management Plans are outdated, and additional plans need to be
    completed for new National Monuments.
        National Conservation Lands: $78M. Outdoor Alliance is grateful for
    the increase in funding provided for National Conservation Lands in
    FY23. The National Conservation Lands system includes some of our
    country's marquee destinations for outdoor recreation. Investing in
    these lands is critical for their long-term protection and their
    ability to deliver economic benefits to local communities. Despite the
    recent increase, the budget for the National Conservation Lands has
    decreased over the past 20 years accounting for inflation while the
    number of acres covered by the system has more than doubled.
    Appropriations are needed to account for the increase in acres
    protected, and to address the backlog of management plans for recently
    protected areas.
        Wilderness Management: $25.701M. Outdoor Alliance strongly supports
    the agency's FY24 request for $25.701M for Wilderness Management. BLM
    Wilderness lands, which include a network of 263 Wilderness areas and
    487 Wilderness Study Areas totaling more than 21 million acres, provide
    some of the Nation's best opportunities for backcountry recreation.
    Increased appropriations are needed to help maintain these areas'
    Wilderness character, while sustaining the ecological and cultural
    resources that these areas provide.
                             national park service
        National Recreation and Preservation: $118.465M, including $17.09M
    for the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program. NPS
    requires additional resources to meet the challenges of increased
    visitation, climate, and other stressors. Additionally, RTCA is a
    critically important program for helping local communities realize
    their visions for improved recreation resources.
                        other appropriations priorities
        American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas: $25.5M. Outdoor
    Alliance strongly supports the administration's request for $25.5M for
    the U.S. Geological Survey for the creation of the American
    Conservation and Stewardship Atlas. The Atlas will establish a baseline
    of protected areas in the U.S., and will help prioritize restoration
    and conservation actions. Appropriations are needed to develop a
    robust, scientifically-informed Atlas that will guide effective
    conservation actions that support benefits including increased access
    for outdoor recreation.
        Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): $1.35B, including $135M
    for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership. Congress guaranteed
    permanent dedicated funding of $900M per year to the LWCF through the
    GAOA. While significant, this funding is intended as a baseline for
    LWCF, and the number of time-sensitive projects seeking funding far
    surpasses $900M.
        National Trails System: We support an increase in appropriations
    for the National Trails System across agencies, including $20.964M at
    NPS, $13.75M at BLM, and $11.957M at USFS. This funding will ensure
    that Federal agencies and stewardship partners can keep these iconic
    trails accessible, maintained, and sustainable.
        Hardrock Abandoned Mine Lands: $287M. The outdoor recreation
    community is profoundly affected by legacy mining pollution, which
    poses an ongoing safety and public health hazard across affected
    watersheds in the western U.S. Congress established a new abandoned
    hardrock mine cleanup program through Section 40704 of the IIJA.
    Providing $287 million in FY24 will enable BLM to inventory abandoned
    mine lands and accelerate remediation efforts.

        [This statement was submitted by Louis Geltman, Policy Director,
    Outdoor Alliance
                                     ______

         Prepared Statement of Office of Navajo Hopi Indian Relocation
                                  introduction
        In 1974, Congress passed the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act \1\-an
    Act which led to the largest forced relocation of American citizens
    since the Japanese Internment Camps of World War II.\2\ To carry out
    the forced relocation, Congress created the Office of Navajo Hopi
    Indian Relocation (ONHIR, formerly known as the Navajo Hopi Relocation
    Commission),\3\ an independent Federal agency. Specifically, the act
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Pub. L. 93-531 (Dec. 22, 1974), 88 Stat. 1712.
        \2\ Hollis A. Whitson, A Policy Review of the Federal Government's
    Relocation of Navajo Indians Under Public Law 93-531 and Public Law 96-
    305, 27 Arizona Law Review 371, 372-73 (1985).
        \3\ Formerly the ``Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission''
    but amended to ONHIR in 1988. See Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 12, as amended
    by Pub. L. 100-666, Sec. 4, (Nov. 16, 1988), 102 Stat. 3929, formerly
    25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-11.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        [A]uthorized and directed [ONHIR] to relocate . . . all such
    households and members . . . and their personal property, including
    livestock, from any lands partitioned to the Tribe of which they are
    not members.\4\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \4\ Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 14(a), formerly 25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-13(a).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        In its report on the act, the Senate stated that ``because of the
    Federal Government's repeated failure to resolve the land disputes, the
    major costs of resolution should be properly borne by the United
    States.'' \5\ Nonetheless, the government's failures have continued and
    the Navajo people have suffered greatly for it. Therefore, we write to
    you once more requesting that you properly bear the costs for the harms
    the United States has wrought.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \5\ S. Rep. No. 93-1177, at 20 (1974).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Navajo Nation has always objected strongly to the forced
    relocation of thousands of its people. The initial relocation was to be
    completed within 5 years through a ``generous relocation program to
    minimize the adverse social, economic, and cultural impacts of
    relocation on affected Tribal members,'' \6\ however, nearly 50 years
    have passed and the relocation has not been completed and the process
    has never been generous. The relocations that have occurred were done
    in such haphazard and shoddy fashion that they destroyed traditional
    lifeways, undercut spiritual practices, and created a range of social
    ills that have had terrible spiritual, physical, and economic
    consequences on the Navajo people.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \6\ S. Rep. No. 93-1177, at 19-20.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The harms caused by the relocation have been further exacerbated by
    ONHIR's inability to act and the federally-imposed development freezes
    that were in place for decades. ONHIR has not had a presidentially
    appointed Commissioner since 1994 and has been chronically underfunded.
    The Commissioner role is essential for ONHIR to carry out its statutory
    obligations, including working directly with Navajo political
    leadership, as well as to provide oversight and accountability for the
    relocation program.
        The initial funding for ONHIR was allocated with the anticipation
    that roughly 1,000 Navajo people would be relocated, but the actual
    number-so far-is over 15,000 Navajo people.\7\ In addition to the lack
    of funding for the relocation, many of the ``host communities'' for the
    relocation were ill-equipped-and not separately funded-to receive such
    large influxes to their populations. As a result, areas such as the
    Dzil Yijiin region have been overly burdened and suffered impacts to
    their housing, infrastructure, grazing capacity, and other aspects of
    community life.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \7\ See Fast Facts, GAO-18-266, U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
    OFFICE (Apr. 24, 2018), https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-18-266.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Navajo Nation near northeast Arizona has suffered two federal-
    imposed development freezes. The first impacted what is now known as
    the Navajo Partitioned Lands (NPL) and lasted from 1958-1979. This
    freeze was a construction freeze on the joint use area (JUA) and was
    only resolved with the partitioning of those lands into the Hopi
    Partitioned Lands (HPL) and NPL respectively. The impacts of this
    freeze have not been addressed by Congress and, as a result, many
    homes, Chapter Houses, senior centers, in need of dire repair and, in
    some cases, replacement. Many of these locations lack access to usable
    roads, and to basic necessities such as water, sewer, electricity, and
    communication services. On average, residents of the NPL must travel
    over 50 miles for hospital services, and police assistance is located
    more than 40 miles away.
        The second major freeze was the ``Bennett Freeze'' from 1966 to
    2009, a development freeze that left 1.6 million-acres-comprised of
    nine Navajo Chapter communities along the western part of the Navajo
    Nation-ineligible for any Federal aid or Tribal aid, including aid for
    poverty, economic development, construction and infrastructure, as well
    as for programs designed specifically for Indians. The Bennett Freeze
    was initially enacted by then-Commissioner of Indian Affairs who
    believed that it could be used to ease centuries-long land disputes
    between the Navajo and Hopi Tribes by requiring both Tribes-who had
    just engaged in contentious litigation over the land \8\-to consent to
    any improvements made to the disputed land. In 1980 \9\ and 1988
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \10\  the Settlement Act was amended to include the Bennett Freeze.
    All in all, the Bennett Freeze was in place for 43 years and severely
    stunted and harmed the people on these lands. Critical and immediate
    investment is needed to address the lack of housing, safe drinking
    water, electricity, emergency services, communications, and more.
        \8\ Healing v. Jones, 210 F. Supp. 125 (1962).
        \9\ Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 10, as amended by Pub. L. 96-305 (July 8,
    1980), Sec. 3, 94 Stat. 929, formerly 25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-9.
        \10\ Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 10(f), as amended by Pub. L. 100-666,
    Sec. 6, formerly 25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-9.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The harms caused by the United States' forced relocation of Navajo
    citizens and its decades-long development freezes must be resolved.
    Therefore, we call on Congress to begin the final resolution through
    appropriations that address its outstanding obligations to the Navajo
    people.
                              summary of requests
        1. Immediate transfer of not less than $15 million in ``excess''
    funds held by ONHIR to the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund (NRTF) to
    address current needs of relocatees and relocation communities.\11\
    ONHIR States that it has more funds than it needs to complete its
    mission, which it has narrowly defined. The Navajo Nation disagrees and
    believes that these ``excess'' funds should be transferred to the NRTF,
    which was established pursuant to the Relocation Act and whose monies
    are ``solely for purposes which will contribute to the continuing
    rehabilitation and improvement of the economic, educational, and social
    condition of families, and Navajo communities, that have been affected
    by'' the Relocation.\12\ Transferred funds should not be subject to any
    repayment obligation.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \11\ Proposed legislative language: ``Not less than $15,000,000 of
    the unobligated balances of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian
    Relocation shall be transferred to the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust
    Fund; however, such funds shall not be subject to the reimbursement
    obligations of Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 32(e), as amended by Pub. L. 100-
    666, Sec. 7.''
        \12\ Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 32(d), as added by Pub. L. 100-666,
    Sec. 7, previously codified at 25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-30(d).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        2. ONHIR should be funded for a period of 10 years to oversee a
    multi-agency program to redress adverse impacts of relocation. There
    should also be a program to rehabilitate areas where development has
    been frozen for many years.\13\ The Relocation Plan reflects the intent
    and mandate of the Relocation Act both to provide for relocation and
    ``to rehabilitate an area in which development has been frozen for many
    years.'' In support of that mandate, the Relocation Act authorizes
    ONHIR to ``call upon any department or agency of the United States to
    assist . . . in implementing the relocation plan'' and mandates that
    any such agency called upon ``shall provide reasonable assistance so
    requested.'' \14\ ONHIR, along with the Navajo Nation and the following
    Federal agencies should develop a multi-agency rehabilitation plan to
    benefit the relocatees: Interior, HUD, Agriculture, Transportation; EPA
    and Commerce.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \13\ This multi-agency initiative should also apply to the former
    Bennett Freeze area. Notably, the FBFA was a part of the relocation
    law. See Pub. L. 96-305, Sec. 3, 94 Stat. 929, 930 (1980) (adding
    Relocation Act Sec. 9(f)), repealed by Pub. L. 111-18, 123 Stat. 1611
    (2009).
        \14\ Pub. L. 93-531, Sec. 12(e), as amended, previously codified at
    25 U.S.C. Sec. 640d-11(e).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        3. Forgiveness of Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund Loan. The NRTF
    provided resources to the Navajo Nation to address ``the rehabilitation
    and improvement of the economic, educational, and social condition of
    families and Navajo communities that have been affected by'' the
    relocation law. The legislative history makes clear that the NRTF was
    designed to ensure that the infrastructure promises made in the
    Settlement Act were fulfilled. When the Trust Fund was added to the law
    the idea was that the United States would front the fund to begin
    infrastructure development and the Nation would repay those funds out
    of revenue generated from lands selected in New Mexico. However, the
    New Mexico lands have never been developed and so this 25+ year old
    debt, on obligations the United States should have undertaken anyway,
    has not been reimbursed. The NRTF was authorized to $60 million in
    1995, only $16 million of which was appropriated. The Navajo Nation
    respectfully requests that the full amount of allocations be
    reauthorized, and that past and future appropriations be forgiven, as
    the costs of addressing the impacts of the relocation are more properly
    borne by the Federal Government.
        4. Expansion of Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation
    Authority. Authorizes the Commissioner to carry out a rehabilitation in
    the Former Bennet Freeze Area for housing construction and renovation,
    and initiatives for infrastructure improvements and economic
    development. The bill would require the Commissioner issue implementing
    regulations and enter into self-determination contracts to carry out
    this work upon request by the Navajo Nation or Hopi Tribe.
        5. Funding for Navajo Thaw Initiative and Former Bennett Freeze
    Area Rehabilitation Trust Fund. The Navajo Thaw initiative was created
    by the Navajo Nation government to provide comprehensive planning for
    the recovery of these areas. The Navajo Thaw initiative requires
    funding so it can carry out its duties regarding the planning for and
    recovery of affected areas. A trust fund in the U.S. Treasury for
    disbursement to the Navajo Nation for efforts to immediately
    rehabilitate the economic, housing, infrastructure, health,
    educational, and social conditions in Navajo communities affected by
    the Former Bennett Freeze. The fund shall continue until, upon petition
    by the Navajo Nation, the Secretary of Interior acting as trustee of
    the fund determines that its purposes have been fulfilled.
        6. Funding of a Navajo Partitioned Lands Rehabilitation Trust Fund.
    To be used by the Navajo Nation to immediately provide rehabilitation
    to the Navajo Partitioned Lands, for not less than $20 million per
    annum until its purposes have been fulfilled
        7. Funding for studies, analyses, and reports concerning the Navajo
    relocation and construction/development freezes. These studies will be
    used to analyze the impact of the relocation and development freezes on
    multiple generations of Navajo families, economic development,
    infrastructure, traditional lifeways, the Navajo aquifer, and other
    areas as determined through coordination with the Navajo Nation.
        8. Support for the Navajo Technical Amendments. This legislation
    that has been introduced for several Congresses that would implement or
    advance many of the items identified above. Although this is not a
    matter for appropriations, it is something that we hope members of the
    subcommittee will support.

        [This statement was submitted by Raymond Maxx, Executive Director,
    Navajo-Hopi Land Commission Office, Navajo Nation.]
                                     ______

        Prepared Statement of Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
                                  Enforcement
        Compact Commission (IMCC). My address is 437 Carlisle Drive, Suite
    A, Herndon, VA 20190. My phone number is 703 709 8654. My email is
    tclarke@imcc.isa.us. We request that $69.89 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 Mining Control and
    Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. We also
    request that a significantly increased amount, at least $65 million, be
    appropriated for the hardrock abandoned mine lands program authorized
    by section 40704 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
    in FY 2024.
        I appreciate the opportunity to present this statement conveying
    the views of IMCC's 26 member States on the FY 2024 budget for OSMRE.
    The Compact 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 permitting. 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 five of the last
    seven fiscal years.\1\ This has been done in the face of proposed
    budgets in recent years 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
    reductions and continued a much-needed trend of appropriating an amount
    for State regulatory grants that aligns closely with the States
    demonstrated needs. The States are grateful for this. Against this
    amount, consider that the total grant requests for all State and Tribal
    Title V regulatory programs combined have consistently exceeded $70
    million. For the last five fiscal years, the total of State and Tribal
    Title V budget requests has ranged from $70 to $76 million. These
    requests represent the amounts the States believe they will need from
    the Federal Government to operate their regulatory programs for the
    year.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        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 States' 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 employment 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
    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 budget needs and
    actual expenditures may demonstrate, the States are nearly past this
    wave of retirements and the multiple vacancies that can result 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 what they have budgeted.
        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 reduced coal
    production, the States' workload has not correspondingly decreased--and
    in many cases has increased given the tenuous financial 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 2024
    based on recent estimates indicate that a full Federal appropriation of
    $68.59 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 regulatory budgets. In
    addition, sufficient funds need to be provided for the new state
    program in Tennessee. Tennessee has been pursuing primacy. If it
    attains primacy, this will add $1.3 million to existing Title V State
    grant needs.\2\ Therefore, we urge appropriation of $69.89 million for
    State Title V grants.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ While money for the Tennessee program might be an increase in
    the appropriation for State grants under SMCRA, it should be noted that
    it is merely a shift in existing SMCRA funding. OSMRE currently bears
    the entire cost of operating the Tennessee program from funds it
    receives for operation of Federal regulatory programs. When Tennessee
    attains primacy, the State will begin to bear half of the cost of the
    program there, with the other half coming from OSMRE's funds for state
    program grants. We urge you to consult OSMRE regarding the fiscal
    impact of Tennessee primacy on OSMRE.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Clear indications from Congress that reliable, consistent funding
    will continue into the future 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
    necessarily a corresponding reduction in the volume of regulatory work
    for State agencies. Be aware 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, because, as
    a general matter, these States can only match the grant funds they
    receive from the Federal Government.
        A forward-looking observation that should be made concerns the
    potential impact of actions to eliminate emissions of greenhouse
    gasses. A foreseeable collateral impact of greenhouse gas regulation
    may be reduction or elimination of the revenue from the coal industry
    many States have been using to pay for their state share of the cost of
    SMCRA Title V regulatory programs. If this happens, the States are
    likely to need a significant increase in the Federal Government's share
    of regulatory program funding to make up the difference. In the
    aftermath of any significant new regulation of greenhouse gas
    emissions, well-funded State regulatory programs will be essential to
    the effort to effectively address the environmental impacts of existing
    mines.
        For all the above reasons, we urge Congress to approve not less
    than $69.89 million for State and Tribal Title V regulatory grants in
    FY 2024, the same amount enacted by Congress in most of the recent
    fiscal years, plus an additional $1.3 million to cover the grant needs
    of the State of Tennessee in its efforts to attain primacy. 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.
        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, in FY 2024, the States and Tribes should receive the
    mandatory appropriation (before sequestration) under the pre-existing
    AML Title IV program as well as grant amounts set under Section 40701
    of the IIJA. We also support appropriation of $135 million for the AML
    economic revitalization (AMLER) program for economic and community
    development goals. IMCC also supports a continuation of funding for
    watershed cooperative agreements at $1.5 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.
        Section 40704 of the IIJA authorized a multi-year $3 billion
    hardrock AML program that would provide badly needed grants to States
    and Tribes to address the legacy hazards of non-coal mining.
    Unfortunately, the appropriation necessary to make this program a
    reality was omitted from the IIJA. Appropriations for FY 2022 and 2023
    have only supplied $5 million per year for the program, with only $1.7
    million per year targeted to State grants. We appreciate that demands
    for Federal funding are great, but much more is needed to enable this
    program to make meaningful progress in eliminating legacy mining
    hazards. The amounts in the Administration's proposed budgets for FY
    2022 and 2023, $65 million per year, would be a good start. We urge you
    to appropriate at least $65 million for the IIJA Section 40704 hardrock
    AML program in FY 2024 and to consider increasing this amount in future
    years.
        We appreciate the opportunity to submit this statement on OSMRE's
    budget for FY 2024. 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, as well as hardrock AML
    funding needs. We would be happy to answer any questions.

        [This statement was submitted by Thomas L. Clarke, Executive
    Director of the Interstate Mining.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of Oregon Water Resources Congress
        fisheries restoration irrigation mitigation act (frima) program
        The Oregon Water Resources Congress (OWRC) is writing to express
    its strong support for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS)
    Fisheries Restoration Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA) program and is
    requesting $15 million in FY2024, which is the previously authorized
    amount. The FRIMA program is an essential cost-share funding program
    that helps water users and fishery agencies better protect sensitive,
    threatened, and endangered fish species while ensuring water supply
    delivery to farms and communities.
        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, fish screens and
    fish passage, and hydropower facilities.
                             fy2024 appropriations
        The FRIMA program meets a critical need in fishery protection and
    restoration, complimenting other programs through USFWS. Fish passage
    and fish screen installations are a vital component to fishery
    protection with several benefits:

      --Keep sensitive, threatened and endangered fish out of canals and
            water delivery systems

      --Allow fish to be safely bypassed around reservoirs and other
            infrastructure

      --Reduce water quality risks to fish species

        There are over one hundred irrigation districts and other special
    districts in Oregon that provide water supplies to over one million
    acres of irrigated cropland in the state. Almost all these districts
    are affected by either State or Federal Endangered Species Act listings
    of salmon, steelhead, bull trout or other sensitive, threatened or
    endangered species. The design and installation of fish screens and
    fish passage facilities to protect the myriad of fish species is often
    cost-prohibitive for individual districts to implement without outside
    funding sources.
        The cost of addressing fish screening and fish passage needs in
    Oregon far outweighs current appropriations or the program
    authorization as a whole. Oregon irrigation districts anticipate at
    least $25 million in funding is needed to meet current fish passage and
    fish screen needs in our state alone. Limited cost-share funds are
    available from the Oregon Watershed Enhanced Board (OWEB), but the
    primary cost-share for fish screen and fish passage projects has been
    provided by the districts and their water users. Projects include
    construction of new fish screens and fish passage facilities as well as
    significant upgrades of existing facilities to meet new requirements
    (new species or science) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service and the USFWS. Upgrades are
    often needed to modernize facilities with new technologies that provide
    better protection for fish species as well as reduced maintenance and
    increased lifespan for the operator.
       background of the fisheries restoration irrigation mitigation act
                                (frima) program
        FRIMA, originally enacted in November 2000, created a Federal
    partnership program incentivizing voluntary fish screen and fish
    passage improvements for water withdrawal projects in Idaho, Oregon,
    Washington and western Montana. The funding went to local governments
    for construction of fish screens and fish passage facilities and is
    matched with non-federal funding. Irrigation districts and other local
    governments that divert water for irrigation accessed the funding
    directly, while individual irrigators accessed funding through their
    local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), which are local
    governments affiliated with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation
    Service (NRCS).
        The original legislation in 2000 (PL.106-502) was supported and
    requested by the Pacific Northwest Partnership, a coalition of local
    governmental entities in the four Northwest States, including OWRC. The
    FRIMA legislation authorized $25 million annually, to be divided
    equally among the four States from 2001 to 2012, which was when the
    original authorization expired. The actual funding appropriated to the
    FRIMA program (through Congressional write-ins) ranged from $1 million
    to $8 million, well short of the $25 million originally authorized and
    far short of what is needed to address fish passage and screening needs
    across the region. However, that small amount of funding was used to
    leverage other funds and assisted the region in making measurable
    progress towards installing fish screens and fish passage critical to
    protecting and restoring populations of sensitive, threatened, and
    endangered fish species.
        FRIMA funding was channeled through USFWS to state fishery agencies
    in the four States, and distributed using an application and approval
    process based on a ranking system implemented uniformly among the
    States, including the following criteria: Fish restoration benefits,
    cost effectiveness, and feasibility of planned structure. All projects
    provided improved fish passage or fish protection at water diversion
    structures and benefitted native fish species in the area, including
    several state or federally listed species. Projects were also subject
    to applicable State and Federal requirements for project construction
    and operation.
        FRIMA was reauthorized as part of the Water Infrastructure
    Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) of 2016. However, a fifth state,
    California, was also added as an eligible FRIMA cost-share recipient
    and the program was only reauthorized for $15 million, well short of
    the estimated $500 million in fish screening and passage needs in the
    Pacific Northwest alone. Now that the program has been reauthorized, it
    is imperative the program receive appropriations so all five States can
    better leverage State and local funding to meet their fish passage and
    screening needs.
                                program benefits
        FRIMA projects provide immediate protection for fish and fills a
    large unmet need in the Western United States for cost-share assistance
    with fish screening and fish passage installation and improvements.
    Compared to other recovery strategies, installation of fish screens and
    fish passage has the highest assurance for increasing populations of
    sensitive, threatened, and endangered fish species in the Pacific
    Northwest. Furthermore, the construction of these facilities have
    minimal impact on water delivery operations, and projects are done
    cooperatively using methods well accepted by landowners and rural
    communities.
        Funding of the FRIMA program has catalyzed cooperative partnerships
    and innovative projects that provide immediate and long-term benefits
    to irrigators, fishery agencies, and local communities throughout the
    Pacific Northwest. This program is also a wise investment, with past
    projects contributing more than the required match and leveraging on
    average over one dollar for each Federal dollar invested. FRIMA
    provides for a maximum Federal cost-share of 65%, with the applicant's
    cost-share at 35% along with on-going maintenance and support of the
    structure for passage or screening purposes. Applicants operate the
    facilities and State agencies review and monitor the projects.
                           oregon projects & benefits
        Twenty-six fish screen or fish passage projects in Oregon were
    previously funded using FRIMA for part of the project financing. These
    projects have led to:

