[House Report 118-581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 118-581
======================================================================
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2025
_______
July 11, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Simpson of Idaho, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 8998]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the
Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.
INDEX TO BILL AND REPORT
Page number
Bill Report
Title I--Department of the Interior........................ 2 16
Title II--Environmental Protection Agency.................. 86 63
Title III--Related Agencies................................ 112 80
Department of Agriculture.......................... 112 80
Department of Health and Human Services............ 132 92
Council on Environmental Quality and Office of
Environmental Quality.......................... 144 99
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board..... 144 100
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation........ 145 100
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native
Culture and Arts Development................... 146 101
Smithsonian Institution............................ 147 101
National Gallery of Art............................ 149 102
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts..... 151 102
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars... 152 103
National Endowment for the Arts.................... 152 103
National Endowment for the Humanities.............. 152 104
Commission of Fine Arts............................ 154 106
National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs......... 155 106
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.......... 155 107
National Capital Planning Commission............... 155 107
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum............ 155 107
United States Semiquincentennial Commission........ 156 108
Title IV--General Provisions............................... 157 109
House of Representatives Reporting Requirements.... 122
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee has jurisdiction over a diverse group of agencies
responsible for managing Federal lands and national parks,
protecting the environment, reinforcing the Federal commitments
to honor our trust and treaty responsibilities to American
Indians and Alaska Natives, and supporting the arts and
humanities. The activities of these agencies are integral to
the operations of our government.
The bill provides a total of $38,478,000,000 in
discretionary budget authority for fiscal year 2025 which is
$72,000,000 below the fiscal year 2024 level and $4,407,332,000
below the President's budget request. The bill also rescinds
$55,000,000 of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds for the
National Park Service that have been designated for the
Presidio Trust.
Within the level of funding provided, the bill fully funds
the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and prioritizes
funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management, including
permanently addressing wildland firefighter pay.
The bill provides $2,812,709,000 for the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA), which is $356,074,000 or nearly 15 percent above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. Within this funding, the
bill prioritizes Public Safety and Justice activities by
providing an additional $190,477,000--or 34 percent increase--
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. The bill also
provides $1,469,083,000 for the Bureau of Indian Education
(BIE) and $8,561,647,000 for the Indian Health Service (IHS) in
funding available in fiscal year 2025. In addition, the bill
provides a fiscal year 2026 advance appropriations of
$5,975,175,000 for the Indian Health Service.
The bill provides a $176,696,000 discretionary increase for
the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of the
Interior and the U.S. Forest Service, which includes over
$330,000,000 to support a permanent pay fix and job series for
Federal wildland firefighters. The bill funds base fire
suppression resources consistent with the Stephen Sepp Wildfire
Suppression Funding and Forest Management Activities Act
instead of as an emergency, as was proposed in the President's
budget request.
In order to fund these priorities at necessary levels, the
Committee has