      --Installation of screens at 17 diversions or irrigation pumps

      --Removal or modification of 12 fish passage barriers

      --Three-hundred sixty-five miles of surface waters re-opened to safe
            fish passage

        In addition, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has
    used some of the FRIMA funding to develop an inventory of needed fish
    screens and passages in the state. Grants ranged from just under $6,000
    to $400,000 in size with a local match averaging 64% of the project
    costs, well over the amount required under the act (35%). In other
    words, each Federal dollar invested in the FRIMA program generates a
    local investment of just over one dollar for the protection of fish
    species in the Pacific Northwest.
        The following are examples of how Oregon has effectively utilized
    FRIMA money. Additional examples of projects in other States are
    available from USFWS at: https://www.fws.gov/pacific/Fisheries/
    reportpub/Documents/FRIMA%20Accomplishments%20Report%202002-2012.pdf
        Santiam Water Control District: Fish screen project on a large 1050
    cubic feet per second (cfs) multipurpose water diversion project on the
    Santiam River (Willamette Basin) near Stayton, Oregon. Partners are the
    Santiam Water Control District, ODFW, Marion Soil and Water
    Conservation District, and the City of Stayton. Approved FRIMA funding
    of $400,000 leveraged a $1,200,000 total project cost. Species
    benefited included winter steelhead, spring Chinook, rainbow trout, and
    cutthroat trout.
        South Fork Little Butte Creek: Fish screen and fish passage project
    on a 65 cfs irrigation water diversion in the Rogue River Basin near
    Medford, Oregon. Partners are the Medford Irrigation District and ODFW.
    Approved FRIMA funding of $372,000 leveraged a $580,000 total project
    cost. Species benefited included listed summer and winter steelhead,
    Coho salmon, and cutthroat trout.
        Running Y (Geary Diversion): Fish screen project on a 60 cfs
    irrigation water diversion in the upper Klamath Basin near Klamath
    Falls, Oregon. Partners are the Wocus Drainage District, ODFW, and
    Jeld-Wen Ranches. Approved FRIMA funding of $44,727 leveraged a total
    project cost of $149,000. Species benefited included listed red-band
    trout and short-nosed sucker.
        Lakeshore Gardens: Fish screen project on a 2 cfs irrigation water
    diversion in the upper Klamath Basin near Klamath Falls, Oregon.
    Partners are the Lakeshore Gardens Drainage District and ODFW. Approved
    FRIMA funding of $5,691 leveraged a total project cost of $18,970.
    Species benefited included red-band trout, short-nosed sucker and Lost
    River sucker.
                                   conclusion
        Providing funding for the FRIMA program fills a vital funding gap
    for fish screens and fish passage projects that are needed to protect
    and restore sensitive, threatened, and endangered fish species, which
    in turn benefits the economy, local communities, and the environment.
    Eligible FRIMA funded projects are ready for construction and will
    provide immediate habitat benefits for fish as well as jobs and
    economic revitalization for local communities. Dollar-for-dollar,
    providing screening and fish passage at diversions is one of the most
    cost-effective uses of restoration dollars, creating fishery protection
    at relative low cost, with low risk and significant benefits.
        The return of a robustly funded FRIMA program will once again
    catalyze cooperative partnerships and innovative projects that provide
    immediate and long-term benefits to irrigators, fishery agencies, and
    local communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. We respectfully
    request an appropriation of $15 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service's Fisheries Restoration Irrigation Mitigation Act program for
    FY2024.

        [This statement was submitted by April Snell, Executive Director,
    Oregon Water Resources Congress.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of Oregon Water Resources Congress
                 clean water state revolving fund loan program
        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). OWRC respectfully requests FY2024
    appropriations for this program be increased to at least $3 billion, as
    proposed in the President's Budget and included additional authorized
    funding found in the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL). The CWSRF
    is an effective loan program that addresses critical water
    infrastructure needs while benefiting the environment, local
    communities, and the economy. As an existing and proven program, it is
    a perfect fit for increased investment during a time of need for
    climate and environmentally friendly infrastructure.
        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, fish screens and
    fish passage, and hydropower production facilities.
                             fy2024 appropriations
        We recognize our country must make strategic investments with
    scarce resources, particularly as our economy recovers from pandemic-
    related impacts and inflation. The CWSRF is a perfect example of the
    type of program that should have funding increased because it creates
    jobs while benefiting 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), which has updated its rules implementing
    the program to reflect new criteria enacted under the BIL. DEQ
    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 to be woefully
    insufficient to meet the growing water infrastructure funding needs in
    Oregon and nationwide. Appropriations for the CWSRF needs to be
    increased in FY2024, as authorized in the BIL, to support water
    infrastructure projects that are addressing these critical needs.
            background of cwsrf usage by oregon irrigation districts
        During the program's thirty-plus year history in Oregon, numerous
    OWRC member districts have successfully used CWSRF for projects that
    improve water quality and water conservation 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, hosting workshops with agency staff, and
    annually submitting Federal appropriations testimony in support of
    increased funding for the CWSRF. We believe it is an important funding
    tool for irrigation districts and other water suppliers that are using
    it 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 aquatic life and irrigators alike. These projects also decrease
    energy consumption (from reduced pumping), and have opportunities for
    generating renewable energy, primarily through in-conduit hydropower.
    CWSRF is often an integral part of an overall package of local, State,
    and Federal funding sources necessitating a higher level of Federal
    loan funding availability for planned water infrastructure projects.
    Reductions in CWSRF appropriations could lead to loss of matching grant
    funding and delay or derail beneficial projects irrigation districts
    have been developing for years.
        The success Oregon districts have experienced using the loan
    program to design and implement multi-beneficial projects has led to
    increased applications to the CWSRF. Irrigation districts are once
    again eligible for a key funding element, principal forgiveness, up to
    50% and capped at $500,000 for projects in a distressed community or
    eligible for the Green Project Reserve designation. As a result, 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 rural economy.
                             cwsrf needs in oregon
        The appropriations for the CWSRF program prior to the BIL had
    fallen 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 conservation. However, OWRC is
    pleased with the 5-year commitment to increased funding authorized in
    the BIL. This Federal commitment is important as infrastructure needs
    have become more expensive and even more time critical.
        The most recent Intended Use Plan (IUP), updated on January 6,
    2023, includes 22 loan applications for a total of $174,783,989 in
    requested funding. Currently, the loan program has $312,610,437 net
    available to lend for state FY2023. DEQ can award a maximum individual
    loan amount of $46,891,566. The following irrigation district projects
    are included in the current FY2023 IUP. Increased funding will help
    catalyze many more projects like the ones below in Oregon and
    throughout the Nation:
                          oregon projects on fy23 iup
        Owyhee Irrigation District (Malheur County)--$500,000.
    Construction--Kingman Lateral First Mile Piping Project. Owyhee
    Irrigation District will construct 5,800 feet of piping of the Kingman
    Lateral canal to address embankment instability caused by seepage. The
    piping will prevent sediment loading and other water quality issues in
    the Owyhee River basin caused by seepage and/or catastrophic failure of
    this canal section. The project includes installation of pipe between
    the lateral headgate and a tunnel at the end of the worst problem
    section.
        Rogue River Valley Irrigation District and Medford Irrigation
    District (Jackson County)--$24,334,500. 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
    downstream, including South Fork Little Butte Creek, which experiences
    low flow in some seasons. The project focuses on best management
    practices for irrigation to improve water quality from non-point
    sources and is consistent with the 2014 Nonpoint Source Management
    Program Plan sections 3.6.1 Watershed Approach Basin Reports and 6.1
    Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
        North Unit Irrigation District (Deschutes County) $8,150,000--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. The project is consistent
    with Section 3.6.1 of the 2014 Nonpoint Source Management Plan and
    Section 6.1 of the CWSRF.
                  examples of 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 10 percent of annual Federal capitalization grants on projects
    that promote water and energy efficiency, are environmentally
    innovative, or include green infrastructure.
        East Fork Irrigation District (Hood River County) $4,000,000--
    Design and Construction--EFID Canal and Pipe Improvements. The proposed
    loan will support several water quality/water conservation projects
    that have been identified as high priority actions in recent East Fork
    Irrigation District planning studies. The primary projects will replace
    open canals or non-pressure rated pipe with pressure-rated pipe and
    pressure reducing stations. Additional potential projects would reduce
    warm water return flows; reduce sediment and chemical inputs to the
    Hood River; reduce water loss and remove sediment from the system;
    reduce operation and maintenance costs; and improve fish screening and
    increase instream flow. The proposed projects will meet multiple water
    quality improvement objectives including: 1) Decrease stream
    temperatures in the East Fork and mainstem Hood River (both reaches are
    covered by the Columbia-Hood River TMDL); and 2) Reduce sediment,
    pesticide, fertilizer, and other chemical inputs to the East Fork Hood
    River, Neal Creek, and the mainstem Hood River, all of which have water
    quality 303(d) listings.
        Arnold Irrigation District (Deschutes County) $8,699,900--Design
    and Construction--Infrastructure Resiliency and Modernization Project.
    The Arnold Irrigation District Infrastructure Resiliency and
    Modernization Project will enclose 11.9 miles (62,868 length-feet) of
    open porous canal into leak-free piping resulting in the conservation
    of 11,083 acre-feet (AF) of water per year. Piping the canals has two
    immediate outcomes: (1) a substantial reduction in water quantity
    diverted; and (2) substantial increase of water quantity remaining
    instream. These outcomes have an immediate benefit to improving
    streamflow that will result in improvements to water quality, habitat,
    and habitat availability in the Deschutes River downstream from Wickiup
    Reservoir.
        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, OWRC is strongly supportive of increased
    appropriations to the CWSRF program, allowing Oregon's DEQ to continue
    making 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 an appropriation of at least $3 billion as
    authorized in the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill for the U.S.
    Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund
    for FY2024.

        [This statement was submitted by April Snell, Executive Director,
    Oregon Water Resources Congress.]
                                     ______

              Prepared Statement of the Pacific Salmon Commission
        Mister Chair, and Honorable Members of the Committee, in March 1985
    the United States and Canada agreed to cooperate in the management,
    research and enhancement of Pacific salmon stocks of mutual concern by
    ratifying the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST). I am Ron Allen, the Tribal
    Commissioner and Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee for
    the U.S. Section of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC). The U.S.
    Section prepares an annual budget for implementation of the Pacific
    Salmon Treaty. The United States and Canada completed revisions of five
    of the Annex Chapters to the PST in 2019. The Annex Chapters contain
    the details for operations of fisheries under the Treaty and will be in
    operation for the next 10 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 (BIA) 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 $7,420,000 for Tribal research and
                    monitoring projects and participation in the U.S.-
                    Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty process. This represents a
                    9.3% increase from FY 2023 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:

                    USFWS participation in the Treaty process is currently
                    funded at $372,362. In addition, the Pacific States
                    Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) Regional Mark
                    Center receives support from the USFWS to provide data
                    services to the PSC process at $236,189 annually. The
                    U.S. Section recommends increasing the funding for
                    PSMFC by $150,000. The recommended total for the two
                    programs for FY 2024 is $758,551. The USFWS also
                    received an additional $4,700,000 for Pacific Salmon
                    Treaty Implementation in the Hatchery Operations
                    account starting in FY 2020. The USFWS uses these funds
                    to work with State agencies and Tribes to implement
                    projects on anadromous salmonids subject to the PST.
                    For FY 2023 the USFWS plans to transfer $400,000 of the
                    additional funds to the BIA to support Tribal
                    implementation of the PST. The U.S. Section recommends
                    maintaining that level of funding for FY 2024.

        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
    increases in funding 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 U.S. effort to implement the Treaty. The U.S.
    Section of the PSC recommends the proposed increase 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 $4,700,000 in the Hatchery Operations account of the
    USFWS budget to work with State agencies and Tribes on producing
    hatchery fish to mitigate for catch reductions in the revised Chinook
    Chapter and for additional Tribal support. The U.S. Section recommends
    maintaining that funding for FY 2024.
        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 U.S.
    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-eight 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 fishers 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, Fraser River Sockeye and Pink, and transboundary
    salmon populations for the next 10 years. It is critically important to
    have adequate resources for U.S. participants to implement the revised
    agreements and protect our Tribal Treaty resources.
        Before the Pacific Salmon 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, you should 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. 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.
        The Commission funded a study to capture the socioeconomic value of
    the fisheries to U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations. 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 U.S. Section in the past. Please feel
    free to contact me, or other members of the U.S. Section to answer any
    questions you or Committee members may have regarding the U.S. Section
    of the Pacific Salmon Commission budget.

        [This statement was submitted by W. Ron Allen, Tribal Commissioner
    and Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee.]
                  Prepared Statement of Pinon Community School
        Pinon Community School is located on the Navajo Nation Reservation
    in Pinon, Arizona. We serve as a 1st-12th grade residential community
    for students who attend school at the Pinon Unified School District
    throughout the School Year. We also operate a kindergarten day school
    on our campus. We are a community grant school, funded by the Bureau of
    Indian Education (BIE) and operated pursuant to the Tribally Controlled
    Schools Act (Public Law 100-297). At Pinon Community School, we strive
    to be a resource for our students, their parents, and the greater
    community. Our Navajo language, culture, and values are at the heart of
    what we do. Pinon Community School is also a Member of the Dine Bi Olta
    School Board Association (DBOSBA), which represents all of the locally-
    elected school boards within the Navajo Nation. We would like to
    associate ourselves with DBOSBA's FY 2024 appropriations testimony and
    tell our school's story to provide context for these priorities. Our
    testimony highlights the following FY 2024 priorities for the Bureau of
    Indian Education budget:

      --Increases for School Facility Construction and School Replacement
            Construction (BIE);

      --Full and Forward Funding for School Facilities Operations and
            Maintenance (BIE);

      --COVID-19 Relief Funds Expeditiously Distributed for Ventilation
            Repairs (BIE);

      --50% Increase for ISEP Formula Funds (BIE);

      --Full Funding for Teacher and Counselor Pay Parity (BIE); and

      --Ensuring that employees of all BIE-funded schools are eligible to
            participate in the Federal Employee Retirement System (BIE).

        School Facilities Improvement & Repair and School Replacement
    Construction funding in the BIE's Education Construction budget not
    only impacts the health and safety of our students and staff, it
    impacts the useful life of our buildings. Our school was built in 1995
    and is already facing significant facilities challenges: the buildings'
    foundations are shifting, there are critical piping issues with our
    hydraulic line, we lack a functioning HVAC system, our boiler needs
    parts replaced, our alarm system is not fully functional, and various
    other building renovations are needed. We have diligently logged these
    pressing concerns in the MAXIMO system; hired engineers and contractors
    with relevant experience to provide site assessments, designs, and
    proposals; contacted the BIE; and contacted the Bureau of Indian
    Affairs Division of Facilities Management and Construction (DFMC), all
    to little avail. Many of these issues could have been avoided if
    corners had not been cut when our school buildings were replaced in
    1995 and in the following years the BIE and DFMC had properly
    maintained these buildings. The DFMC when pressed, offers small,
    nominal fixes for discrete building problems when comprehensive
    solutions are needed. While the BIE owns the buildings we use, the BIE
    and DMFC have not taken the necessary actions to properly repair and
    maintain them.
        School Facilities Operations and Maintenance funds also play a
    pivotal role in the health and safety of our students and staff. More
    funding is needed to address the BIE system-wide maintenance backlog,
    to hire staff with sufficient repair and maintenance expertise, to
    ensure schools have enough funding to adequately heat and cool our
    buildings with adequate air circulation to reduce the risk of
    coronavirus transmission, and to ensure that safety inspections are
    completed and provided to schools in a timely fashion (we are still
    waiting for the results of our most recent safety inspection). We also
    encourage Congress to shift these two accounts to the forward funded
    portion of the BIE's budget to help further insulate schools from the
    disruptive uncertainties of continuing resolutions and government
    shutdowns.
        COVID-19 Relief Funds Must Be Expeditiously Distributed for
    Ventilation Repairs. Our HVAC system is a fundamental, pressing
    concern. Since 2017, Pinon Community School has requested assistance
    from the BIE and DFMC for HVAC improvements to address excessive heat.
    Currently on our campus, the dormitories, recreational building,
    kindergarten classrooms, and cafeteria building are without HVAC units,
    which provide critical ventilation and air conditioning. The Navajo
    Nation is requiring all schools to conduct a walkthrough of school
    facilities to assess and document findings that may impede students
    from safely returning to school. Unfortunately, we have been unable to
    complete the walk through due to our lack of ventilation. An improved
    HVAC system is not only a critical safety measure, it is critical to
    our ability to bring our students back for in-person services. A safe
    and healthy in-person living and residential environment is crucial to
    the well-being of our students and community. We have worked diligently
    to take steps to improve the HVAC system. Recently, the DFMC began
    construction on a portion of the project; however, the project is very
    limited in scope and will not permit proper ventilation for the
    entirety of the school campus, including the kindergarten classroom.
    Despite this, we have secured design plans and estimates for what it
    would take fully repair and replace the HVAC and associated hydraulic
    cooling system. We have also selected contractors who are licensed to
    perform this work. The estimate we were provided is roughly $4
    million--far more than Pinion Community School has been allocated in
    emergency COVID-19 relief funds. The DFMC's tinkering around the edges
    of this problem is not acceptable, particularly when COVID-19 relief
    funds have been allocated by the BIE to help schools repair, replace
    and upgrade our HVAC systems.
        We would like to sincerely thank Congress, and specifically these
    subcommittees, for appropriating several rounds of urgently needed
    COVID-19 relief funds to the BIE school system. Your support helped our
    students, teachers and schools weather the worst of the pandemic and we
    could not have come this far without these emergency funds. The delays
    on the BIE and DFMC's implementation, however, have frustrated our
    attempts to make the critical improvements to our facilities, which are
    needed to safely welcome back our students.
        Given the urgency of our School's needs and Congress' intent to
    rapidly deploy COVID-19 relief funds, we find BIE and DFMC
    implementation delays particularly troubling. We note that from the
    three rounds of COVID-19 relief funds Congress appropriated ``for
    programs operated or funded by the BIE'', 10 percent or $125.9 million
    was set-aside for the BIE's ``national-level support/administrative
    reserve.'' The BIE in subsequent webinars, communications to schools
    and press releases specified that the ``national-level support/
    administrative reserve'' funds are focused on the following: mental
    health services; learning management system investments; HVAC & indoor
    air quality improvements; emergency management and coordination;
    communications outreach; system enhancements (NASIS); oversight and
    records support; and ``other priorities''. Further, BIE specified that
    schools wishing to access these funds should enter this into MAXIMO,
    and contact the BIE and the DFMC, which we have done. While some of the
    BIE's other identified uses of the ``national-level support/
    administrative reserve'' funds appear to have, at best, only a
    tangential impact on keeping our students and staff safe, ``HVAC &
    indoor air quality improvements'' are fundamental to their health and
    safety. We urgently need $4 million for our HVAC repair and replacement
    project and we urge the DFMC to provide this funding without further
    delay.
        ISEP Formula Funds are our core operating account. This account
    funds everything from classroom instruction materials and teacher
    salaries to gifted and talented programs, summer programs, and food
    services. Increases in ISEP Formula Funds directly benefit students and
    help attract and retain the quality teachers vital to our students'
    academic success, but this account is severely underfunded and the
    nominal increases each year have very seriously lagged behind inflation
    year over year. Further, while the $40.8 million increase to ISEP
    Formula Funds between FY 2022 to FY 2023 is indeed one of the most
    significant increases this budget category has seen in some years, it
    was spread across the 183 schools in the BIE system, resulting in only
    an average increase of $223,234 per school. BIE-funded schools across
    the Nation are facing a significant teacher shortage, but that shortage
    is particularly acute here on the Navajo Nation, where many schools
    operate in remote locations and because the surrounding public schools
    in New Mexico and Arizona have responded to the teacher shortage by
    substantially increasing teacher pay. We are currently working to
    increase enrollment but the state of our facilities and our
    difficulties attracting and retaining teachers and staff is holding us
    back from fully realizing our potential as a school and as a resource
    for our community. For example, we are exploring the concept of
    offering vocational education options for our high school students but
    more funding would be needed to develop that curriculum and hire the
    teachers and staff to run it. Having the resources to attract and
    retain quality teachers and counselors is a significant challenge for
    us. A 50% increase to ISEP would help us regain some the ground we have
    lost to decades of negative inflation-adjusted budget growth.
        Full Funding for Teacher and Counselor Pay Parity is a critical
    tool for attracting and retaining quality teachers. Federal law
    requires the BIE to provide funding so that teachers and counselors in
    the BIE-funded school system may be paid equivalent salaries to their
    counterparts in the Department of Defense Education Activity. Federal
    law also provides that, at the discretion of the local school board, a
    BIE-operated school may pay salaries consistent with those paid by
    public schools in the state where the BIE school is located.
        We would like to thank the subcommittees for the FY 2021 House
    Report 116-448 and the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the
    2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act which direct the BIE to ``clearly
    display funding amounts required to comply with Defense Department-
    equivalent pay rates as part of future budget justifications and to
    include sufficient funding in its budget request to fully fund these
    requirements''. We ask the subcommittees to continue to hold the BIE
    accountable for quantifying and requesting the correct amount for
    teacher and counselor pay parity and ensuring that the amounts provided
    are sufficient to match the increases provided by the Defense
    Department schools or are consistent with the rate of pay of public
    schools in the States where our BIE-operated and tribally controlled
    schools are located, whichever of these rates are higher. Given the
    acute teacher shortages, this parity is essential to our school's
    ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers and counselors.
        Ensuring that employees of all BIE-funded schools are eligible to
    participate in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) would
    significantly bolster the ability of grant schools in the BIE school
    system to attract and retain quality teachers. Congress recently
    extended grant schools the opportunity to offer their employees
    insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and
    Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) programs. Also, in House
    Report 117-400 accompanying the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act,
    Congress directed Indian Affairs to ``study the systems, processes, and
    authorizations necessary to extend FERS benefits to police officers
    employed under a Public Law 93-638 contract or compact.'' Pinon
    Community School is seeking similar language for teachers and staff
    employed by Bureau of Indian Education-funded, Tribally Controlled
    Schools operated under Public Law 100-297 grants or Public Law 93-638
    contracts.
        Thank you. We would like to thank the subcommittees for your
    support and partnership throughout the pandemic. The resources you
    allocated for BIE system schools helped keep our students and teachers
    safe and connected. We also deeply the appreciate the recent increases
    provided to the key BIE accounts we depend on and for your ongoing
    oversight of the BIE. We consider you our partners in this important
    endeavor of preparing our students for a bright future. Thank you for
    the opportunity to provide this testimony. Please consider us a
    resource if you have any questions.

        [This statement was submitted by Sharon Begay, Governing Board
    President and Joe Benally, Principal, Pinon Community School.]
                                     ______

                   Prepared Statement of Preservation Action
        Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski and Members of the
    subcommittee, on behalf of Preservation Action's thousands of members
    and supporters--representing nearly every State--we appreciate the
    opportunity to present written testimony on the Department of
    Interior's FY 2024 Appropriations for the National Park Service and its
    historic preservation programs. 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 this testimony reflects their priorities.
        First, we would like to thank the subcommittee for their strong
    support of historic preservation programs and priorities in the past
    several Interior Appropriations bills--especially for the FY23 Interior
    Appropriations bill, which funded the Historic Preservation Fund at
    $204.515 million. This marked the eighth consecutive year of record
    funding for the program--again exceeding the program's outdated $150
    million authorized level--reflecting the growing need of State and
    Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and the impactful work the HPF
    makes possible through competitive grant programs. Thanks to your
    support, all Americans continue to benefit from programs that have a
    proven track record of saving places Americans value, revitalizing
    communities, combating climate change by reusing infrastructure, and
    creating jobs.
        Preservation Action's mission is to demonstrate that historic
    preservation is a national priority. For 49 years we've advocated for
    sound preservation policy, including two of the most important tools
    for historic preservation: the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) 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.
        HPF funding is critical to ensure State and Tribal Historic
    Preservation Offices (SHPOs/THPOs), whose job it is to administer
    Federal historic preservation program, have the staffing capacity
    needed for the timely review of infrastructure and other Federal
    projects per requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act.
        HPF funding also supports critically important competitive grant
    programs. The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program is
    helping to foster economic development in rural communities through
    subgrants, like the Oregon Historic Theaters Subgrant Program that has
    revitalized historic theaters in small towns across Oregon or a program
    to rehabilitate National Register properties in Sitka, Alaska. While
    programs like the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, the
    History of Equal Rights grant program, the Underrepresented Communities
    Grant Program, and others are helping to tell a more diverse and
    inclusive American story.
        Preservation Action recognizes the strong support Congress,
    especially this Committee, has shown for the HPF in recent years. But
    more is needed, especially as SHPOs and THPOs face increased workloads
    as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is implemented.

      --Preservation Action recommends this subcommittee to continue their
            strong support of historic preservation by appropriating $225
            million in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund in FY24's
            Department of Interior budget, including funding at the
            following levels:

      --$70 million for State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs). SHPOs
            carry out the primary functions of the National Historic
            Preservation Act: finding and documenting America's historic
            places, nominating places to the National Register, aiding
            rehabilitation tax credit projects, reviewing impacts of
            Federal projects, working with local governments, and
            conducting preservation education and planning. Due to 2023
            changes to SHPO apportionments, 23 States did not receive an
            increase in funding from 2022 to 2023.

      --$40 million for Save America's Treasures Program. The 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.

      --$34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs).
            THPOs are designated by federally recognized Tribal governments
            and 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. THPOs are chronically underfunded. Funding
            levels have not kept pace with the growing number of Indian
            Tribes with THPO programs, resulting in a lower average
            apportionments per tribe.

      --$28 million for the African American Civil Rights Initiative
            Grants. A competitive grant program to preserve the sites and
            stories of the African American struggle to gain equal rights.

      --$13 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
            (HBCUs). Funding provides grants to HBCUs to preserve and
            repair historic buildings on their campuses.

      --$17 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrants.
            Supports the rehabilitation of historic properties and fosters
            economic development of rural communities through subgrants.

      --$11 million for the Semiquincentennial Grants. Competitive grant
            program that preserves publicly-owned historic sites
            commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S.

      --$7 million for the History of Equal Rights Grant Program. A
            competitive grant program to preserve sites and stories related
            to the struggle of all Americans to achieve equal rights.

      --$5 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
            associated with currently under-represented communities.

    Total FY 2024 Historic Preservation Fund Request: $225 million

      --Preservation Action also encourages support for the Historic
            Preservation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3350). This bill would
            reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund for 10 years and
            increases the authorized level to $250 million. The HPF's
            authorization has not been increased since the program's
            inception in 1976 and the program's current authorization is
            set to expire in September of this year. This would provide
            much needed certainty to the States, Tribes, and local
            communities that rely on this funding to carry out their
            critical preservation work.
       national park service: 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 supported
    historic rehabilitation projects across the country, like the
    renovation of the 1928 New Redmond Hotel in Redmond, OR or the
    rehabilitation of the historic McKinley Tower Apartments in Anchorage,
    AK. The HTC has been a catalyst for development and job creation, and
    is responsible for:

      --Rehabilitating more than 48,000 historic buildings across the
            Nation.

      --Leveraging over $199 billion in private investment.

      --Creating more than 3 million jobs since its inception.

      --Producing over 185,000 affordable housing units.

      --Rehabilitating buildings and revitalizing communities in all 50
            States.

      --Returning more to the Treasury than the cost of the program.

        Preservation Action supports the bipartisan Historic Tax Credit
    Growth and Opportunity Act (S. 639), which would increase the value of
    the HTC, improve access to the credit, and make the credit more
    appealing for smaller projects.

      --Preservation Action urges the Committee to continue to support the
            Historic Tax Credit by sufficiently funding SHPOs, THPOs and
            the National Park Service who administer the program.
      national park service: african-american burial grounds preservation
                                    program
      --Preservation Action supports $3 million in funding for the newly
            authorized, African-American Burial Grounds Preservation
            Program.

        This program was established by Congress as part of the
    Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and was included in the
    President's budget request. This program will identify, document,
    preserve, research, and interpret these historic and sacred burial
    sites whose protection and documentation has too often been neglected
    or forgotten.
                 national park service: national heritage areas
      --We express our support for $33.5 million for the Heritage
            Partnership Program, which supports National Heritage Areas
            (NHAs) nationwide.

        Designated by Congress, 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. We appreciate the passage of the bipartisan National
    Heritage Area Act, which established standardized criteria of NHAs and
    ensures long-term sustainability. $33.5 million keeps all NHAs at their
    existing funding levels while funding newly authorized NHAs.
         independent agency: 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.

      --Preservation Action recommends the Committee support $10.5 million
            for the ACHP in the FY 2023 Interior Appropriations Bill. An
            increase in funding will enhance the critical functions of the
            agency: ensuring the Nation's historic and cultural resources
            are protected, advancing Tribal consultation, and finding
            efficiencies to deliver timely Federal review of major
            infrastructure projects.
                                   conclusion
        Preservation Action appreciates the opportunity to provide our
    views on the FY24 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 add their perspective via our testimony.
        Preservation Action continues to value the dedicated work of
    National Park Service employees, partnership with the Advisory Council
    on Historic Preservation, and 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 FY24 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.

        [This statement was submitted by Russ Carnahan, President,
    Preservation Action.]
                                     ______

                     Prepared Statement of Pueblo of Acoma
    Recommendations:

        1. BIA--$1.5 million in dedicated funding for NAGPRA
    implementation.

        2. BIA--$1 million for implementation of the Safeguard Tribal
    Objects of Patrimony Act.

        3. BIA--$20 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.

        4. DOI--Maintain the funding moratorium for energy leasing in the
    Greater Chaco Region.

        5. DOI--Increase funding for all public lands conservation
    accounts.

        6. IHS--Provide permanent advance appropriations for the Indian
    health system.

        7. IHS--Designate Section 105(l) lease and CSC payments as
    mandatory funding.

        8. IHS--Increase SDPI funding to $250 million with annual inflation
    adjustments.

        9. IHS--Increase funding for Preventive Health Services.

        10. DOI--Support Funding for Indian Water Rights Settlements.

        11. BIA--Not less than $90 million for the BIA Roads Maintenance
    Program.

        12. DOI--Provide targeted funding totaling $ 59 million for
    community development.

        13. BIA--$40 million for Mesa Hill Bridge Project under Tribal
    Transportation Account.

        14. BIA OTS--Increase support for traditional irrigation
    infrastructure projects.

        15. BIE--$15 million to establish Regional BIE Tele-Education
    Learning Centers.

        16. BIA--Not less than $8 million for the BIA Endangered Species
    Program.

        17. DOI--$42 million for the BIA Tribal Climate Resilience Program.

    I. Safeguard Tribal Cultural Patrimony

        1. $1.5 Million for Native American Graves Protection and
    Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Enforcement. The provision of dedicated
    NAGPRA enforcement funding has supported the creation of a new FTE
    position committed to the protection of Tribal patrimony, as well as
    Bureau-wide trainings on the law and the harmful consequences that can
    ensue when it is violated. This is contributing directly to the
    development of a more culturally competent understanding of the
    importance of Tribal patrimony to Native peoples for improved law
    enforcement activities. We ask that this funding be maintained in FY
    2024 and beyond.

        2. $3 Million for Funding Implementation of the Safeguard Tribal
    Objects of Patrimony (STOP). Act. This law, passed in the last
    Congress, will assure the protection of many sensitive Tribal items
    from illegal export. It is important to put in place the necessary
    resources in the Federal Government to enable this law to be
    implemented. We request that at least $1 million be allocated for FY
    2024 for the purposes of implementation and enforcement of this law.
        3. $20 Million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs).
    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 Tribes are establishing THPOs under the
    National Historic Preservation Act to protect this heritage, yet
    Federal funding has not kept pace with this expansion. It is thus
    difficult for Tribal governments to meet their preservation compliance
    duties and responsibilities, which include working with other
    governments on site identification, conducting surveys, compiling data
    and samples, documenting best practices, and assisting in museums and
    research centers that preserve and share Tribal material culture. We
    request $20 million for THPO support in FY 2024.

        4. Maintain the Funding Moratorium Related to Energy Leasing in the
    Greater Chaco Region. We request that Congress 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
    limit must be included, we ask the moratorium stay in place until
    completion of the studies and the Resource Management Plan Amendment.

        5. Increase Funding for All Public Lands Conservation Program
    Accounts. Acoma's religious, cultural, social, and ancestral identity
    is rooted in the land of Bears Ears, Mount Taylor, and Chaco Canyon-
    among countless other sacred landscapes in the region. Any reductions
    in the Federal protections accorded to these lands per their status as
    National Monuments, Forests, Parks, or Wilderness Areas necessarily
    impacts our cultural and spiritual interests. The failure to provide
    minimum appropriations to carry out Federal public lands management
    responsibilities impairs the ability of Interior agencies to fulfill
    trust obligations and places invaluable Tribal resources at risk. We
    urge Congress to provide increased funding for public lands
    conservation programs across the Department of Interior, including the
    NPS, USFS, USFWS, BIA, and BLM.

    II. Promote the Health and Well-Being of Indian Country

        6. Provide Permanent Advance Appropriations for the Indian Health
    System. We ask for full funding for the IHS on a permanent 2-year
    advance appropriations cycle to fulfill the United States' obligation
    to provide for Indian health. This advance appropriation has occurred
    for FY 2024 but needs to be made permanent. We strongly support the IHS
    Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup's recommendation for $49.8 billion
    to fully fund the Indian health system budget. It is vital that this
    funding be consistently provided on an advance appropriations basis to
    promote greater stability in services, medical personnel recruitment
    and retention, and facilities management. Indian health should not be
    subject to the uncertainties of the annual budgeting process with its
    risk of continuing resolutions and government shutdowns. Critically,
    advance appropriations would align Federal funding with trust and
    treaty obligations. It would also provide the IHS long overdue parity
    with the Veterans Health Administration.

        7. Mandatory Funding for Contract Support Costs (CSC) and Section
    105(l) Lease Payments. We appreciate this subcommittee's commitment to
    ensuring that CSC and Section 105(l) lease costs are fully funded by
    including an indefinite discretionary appropriation in past years. We
    ask that Congress build on this important work in FY 2024 by
    designating these accounts as mandatory funding. CSC and Section 105(l)
    lease funds are already an entitlement under the Indian Self-
    Determination and Education Assistance Act. Changing the appropriation
    of these accounts from discretionary to mandatory would bring Federal
    funding into line with the clear legal requirements of the authorizing
    statute.

        8. $250 Million with Self-Governance Funding Mechanism Option for
    the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI). Indian Country has
    seen dramatic improvements in the prevention and treatment of diabetes
    and diabetes-related conditions under SDPI. Yet, the program has been
    flat funded at $150 million since FY 2004. For program stability and
    expansion, we seek an increase in mandatory funding to $250 million
    with automatic annual adjustments for medical inflation. We also ask
    that Congress authorize the use of either a grant (as currently used)
    or Public Law 93-638 funding mechanisms for SDPI participants
    consistent with our Tribal sovereignty.

        9. Increase Funding for Preventive Health Services. Acoma's
    experience with the Acoma-Canon cito-Laguna Hospital crisis and the
    vulnerabilities in the Indian health system revealed by the pandemic
    has taught us the critical value of preventive health. Such services
    are a cost-effective use of resources the reduce future incidence rates
    of chronic illness, acute conditions, and associated medical costs. We
    urge an increase in funding for IHS Preventive Health Services as an
    investment in future Indian health.

    III. Construct Safe Tribal Communities and Infrastructure

        10. Support Funding for Indian Water Rights Settlements. The Pueblo
    of Acoma, along with other parties, has negotiated a water rights
    settlement with the United States and the State of New Mexico (Rio San
    Jose Water Settlement) that has just been introduced in the House and
    Senate. We ask that the Congress support full funding for Indian water
    rights and would like to note that the President's FY 2024 budget
    proposal includes funding to ``build on investments provided in the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Budget provides $2.8 billion in
    mandatory funding to the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion
    Fund, with $2.5 billion to cover the costs of enacted and future water
    rights settlements and $340 million for operations and maintenance
    costs associated with enacted water settlements.''

        11. Not Less Than $90 Million for the BIA Road Maintenance Program.
    Funding for the BIA Road Maintenance program has been chronically below
    the level of demonstrated need. In FY 2021, the BIA received only
    $36.79 million to address a nationwide deferred maintenance backlog of
    almost $300 million-an equivalent to only 12% of documented need. It
    costs our Pueblo alone over $650,000 to maintain the 363.8 miles
    included on the BIA road inventory within our exterior boundaries (a
    further 298.2 miles are not on the inventory). We receive insufficient
    funding to cover these costs and are, thus, forced to use our limited
    Tribal funds to maintain Federal roads. Congress must start to
    alleviate this heavy financial burden by providing not less than $90
    million for BIA Roads Maintenance in FY 2024.

        12. $59 Million for Community Economic Development Projects. We
    seek $59 million in targeted funding to support the development of
    shovel-ready community economic projects that would greatly benefit our
    Tribe and our citizens. Specifically, these are (1) full reconstruction
    of the fifty-year old Haaku Road that has structural failures
    throughout its length, contributing directly to dozens of vehicle
    crashes over the years ($25 million request), and (2) development of
    the Acoma Business Park corridor that is planned to include a business
    incubator, retail and service enterprises, post office, and new housing
    to create jobs and generate revenue ($34 million request).

        13. $40 Million for Mesa Hill Bridge Project under BIA Tribal
    Transportation Account. Acoma is bisected by a major transcontinental
    railway that is level with the existing roadway with minimal safety
    features. The flat terrain, lack of a fixed schedule for freight
    trains, and misjudgments on train speed and distance pose a significant
    public safety risk to motorists and pedestrians. Distressingly, there
    is no way to avoid the danger. Our healthcare and businesses are
    located on the north side of the tracks, while our community service
    facilities-such as Head Start, residential areas, and government
    buildings-are in the south. Our people must face the daily challenge of
    traversing the tracks to bring their children to school or attend
    medical appointments without the safety of an elevated crossing.
    Despite the clear threat to public safety posed by this situation, we
    have faced repeated barriers in accessing the necessary funds to
    construct the Mesa Hill Bridge. We urge Congress to provide $40 million
    in targeted funding under the BIA Tribal Transportation Program to
    construct the Mesa Hill Bridge at Acoma Pueblo.

        14. Increase BIA Irrigation Infrastructure Funding. Congress
    enacted the Pueblo Irrigation Infrastructure Act as Section 9106 of the
    Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. This Act directs the
    Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the irrigation
    infrastructure of the Rio Grande Pueblos, including Acoma. It also
    authorizes funding to address deficiencies identified by that study.
    The implementation of this act will favorably impact Pueblo traditional
    lifestyle and culture, which has been based on agriculture and
    irrigated lands for hundreds of years. We urge Congress to increase
    support for BIA irrigation projects on all New Mexico Pueblos in FY
    2024.

        15. Establish Regional BIE Tele-Education Learning Centers.
    Broadband is an essential service rapidly changing the educational
    landscape in rural communities. Acoma, however, continues to face
    significant challenges in this area stemming, in part, from a woefully
    inadequate municipal infrastructure and limited economic and
    educational resources. Rural education does not and should not mean
    limited opportunities for growth and development. We seek to expand
    Acoma's horizons by connecting Pueblo members with previously unheard-
    of access to local teleeducational resources. We ask for targeted
    funding for regional BIE tele-education learning facilities with an
    initial allocation of $15 million to establish the account.

    IV. Protect Wildlife and Natural Resources

        16. Not Less Than $8 Million for the BIA Endangered Species
    Program. The effective management and conservation of our natural
    resources is not limited to the waters, soil, and trees that form the
    rich landscape of Pueblo Country. We must also account and
    appropriately care for the diversity of wildlife that is meaningful to
    our culture and essential to maintaining our ecosystems' equilibrium.
    The BIA Endangered Species Program provides Tribal nations with the
    technical assistance and financial resources to protect endangered
    species on Tribal lands through natural resources restoration and
    management, as well as economic development. We recommend Congress
    provide at least $8 million for the BIA Endangered Species Program.

        17. $42 Million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program and
    Adequately Fund 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
    appropriate $42 million for the BIA Tribal Climate Resilience Program
    and restore adequate funding for Department-wide Cooperative Landscape
    Conservation programs.

        [This statement was submitted by Governor Randall Vicente, Pueblo
    of Acoma.]
                                     ______

                  Prepared Statement of Pueblo of Santa Clara
    Recommendations:

        1. IHS--Provide permanent full funding and advance appropriations
    for the IHS.

        2. IHS--$250 million with a self-governance funding mechanism
    option for SDPI.

        3. DOI--Maintain the funding moratorium for energy leasing in the
    Greater Chaco Region.

        4. BIA--$20 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.

        5. BIA--Maintain $1.5 million for NAGPRA enforcement.

        6. DOI--$1 million for implementation of the Safeguard Tribal
    Objects of Patrimony Act

        7. BIA--$300 million for BIA Criminal Investigations and Police
    Services.

        8. BIA--$50 million for Tribal Courts.

        9. BIA--$620,000 for juvenile education in BIA detention
    facilities.

        10. BIA--Increase funding for all BIA disaster recovery and
    prevention programs.

        11. BIA--$15 million to establish a BIA Emergency Response Fund.

        12. BIA--$42 million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program.

        13. EPA--$100 million for the EPA Tribal General Assistance
    Program.

        14. USFS--$15 million in priority funding for Tribal Forest
    Protection Act implementation.

        15. BIE--Increase Tribal Education Department and Sovereignty in
    Education grant funding.

        16. BIE--$200 million for Facilities Operations and $900 million
    for Facilities Maintenance.

        17. BIE--$600 million for Indian School Equalization Program.

        18. DOI --Request Report Language to encourage waivers on cost
    match requirements.

        19. BOR--Implementation of the Rio Grande Pueblos Irrigation
    Infrastructure Act.

        Introduction. Thank you, Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski,
    and subcommittee Members for the opportunity to share our funding
    priorities for the FY 2024 Federal budget. My name is J. Michael
    Chavarria and I am the Governor of the Pueblo of Santa Clara in New
    Mexico. I offer the following recommendations for your consideration
    for FY 2024 and urge the Committee to remember that increases must be
    significantly greater than the rate of inflation for these programs to
    even tread water, when they need to be expanded.
        Provide Full and Advance Appropriations for the Indian Health
    System. The Indian health system faces annually compounding challenges
    related to supplies, staffing levels, infrastructure and facilities,
    and high rates of negative health outcomes among AI/ANs as a result of
    the chronic failure to fully fund trust and treaty obligations in
    Indian health. Until this year, IHS was funded on an annual,
    discretionary basis, but at least for the next year it has been
    provided with advance appropriations. Santa Clara urges the Committee
    to support making advance appropriations permanent on at least a 2-year
    cycle, and to support a multi-billion dollar increase to achieve full
    funding in FY 2024.
        $250 Million with a Self-Governance Funding Mechanism Option for
    the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI). For program stability
    and expansion, we advocate for an increase in mandatory funding to $250
    million with automatic annual adjustments for medical inflation. We
    also ask that Congress authorize the use of either a grant (as
    currently used) or Public Law 93-638 funding mechanisms for SDPI
    participants consistent with Tribal sovereignty.
        Maintain the Funding Moratorium Related to Energy Leasing in the
    Greater Chaco Region. We request that Congress 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
    limit must be included, we ask the moratorium stay in place until
    completion of the studies as well as the Resource Management Plan
    Amendment.
        $20 Million to Support the Vital Work of Tribal Historic
    Preservation Offices (THPOs). The preservation of Tribal sacred and
    cultural sites is a priority for all Indian Country. Damage of these
    sites is often irreversible. More Tribes 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, as well as support the
    work of museum and research centers that house Tribal material culture
    and repatriated items. We request $20 million for THPO support in FY
    2024.
        $1.5 Million for Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
    Act (NAGPRA) Enforcement. The provision of dedicated NAGPRA enforcement
    funding has contributed directly to the development of a more
    culturally competent understanding of the importance of Tribal
    patrimony to Native peoples for improved law enforcement activities. We
    ask that this funding be maintained in FY 2024 and beyond.
        $1 Million for Funding Implementation of the Safeguard Tribal
    Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act. This law, passed in the last Congress,
    will assure the protection of many sensitive Tribal items from illegal
    export. It is important to put in place the necessary resources in the
    Federal Government to enable this law to be implemented. We request
    that at least $1 million be allocated for FY 2024 for the purposes of
    implementation and enforcement of this law.
        $300 Million for BIA Criminal Investigations and Police Services.
    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. We urge a minimum of $300 million for BIA
    Criminal Investigations and Police Services to effectively serve and
    protect our community, including additional resources for officer
    equipment, training, and innovation.
        $50 Million for Tribal Courts on a Permanent Ongoing Basis. Our
    Tribal Court requires additional resources to continue functioning
    efficiently and to address challenges related to resources, facilities,
    and court administration. To strengthen our court system, we encourage
    the subcommittee to maintain its commitment to public safety and
    justice on Tribal lands and ask for at least $50 million for Tribal
    Courts (TPA).
        Increased Detention Services Funding and $620,000 for Juvenile
    Detention Center Education. Public safety facilities and housing
    construction programs have been critically needed for many years. In
    the southwest the situation is particularly acute owing to the lack of
    any integrated substance abuse behavioral modification detention
    program since the closure of the Turning Point Program in Yuma,
    Arizona, in 2017. We need culturally-responsive detention services to
    improve recidivism rates and support long-term rehabilitation. We
    request increased funding for BIA detention services and at least
    $620,000 for juvenile detention center education.
        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
    access to BIA disaster programs and deepening the resources available
    is critical. We ask for an increase across all these line items.
        $15 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 $15
    million be allocated to establish a BIA Emergency Response Fund within
    the Office of Trust Services.
        $42 Million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program and Restore
    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 Tribes with the tools to manage resource stressors,
    develop adaptive management plans, and engage in intergovernmental
    coordination. We request Congress appropriate $42 million for the BIA
    Tribal Climate Resilience Program and restore adequate funding for
    Department-wide Cooperative Landscape Conservation programs.
        $100 Million Minimum for the EPA Indian General Assistance Program.
    EPA resources enable our Pueblo to establish and maintain technical
    ability to support an array of projects that protect human health and
    the environment 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 developing and maintaining
    environmental programs such as water quality monitoring and hazardous
    waste management. EPA Tribal GAP is an essential program assisting
    Tribes in developing the internal capacity to manage their own
    environmental protection programs. We request Congress provide at least
    $100 million for EPA Tribal GAP funding to advance sustainable
    environmental protection measures in Indian Country.
        $15 Million in Priority Funding for Tribal Forest Protection Act
    (TFPA) Implementation. 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. Stewardship agreements are an important tool for fighting the
    ever-growing threat of wildfires that have devastated the west in
    recent years. TFPA was authorized, however, without a designated
    funding mechanism. As a result, efforts to the implement its beneficial
    provisions have been impeded. We request report language encouraging
    agencies to prioritize TFPA implementation to the greatest extent
    possible with at least $15 million in dedicated funding.
        Increase Funding for BIE Tribal Education Department (TED) and
    Sovereignty in Education Grants. These 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 our Department of Youth and Learning
    and Pueblo-operated Kha'p'o Community School. To strengthen the
    exercise of sovereignty in Tribal education additional funding is
    needed for these grants, particularly as the TED line item has been
    flat funded for several appropriations cycles.
        $200 Million for BIE Facilities Operations and $900 Million for BIE
    Facilities Maintenance and Construction. 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, but too many Tribal school facilities are in
    various States of disrepair. 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, but
    increased costs since then justify $900 million. We urge full funding
    of this unmet need for BIE Facilities Maintenance and for Operations.
        $600 Million for the Indian School Equalization Program (ISEP).
    These funds provide the core budget account for BIE-funded 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 Tribes. We strongly support an
    influx of investment in the ISEP in FY 2024 to at least $475 million.
        Report Language to Encourage Waiver of Cost Match Requirements.
    There are many Federal programs that require a Tribal cost match,
    frequently in an amount that is beyond the means of many Tribes,
    resulting in Tribes not being able to take advantage of a particular
    program or source of funding. Santa Clara urges the Committee to
    include report language that encourages Federal agencies to provide the
    maximum waiver possible for cost matches applicable to Tribes and
    Pueblos.
        Implementation of the Rio Grande Pueblos Irrigation Infrastructure
    Act. In 2009, the United States Congress passed the Omnibus and Public
    Lands Act authorizing planning and implementation of improvements to
    irrigation infrastructure for the 18 Pueblos in the Rio Grande Valley
    in New Mexico. In February 2022, an amended report was released setting
    forth many of the needed improvements. Santa Clara urges this committee
    to fund these identified improvement needs.

        [This statement was submitted by Governor Michael Chavarria, Pueblo
    of Santa Clara.]
                                     ______

                Prepared Statement of Ramah Navajo School Board
        Honorable Chair, Ranking and subcommittee Members, Ya'at'eeh. My
    name is Martha Garcia, President of the Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc.
    Board of Trustees, joined by Ms. Carolyn Coho, Board member, and Mr.
    David Nez, Pine Hill School Superintendent. On behalf of the Ramah
    Navajo people, we are grateful to all the members of the U.S. House and
    Senate Appropriations subcommittees on Interior, Environment and
    Related Agencies for the opportunity to share our testimony. We are
    here today to respectfully inform you of our most pressing priorities
    for funding, all of which address our current challenges and are
    essential for continuing the vital programs and services that will move
    our community forward. These priorities are:

      --Increased Funds for Our Community Services (BIA, BIE)

        --BIA Human Services (Social Services, Welfare Assistance, Housing
                Program);

        --BIA Community and Economic Development (Job Placement and
                Training);

        --BIA Tribal Government (Aid to Tribal Government);

        --BIE Elementary and Secondary Programs (Johnson-O'Malley
                Assistance Grants); and

        --BIE Post Secondary Programs (Scholarships & Adult Education)

      --Increased Funds for Our School Operations (BIE)

        --BIE Elementary and Secondary Programs Forward Funded (ISEP
                Formula Funds, Student Transportation); and

        --BIE Elementary and Secondary Programs (Facilities Operations &
                Maintenance)

      --Increased Funds for Our Health Services (IHS)

        --IHS Services (Hospitals & Health Clinics, Dental Health, Mental
                Health)

      --Funds for RNSB Infrastructure Upgrades and New Energy Efficient
            Buildings

      --Funds for Ramah Trading Post Renovation
             increased funds for our community services (bia, bie)
        Funding to support the community programs in our two Master
    Contracts is based on annual Congressional appropriations for key sub-
    activities in the BIA budget (Social Services, Welfare Assistance,
    Housing Program, Job Placement and Training, Aid to Tribal Government)
    and the BIE budget (Johnson-O'Malley Assistance Grants, Scholarships &
    Adult Education). Over the years, there have been no substantive
    increases in these contracts for RNSB. We respectfully request a
    significant increase in these budget sub-activities so that we can
    fully develop the programs and services that will help our community
    thrive. Because the annual funding for these mature contracts has
    remained static and largely unchanged since the days of Federal
    sequestration several Administrations ago, staff salaries have remained
    frozen and program costs have not been aligned with the increases that
    have occurred in inflation and the cost of living.
                increased funds for our school operations (bie)
        Our core BIE account, ISEP Formula Funds, supports our school's
    operations. ISEP funding increases are vital to enhancing learning
    opportunities for all of our students through the training, development
    and retention of excellent teachers. Schools across the Nation are
    facing a significant teacher shortage and that shortage is particularly
    acute in more remote communities like ours on the Navajo Nation. New
    Mexico has responded to this nationwide teacher shortage by
    significantly increasing teacher pay. RNSB does not have the budget to
    compete with the salaries offered by the public schools in New Mexico.
    In order to effectively address this problem, we need increases in ISEP
    funds, paired with Full Funding for Teacher and Counselor Pay Parity,
    and opportunities to expand the benefits package that we offer our
    teachers and staff, including the opportunity to participate in the
    Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). RNSB is also greatly
    concerned by the increased costs for student transportation and the
    deteriorating conditions of the roads serving our community. RNSB has
    been troubled by the BIE's outdated and incomplete student
    transportation funding formula, which currently underestimates Student
    Transportation needs. Most BIE-funded grant schools on the Navajo
    Nation exhaust their student transportation allocation by February of
    each school year. Additionally, full funding and forward funding for
    Facilities Operations & Facilities Maintenance (O&M) are urgently
    needed to cover the actual costs of repairing and maintaining all our
    buildings and facilities. Our current O&M funds only take care of 51%
    of the costs of operating and maintaining our buildings. In addition,
    that 51% of O&M costs must also include all the utilities costs. So, in
    the end, once the utilities are paid for, only 30 cents of every dollar
    needed to keep our buildings functioning properly is left. Further
    complicating matters, the Facilities Operations & Facilities
    Maintenance sub-activities are not forward funded, while most of the
    other accounts we need to operate our school are. This means that, if
    there are government shutdowns or continuing resolutions, we sometimes
    do not receive our limited O&M funds until the end of the school year!
                 increased funds for our health services (ihs)
        The Pine Hill Health Center serves three counties in New Mexico and
    one county in Arizona: Cibola, McKinley, Catron, and Apache. Services
    are provided to the 19,023 residents of the four counties from the IHS
    Hospitals & Health Clinics budget activity. The Pine Hill Health Center
    has 6,462 active charts--5,252 are Native Americans and 1,210 are non-
    Native Americans. But our current funding, which is for 2,619 Native
    Americans, is wholly inadequate. With sufficient funding, the Pine Hill
    Health Center could provide services to 10,000 Native Americans and
    others, resulting in savings to the Federal Government. This high
    quality care is projected to cost $5,000 per capita, annually. Our
    Behavioral Health program, funded by the IHS Mental Health budget
    activity needs to double its staff to accommodate a care team panel
    size of 2,626 clients. Nationwide, 50% of all healthcare patients have
    mental health issues, and we only have one care team available. In
    addition, our dental program, funded by the IHS Dental Health budget
    activity, currently has only one dentist on staff and a panel size of
    1,600 patients. We need four dentists to accommodate 5,252 patients,
    and the funds to recruit and hire them.
        funds for rnsb infrastructure upgrades and new energy efficient
                                   buildings
        In order to provide quality services and programs, we must have
    high quality, modern infrastructure in place to support what we do. We
    need good roads, as well as upgraded and expanded water and wastewater
    systems, electrical lines, utilities lines and access to broadband. We
    also need new buildings for our programs. Most of RNSB infrastructure
    was built in the 1970s and early 1980s. Through natural wear and tear
    and despite having done due diligence in operations and maintenance,
    much of our infrastructure is in dire need of repair or replacement.
    The Federal funds we receive are primarily for providing direct
    services to the community and not for infrastructure repairs and
    replacement.
        Thanks to recent infusions of Federal infrastructure and safety
    funding--some of which was from the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan
    Act (ARPA), we have successfully upgraded our dilapidated and dangerous
    high-voltage electrical system at Pine Hill. Additionally, we are in
    the planning phase with the BIA Division of Facilities Management and
    Construction for a new gymnasium and the renovation of our school
    buildings. While it has been both challenging and rewarding to be able
    to modernize some of our critical infrastructure with recent funding,
    much more needs to be done, which is described below.
        energy transition  strategic planning for rnsb and ramah navajo
                                   community
        Energy costs continue to climb higher and higher for our old
    buildings and much of the infrastructure in these buildings, such as
    the HVAC systems, are inefficient or are no longer repairable. Looking
    towards the necessity of living in a changing climate and world, we
    want our buildings and work spaces to be safe and healthy, as well as
    climate-resilient and self-reliant. With designs that incorporate into
    these buildings our Dine teachings and Indigenous knowledge and
    technologies, we will be contributing to addressing the issues of
    climate change, such as the extreme weather and drought conditions that
    we face today, in a forward-looking manner. Key to this would be the
    development of a comprehensive strategic plan for energy transition as
    a first step. Such a plan would serve as a blueprint, outlining the
    goals for energy use, transition and resilience; completing energy
    audits at RNSB and in-community for all sectors of energy use (i.e.,
    RNSB and community facilities, water/wastewater, residential housing,
    transportation, communications, safety, etc.); exploring the
    feasibility of retrofitting current RNSB and community facilities and
    energy usage sectors for energy production and efficiency, as well as
    opportunities for designing and creating new, sustainable and resilient
    energy-efficient systems (e.g., solar electricity, heat pumps, micro-
    grids) for RNSB facilities and in-community, thereby reducing
    greenhouse gas emissions and the overall costs of energy usage over
    time while increasing local energy sovereignty and resilience; and
    determining priorities for on-the-ground energy transition projects,
    their financing and timeframe. In order to initiate and complete this
    energy transition strategic plan, RNSB will need additional funding to
    hire experienced and highly qualified staff and consultants to assist
    in this critically important undertaking. We need Congress to consider
    these systemic challenges and opportunities that we face and to
    appropriate funding accordingly.
         new energy efficient rnsb facilities needed  plan design build
        A number of our federally funded programs at RNSB, such as
    administrative services, finance, social services, adult/continuing
    education and RNSB archives, are housed in temporary portable BIA
    buildings that date back almost a half century. Other programs, like
    KTDB community radio station, are in facilities that have been damaged
    by moisture and mold, which have compromised the integrity of the space
    as well as the health of our staff, or have outgrown their space, such
    as the Pine Hill Health Center and Behavioral Health program. All of
    these buildings are now beyond routine maintenance and repair and are
    in desperate need of replacement with permanent facilities. These new
    facilities are envisioned to be 21st century work spaces, equipped with
    state-of-the-art energy-efficient and water conservation systems, while
    integrating design elements that reflect Ramah Navajo history, culture
    and lifeways. Ensuring that our staff have culturally-sensitive, safe,
    healthy and inviting work environments that are also accessible to the
    public will require additional funding to begin the process of
    planning--designing--building these urgently needed new, permanent
    facilities. Unfortunately, there appears to be no budget line item to
    fund the replacement of the very buildings that we use to operate and
    carry out these vital, federally-funded programs. We need Congress to
    change this.
                    funds for ramah trading post renovation
        The Ramah Trading Post served as an economic and social hub for
    Ramah Navajo families up until the 1980s. Not only does the trading
    post mark a particular historical and economic period for the Ramah
    Navajo people, its greatest significance comes from its location on
    Ramah Navajo ancestral lands, not far from the original ancestral home
    of our people in the Zuni Mountains. Funds are needed to plan for the
    usage and restoration of this historic trading post and the adjacent
    structures and land surrounding it (7 acres). And, once given a new
    Indigenous life, it is envisioned that the Ramah Trading Post will be
    more than just a place of memories and stories, but a place where the
    rich and complex history of the Ramah Navajo people resonates--a
    history that underscores our enduring strength and resilience through
    periods of encroachment, terror and imprisonment during the Long Walk,
    settler colonialism and the return to self-determination-a place that
    will evolve to serve our people and the global community in new and
    vibrant ways into the future.
        In closing, we appreciate your kind consideration and support of
    these priorities and look forward to working closely with you and your
    staff to address these priorities. Ahehee'  thank you!

        [This statement was submitted by Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc.]
                                     ______

                  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 Senate Committee
    on Appropriations subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies in support of a continued increased funding for the National
    Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Fiscal Year 2024 of no less than the
    $211 million. The Recording Academy is proud to support the NEA and its
    initiatives to enrich American music and culture.
        The NEA brings music and the arts to communities across the
    country, and its mission has never been more important. The agency is
    an indispensable part of the Nation's $867 billion creative economy and
    is well-positioned to invest in local arts sectors in all 50 States. As
    such, the Recording Academy supports increasing funding of the NEA for
    the coming fiscal year.
        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 direct grants each year-bringing music, and matching
    investments, to your States. From Eugene Concert Choir in Oregon
    ($10,000, in 2023) to the Juneau Jazz & Classics in Alaska ($10,000,
    2023); and from Seattle Pro Musica in Washington ($15,000, 2023) to the
    Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine ($10,000 in 2023), the
    NEA has proven to support and foster local music communities and
    opportunities.
        The Recording Academy applauds Congress's bipartisan and bicameral
    willingness to support the NEA during recent appropriations processes,
    but the Agency remains in need of additional funding in order to fulfil
    its mission of expanding access to and participation in the arts.
    Robust funding for the NEA will ensure the agency can provide grants
    across all 50 States, while promoting more equitable access and
    reaching more diverse audiences.
        As you finalize appropriations for FY24, please make a strong
    commitment to the arts and music with robust funding for the NEA.

        [This statement was submitted by Todd Dupler, Acting Chief Advocacy
    Officer, Recording Academy.]
                                     ______

    Prepared Statement of Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal
                                   Consortium
        On behalf of SGCETC, I am submitting this written statement
    regarding funding priorities for the FY 2024 budgets for the
    Departments of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
    Health and Human Services' (HHS) Indian Health Service (IHS) and
    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
        The fiduciary responsibilities of the United States to Tribal
    Nations arise from commitments made in treaties and agreements, in
    exchange for which Indians relinquished vast tracks of homelands and
    resources.\1\ More than 380 Tribal Nations have entered into Self-
    Governance 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 administer Federal programs through Self-Governance agreements
    know that increased Tribal control and decision-making authority
    results in improved social and economic well-being at the local level.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Pub. L. No. 114-178, Sec. 101, 130 Stat. 432 (2016) (codified
    at 25 USC Sec. 5601).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Tribal Nations assuming administration over programs once
    administered by Federal agencies, do so knowing that this 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. As such, we offer the following recommendations:
      increase base budgets and recurring funding for indian programs and
                        reduce reliance on grant funding
        Across the board, Federal Indian programs are significantly
    underfunded. The lack of adequate funding puts the lives of Tribal
    citizens at risk and limits the services provided by Tribal
    governments. Increases in base budgets for Indian programs will allow
    Tribes to fund core Tribal government programs and will provide an
    opportunity for additional Tribal Nations to participate in Self-
    Governance.
        SGCETC supports the growing sentiment expressed by Tribal Nations
    that we do not want our funding sources to be increasingly supplemented
    by grants. Short-term competitive grants hinder Self-Governance because
    it creates uncertainty in planning, imposes extensive regulations and
    reporting requirements, and restricts the use of indirect costs. Tribal
    Nations are not non-profit organizations and should not be treated as
    such. 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 the review of a grant application package.
             reclassify section 105(l) costs as mandatory spending
        Pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
    Act (ISDEAA), most Tribal Nations now administer programs that were
    previously administered by the Federal Government, which results in the
    need for Tribal facilities to house these programs. Section 105(l) of
    the ISDEAA, 25 USC Sec. 5324(l), provides that the Secretaries of DOI
    and HHS must enter into leases with an Indian Tribe or Tribal
    organization for the administration and delivery of services under the
    ISDEAA. Section 105(l) requires both Secretaries to compensate each
    Indian Tribe or Tribal organization for infrastructure costs, including
    rent, depreciation, operation and maintenance, and other reasonable
    expenses. Tribal Nations across the country are successfully entering
    into Section 105(l) agreements with both DOI and HHS to be compensated
    for the use of Tribal facilities that are needed to fulfill Federal
    responsibilities.
        Tribal Nations commend Congress in recognizing the Federal
    Government's obligation to fully fund 105(l) leases. The next step in
    fostering this progress is by reclassifying Section 105(l) lease
    funding from discretionary to mandatory spending.
         reclassify contract support costs (csc) as mandatory spending
        ISDEAA obligates the Federal Government to provide Tribal Nations
    with the necessary funding to ensure that a Tribal Nation has the
    resources to contract or compact Federal programs. In 2005 and 2012,
    the Supreme Court confirmed that the ISDEAA requires full payment of
    CSC to each contractor even when Congress caps CSC appropriations at a
    level insufficient to fully pay all contractors.\2\ Despite the
    progress realized, Congress still funds CSC as an indefinite
    discretionary appropriation which creates an environment of competition
    with other programs funded in the agencies' discretionary budget.
    Additional progress cannot be achieved, in this matter, until CSC is
    not required to compete against funding for Indian programs. The way to
    remove this element of competition is to appropriate CSC on a mandatory
    basis.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Cherokee Nation of Okla. v. Leavitt, 543 US 631 (2005); Salazar
    v. Ramah Navajo Chapter, 567 US 182 (2012)
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            advance appropriations for tribal programs and services
        We are grateful that Congress enacted Advanced Appropriations for
    the Indian Health Service for FY2024; however, we now urge Congress to
    extend advanced appropriations to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the
    Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Providing appropriations 1 year in
    advance for the BIA and BIE will mitigate the adverse financial effects
    of Federal budgetary uncertainties and allow Tribal Nations to engage
    in more effective strategic planning, spend funds more efficiently,
    grow our Tribal economies and businesses and increase the quality of
    care and well-being of our Tribal citizens and communities.
        support the expansion of tribal self-governance authority in epa
        Tribal Nations have proven their ability and effectiveness
    administering Federal programs that provide services to their citizens
    and communities. Now is the time to support expansion of this
    successful approach for the delivery of Federal programs, services,
    functions, activities, and resources to Tribal communities beyond just
    the DOI, HHS, and Department of Transportation. We request that the
    Committee includes funding for a Tribal-Federal workgroup on the
    feasibility of expanding Self-Governance to EPA and how such authority
    would be implemented, possibly as demonstration projects.
        Thank you for the opportunity to share our recommendations with the
    subcommittee.

        [This statement was submitted by Hon. W. Ron Allen, President,
    Board of Directors, Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal
    Consortium (SGCETC) and Tribal Chairman/CEO, Jamestown S'Klallam
    Tribe.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the Society for American Archaeology
        The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) once again appreciates
    this opportunity to present its recommendations for fiscal year 2024
    cultural resources program appropriations for the Department of the
    Interior. I am Dr. Daniel H. Sandweiss, president of the SAA.
        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 more
    than 5,500 members, the 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. The SAA has members throughout the
    United States, as well as in many nations around the world.
        The members of the SAA thank the subcommittee for supporting an
    increase in funding for Federal and federally funded historic and
    cultural preservation programs in FY 2023. These programs, created
    under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the National
    Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and other preservation statutes and
    funded through annual appropriations, constitute the foundation of
    these activities in the United States. These activities comprise the
    principal means of preserving and protecting our Nation's irreplaceable
    historic, archaeological, and cultural treasures. In addition to
    ensuring that all Americans can learn about and enjoy the artifacts and
    knowledge of America's history, funding Federal archaeology programs
    facilitates economic growth and infrastructure project delivery.
        Given the above, our testimony for FY 2024 appropriations continues
    to emphasize the message that we have expounded on for the past 3
    years-protecting our irreplaceable historic and cultural legacy
    requires the necessary staffing and resources, especially for State
    Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) and Tribal Historic Preservation
    Offices (THPO), and in Federal archaeologist staff levels. Some
    progress was made during FY 2023, but to maintain the momentum, we urge
    increased allocations for FY 2024.
      department of the interior-increase archaeologist staff: $10 million
        Federal archaeologists perform a huge number of important tasks.
    Recent fiscal years saw an increase in the number of Federal
    archaeologists. In FY 2020, there were 1,371 archaeologists government-
    wide. Federal archaeologists increased by 37 in FY 2021, and by 70 in
    FY 2022, for a total of 1,478 (1,377 were permanent Federal employees,
    and 101 were term or seasonal appointments). Of that number, 572
    currently work in the Department of the Interior. This represents some
    progress in the government's ability to meet the increase of projects
    authorized under recent legislation including the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Great
    American Outdoors Act. Nevertheless, the scale of the work is immense.
    The following table shows the number of acres overseen by the top land-
    managing agencies and the number of archaeologists each agency employs
    to carry out reviews under Section 106 of the NHPA for federally funded
    projects, projects requiring a Federal permit, or projects on Federal
    lands; conducting surveys for historic and cultural resources under
    Section 110 of the NHPA; protection of archaeological sites and
    materials and investigating instances of looting of sites under the
    Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA); preservation and
    repatriation of highly sensitive cultural and spiritual Tribal objects
    under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
    (NAGPRA); consultation with Indigenous and descendant communities on
    the effects of Federal actions on their cultural resources; addressing
    cultural resources in NEPA documents; development of contracts and
    cooperative agreements between Federal agencies and private firms or
    universities; technical assistance on archaeological matters;
    coordination and management of volunteers helping to preserve cultural
    sites; and curation of Federal archaeological collections.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Agency                    Acreage           Archaeologists
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    BLM.........................           244 million                   217
    USFS........................           191 million                   462
    USFWS.......................            89 million                    22
    NPS.........................            80 million                   268
    DOD.........................            9 million*                   305
        Total...................           613 million                 1,274
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    *Domestic acreage only

        If the Section 106 process is to function effectively, and
    federally sponsored undertakings are to be delivered in a timely
    manner, the NPS, BLM, other DOI agencies need still more archaeologists
    to satisfy the statutorily required and program responsibilities.
      national park service-national recreation and preservation cultural
                            programs: $44.1 million
        The overwhelming majority of our Nation's parks contain historical
    and cultural sites, including sacred lands of deep meaning and critical
    importance to Indigenous Americans and places that tell the story of
    America's history and development. NPS National Recreation and
    Preservation Cultural Programs provide vital technical assistance and
    other support for resource protection within National Parks and for
    other Federal agencies. 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 greatly
    appreciates the $39.3 million allocation in the final FY 2023 bill and
    supports the administration's request for $44.1 million for FY 2024. $3
    million of the requested increase for FY 2024 should go to fund the new
    African American Burial Ground Network program. Other priorities that
    the subcommittee should support include:

      --Establishing baseline data-baseline information about
            archaeological sites (their types, locations, and condition) is
            vital for meeting resource management objectives and in
            complying with statutes that protect our Nation's cultural
            heritage. Accurate baseline data expedites NHPA Section 106
            compliance in particular, especially related to infrastructure.
            Some NPS units still have inadequate baseline inventory data.

      --Digital data management-the NPS manages over 80,000 archaeological
            sites. There is a ``Cultural Resources Inventory System''
            (CRIS) that contains information about archaeological sites,
            cultural landscapes, historic structures, and ethnographic
            resources. Many fields within the database remain unpopulated,
            however, and more information is needed that would aid park
            planning efforts, make data accessible during emergencies, and
            support geospatial modeling to facilitate identification of
            resources most vulnerable to climate change or looting.
            Improving the CRIS database would greatly improve access to
            data about archaeological sites and improve planning and
            management.

      --Digitizing the permitting process-the NPS is exploring the
            feasibility of creating a web-based process for ARPA and
            Antiquities Act permitting, which would reduce review workloads
            and approval time frames for program staff. A more efficient
            process is now critical, as more infrastructure and renewable
            energy projects that require NHPA Section 106 compliance are
            proposed for NPS lands. This model could also be applied by
            other agencies.

        In addition to the administration's request, Congress should
    explore applying funding under the IRA to the above initiatives.
         national park service-historic preservation fund: $225 million
        The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) provides crucial support to
    SHPOs and THPOs and matching grants to nonprofits and local governments
    to preserve and document historic resources. The HPF (among other
    programs) plays a crucial role in the ability of States and local
    municipalities to comply with the preservation system established by
    the NHPA-particularly with regard to Section 106 consultations. SHPOs
    and THPOs constitute the ``front line'' in the effort to preserve our
    cultural heritage. With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, their workloads continue to
    expand. In addition to compliance with Section 106, communities rely on
    HPF grants to attract tourism, retain a unique sense of place, and
    promote economic development.
        The increases for the HPF in the omnibus FY 2023 appropriations
    legislation were badly needed. THPOs in particular faced-and continue
    to face-a difficult situation. There are 215 offices, and more are
    added each year, but even with the current year increase of $7 million
    (to $23 million), the average THPO receives just $107,000. Though an
    improvement over earlier allocations, this remains an inadequate amount
    for the tasks that they continue to face, including engagement on a
    government-to-government basis with Federal agencies on many
    undertakings. Unfortunately, the president's request of $177.9 million
    for the HPF, which would represent an overall decrease of $26.6 million
    from FY 2023 enacted levels, is wholly inadequate, even though SHPO and
    THPO funding would remain the same. The SAA strongly endorses the
    recommendations put forward by the preservation community in February
    for a total of $225 million for the HPF in FY 2024, of which $70
    million would go to SHPOs and $34 million to THPOs.
        Bureau of Land Management-Cultural Resources Management: $25
    million
        The BLM manages 245 million acres, which makes the agency the
    largest land manager in the United States. These lands contain an
    enormous number of known and as-yet-undiscovered cultural resources,
    many of which are in remote locations, and some are in areas with high
    visitation rates. Many sites on BLM lands are subject to looting,
    particularly in the Southwest. Patrol, inventory, and monitoring of
    cultural heritage sites is essential to their protection, and the 217
    archaeologists on staff, along with the small number of other cultural
    resources specialists and law enforcement officers, is simply not
    enough to accomplish the mission. BLM lands also contain sites and
    areas, such Bears Ears, that many Tribes consider sacred. The low
    staffing levels make liaising with Tribal officers during project
    planning very difficult, especially with respect to sacred sites and
    areas. The BLM needs additional funding to support more staff to do its
    work around protecting, inventorying, and monitoring cultural
    resources, in addition to providing effective Tribal consultation. The
    administration's requested increase is insufficient. We urge Congress
    to allocate $25 million to this important program.
    bureau of land management-national landscape conservation system: $72.9
                                    million
        The National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), first
    established in 2000 and authorized by Congress in 2009, contains more
    than 35 million acres of National Monuments, Wilderness Areas, Wild and
    Scenic Rivers, and other sensitive lands. This land also includes an
    extensive and diverse array of the Nation's archaeological and cultural
    resources. We thank the subcommittee for supporting the $12.3 million
    increase in the FY 2023 omnibus appropriations bill for this account,
    thus restoring the NLCS to its FY 2006 funding level of $65.1 million.
    In order to secure the gains made to stewardship of these lands and the
    cultural resources they contain, we support the administration's
    request of $72.9 million for FY 2024, an increase of $11.3 million.
    More than $5 million of this increase will go toward much-needed
    management changes, and $3 million for the Increasing Representation in
    Our Public Lands initiative, which expands preservation of the historic
    and cultural sites important to traditionally underrepresented groups.
      native american graves protection and repatriation act grants: $3.4
                                    million
        The NAGPRA Grants Program is the primary means of restoring
    culturally affiliated human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects,
    and objects of cultural patrimony to their Native American Tribes and
    Native Hawaiian organizations. These ancestors and sacred items
    represent critical heritage for their traditional beliefs and
    practices. The program fills a key role in facilitating cooperation
    between Tribes and museums to document covered items and realize their
    repatriation under NAGPRA. Although the law was passed in 1990, over 30
    years ago, many museums, universities, and Federal agencies have not
    completed their mandated inventories, let alone repatriated remains. In
    FY 2022 a total of $2.15 million was allocated to grant recipients for
    consultation between Tribes and repositories, documentation of items in
    covered collections, and repatriation of claimed objects to affiliated
    Tribes and lineal descendants. Nevertheless, FY 2022 saw 17 grant
    applications go unfunded. In fact, in most years since the program's FY
    1994 inception, the number of requests exceeded the amount of available
    funding. We congratulate the subcommittee for agreeing to a FY 2023
    allocation of $3.4 million. This substantial increase will go a long
    way toward eliminating the backlog of unfunded requests. In order to
    ensure that this trend continues, and that sensitive objects of
    cultural patrimony are returned to the affiliated Tribes as the law
    intended, we ask that the panel approve another $3.4 million for the
    NAGPRA Grants Program for FY 2024, no change from the current fiscal
    year.
                      implementing the stop act-$3 million
        Late last year the president signed the Safeguard Tribal Objects of
    Patrimony Act into law. The SAA applauds this important measure that
    will create an explicit prohibition on the export of items obtained in
    violation of NAGPRA or ARPA, make it easier for Native American Tribes
    to access other countries' law enforcement mechanisms to regain their
    stolen property, increase penalties for violations of NAGPRA,
    facilitate coordination between the government and Tribes to protect
    Tribes' cultural heritage and enable its return, establish an export
    certification system to allow for transactions of legally acquired
    materials, and establish a Federal framework to support voluntary
    returns from private collections. The act authorized $3 million in FY
    2024 for its implementation. We ask that the FY 2024 appropriations
    legislation include this funding so that the work of carrying out the
    STOP Act can begin.
        The SAA greatly appreciates your time and consideration of these
    important issues. Please contact us if you have any questions or
    concerns.

        [This statement was submitted by Daniel H. Sandweiss, President of
    the Society for American Archaeology.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of the Society of American Foresters
        The Society of American Foresters (SAF) appreciates the opportunity
    to submit written public testimony to the Senate Committee on
    Appropriations, subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
    Agencies regarding fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations. SAF
    recommendations focus on supporting programs at the USDA Forest Service
    (USFS) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), including the Bureau
    of Land Management (BLM).
                    saf's top federal priorities for fy 2024
    (1) Continued investment in the USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis
            (FIA) program at no less than $32.2 million in program dollars
            and $54.9 million allocated from Forest and Rangeland Research
            Salaries and Expenses.

    (2) Increased investment in the USFS Research and Development programs
            to $80 million and continued support for the Joint Fire Science
            program.

    (3) Increased investment in the Forest Products program to $47 million
            and the Roads program under Capital Improvement and Maintenance
            to $86 million to better support National Forest System lands
            and rural economies.

    (4) Fully funding the Landscape Scale Restoration program at $20
            million and increased investment in the Forest Stewardship
            program to $22 million.

    (5) Permanently authorizing BLM's Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery
            Fund.

        Founded by Gifford Pinchot in 1900, SAF is the premier scientific
    and educational organization in the United States advancing and
    promoting science-based, sustainable management and stewardship of the
    Nation's public and private forests. SAF has over 9,000 members
    including public and private sector natural resource professionals,
    researchers, CEOs, administrators, investment advisors, educators, and
    students. As the professionals who study, manage, and care for our
    Nation's forest resources, we have a vested interest in ensuring their
    long-term health and sustainability.
        Americans rely on the 751 million acres of public and private
    forests in the US to provide clean and abundant air and water, forest
    products, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, carbon
    sequestration and storage, forage and range resources, energy, and
    scenic beauty.
        Continuing to sustainably manage our forests for these diverse
    benefits has become increasingly challenging due to unprecedented
    environmental threats. In particular, the climate change and
    biodiversity crises illustrate the need for continued investment in the
    forest sector.
        While wildfires and carbon storage are likely the most topical
    issues in the public discourse surrounding forests today, a myriad of
    challenges faced by forestry professionals are intensifying under
    changes in climate (e.g., invasive pests, disease, species migration,
    water availability). In the face of these challenges, forestry
    professionals continue to create an adaptive suite of forest management
    solutions that balance resilience, ecological integrity, and natural
    resource economies. Implementing these solutions and ensuring the
    sustainability of our forests requires continued investment in our
    forestry professionals.
        Healthy, viable forests are long-term investments. Funding for
    research, science, and technology is essential to building effective
    programming with sufficient workforce capacity to protect our forests
    for the future.\1\ Furthermore, breaking the pattern of unresolved
    funding bills and continuing resolutions would be of tremendous help to
    our land managers. A commitment to consistent and timely budget and
    appropriations cycles from Congress and the Administration provides the
    certainty required for resource managers to plan for the upcoming field
    season and consider future years as well. This certainty will dictate
    management activities and allow managers to provide direction and
    instruction on deployment of resources to address critical needs.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ Society of American Foresters. Forest Sector Research and
    Development. Last updated April 30, 2021.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           specific fy 2024 requests
        Advances in research have highlighted the instrumental role that
    forests continue to play in mitigating the effects of climate change.
    For example, US forests and associated harvested wood products
    sequester nearly 16% of economy-wide CO2 emissions each year and store
    more than three decades of CO2 emitted from fossil fuels.\2\ USFS
    Forest and Rangeland Research is one of the critical bodies ensuring
    the longevity and resilience of our forests by advancing climate-smart,
    ecological management strategies across the landscape.\3\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \2\ Domke, Grant M.; Walters, Brian F.; Giebink, Courtney L.;
    Greenfield, Eric J.; Smith, James E., Nichols, Michael C.; Knott, Jon
    A.; Ogle, Stephen M.; Coulston, John W.; Steller, John. 2023.
    Greenhouse gas emissions and removals from forest land, woodlands,
    urban trees, and harvested wood products in the United States, 1990-
    2021. Resour. Bull. WO-101. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
    Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington Office. 10 p. https://doi.org/
    10.2737/WO-RB-101.
        \3\ United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
    Research & Development (2021). Research Improves Climate-Smart
    Management of America's Forests and Grasslands (Report No. FS-1175).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         forest and rangeland research
                         forest inventory and analysis
        Forestry professionals and a diverse array of stakeholders rely on
    the inventory data and analysis of America's forests provided by the
    Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. This critical information
    is needed to support sound policy and forest management decisions
    across all landscapes and is increasingly important for decisions
    regarding carbon stocks, sustainability, and existing and expanding
    markets. We thank you for the additional $10 million in programmatic
    funding provided in FY23. This investment will enable the Forest
    Service to deliver on stakeholder priorities, including funding States
    and cooperators that help deliver the program at the current costs of
    doing business, fully funding plot collection in interior Alaska,
    bolstering Timber Products Output (TPO) data collection, expanding
    analysis of forest carbon, growing remote sensing partnerships with
    NASA, and developing new partnerships in urban forest inventory. SAF
    recommends at least $32.2 million in program funding for FIA in FY
    2024. Additionally, of the amount allocated for Salaries and Expenses
    (S&E) in Forest and Rangeland Research, we urge Congress to direct
    $54.9 million for the FIA program. Fully operationalizing significant
    program expansion as envisioned in the FY23 omnibus necessitates both
    programmatic and S&E increases. These two pots of money are used in
    tandem by the Forest Service in program delivery.
                            research and development
        Investments in forestry research are essential for the future
    health and sustainability of the Nation's forests. Research conducted
    at the five USFS research stations, the International Institute of
    Tropical Forestry, and in the Forest Products Laboratory is crucial to:
    (1) developing new products and practical innovation; (2) identifying
    forest ecosystem disturbance responses and forest resilience; (3)
    responding to shifting social demands and demographic changes; (4) and
    quantifying the contributions of forests to air and water quality.
    Without USFS leadership, investigation of these critical research needs
    would largely be left unfulfilled. Using Federal investments that are
    leveraged in partnership with universities and private-public
    consortiums, important research questions, emerging threats, and
    potential opportunities are thoroughly researched and vetted. SAF
    recommends $80 million for the Research and Development program in FY
    2024.
                               joint fire science
        SAF appreciates this subcommittee's commitment to continuing the
    important work of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP). SAF recommends
    funding for the JFSP at or above FY 2023 levels and asks the
    subcommittee to encourage active participation by DOI and USFS in
    prioritizing investment in fire research and decision support.
                      capital improvement and maintenance
                                     roads
        Roads on National Forest System lands are vital infrastructure
    facilitating the use, enjoyment, protection, and long-term health of
    Federal lands. Properly maintained roads enable the agency to meet
    critical natural resource needs and provide safe access to public
    lands. Unfortunately, with annual appropriations not nearly matching
    the need, properly maintaining this vital infrastructure has become
    increasingly challenging. Deteriorating roads reduce access for
    recreation, firefighting, and resource management. Investments in these
    critical assets will create jobs in rural communities while also
    improving wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities, public
    safety, and resource management. Conversely, a lack of investment in
    this program directly impacts fuels reduction work, watershed health,
    and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects. SAF recommends $86
    million for the Roads program in FY 2024.
                             national forest system
                                forest products
        The Forest Products program supports the agency's goals to foster
    resilient ecosystems, mitigate climate change and wildfire risks, and
    strengthen rural communities through timber sales and other removals of
    forest products. Increased investment would not only support a
    sustainable flow of wood fiber to markets but also launch more projects
    focused on removing small diameter, low-value material, and understory
    trees that are not commercially viable but need to be removed to reduce
    the risk of wildfire or improve forest health conditions. SAF
    recommends $47 million for the Forest Products program in FY 2024.
                           state and private forestry
                          landscape scale restoration
        Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) projects are key tools for
    States, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and other
    partners, to address the most critical forest priorities identified in
    each State's Forest Action Plan. 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.
    SAF recommends full funding for the Landscape Scale Restoration program
    at $20 million in FY 2024.
                               forest stewardship
        The Forest Stewardship Program (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. On average, state forestry agencies and other
    partners match Federal investments 2:1, which means the impact of
    Federal dollars delivered through the FSP have amplified on-the-ground
    impacts. Increased Federal funding for FSP will allow state forestry
    agencies and forestry professionals to ramp up outreach efforts and
    provide additional technical assistance to landowners to ensure that
    private forestland acres are maintained and continue to provide a
    myriad of public benefits. SAF recommends $22 million for the Forest
    Stewardship program in FY 2024.
              department of the interior-bureau of land management
                   forest ecosystem health and recovery fund
        Managing BLM forestlands is an important element of maintaining and
    improving the health and productivity of our Nation's public lands. The
    Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund (referred to as the 5900
    Account by BLM) was originally established in 1993 to help BLM rapidly
    respond to forestlands damaged by wildfire, insects, and disease. Over
    the years, the authorization has expanded to include a wide range of
    proactive forest health treatments to reduce the risk of future damage
    as well as a variety of recovery activities including salvage and
    replanting.
        The Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund is self-funded with
    receipts generated from the sale of forest products resulting from
    projects planned and executed to meet the purposes of the fund. Since
    its creation, the fund has provided an additional $4-10 million
    annually to improve forest health and resilience on BLM forestlands.
        SAF believes that the justification for this fund is stronger than
    ever. Given hotter and drier summers, our forests are subjected to
    increased insect and disease damage and longer and more extreme
    wildfire seasons. Public land managers-including BLM foresters-need
    proper resources to manage forests to reduce fuel loads, salvage
    damaged timber, and make forests more resilient to disturbances. SAF
    requests that the subcommittee consider permanent authorization for the
    Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund (PL 102-381).

        [This statement was submitted by Terry Baker, Chief Executive
    Officer, Society of American Foresters.]
                                     ______

       Prepared Statement of the Southeastern Wood Producers Association
        The Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Inc. represents the
    loggers of Florida and Georgia. We 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 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 across
    all land ownerships and is increasingly important for decisions
    existing and expanding markets.
        We thank you for the additional $10 million in FIA programmatic
    funding provided in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and look forward to working
    with you to further improve FIA's capabilities in FY24. The FY23
    funding increase will enable the Forest Service to deliver on many of
    our priorities, including funding States and cooperators that help
    deliver the program at the current costs of doing business, fully
    funding plot collection in interior Alaska, bolstering Timber Products
    Output (TPO) data collection, expanding analysis of forest carbon,
    growing remote sensing partnerships with NASA, and developing new
    partnerships in urban forest inventory.
        We urge Congress to continue to support FIA with no less than $32.2
    million in program dollars for FY24. Additionally, of the amount
    allocated for Salaries and Expenses (S&E) in Forest and Rangeland
    Research, we urge Congress to direct $54.9 million for the FIA program.
    Fully operationalizing significant program expansion as envisioned in
    the FY23 omnibus necessitates both programmatic and S&E increases.
    These two pots of money are used in tandem by the Forest Service in
    program delivery.
        Unfortunately, since USFS budget modernization in FY21, Congress
    has lost the ability to directly prescribe how much S&E funding is
    devoted to FIA. We respectfully ask that Congress reinstate that
    authority in its FY24 appropriations bill. By explicitly outlining the
    amount directed toward FIA program S&E, Congress can help improve
    transparency for all stakeholders.
        Programmatic funding increases with commensurate increases to S&E
    are critical to fully delivering on Congressional priorities outlined
    in the FIA Strategic Plan.\1\ This plan includes improved carbon and
    biomass estimates, enhanced timber products monitoring, enhanced
    landowner studies, research into land cover and land use change, and
    urban forest inventory. All these items add immense value to the
    understanding of our Nation's forests but are not possible at current
    funding levels and are critical, given the increasing demand for FIA
    data.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ https://www.fia.fs.usda.gov/library/bus-org-documents/docs/
    strategic-plan-docs/FIA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FS-1079.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Additionally, budget modernization has made it difficult for
    external stakeholders to determine what budget resources FIA devotes to
    its various programmatic areas and what budget resources are necessary
    for FIA to meet its mission. To further improve transparency, we urge
    Congress to direct FIA to annually publish its programmatic cost
    elements and prioritization in its annual budget justification and
    business report.
        Looking forward, we would like to draw attention to the growing
    importance of moving to a nationwide 5-year data collection cycle.
    Currently, funding allows the eastern United States to be measured
    every 7 years, while the west is on a ten-year remeasurement cycle.
    Considering increasing frequency and severity of forest disturbances
    such as wildfires and hurricanes, the current cycles are inadequate to
    capture our rapidly changing forest landscapes.
        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 continue sustainably growing this
    program and ensuring accurate and timely inventory of America's
    forests.

        [This statement was submitted by Southeastern Wood Producers
    Association, Inc.]
                                     ______

           Prepared Statement of the Squaxin Island Tribal Leadership
        On behalf of the Squaxin Island Tribal Leadership and citizens, it
    is an honor to provide our priority funding requests and
    recommendations for the FY 2024 Budgets for the Bureau of Indian
    Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and Indian Health
    Service (IHS) and related agencies. We applaud the Committees' work to
    include advance appropriations for the IHS in the FY 2023 omnibus
    spending package and we hope that this will remain for each fiscal
    year. Squaxin Island is continuing to work to also include the BIA and
    BIE funding in advance appropriations to prevent funding lapses and
    other unintended consequences associated with short-term funding
    measures from disrupting critical services to American Indians and
    Alaska Natives provided by the Federal Government. We will also
    continue to advocate and urge Congress to shift funding for all Tribal
    programs to mandatory direct appropriations with the hope that Tribal
    program funding throughout the Federal Government will be exempt from
    sequestrations, rescissions, and disproportionate cuts.

    SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE Specific Requests:

    1. +$13 million Construction of New Health Center

    2. Northwest Indian Treatment Center (NWITC) Residential Program in IHS

        A. +$1.5 million--Medicine Building

        B. +$250,000--Sustain Operations

    3. +$900,000 Shellfish Management Program--BIA

        SUPPORT NATIONAL and REGIONAL FY 2024 BUDGET Requests and
    Recommendations for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service
    and Bureau of Indian Education--by the National Congress of American
    Indians, National Indian Health Board, National Indian Education
    Association, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the Northwest
    Indian Fisheries Commission
                        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 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 five hundred 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 is one of the first 30 Federally recognized Tribes to
    enter a Compact of Self-Governance with the United States in both the
    Departments of the Interior and Health and Human Services. Prior to
    COVID-19, the Tribal government and our economic enterprises
    constituted the largest employer in Mason County with over 1,250
    employees. We continue to require the assistance of Congress to
    mitigate the amplified health inequities in Tribal communities because
    of underfunded and under-resourced health systems, limited access to
    health services, poor infrastructure, and underlying health
    disparities. The Tribe has a current enrollment of 1,123 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%. We appreciate the support we
    have received so far.
             squaxin island tribe specific requests/justifications
    1. +$13 million--Design and Construct New Squaxin Island Health
    Center--IHS Division of Facilities Planning and Construction

        In 1995, under a Self-Governance compact with the U.S. Department
    of Health and Human Services' Indian Health Service, the Squaxin Island
    Tribe began construction of the Tribally owned Sally Selvedge Memorial
    Health Center (the Center). The original 8,000 square foot facility
    housed the primary care, dental, mental health, contract health
    services and community health and served an estimated 770 users. The
    Center consolidated health programs into one facility and expanded new
    services not previously available due to the lack of space and
    resources. We remain proud of this accomplishment and what we were able
    to offer our citizens using and leveraging funds as we saw fit to meet
    our local needs.
        On June 17, 2021, IHS testified before the House Committee on
    Natural Resources on the status of IHS and Tribal facilities,
    ``Disparities in the health status of American Indians and Alaska
    Natives are directly affected by access to health care services. Health
    care services are constrained by the limited capacities of existing
    Indian Health Service and Tribal health care facilities. There is a
    significant need for expansion, renovation, or replacement of many
    buildings.''\1\ This remains true today within the network of over 687
    Federal and Tribal health facilities and 41 Urban Indian Organizations
    (UIOs) that are located across 37 States providing health care services
    to approximately 2.7 million American Indian and Alaska Native people.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asl/testimony/2021/06/17/
    examining-federal-facilities-indian-country.html
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Thirty years after the Center was built, the Squaxin Island Health
    and Human Services (HHS), located in the Center now provides 9,000
    patient/clinic visits with over 17,000 pharmacy encounters taking place
    each year to 905 AI/AN patients as well as other family members of
    those patients. We can no longer accommodate all of our mental health
    and substance use disorder programs in the same facility. Our Health
    Promotion/Disease Prevention and HIT programs are also located in
    another site. Medical services have outgrown our existing space and our
    ability to address the public health emergency because our facility was
    unable to accommodate any increases to medical or administrative staff.
    The Tribe bills Medicare, Medicaid and other third-party payers but the
    buying power we once had to build a new health center in 1995 has
    diminished in 2023, even more so because of inflation caused by the
    pandemic. Our American Indian/Alaska Native patient population has
    increased over 25% since 2012. Current medical, dental, and behavioral
    services are insufficient for our current population. Laboratory and
    lab services are severely under built and would not be able to meet
    accreditation standards. The recent pandemic spotlighted our need for
    basic health care delivery infrastructure improvements, in both
    staffing and buildings, required to address communicable viruses. The
    potential consequences on our Tribal members and families with
    underlying health conditions remains a concern for us. We can no longer
    continue to provide the level of care that we strive to achieve in
    facilities that have met their maximum remodeling capacity. Squaxin
    Island Tribe is in desperate need of Congressional appropriations to
    construct a new facility.
        Since 1993 and continues today, the Healthcare Facilities
    Construction Priority System (HFCPS) is the methodology that the IHS
    uses to identify and prioritize the need for IHS and Tribal healthcare
    facilities. Prior to Squaxin Island building the Center, the IHS, in
    collaboration with Tribal representatives, used the HFCPS to prioritize
    major health facilities' needs. The IHS projects were ranked based on
    the population served, the condition of health care facilities,
    remoteness, and barriers to care. The overall health care facility
    construction need grew from $14.5 billion in 2016 to $23 billion in
    2021 due to expanded programs and better reporting. The IHS facilities
    construction appropriations have only averaged $194 million annually
    since the last report was submitted to Congress.
        In March 2020, pre-pandemic, we were in the process of rolling out
    the Squaxin Island Tribe Strategic Health Plan; a robust health program
    plan which includes all the details about a new facility and expanded
    services. Today there is approximately 12,000 square feet that houses
    the entire HHS department. Using estimates of current building sizes,
    or comps, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
    recently built a 64,000 square foot health center with a user
    population of 3,331. Medical facilities average $500 per square foot.
    Squaxin Island's user population is approximately 28% the size of
    Umatilla. We estimate we need a minimum of 25,000 square feet based on
    the Indian Health Care Services' Healthcare Systems Planning tool,
    which calculates the current user population and projections of growth
    out to 2034.

    Estimated total cost for the design and construction of the Squaxin
    Island Health Center is $13,000,000.

    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 Native
    Americans with chronic substance abuse patterns related to unresolved
    grief and complex trauma, including generational trauma. The Center is
    Commission on Accreditation of Facilities 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 which can be used as a model by
    other Tribes to help understand the benefits and requirements of the
    facility. NWITC has these 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.  NWITC Recovery Support Team and Outreach--+$250,000--The pandemic
            has attributed to a high relapse rate in Tribal communities
            served by NWITC. To better support NWITC alumni, it is
            necessary to provide more support. Even though the NWITC has a
            Recovery Support Team who actively supports alumni for 1-year
            post treatment, in the current environment this is
            insufficient. NWITC requires a staff 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.

    3. +$900,000--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 $900,000 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.
        Thank you for considering these FY 2024 funding priorities for the
    Squaxin Island Tribe.

        [This statement was submitted by Kristopher K. Peters, Chairman,
    Squaxin Island Tribe.]
                                     ______

      Prepared Statement of United States Environmental Protection Agency
        We, the undersigned fifty-six education, health, environment, and
    children's health groups from coast to coast, are writing to urge the
    Committee to include $100 million for the US Environmental Protection
    Agency's (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation/Indoor Environments Division
    (OAR/IED) to protect school children and personnel from unhealthy
    environments in schools and childcare facilities. We also request that
    you include an additional $10 million for EPA's Office of Children's
    Health Protection to increase public health research and services to
    improve children's environmental health.
        EPA/OAR/IED needs $100 million to lead a national educational
    campaign, backed by expanded national and regional grants, direct
    technical assistance, and must prepare guidance for school facilities
    to help them stay open or reopen quickly after severe disasters. Indoor
    air quality is critical. It takes months or years to fix or rebuild a
    school; the Nation's schools need to be able to stay open longer or to
    reopen safely and quickly after a disaster.
        Indoor air pollution is a serious threat and hard to address: it
    takes longer to identify sources and prioritize repairs than other EPA
    concerns such as lead in drinking water, PCBs, asbestos, or hazardous
    waste. Indoor air pollution can arise from everything that goes right
    and wrong with a facility, thus, indoor air quality (IAQ) assessments
    begin outside the building, then move to find indoor environment
    sources. Pollutants can come from poor construction and siting near
    hazardous facilities; leaky roofs and growing molds; chemical spills
    and odors from science labs; kitchen, locker room, and or lavatory
    stench; carbon dioxide accumulations; lack of incoming fresh air;
    carbon monoxide leaks; cleaning and disinfecting products; and pests
    and pesticides, or from occupants themselves and the processes and
    products used in classes. It is complicated; school leaders and
    communities need education, guidance, and support.
        In addition, EPA needs $10 million annually provided to the Office
    of Children's Health Protection. This funding is needed to restore
    investments in research and outreach programs for children's
    environmental health shared with the Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Environmental Health
    Sciences (NIEHS), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
    Registry (ATSDR). This funding will also help EPA in its role as co-
    chair of the multi-agency President's Task Force on risks to children's
    environmental health (under Executive Order 13045), and to elevate its
    critical role in a new interagency group on schools facilities that
    includes EPA, ED, DoE, plus offices in the White House, including the
    Council on Environmental Quality and Domestic Policy Council.
        Why school environmental health and the impact on children are
    urgent issues. Education is a social determinant of health. During the
    school year, about fifty million children in the US spend the majority
    of their waking hours when not at home in public schools. Numerous
    studies have documented that school conditions such as polluted IAQ,
    mold, dust and debris, high heat, poor siting, proximity to hazards,
    noise, and poor lighting and sanitation, damage children's ``health,
    thinking, and learning'' (Harvard SPH 2017; NRC 2006). Today, some 40%
    of school age children have at least one existing chronic health issues
    (CDC), including asthma, which affects 1 in 13 school-aged children and
    remains the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness.
        Also, US schools are not climate-ready- suggesting more long-term
    school closures ahead in many parts of the country--and not epidemic-
    ready, again suggesting more frustrating closures and hybrid learning
    schemes ahead that will increase persistent learning losses in the next
    generation of adults.

      --School attendance is mandatory in all States, and 98% of US
            children are in school every day.

      --Schools are more densely occupied than nursing homes and less well
            maintained.

      --Nearly half of all public-school students are children and youth of
            color.

      --Schools have an exceptionally long history of poor indoor air/
            environmental quality worsened by decades of funding shortages,
            neglect, and a lack of knowledge on how to address problems
            effectively.

      --The poorest communities hardest hit by COVID, and climate change
            are also the communities where children's health and learning
            are impacted by the worst conditions.

      --An estimated 50 percent of public schools have outdated heating and
            ventilation systems, and thousands of schools likely contain
            PCBs and asbestos, among other risks posed by poorly managed
            chemicals and pesticides used in and near school buildings.

      --Further, the Nation's 100,000 public schools today contain over 8
            billion square feet of learning space valued at over $3
            trillion, which means more frequent long-term school closures
            ahead if they are not physically resilient. Investments in
            electric buses and energy retrofits are deeply appreciated and
            welcome, but those steps will not guarantee that a facility
            will survive the next super storm.

        This is the Congress' moment to put the EPA's 30 years of expertise
    in indoor air and indoor environments to work to improve school
    buildings and grounds, and thus health and learning outcomes for
    children, especially for those most disadvantaged, including children
    with disabilities.
        We appreciate the funding for school infrastructure through the
    various COVID programs, ARPA, BIL, and IRA, however EPA gets a scant
    $50 million over 10 years from IRA to address indoor air. While the
    Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Education (ED), and CDC have
    far larger programs, none match EPA's knowledge and experience on the
    physical environment of schools and its impact on children. In fact,
    neither ED nor CDC have authorizations or in-house expertise on school
    facilities. To date, EPA's level of funding is embarrassingly small,
    considering the documented environmental problems in schools, and the
    lack of knowledge in communities and among education leaders on how to
    address those issues effectively.
        Of the $100 million annual funding that we recommend for EPA's
    indoor air program to improve school indoor air and related issues, we
    urge that half be provided through cooperative agreements to States,
    Tribes, cities, and nongovernmental organizations to provide ``hands-
    on'' technical assistance to schools, training, educational outreach,
    and programs to monitor and assess school environmental health
    conditions. State capacity to help schools varies significantly, and
    EPA funding and guidance can help States track and improve conditions
    for schools nationwide, with special attention to schools in poor and
    disadvantaged districts and communities of color, as well as rural-
    remote schools.
        This is your moment to make a big difference in children's lives.
    Put US EPA's proven expertise to work to improve health and learning
    outcomes for all children, especially those most disadvantaged or with
    disabilities. A nation that wants to stay competitive must invest in
    the next generation, its children.

        Thank you for your consideration of our request.

        Sincerely,

        21st Century School Fund
        Alaska Community Action on Toxics
        Allergy Standards Limited
        Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
        American Federation of Teachers
        American School Health Association
        Associated Sheet Metal & Roofing Contractors of CT
        Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Carrier
        Center for Cities + Schools, University of California-Berkeley
        Children's Environmental Health Network
        Children's Environmental Protection Alliance
        Coalition for Environmentally Safe Schools
        Coalition for Healthier Schools
        Collaborative for High Performance Schools
        ComingClean
        ConnectiCOSH Health Technical Committee Inc.
        Connecticut AFL-CIO
        Connecticut Education Association
        Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs
        EARTHDAY.ORG
        First Focus on Children
        Foundation for Fair Contracting of Connecticut
        Go Green Initiative
        Green Schools National Network
        Health Promotion Consultants
        Heathy Schools Caucus
        Healthy Schools Network
        iAIR Academy
        iAIR Institute
        International WELL Building Institute
        Maryland Children's Environmental Health Coalition [MD CEHC]
        MassCOSH--Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health
        National Association of Energy Service Comapanies
        National Association of School Nurses
        National Center for Healthy Housing
        National Education Association
        National PTA
        National Wildlife Federation
        New Jersey Association of Designated Persons
        NJ Work Environment Council
        PCBinschools.org
        Physicians for Social Responsibility Colorado
        Protect All Children's Environment
        Public Health--Seattle & King County
        Rayben Enterprises, Inc. dba Green Facility Solution
        Responsible Purchasing Network
        San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
        School-Based Health Alliance
        Selah Natural Medicine
        Society for Public Health Education
        Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education
        UConn Health and University of Connecticut's Indoor Air Quality
    Initiative
        WEACT for Environmental Justice
        Women for a Healthy Environment/Healthy Schools PA

        [This statement was submitted by Claire Barnett, Executive
    Director, Healthy Schools Network.]
                                     ______

            Prepared Statement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
        The undersigned organizations write to request your support for
    full funding of $15 million annually through Fiscal Year 2025 for the
    ``Grant Program for Losses of Livestock Due to Depredation by Federally
    Protected Species (Grant Program)'' (7 USC Sec. 8355). We find common
    ground in our work to reduce human-wildlife conflict and its impacts
    while supporting working landscapes that underpin rural economies and
    provide crucial wildlife habitat. We envision landscapes where people,
    livestock, and wildlife all thrive, where effective management
    practices reduce conflicts and economic solutions support resilient,
    biodiverse working lands.
        Given the expanding range of many large carnivores, including
    reintroduction efforts throughout their historic range, the need for
    additional wildlife-livestock conflict prevention work and livestock
    depredation compensation support for producers is rapidly increasing.
    At the same time, Federal funding to support non-lethal conflict
    prevention work and supplement State-level livestock depredation
    compensation funds has remained relatively flat, and nowhere near
    enough to meet the demand. This is evident in the Wolf Livestock Loss
    Demonstration Project Grant Program administered by the U.S. Fish and
    Wildlife Service (FWS) authorized in 2009, which continues to receive
    only $1 million annually in funding. This program provides grants to
    State agencies to administer non-lethal conflict prevention techniques,
    and supplement existing State programs that compensate producers for
    livestock loss, but is often nearly fully expended in only a handful of
    western States. Recognizing that this annual appropriation falls well
    short of the need, Congress authorized the Grant Program in the
    America's Conservation Enhancement Act of 2020.
        Working lands are where people and nature come together. Durable
    conservation requires wildlife management strategies that are informed
    by and supported by those living in wild and working landscapes.
    Building that support requires funding on the ground, and it also
    requires capacity in State and Federal agencies. Added capacity
    provided through the Grant Program to implement non-lethal conflict
    reduction methods will benefit both rural communities and wildlife,
    bringing us closer to our vision of healthy, connected landscapes
    through support for land stewards.

        Sincerely,

        American Sheep Industry Association
        Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
        Boone and Crockett Club
        Colorado Wool Growers Association
        Centennial Valley Association
        Defenders of Wildlife
        Greater Yellowstone Coalition
        Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission
        National Wildlife Federation
        Natural Resources Defense Council
        Madison Valley Ranchlands Group
        Northeast Washington Wolf-Cattle Collaborative
        Public Lands Council
        Rio Blanco Stockgrowers
        Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
        Rocky Mountain Front Ranchlands Group
        Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
        Upper Green River Cattlemen's Association
        Western Landowners Alliance
                                     ______

                Prepared Statement of the WateReuse Association
        Thank you for the opportunity to present our FY 2024 funding
    requests for programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection
    Agency (EPA). The WateReuse Association (WateReuse) urges you to meet
    the President's FY 2024 Budget Request of $25 million for the Pilot
    Program for Alternative Water Source Grants (33 U.S.C. 1300).
        WateReuse 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. WateReuse 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. Our mission is to
    advance safe and sustainable water supplies, to promote acceptance and
    support of recycled water, and to advocate for policies and funding
    that increase water reuse.
        According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    (NOAA), 40 U.S. States are experiencing moderate drought or worse.
    Droughts have brought severe conditions including wildfires, heat
    waves, severely depleted water sources, and reduced crop production.
    Despite recent rain events, in the West, conditions are at their driest
    point in 1,200 years and are worsening. In parts of Pennsylvania,
    Illinois, New England, and other regions across the country,
    communities are facing significant and even extreme drought conditions.
        As water supply and water quality challenges intensify, the Nation
    must 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.
        Water reuse is a long-standing practice in supply-constrained areas
    in the West. However, water reuse is also now common practice in other
    parts of the country, where communities are turning to reuse to
    recharge strained aquifers and meet other needs. The drivers for water
    reuse are many, including stringent discharge regulations and a need to
    reduce pollutant loads to receiving waters. Communities are also
    turning to reuse to manage a range of stormwater challenges.
        To help communities build resilient supplies and protect water
    quality, Congress authorized the Pilot Program for Alternative Water
    Source Grants as part of the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment
    and Jobs Act of 2021. Through the program, EPA will make competitive
    grants to state, interstate, and intrastate water resource development
    agencies to engineer, design, construct, and test alternative water
    source systems, including water reuse systems.
        By investing in the Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source
    Grants, Congress can begin to give communities in all 50 States plus
    the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico the tools and resources they
    need to protect public health and the environment, support economic
    development, and create long-term solutions for future generations.
              examples of water recycling from around the country
        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.
        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 and addressing affordability challenges
    related to imported water by saving more than $1.2 billion, or 74
    percent.
        In California's Chino Basin, local leaders developed the Optimum
    Basin Management Program (OBMP) to address the region's water
    challenges. 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, and restores instream flows and water quality in
    the Santa Ana River, returning a surface water supply and replenishing
    and improving water quality in the Chino Groundwater Basin.

        [This statement was submitted by Greg Fogel, WateReuse
    Association.]
                                     ______

            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) 2023 appropriations
    bill (H. Rpt. 117-400), the Federal agencies funded by the Interior
    bill were directed to provide appropriate feedback and decision
    rationale related to 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.
        Federal agencies should provide state, territorial, local, and
    Tribal government officials with accessible and clear information on
    available Federal resources and programs and the most effective
    utilization of those resources in disaster recovery. WGA has worked
    with Federal partners to improve interagency coordination on post-
    wildfire restoration work, including a roadmap of assistance available
    to communities affected by wildfire and identification of
    ``navigators'' to help communities prioritize post-wildfire restoration
    needs. Western Governors urge the Federal Government to prioritize the
    funding of these important needs, as they should have a positive effect
    on maximizing the value of restoration work and, more importantly,
    addressing the needs of communities affected by wildfire.
        Reducing wildfire risk also requires conducting active forest
    management at an unprecedented pace and scale. This, in turn, relies on
    a handful on enabling factors including a qualified land management
    workforce and infrastructure to transport and capitalize on the value
    of extracted biomass. Western Governors support certain findings within
    the USFS' 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy Roundtables Synthesis Report,
    including that subsidies are needed along with 10- to 20-year
    agreements for forest products in order to expand existing forest
    product infrastructure and markets. Western Governors laud the USFS'
    investments in forest health as part of their ten-year strategy to
    confront the wildfire crisis, and request continued funding for all
    aspects of wildfire risk reduction.
        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 funding for reasonable proactive management efforts to conserve
    species, including engaging stakeholders to implement early, voluntary
    conservation measures. WGA also believes Federal agencies should
    explore expanded use of detail positions and shared staff between State
    and Federal agencies to increase interagency coordination.
        States possess primary management authority over 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
    applaud the past funding for Federal agencies to advance state-
    supported programs and projects promoting voluntary migration corridor
    and habitat conservation and request that the subcommittee continue to
    appropriate these funds. Western 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 the Department of the Interior for FY23
    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
    presence 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 the subcommittee 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 has resulted in the degradation of 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. Western Governors encourage the subcommittee to
    continue funding BLM's implementation of the recommendations contained
    in these proposals.
        WGA remains concerned about the spread of invasive quagga and zebra
    mussels in the West, which continue to be a major threat to western
    water resources. Western Governors commend the inclusion of additional
    funding to address this ongoing threat in the FY23 Consolidated
    Appropriations Act and Inflation Reduction Act. Western Governors
    request that the BLM, FWS and NPS continue to 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. Relevant to
    this matter, Western Governors acknowledge the addition of the BLM and
    NPS to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF), and support
    funding to enable the ANSTF to carry out the report required in Sec.
    11327 of H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization
    Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Pub. L. 117-263). That report seeks to
    clarify Federal authority to manage and control aquatic invasive
    species on lands and waters under their jurisdiction.
        Western Governors applaud NPS for its efforts to preserve iconic
    landscapes, habitats and cultural resources. Western Governors are
    concerned, however, about the significant maintenance backlog affecting
    National Parks. Western Governors appreciate the funding authorized by
    the Great American Outdoors Act for priority deferred maintenance
    projects administered by Federal land management agencies and support
    ongoing NPS operations to address critical infrastructure needs and
    restore staff capacity.
        Data for water management and drought response planning is critical
    to western States. Western Governors appreciate the increased FY23
    funding for the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program
    administered by the U.S. Geological Survey and request continued
    funding for the program. 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 2021-10, Water Quality in the West,
    encourages adequate funding for SRFs. Western Governors appreciate the
    SRF appropriations and authorizations included in the Infrastructure
    Investment and Jobs Act and FY23 Consolidated Appropriations Act, and
    encourage the subcommittee to continue supporting these programs.
    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. Western Governors
    encourage 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. Federal agencies should also work
    within existing State authorities to address their groundwater-related
    needs and concerns. Western Governors urge the subcommittee 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
    important as smoke from an increasing number of wildfires causes air
    qualities to exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
    particulate matter and ozone, affecting public health, safety, and
    transportation. Western Governors' support full and consistent funding
    for Federal and State land managers for prescribed fires when weather
    and site conditions are appropriate and public health is protected.
        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 the
    subcommittee in discharging these critical and challenging
    responsibilities.

        [This statement was submitted by Jack Waldorf, Executive Director,
    Western Governors' Association.]
                                     ______

             Prepared Statement of the Western Landowners Alliance
        The Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) appreciates the opportunity
    to provide testimony regarding Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations
    for the Department of Interior. The following programs advance WLA's
    mission of sustaining working lands, connected landscapes and native
    species, and will bring increased support to the landowners, farmers
    and ranchers that form the foundation of rural communities and
    ecosystems in the West. Working lands are the future of conservation in
    the West. They are the last best pieces of intact, fertile, habitable
    open lands. They are the cornerstones of both human communities and the
    ecosystems we all depend on. And they are disappearing. The following
    investments, along with other additional forms of support across all
    levels of government and the private sector, are a necessary down
    payment on our shared economic and ecological future.
                         u.s. fish and wildlife service
        Candidate Conservation: In FY23 Omnibus, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service (FWS) received $15,037,000 for conservation and restoration
    activities under the Candidate Conservation budget line item. We
    appreciate Congress recognizing the importance of collaborative,
    partnership-driven and proactive species conservation long before the
    point of a potential Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing. This work
    has been historically underfunded and has often been funneled into
    other listing and consultation work. In explicitly protecting and
    providing these funds for the purpose of proactive work with States,
    private landowners and other partners, Congress has taken a prudent
    step toward addressing the ``emergency room'' type approach that often
    defines conservation under the ESA.
        In the President's FY24 Budget Request, the FWS notes that ``The
    Service will focus on increasing our capacity to work with landowners
    to develop conservation agreements... Additional capacity would allow
    the Service to stand up a specialized team that would simplify and
    accelerate the process for getting Section 10 permits and associated
    candidate conservation plans in place and functioning for working
    lands.'' We support this proposal. ESA Regulatory assurance agreements
    are a critical tool to ensure that landowners are not inadvertently
    burdened with additional regulations or restrictions as a result of
    conducting proactive conservation and habitat restoration efforts. At
    the same time, they are often incredibly complex, time consuming, and
    expensive to develop, putting this tool largely out of reach to the
    majority of landowners.
        At a minimum, maintaining FY23 funding levels for the Candidate
    Conservation line will allow the FWS to continue to work in partnership
    with landowners to improve both the function and accessibility of these
    agreements.
        Livestock Loss Compensation and Non-lethal Conflict Reduction:
    Through the America's Conservation Enhancement Act of 2020 (ACE Act),
    Congress authorized $15 million annually through FY25 for the ``Grant
    Program for Losses of Livestock Due to Depredation by Federally
    Protected Species (Grant Program)'' (7 USC Sec. 8355). The Grant
    Program would provide $10 million annually in grant funding to eligible
    State agencies for the purpose of supplementing existing State
    livestock depredation compensation funding, and $5 million annually for
    the purpose of implementing non-lethal wildlife-livestock conflict
    prevention practices in partnership with producers.
        Given the expanding range of many large carnivores, including
    reintroduction efforts throughout their historic range, the need for
    additional wildlife-livestock conflict prevention work and livestock
    depredation compensation support for producers is rapidly increasing.
    At the same time, Federal funding through the FWS to support this work
    has remained relatively flat ($1 million annually since 2009) and
    nowhere near enough to meet the demand. Recognizing this, Congress
    authorized the Grant Program through the ACE Act.
        This program is bipartisan, widely supported by livestock producers
    and conservation organizations, and much needed in the face of
    expanding conflicts between wildlife and livestock west-wide. With this
    in mind, please see the attached letter addressed to leadership of the
    House and Senate Appropriations Committees expressing support for full
    funding of the Grant Program.
                                   conclusion
        Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on these programs
    that, if funded, will recognize and expand the many societal and
    ecological contributions of working lands stewardship in the West.
    Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

        [This statement was submitted by Zach Bodhane, Policy Director,
    Western Landowners Alliance.]
                                     ______

                  Prepared Statement of the Wilderness Society
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding the
    FY24 Senate Interior Appropriations bill and process. On behalf of our
    one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society (TWS)
    respectfully urges Congress to sufficiently increase funding for the
    Department of the Interior (DOI) and the US Forest Service (USFS). When
    adequately funded, these agencies create jobs, foster climate
    resilience, and manage public lands and natural resources. Funding
    conservation priorities pays environmental and social dividends now and
    for future generations. Investing in these programs, without short-
    sighted corner cutting, saves taxpayer money and mitigates costly
    future harms. Proposed caps on discretionary spending at FY22 levels
    would have very real and damaging impacts on Federal agencies, the
    American people, and vital environmental work. Non-defense
    discretionary programs would face cuts of 22%, reducing DOI's budget to
    below FY16 levels.
        Congress should prioritize the following priorities to address
    critical programmatic funding needs in any appropriations package/
    legislation:
                        department of the interior (doi)
    Abandoned Mine Lands FY24 Request: at least $287 million

        Authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we request at
    least $287 million for the new hardrock Abandoned Mine Lands (AML)
    program. Between FY17-FY21, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
    estimated public lands agencies annually spent an average of $24
    million restoring hardrock mining-impacted lands and communities. The
    real funding needs of the program are estimated to be in the billions.
                         bureau of indian affairs (bia)
    Tribal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) FY24 Request: $12
    million

        Tribal Nations and communities continue to highlight barriers to
    accessing LWCF funding for conservation and recreation LWCF projects
    with the existing program requirements to partner with or apply through
    States. To strengthen Tribal land management, the FY24 President's
    Budget requested $12 million in discretionary unobligated LWCF funds
    for BIA to create a new Tribal LWCF land acquisition program. The new
    program would protect and conserve natural resource areas of cultural
    importance or that have significant recreational benefits for Tribal
    Nations and communities. This program would support Tribal sovereignty
    and self-determination and support Tribal co-stewardship.
                        bureau of land management (blm)
    Cultural Resources Account FY24 Request: at least $25 million

        We urge the subcommittee to provide at least $25 million (and
    increase of $4.9 million from FY23) for BLM's cultural resources
    management account to help BLM inventory and protect cultural
    resources, manage paleontological resources, and improve government-to-
    government consultation with Tribes. We also request the subcommittee
    include $1 million specifically for the National Cultural Resources
    Information Management System (NCRIMS) to support the ongoing
    collaboration with Western state historic preservation officers to
    standardize and integrate cultural resources data for BLM land.
    Finally, we encourage addressing the long-standing vacancies in key
    cultural resources positions stipulated in the BLM Tribal Relations
    Manual, including the National Curator/NAGPRA Coordinator, National
    Tribal Coordinator, and 10 of the 12 State office Tribal Coordinator
    positions.

    National Conservation Lands FY24 Request: at least $78 million

        The National Conservation Lands encompass more than 37 million
    acres of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas (NCAs), and
    similar designations, as well as Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas
    (WSAs). While we are grateful for the funding increase from the FY23
    Interior Appropriations bill, further investment is necessary to ensure
    BLM can properly manage this system of critical landscapes, complete
    and implement resource management plans, and rebuild staffing needed to
    do this work. We also recommend robust funding for National Scenic and
    Historic Trails, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, and wilderness areas
    that are part of the National Conservation Lands and funded through
    this account and other areas of the BLM's budget.

    Oil and Gas Management and Oversight FY24 Request: $174.5 million,
    including inspection fees

        We support the Administration's request of $174.5 million to
    enhance capacity, perform inspections, and implement the reforms
    enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act while enabling the continued
    permitting of renewable energy rights-of-way. We particularly support
    the agency's proposal to implement inspection fees pursuant to language
    proposed in the FY23 appropriations bill to cover the costs of BLM's
    inspection activities--including approximately 5,800 production
    inspections, 15,000 environmental inspections, and review of financial
    assurances. This would better align the onshore program with the
    offshore program and shift the cost burden of these critical
    inspections from communities to industry.

    Renewable Energy Management Program FY24 Request: $72.5 million

        Renewable energy proposals on public lands have increased
    dramatically in recent years. In 2022, BLM established 5 Renewable
    Energy Coordination Offices (RECOs) to process the increasing number of
    wind, solar, and geothermal applications. BLM anticipates a substantial
    need for construction and monitoring of RECOs permitting support
    through 2030 and beyond.
        BLM is working to increase staffing and capacity to prioritize and
    improve permitting coordination on many large-scale renewable energy
    projects. BLM's Renewable Energy Program is critical to advancing the
    Administration's goal to achieve 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on
    public lands by 2025, and the goal of a carbon pollution-free power
    sector by 2035.
                        fish and wildlife service (fws)
    National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) FY24 Request: $1.5
    billion for Operations and Maintenance (O&M); $42 million for the
    Conservation Planning Line Item

        The Refuge System is the largest network of public lands and waters
    dedicated to wildlife conservation in the world. However, current
    funding levels are insufficient to hire new biologists, visitor
    services staff, planning staff, law enforcement, and maintenance staff.
    After a decade of underinvestment, inflation, and soaring visitation,
    $1.5 billion is needed for Operations and Maintenance. Within that, we
    request $42 million for the Refuge System Conservation Planning line
    item. In FY23, this line item was only funded at $3.7 million even
    though 40% of refuges lack a current Comprehensive Conservation Plan
    (CCP). CCPs are crucial to achieving the conservation mission of the
    Refuge System, ensuring good governance, and fulfilling the purposes of
    each refuge unit.
                          national park service (nps)
    African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program FY24 Request: $3
    million

        Authorized in FY23, the African American Burial Grounds
    Preservation Program provides critical assistance to assistance to
    local partners to identify and preserve historic burial grounds. These
    segregated burial sites often failed to receive the type of maintenance
    and record-keeping that predominantly white burial grounds enjoyed,
    leaving many in a State of disrepair or inaccessibility.

    Every Kid Outdoors FY24 Request: $25 million

        Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) provides fourth graders and their families
    with free access to any national park for an entire year, helping
    millions of children build lifelong relationships with their public
    lands. However, the EKO program has never been funded by Congress,
    leaving EKO unable to reach its full potential of reaching all
    families.

    Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program FY24 Request: $130
    million

        Established by Congress in 2014 and funded through LWCF's State and
    Local Assistance Program, ORLP is a national competitive grant program
    that provides funding to urban communities to create new outdoor
    recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and forge connections
    between people and the outdoors in economically underserved
    communities.

        Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program FY 24
    Request: $15 million
        The RTCA program helps local communities and public land managers
    develop or restore parks, conservation areas, rivers, and wildlife
    habitats. The program bolsters community-led conservation and
    sustainable outdoor recreation projects. Through these projects, NPS
    has collaborated with more than 20,000 partners to create 1.3 million
    acres of parks, build 40,200 miles of trails, and conserve 22,400 miles
    of rivers in all 50 States and territories.

    US Forest Service (USFS)

        Capital Improvement and Maintenance--Trails FY24 request: $23
    million
        Recreational trails are the gateway to a wide range of activities
    in the National Forests. Trail use in the National Forests continues to
    grow, and with this growth comes an increase in trail maintenance
    needs. Funding the trails program at this requested level will help to
    address the agency's significant trial maintenance backlog.

        Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) FY24
    request: $80 million

        The CFLRP prioritizes holistic restoration at the landscape scale
    and has a track record of success. Congress should fully fund and
    expand the CFLRP to increase essential science-based forest restoration
    projects on public lands.

    Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) FY24 request: $32.4 million for
    program; $52.9 million for salary and expenses

        The FIA makes up the backbone of scientific knowledge on the
    current state of the Nation's forests. This information is critical to
    support sound policy and forest management decisions, and this
    requested increase reflects the many demands currently being placed on
    the program, despite inadequate resources for implementation.

    Joint Fire Sciences Program (JFSP) FY24 request: $50 million

        The JFSP is unique among Federal research programs in its focus on
    applied fire science through interagency partnerships. Fire and land
    managers from the Administration identify, with community and
    collaborator input, the most urgent research needs around fire
    management. The JFSP then competitively solicits the best proposals,
    and research findings are delivered to fire and land managers and
    practitioners through the JFSP-funded Fire Science Exchange Network.
    The JFSP, with only a modest budget, is highly efficient and effective
    at meeting the needs of fire practitioners.

    Land Management Planning, Assessment, and Monitoring FY24 request: $50
    million

        About one-third of management plans are over 20 years old and
    cannot provide adequate guidance in the era of climate change and
    unprecedented biodiversity loss. The 2012 planning rule was meant to
    speed up planning, engage communities, provide land designation
    opportunities, promote species recovery, and establish robust
    monitoring programs. Monitoring is essential to enable adaptive
    management in the face of changing conditions, but the National Forests
    System rarely has the funds needed to conduct adequate monitoring. We
    ask Congress to include report language that ensures 25% of planning
    funds is devoted to monitoring.

    Legacy Roads and Trails FY24 request: $100 million, including salaries
    and expenses

        The Legacy Roads and Trails program primarily addresses water
    quality problems caused by USFS' extensive road and trail network,
    particularly old logging roads. Decommissioning unneeded roads,
    restoring fish passage, and providing critically needed maintenance to
    system roads and trails is essential to protecting water quality,
    recreational opportunities, and economic benefits in our National
    forests and adjacent communities. Congress should increase funding for
    ecologically beneficial road improvements and decommissioning.

    Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness FY24 request: $94.367 million

        National Forests and Grasslands provide a great diversity of
    recreation opportunities, connecting the American public with nature in
    an unmatched variety of settings and activities. Funding at this level
    will give the agency the resources needed to continue providing these
    opportunities.

    Research and Development (R&D) Programs FY24 request: $80 million

        Restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems across National Forest
    System lands depends on robust R&D to generate knowledge and
    technologies that will help protect habitat and recover at-risk
    species. We ask that the subcommittee also include report language to
    encourage some of this funding to focus on science foundational to
    strategies to enhance the resilience of old-growth and mature forests
    to climate-induced changes in fire behavior.

    Watershed Restoration Action Plans (WRAPs) FY24 request: $50 million

        The Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) identifies and restores
    priority watersheds across National Forest System lands. Congress
    should provide robust funding for the implementation of WRAPs, which
    detail the specific activities needed to improve watershed health and
    drinking water quality as part of the WCF. Increased funding for WRAPs
    would allow watersheds that are degraded or at-risk to be returned to a
    properly functioning condition, while also creating well-paying rural
    jobs.

    Water Source Protection Plans (WSPP) FY24 request: $50 million

        The WSPP encourages watershed restoration partnerships between the
    Forest Service and downstream water users. National forests are the
    sources of clean drinking water for one in five Americans, yet the
    Forest Service lacks funding to work effectively with willing partners
    such as water utilities to fund and implement projects that protect
    people's water supplies.

    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementation

        We ask the Appropriations Committee to provide funding to ensure
    all agencies adequate capacity to conduct environmental reviews under
    NEPA. We know that, despite widespread claims, NEPA is not the reason
    for permitting delays, and a more inclusive and meaningful
    environmental review process can save time, money, and lead to better
    decisions. It is therefore critical that agencies receive adequate
    resources to staff the positions responsible for shepherding the
    environmental review process.
                                   conclusion
        TWS thanks the subcommittee for the opportunity to submit comments
    on the FY24 Senate Interior Appropriations bill. We ask the
    subcommittee to sufficiently fund these agencies and exclude anti-
    environmental riders in any FY24 appropriations bills.

    Sincerely,

    Lydia Weiss
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    Senior Director, Government Relations
    The Wilderness Society
                                     ______

            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 FY24 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 Endangered Species Recovery Grants Program
    accounts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the International
    Forestry program 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 world faces three existential crises, all caused by humankind:
    a pandemic of zoonotic origin, the loss of biodiversity, climate
    change. 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. Ecologically intact areas in and between
    protected areas support the well-being of millions, including
    Indigenous Peoples, and are critical to achieving the UN Sustainable
    Development Goals. Additional funding in the FY24 Interior
    appropriations bill for international conservation programs will be
    critical to address these crises and continue 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, resulting
    in 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. In
    one ongoing project supported with funding from the Turtle Conservation
    Fund, WCS is working with several partners to restore habitat in
    Indonesia for the Rote Island snake-necked turtle, which is extinct in
    the wild. With this support from FWS, WCS's Bronx Zoo recently sent 36
    zoo-bred to the Singapore Zoo as a major step toward the species'
    reintroduction into the wild.
        FWS-International Affairs-$5.1 Million Increase: 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.
        The President's budget proposes transferring the ePermitting
    program and the requisite funding of $7.5 million from IA, where it is
    currently managed, to its own line in the FWS budget. Because of this,
    the President's request for IA, $26.7 million, represents an actual net
    increase of $5.1 million above FY23. WCS asks that the subcommittee
    support this increase for the program so that IA can continue its
    efforts to conserve landscapes and vulnerable species and better
    address the crises facing the planet.
        In 2022, FWS IA launched the Species Conservation Catalyst Fund
    (SCCF), to serve as a 'conservation accelerator,' focusing on select
    species to fully map and understand threats along the wildlife
    trafficking chain and identify strategic points of intervention.
    Increased appropriations will support this fund to allow FWS IA to
    respond to evolving threats, identify species of greatest concern, and
    launch targeted, high impact projects to reverse the trajectory of
    population declines. The initial round of funding focused on saiga
    antelope and cheetah-two species highly vulnerable to overexploitation
    from illegal wildlife trade. The list of vulnerable species is ever
    increasing, and additional funding is critical for the SCCF to be
    nimble and responsive by adding new species and programs annually.
        The final bills for the last several years 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 worked with the Department and FWS on
    the development of these guidelines and urges the Committee to include
    funding to support their continued implementation and enforcement.
        FWS-Office of Law Enforcement-$104.4 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 to $104.4 million for the agency per the President's
    request. 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.
        FWS-Endangered Species Recovery Challenge Grants-$15 Million:
    Funding provided to the USFWS for recovery efforts of endangered
    species has been limited for decades. And although the Service has
    accomplished some great successes-recovery of the bald eagle and the
    brown pelican, for example-hundreds of species are in desperate need of
    help to prevent extinction. The Recovery Challenge Grants program
    provides matched funds from USFWS to support projects conducted by
    outside partners like zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association
    of Zoos and Aquariums to develop and implement recovery plans and high
    priority recovery actions for endangered species. With limited funding
    for recovery, it is more important than ever to invest Federal funding
    in programs that leverage the significant resources and expertise of
    outside partners to help the USFWS accomplish its objectives in the
    most effective way. Increasing funding for endangered species through
    the Recovery account and the Recovery Challenge Grant program
    specifically would recognize the positive impact this funding has had
    on recovery goals and encourage the continued prioritization of these
    important functions.
        USFS-International Forestry-$22 Million: WCS supports the
    President's request for $22 million for the International Forestry
    program (FS-IP). With estimates ranging broadly from $51 billion to
    $150 billion, the trade in illegal timber threatens the world's
    forests, reduces biodiversity, and severely affects countless local
    communities that rely on forests for food, employment, and wealth. The
    trade also affects the U.S. economy, which has lost approximately $1
    billion per year and over 200,000 jobs due to illegal logging. 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 resource management in countries of strategic
    importance to U.S. economic and national security. This work maintains
    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
    conserving the biologically rich Southern Forest Complex in the
    southern part of Myanmar. The region comprises tropical rain forests
    inhabiting globally endangered species like Indochinese tiger, Asian
    elephant, and Malayan tapir. Furthermore, about 600 kilometers of
    coastline edged with mangrove forests allows for a considerable variety
    of biodiversity, including marine species such as sea turtles and
    cetacean species such as whales and dugong. In this landscape, WCS
    promotes a participatory approach to landscape level land-use planning
    advocating for the establishment of a Community Based Conservation
    Corridor along the Myintmoletkhet range, supporting local communities
    to conduct biological monitoring surveys within their traditional
    village boundaries, within or around protected areas.
        USGS-Climate Adaptation Science Centers-$87.3 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 stream and ocean water temperatures, and
    extreme weather events are causing Federal, State, and local
    governments, 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 informational needs of natural
    and cultural resource managers; and better inform the DOI strategic
    priorities and mission areas with their supporting goals.
        WCS appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective and to
    make a case for modest increases in Federal investments in conservation
    in the FY24 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, Director of Federal
    Affairs.]
                                     ______

                   Prepared Statement of the Wildlife Society
        The Wildlife Society (TWS; wildlife.org) appreciates the
    opportunity to provide testimony concerning the FY 2024 budgets for the
    U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),
    and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (USFS). Founded in 1937, TWS
    represents approximately 15,000 wildlife professionals, including
    research scientists, biologists, managers, and students, with a mission
    to inspire, empower, and enable professionals to sustain wildlife
    populations and habitat through science-based management and
    conservation.
        Appropriations for the following programs within the jurisdiction
    of the subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will
    affect the current and future status of wildlife and wildlife
    professionals in North America. To enable the appropriate use of
    science within these programs and beyond, TWS respectfully requests the
    following programmatic funding in FY 2024.

                              FY 2024 Interior Appropriation Requests--The Wildlife Society

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                            FY 2023
                     Agency                           Program               Enacted       FY 2024 TWS
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    USGS                                     Climate Adaptation                 63.1 M          87.3 M
                                              Science Centers.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Cooperative Research               28.2 M            34 M
                                              Units.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             National Wildlife Health           *135 M             FWS
                                              Center Infrastructure
                                              Improvements.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FWS                                      National Wildlife Refuge          541.6 M           712 M
                                              System.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             State and Tribal Wildlife          73.8 M           100 M
                                              Grants.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Ecological Services......           269 M         384.5 M
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Cooperative Endangered             24.6 M            25 M
                                              Species Conservation
                                              Fund.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             NMBCA....................           5.1 M           9.9 M
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Partners for Fish and              60.3 M          79.7 M
                                              Wildlife.
                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Migratory Bird Joint               16.8 M            25 M
                                              Ventures.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    BLM                                      Wildlife Habitat                    149 M           162 M
                                              Management.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    no-year funding request appropriated until expended

                         u.s. geological survey (usgs)
        Within the Ecosystems Mission Area, the Climate Adaptation Science
    Centers program responds to regional wildlife, ecosystems, and
    community-based stakeholder needs in the face of a changing climate.
    Minor funding increases in recent fiscal years have allowed for
    increased program responsiveness and additional capacity to ensure
    Tribes have proactive opportunities to shape projects and distribution
    of resources. However, funding has not kept pace with identified needs,
    particularly in ensuring USGS has the resources to communicate
    scientific outputs to stakeholders to act on project findings. In FY
    2024, we recommend full implementation of the Administration's
    proposal, with a goal of reaching no less than $87.3 million.
        The Survey-wide National Wildlife Health Center located in Madison,
    WI is the Nation's only Federal BSL-3 facility exclusively dedicated to
    scientific investigation and research on wildlife diseases that
    threaten human, animal, and environmental health. TWS thanks Congress
    for providing $55 million in funding for phase one improvements to the
    National Wildlife Health Center in FY 2021. However, an estimated $135
    million in no-year funding is still required for project completion.
    The Center is making progress on the modernization plans and has
    awarded contracts for the building design and environmental assessment.
    The design is expected to be completed by October 2024, making FY 2024
    appropriations especially timely. Securing the remaining funding in FY
    2024 would be least disruptive option and would minimize the risk of
    rising costs due to inflation. TWS requests the remaining $135 million
    in funding, appropriated until expended, to complete these much-needed
    infrastructure improvements.
        The USGS Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Units (CRUs), which
    fosters federal, state, NGO, and academic partnerships to provide
    actionable science tailored to the needs of natural resource managers,
    plays a pivotal role in the implementation of State and Federal
    management decisions. The support of many State agencies, universities,
    and non-government organizations has allowed the program to be a model
    for cooperative natural resource science programming and leverage an
    average of three dollars in outside funds for every Federal dollar
    invested. The Wildlife Society thanks appropriators for their
    understanding of this need and the associated funding increases
    provided in FY 2023. In the past year, the program was able to
    establish a new unit in the State of Michigan and onboard 37 new unit
    scientists. Additional States have discussed the opportunity to host
    units responsive to their scientific needs, but have been limited by
    available Federal funding. The Wildlife Society requests an increase in
    funding to $34 million in FY 2024, which will allow the CRUs to build
    on these new partnerships and establish units in States that have long
    requested them.
                     u.s. fish and wildlife service (usfws)
        With 850 million acres of lands and waters in every U.S. state and
    territory, the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) plays a key role
    in the conservation of native species and connects Americans to
    recreation opportunities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and
    environmental education. Unfortunately, the current NWRS Operations and
    Maintenance (O&M) budget is nowhere close to meeting the needs of
    native species and the American public. In order to effectively
    conserve species on NWRS lands and align with the multiuse goals of the
    Refuge System, significant investments in O&M programming are required.
    Conservation planning, a core O&M subactivity that deals with the
    creation of multi-stakeholder Comprehensive Conservation Plans for
    refuge system units, has been chronically underfunded. As a result, 40
    percent of these congressionally mandated plans are either out of date
    or do not exist. In addition to inadequate funding for long-term
    planning, the NWRS has lacked funding to meet their own identified
    needs in bringing diverse audiences into USFWS programming. The Urban
    Wildlife Program, housed under NWRS O&M, seeks to target USFWS
    investments to underserved communities to bolster recreational access
    and conservation outreach. Through the Urban Wildlife Program, and the
    more than 100 refuges located less than 25 miles from a city center,
    NWRS is well-positioned to engage diverse constituencies in the
    conservation of our native species. Unfortunately, NWRS is not able to
    meet these needs given currently available funding. TWS urges Congress
    to consider the significant shortcomings of the operations and
    maintenance accounts of the National Wildlife Refuge System in FY 2024,
    and provide at least $712 million in funding to begin making inroads on
    adequate visitor services, habitat management activities, and long term
    conservation planning.
        The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program (STWG) is the Nation's
    only program that encourages development and implementation of State
    Wildlife Action Plans. Collectively, STWG funds support strong
    partnerships among federal, state, Tribal, private, and nonprofit
    entities that enable wildlife professionals to implement on-the-ground
    conservation activities that benefit over 12,000 at-risk species, with
    the goal of eliminating the need to list them under the Endangered
    Species Act. In FY 2010, appropriations were at $90 million for the
    program--allowing States to complete more of the projects deemed
    necessary for monitoring and management of at-risk species. Subsequent
    budget reductions in STWG, however, have not allowed this highly
    successful program to reach its full potential. TWS requests that
    Congress once again work to increase funding for the program to at
    least $100 million annually.
        Through the Ecological Services Program (ESP), USFWS works with
    diverse public and private partners to help identify species facing
    extinction, reduce threats to their populations, and return species
    back to the public trust responsibilities of States and Tribes.
    Wildlife professionals in USFWS are working on new strategies to
    increase efficacy of ESP, though the primary impediment to
    effectiveness remains inadequate funding. To effectively move species
    through all components of the ESA listing and delisting process, TWS
    requests full implementation of the Administration's FY 2024 request of
    no less than $384.5 million for all subactivities.
        States and territories are critical partners in the recovery of
    species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Cooperative
    Endangered Species Conservation Fund serves as a vital tool for States
    and territories to serve as equal partners in implementation of on-the-
    ground conservation practices that work towards species recovery. The
    Wildlife Society requests Congress allocate no less than the FY 2023
    USFWS funding level of $25 million to the Cooperative Endangered
    Species Conservation Fund in FY 2024.
        Since 2002, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA)
    has provided more than $80 million in grants to support 686 projects in
    43 countries. These grants have enabled partner entities and wildlife
    professionals to conserve approximately 400 migratory bird species
    across more than 5 million acres. Moreover, NMBCA has achieved a
    partner match ratio of nearly 4:1 despite requiring only a 3:1 match.
    The needs of U.S. migratory bird species and conservation efforts to
    keep these species common extends to landscapes far beyond U.S.
    borders. As a result, TWS recommends Congress increase funding to no
    less than $9.9 million in FY 2024 to achieve greater proactive
    conservation results under the NMBCA program.
        Further promoting USFWS' partnership with non-federal stakeholders
    is the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This program allows
    voluntary habitat restoration goals, aligned with identified strategic
    priorities, on private lands to be achieved through cost-efficient
    financial and technical assistance. If adequately funded, this program
    has the potential to serve as a vital tool in implementing private land
    conservation efforts and proactively conserving at-risk species prior
    to reaching the point of Endangered Species Act listing. TWS supports
    an increase in Partners for Fish and Wildlife program funding to no
    less than $79.7 million in FY 2024.
        The Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (MBJV), part of USFWS' Migratory
    Bird Management program, are locally-directed partnerships that develop
    and implement science-based habitat conservation strategies for all
    species of birds across North America. These partnerships have
    leveraged Federal funds at 31:1 to enhance and conserve over 27 million
    acres of avian habitat. The MBJV's Urban Bird Treaties grant program
    supports partnerships to conserve birds in urban environments by
    conserving nearby wetlands and creating parks for local communities to
    learn about wildlife. TWS supports $25 million in FY 2024 for the
    Migratory Bird Joint Ventures to enhance and promote the program's
    highly effective and collaborative partnerships.
                        bureau of land management (blm)
        The Wildlife Habitat Management program maintains and restores
    fish, wildlife, and their habitat across a large portion of America's
    western landscapes. This includes projects to balance effects of
    multiple public land uses, such as energy development and livestock
    grazing, with the needs of native species. This program also includes
    management of approximately 300 listed species under the Endangered
    Species Act. TWS recommends Congress support the Wildlife Habitat
    Management program with no less than the Administration request of $162
    million in FY 2024. Within the Wildlife Habitat Management line item,
    TWS also wants to emphasize our support for the Administration's
    request of $2 million in funding for Tribal co-stewardship of lands and
    waters that contain natural resources of significance to Tribal
    nations.
        The Wildlife Society recognizes free-ranging horses and burros in
    the U.S. as ecologically invasive, feral species. Free-ranging, legally
    designated ``wild'', horse and burro populations on BLM lands were
    estimated at over 82,000 individuals in March of last year, only the
    second estimated population decrease in a decade. While TWS has been
    pleased to see the BLM's increased use of gathers and adoptions,
    population estimates still exceed the agency's threshold for ecological
    sustainability by more than 55,000 animals. By the BLM's own estimates,
    it will take hundreds of millions of dollars and several years more to
    reach ecologically sustainable levels. TWS recommends support for the
    BLM in their efforts to employ all the tools at their disposal to
    achieve ecologically sustainable levels. Additionally, TWS requests the
    elimination of an annual appropriations rider limiting sale and/or
    destruction of unwanted or unadoptable horses and burros. This will
    allow for the flexibilities and long-standing protections to herd
    health as outlined in the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act
    to be implemented as originally outlined by Congress.

        [This statement was submitted by Don Yasuda, CWB, President, The
    Wildlife Society.]
                                     ______

                 Prepared Statement of the World Wildlife Fund
        Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony on the
    Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) 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 one million members in the
    United States and over 10 million supporters globally, WWF takes an
    approach that 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
    international conservation and law enforcement programs at the U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and
    urges continued support for these programs in FY24. U.S. investments in
    these programs are playing a critical role in addressing the
    biodiversity crisis and the loss, degradation, and over-exploitation of
    nature. According to WWF's 2022 Living Planet Report,\1\ population
    sizes of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians have declined
    by a shocking 69 percent on average since 1970, primarily due to human
    activities. Conservation investments are some of the clearest and most
    cost-effective solutions to reversing this trend and addressing the
    loss of nature and biodiversity, including through support provided by
    several important programs at the Department of the Interior. WWF
    requests the subcommittee to support funding for the following USFWS
    and USFS accounts at these levels in FY24:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \1\ WWF (2022) Living Planet Report 2022--Building a nature-
    positive society. Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M., Juffe Bignoli, D. &
    Petersen, T. (Eds). WWF, Gland, Switzerland. Available at: https://
    wwflpr.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/lpr_2022_full_report.pdf .

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      --$30 million for the Multinational Species Conservation Funds;

      --$26.7 million for US Fish and Wildlife Service International
            Affairs;

      --$104.4 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;

      --$22 million for US Forest Service International Programs;

      --WWF also requests that the subcommittee direct $2 million to
            support the recovery of the endangered black-footed ferret as
            part of significantly increased funding for the U.S. Fish and
            Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Ecological Services program.

        Modest investments in global conservation made through agencies
    such as USFWS and USFS have out-sized impact in protecting species and
    habitats in developing countries while supporting local communities,
    fostering stability and sustainable growth, combating transnational
    organized crime, ensuring U.S. competitiveness in global markets, and
    demonstrating U.S. leadership on global challenges. Several recent
    reports, including from the Council for Strategic Risks,\2\ detail that
    nature is in crisis and increasing rates of biodiversity loss globally
    are threatening severe consequences for our societies and 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 if
    nature is to continue providing the resources that we need. Secure food
    supplies, clean air and water, fertile soils, and well-functioning
    natural ecosystems 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--along with the wildlife
    populations they support--is also key to slowing and reversing global
    climate change and preventing spillover of new zoonotic pathogens that
    can cause future pandemics. For these reasons, U.S. investments in
    global conservation should be seen as essential elements of our foreign
    policy, development, and national security agendas and should be
    resourced commensurately.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \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/
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    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 programs provide dedicated support for habitat
    conservation, scientific research and monitoring, wildlife management,
    public education, anti-poaching, and wildlife-based tourism
    opportunities in developing countries. 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 4,500
    grants totaling $330 million, leveraging over $475 million in matching
    contributions from partners. Conservation needs continue to surpass
    available funding for these programs, which were reauthorized by
    Congress in 2019 and have consistently garnered significant constituent
    interest and received strong bipartisan support. For these reasons, WWF
    requests that the MSCF be fully funded at its authorized level of $30
    million in FY24, an increase of $9 million over the FY23 enacted level
    and $8 million over the President's Budget Request.
                          usfws international affairs
        The USFWS International Affairs (IA) division supports
    international efforts to protect species and their habitat, prevent
    wildlife trafficking and human-wildlife conflict, and build
    conservation capacity in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin
    America, including at a regional scale. The program supports 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 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 and is
    responsible for implementing the Convention on International Trade in
    Endangered Species (CITES), including related permitting, and other
    laws to address wildlife trade and trafficking, such as the END
    Wildlife Trafficking Act, which was reauthorized by Congress in 2022.
    Increased funding will support global efforts to prevent the spillover
    of zoonotic diseases to humans due to high-risk wildlife trade and
    other human-wildlife interactions, to upgrade technological systems,
    including those supporting USFWS permitting processes, and to provide
    resources needed to implement congressional directives on enhanced
    safeguards for these programs, given the often challenging places and
    social conditions in which they operate. The President's FY24 budget
    proposes transferring the ePermitting program and the requisite funding
    of $7.5 million out of International Affairs, where it is currently
    managed, over to its own line in the FWS budget. Because of this, the
    President's request of $26.7 million for USFWS-IA represents an actual
    net increase of $5.1 million above FY23. WWF requests that the
    subcommittee support the President's requested increase for the USFWS
    International Affairs program and fund it at $26.7 million in FY24.
                        usfws office of law enforcement
        USFWS Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) is central to combatting the
    illegal trade in natural resources, investigating wildlife crimes,
    enforcing wildlife trade and trafficking laws, and implementing the
    2008 Lacey Act amendments that prohibit trade in illegal plant and
    timber products, with OLE inspectors working 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 illicit profits while driving elephants, rhinos, and tigers and
    other trafficked species towards extinction. It also helps finance
    criminal syndicates and armed groups, including some with ties to
    terrorist activities, while increasing corruption and undermining rule
    of law in developing countries. Trafficking and unregulated trade in
    species that can transmit dangerous zoonotic pathogens also heightens
    the risk of zoonotic spillover that can lead to future pandemics. OLE
    works with law enforcement in developing countries and via broader
    regional efforts to improve wildlife crime investigations and
    enforcement and coordinate anti-trafficking operations across multiple
    countries and regions, which have disrupted global wildlife trafficking
    networks and resulted in large-scale seizures of illegal wildlife
    shipments and the arrest, prosecution, and sentencing of major wildlife
    traffickers. USFWS has been able to provide significant support to
    these activities through the stationing of law enforcement attaches in
    strategic countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Additional
    funding is needed to increase the number of OLE personnel playing this
    role in more countries as well as dedicated staff support 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. Increased resources will also allow OLE to
    fulfill its mandate to enforce the Lacey Act amendments of 2008. 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 as much as $1 billion annually.\3\
    Illegal timber trade is also a major driver of global deforestation,
    which exacerbates both climate change and the spillover of zoonotic
    diseases. In order to meet existing mandates and expand OLE's capacity
    in these areas, WWF requests $104.4 million for the USFWS Office of Law
    Enforcement in FY24, an increase of $12.3 million over the FY23 enacted
    level and level with the President's Budget Request. WWF also requests
    that $15 million of this amount be directed specifically towards
    implementing the 2008 Lacey Act amendments and efforts to prevent
    illegal timber trade.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        \3\ https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42119.pdf
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  usfws black-footed ferret recovery programs
        One of North America's most endangered mammals, the black-footed
    ferret was saved from extinction in the 20th century through captive
    breeding, population reintroductions, habitat protection, and disease
    mitigation. Once found throughout the North American Great Plains and
    intermountain west, ferret populations declined dramatically with
    widespread poisoning of prairie dogs (their primary prey) and the
    arrival of a non-native disease--sylvatic plague--in the early 1900s.
    Currently, a total of only 316 individuals exist in 15 populations in
    eight Western States. Recovering the species will require mitigating
    sylvatic plague, supporting land managers willing to host populations,
    and securing additional ferret reintroduction sites on private, public,
    and Tribal lands. Currently, no dedicated Federal funding exists to
    maintain black-footed ferrets in the wild. WWF requests $2 million
    specifically to support black-footed ferret recovery as part of
    increased funding for the USFWS Ecological Services program.
                    us forest service international programs
        Through its International Programs, the US Forest Service works to
    help partner countries improve forest management, including through
    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 combat invasive species and conserve 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 $22 million
    for US Forest Service International Programs in FY2024, level with the
    President's Budget Request.

        [This statement was submitted by Will Gartshore, Senior Director,
    Policy and Government Affairs.]
                                     ______

          LIST OF WITNESSES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND PREPARED STATEMENTS

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

    Alliance for the Great Lakes, Prepared Statement of the..........
      195............................................................
    American:
        Alliance of Museums, Prepared Statement of the...............
          196........................................................
        Circus Alliance, Prepared Statement of the...................
          199........................................................
        Hiking Society, Prepared Statement of........................
          200........................................................
        Institute of Biological Sciences, Prepared Statement of the..
          203........................................................
        Lung Association, Prepared Statement of the..................
          206........................................................
        Nuclear Society, Prepared Statement of.......................
          208........................................................
        Psychological Association, Prepared Statement of the.........
          209........................................................
        Rivers, Prepared Statement of

    Amin, Faisal, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Environmental
      Protection Agency..............................................
      93.............................................................
    Animal Welfare Institute, Prepared Statement of the..............
      215............................................................
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Prepared Statement of the.........
      218............................................................
    Association of:
        Air Pollution Control Agencies, Prepared Statement of the....
          220........................................................
        Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Prepared Statement of the........
          222........................................................
        State Drinking Water Administrators, Prepared Statement of
          the........................................................
          225........................................................
        Zoos and Aquariums, Prepared Statement of the................
          228........................................................

    Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Prepared Statement of.............
      231............................................................

    Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Prepared Statement
      of the.........................................................
      234............................................................
    Center for Invasive Species Prevention, Prepared Statement of the
      236............................................................
    Chemical Safety and Sustainability, Prepared Statement of the....
      239............................................................
    Chippewa:
        Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Prepared Statement
          of the.....................................................
          240........................................................
        Ottawa Resource Authority, Prepared Statement of the.........
          242........................................................
    Chugach Regional Resources Commission, Prepared Statement of the.
      245............................................................
    Coalition:
        for:
            American Heritage, Prepared Statement of the.............
              248....................................................
        to:
            Protect America's National Parks, Prepared Statement of
              the....................................................
              250....................................................
    Colorado:
        River:
            Basin Salinity Control Forum, Prepared Statement of the..
              253....................................................
            Basin Salinity Control Program, Prepared Statement of the

    Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Prepared Statement
      of the.........................................................
      257............................................................
    Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Prepared
      Statement of the...............................................
      260............................................................
    Conservation Fund, Prepared Statement of the.....................
      263............................................................
    Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, Prepared Statement
      of the.........................................................
      266............................................................
    Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, Prepared
      Statement of the...............................................
      268............................................................

    Defenders of Wildlife, Prepared Statement of.....................
      270............................................................
    Department for Professional Employees, Prepared Statement of the.
      274............................................................
    Dine Bi Olta School Board Association, Prepared Statement of the.
      274............................................................

    Entomological Society of America, Prepared Statement of the......
      277............................................................
    Environmental
        And Energy Study Institute, Prepared Statement of the........
          283........................................................
        Council of the States, Prepared Statement of the.............
          280........................................................

    Federation of State Humanities Councils, Prepared Statement of
      the............................................................
      285............................................................
    Feinstein, Senator Dianne, U.S. Senator From California,
      Questions Submitted by

    Fischer, Senator Deb, U.S. Senator From Nebraska, Questions
      Submitted by...................................................
      90.............................................................

    Geological Society of America, Prepared Statement of the.........
      288............................................................
    Great Lakes:
        Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Prepared Statement of...
          293........................................................
        Restoration Initiative, Prepared Statement of................
          291........................................................
    GreenLatinos, Prepared Statement of..............................
      296............................................................

    Haaland, Hon. Deb, Secretary, Department of the Interior:
        Prepared Statement of........................................
          42.........................................................
        Statement of.................................................
          33.........................................................
        Summary Statement of.........................................
          40.........................................................
    Heinrich, Senator Martin, U.S. Senator From New Mexico, Questions
      Submitted by...................................................
      185............................................................
    Historic Preservation Fund, Prepared Statement of................
      299............................................................
    Hoeven, Senator John, U.S. Senator From North Dakota, Questions
      Submitted by...................................................
      190............................................................
    Hopi Tribe, Prepared Statement of the............................
      302............................................................
    Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, Prepared Statement of 3.............
    Humane Society Legislative Fund and the Humane Society of the
      United States, Prepared Statement of...........................
      305............................................................

    Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Prepared Statement of the.............
      308............................................................

    Kalispel Tribe of Indians, Prepared Statement of the

    Land and Water Conservation Fund, Prepared Statement of the......
      315............................................................
    League of American Orchestras, Prepared Statement of the.........
      317............................................................
    Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Prepared Statement of the
      319............................................................

    Medical Library Association and Association of Academic Health
      Sciences Libraries, Prepared Statement of......................
      321............................................................
    Merkley, Senator Jeff, U.S. Senator From Oregon, Opening
      Statement of

    Metlakatla Indian Community, Prepared Statement of the...........
      325............................................................
    Moore, Mr. Randy, Chief, U.S. Forest Service:
        Prepared Statement of........................................
          7..........................................................
        Statement of.................................................
          1..........................................................
        Summary Statement of.........................................
          6..........................................................
    Murkowski, Senator Lisa, U.S. Senator From Alaska:
        Questions Submitted by.......................................
          186........................................................
        Statement of

    Murray, Senator Patty, U.S. Senator From Washington, Statement of

    National:
        Association of:
            Abandoned Mine Land Programs, Prepared Statement of the..
              328....................................................
            Clean Air Agencies, Prepared Statement of................
              334....................................................
            Clean Water Agencies, Prepared Statement of..............
              331....................................................
            State Energy Officials, Prepared Statement of the........
              337....................................................
            State Foresters, Prepared Statement of the...............
              338....................................................
            Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Prepared Statement
              of.....................................................
              342....................................................
        Endowment for the Arts, Prepared Statement of the

        Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Prepared Statement of the......
          349........................................................
        Humanities Alliance, Prepared Statement of the...............
          352........................................................
        Indian Health Board, Prepared Statement of the...............
          354........................................................
        Parks Conservation Association, Prepared Statement of........
          357........................................................
        Trust for Historic Preservation, Prepared Statement of the...
          360........................................................
        Wildlife:
            Refuge:
                Association, Prepared Statement of...................
                  363................................................
                System, Prepared Statement of

    Natural Science Collections Alliance, Prepared Statement of the..
      367............................................................
    Nature Conservancy, Prepared Statement of the....................
      369............................................................
    Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, Prepared Statement of.....
      372............................................................
    Newland, Hon. Bryan, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs:
        Prepared Statement...........................................
          151........................................................
        Statement of.................................................
          143........................................................
        Summary Statement............................................
          148........................................................
    Nez Perce Tribe, Prepared Statement of the.......................
      373............................................................
    Nisqually Indian Tribe, Prepared Statement of....................
      376............................................................
    Northwest:
        Indian Fisheries Commission, Prepared Statement of...........
          378........................................................
        Portland Area Indian Health Board, Prepared Statement of.....
          381........................................................
    Norton Sound Health Corporation, Prepared Statement of...........
      384............................................................

    Office of:
        Navajo Hopi Indian Relocation, Prepared Statement of.........
          389........................................................
        Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Prepared
          Statement of...............................................
          392........................................................
    Oregon Water Resources Congress, Prepared Statement of

    Outdoor Alliance, Prepared Statement of..........................
      387............................................................

    Pacific Salmon Commission, Prepared Statement of the.............
      400............................................................
    Pinon Community School, Prepared Statement of....................
      402............................................................
    Preservation Action, Prepared Statement of.......................
      404............................................................
    Pueblo of:
        Acoma, Prepared Statement of.................................
          407........................................................
        Santa Clara, Prepared Statement of...........................
          410........................................................
    Ramah Navajo School Board, Prepared Statement of.................
      413............................................................
    Recording Academy, Prepared Statement of the.....................
      416............................................................
    Regan, Hon. Michael S., Administrator, Environmental Protection
      Agency:
        Prepared Statement of........................................
          110........................................................
        Statement of.................................................
          93.........................................................
        Summary Statement of.........................................
          108........................................................

    Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium,
      Prepared Statement of..........................................
      416............................................................
    Society:
        for:
            American Archaeology, Prepared Statement of the..........
              418....................................................
        of:
            American Foresters, Prepared Statement of the............
              421....................................................
    Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Prepared Statement of
      the............................................................
      424............................................................
    Squaxin Island Tribal Leadership, Prepared Statement of the......
      425............................................................

    Tester, Senator Jon, U.S. Senator From Montana, Question
      Submitted by...................................................
      185............................................................
    Tso, Roselyn, Director, Indian Health Services:
        Prepared Statement of........................................
          159........................................................
        Statement of.................................................
          158........................................................

    United States Environmental Protection Agency, Prepared Statement
      of.............................................................
      428............................................................
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Prepared Statement of the........
      430............................................................

    Van Hollen, Senator Chris, U.S. Senator From Maryland, Questions
      Submitted by...................................................
      89.............................................................

    WateReuse Association, Prepared Statement of the.................
      431............................................................
    Western:
        Governors' Association, Prepared Statement of the............
          432........................................................
        Landowners Alliance, Prepared Statement of the...............
          435........................................................
    Wilderness Society, Prepared Statement of the....................
      436............................................................
    Wildlife:
        Conservation Society, Prepared Statement of the..............
          440........................................................
        Society, Prepared Statement of the...........................
          443........................................................
    World Wildlife Fund, Prepared Statement of the...................
      446............................................................

                                 SUBJECT INDEX

                                  ----------

                          UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE

                                                                       Page

    Additional Committee Questions...................................
      31.............................................................
    Confronting the Wildfire Crisis..................................
      9..............................................................
    Ensuring Equitable Access to and Benefits from the National
      Forest System..................................................
      9..............................................................
    Leveraging Additional Funding Authorities........................
      10.............................................................
    Management Strategy..............................................
      9..............................................................
                                   __________

                           DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

    2024 Legislative Proposals.......................................
      42.............................................................
    Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalizaion.......................
      85.............................................................
    Additional Committee Questions...................................
      88.............................................................
    Advancing Indian Education.......................................
      45.............................................................
    Alaska Native Vietnam Vets Allotment Program.....................
      79.............................................................
    Approval of Premits to Drill.....................................
      72.............................................................
    America the Beautiful Initiative
      61
    Building Agency Capacity.........................................
      53.............................................................
    Chesapeake Bay...................................................
      70.............................................................
    Creating Jobs and Meeting Energy and Environmental Challenges....
      48.............................................................
    Conventional Energy..............................................
      50.............................................................
    Conservation and Healthy Lands...................................
      47.............................................................
    DOI-Wide Drought Efforts.........................................
      61.............................................................
    Endangered Species Listing.......................................
      77.............................................................
    Environmental Permitting.........................................
      64.............................................................
    Federal Oil and Gas Lease Sales..................................
      72.............................................................
    Fish Hatcheries..................................................
      87.............................................................
    Fort Belknap Water Settlement....................................
      76.............................................................
    GAOA: Legacy Restoration Fund....................................
      85.............................................................
    Great Lakes Restoration Initiative...............................
      65.............................................................
    Increasing Representation and Inclusion..........................
      52.............................................................
    Indian Affairs Section 105(1) Lease Program......................
      57.............................................................
    Interior's Workforce and Infrastructure..........................
      53.............................................................
    Investing in:
        Technology and Information Management........................
          54.........................................................
        Tribal Communities...........................................
          44.........................................................
    King Cove, Alaska................................................
      57.............................................................
    Klamath Ecosystem................................................
      87.............................................................
    Leveraging Science...............................................
      48.............................................................
    Meeting Financial Tribal Trust Responsibilities..................
      45.............................................................
    Monarch:
        Butterflies..................................................
          78.........................................................
        Monarch Butterfly............................................
          81.........................................................
    Moving Forward With Clean Energy.................................
      49.............................................................
    National:
        Heritage Areas...............................................
          67.........................................................
        Park Service Staffing........................................
          82.........................................................
    NPS Cheasapeake Bay Office.......................................
      71.............................................................
    Offshore Wind in Maryland........................................
      71.............................................................
    Ongoing Commitment to Diversity and Equity.......................
      52.............................................................
    On Shore Oil and Gas Production..................................
      73.............................................................
    Park Employee Housing............................................
      82.............................................................
        And Recruitment..............................................
          66.........................................................
    Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion of Underserved
      Communities....................................................
      51.............................................................
    Public Safety on Tribal Lands....................................
      55.............................................................
    Reclamation Jobs.................................................
      51.............................................................
    Salmon Hatcheries................................................
      60.............................................................
    Section 7 Consultations..........................................
      84.............................................................
    Strengthening Tribal Nations.....................................
      44.............................................................
    Supporting Community Resilience..................................
      46.............................................................
    Tribal:
        Land and Water Conservation Fund Program.....................
          80.........................................................
        Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention....................
          76.........................................................
        Public Safety................................................
          74.........................................................
    U.S. Park Police, and NPS Special Agents.........................
      53.............................................................
    Warrior Met Coal Permit..........................................
      67.............................................................
    Western Oregon Operating Plan....................................
      85.............................................................
    Wildland Fire Reforms............................................
      45.............................................................
                                   __________

                        ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

    Achieving Clean and Safe Water for All Communities...............
      111............................................................
    Additional Committee Questions...................................
      137............................................................
    Continuing to Restore EPA's Core Capacity and Following the
      Science........................................................
      113............................................................
    Elevating Environmental Justice..................................
      113............................................................
    Enforcing Environmental Laws.....................................
      111............................................................
    Ensuring:
        Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities....................
          111........................................................
        The Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment.......
          112........................................................
    Safeguarding and Revitalizing Communities........................
      112............................................................
    Tackling the Climate Crisis......................................
      110............................................................
    The FY 2024 President's Budget Request...........................
      110............................................................
                                   __________

                             INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES

    105L Leases......................................................
      168............................................................
    Additional Committee Questions...................................
      184............................................................
    Advance:
        Economic Opportunities.......................................
          155........................................................
        Indian Trust Ownership and Improve Indian Trust-Related
          Information................................................
          154........................................................
    Bureau of:
        Indian:
            Affairs and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian
              Affairs................................................
              152....................................................
            Education................................................
              156....................................................
        Trust Funds Administration...................................
          157........................................................
    Casework Response................................................
      169............................................................
    Capacity Building................................................
      155............................................................
    Community Health Aid Program.....................................
      170............................................................
    Contract Support Costs...........................................
      172............................................................
    Covid-19 Response and Future Emergency Preparedness..............
      164............................................................
    CSC and 105L Leases

    Education:
        Construction.................................................
          157........................................................
        Management...................................................
          156........................................................
    Funding Flat With Fiscal Year 2022...............................
      165............................................................
    Gallup Indian Medical Center Replacement.........................
      169............................................................
    Infrastructure Investment........................................
      155............................................................
    Invest in Climate Resilience, Natural Resource Management and
      Costewardship..................................................
      154............................................................
    Land and Water Claims Settlements................................
    Leadership Priorities............................................
      160............................................................
    Long-Term Funding Solutions......................................
      161............................................................
    Loan Repayment Program...........................................
      175............................................................
        Mandatory....................................................
          162........................................................
    Mandatory Funding IHS............................................
      173............................................................
    Modernizing Critical Infrastructure..............................
      163............................................................
    Nurse Preceptorship Program......................................
      173............................................................
    OMB VS. CBO Scorces..............................................
      168............................................................
    Operation of Indian:
        Education Programs...........................................
          156........................................................
        Programs.....................................................
          152........................................................
    Prioritizing High Quality Health Care............................
      162............................................................
    Protect and Support Safe Tribal Communities......................
      153............................................................
    Promote Tribal Self-Determination................................
      153............................................................
    Recent Accomplishments...........................................
      151............................................................
    Strengthen Tribal Communities....................................
      153............................................................
    Supporting Self-Determination....................................
      164............................................................
    Vacancies/Recruitment and Retention..............................
      182............................................................
    Water Infrastructure/Warm Springs................................
      170............................................................
    Unobligated Balances.............................................
      183............................................................

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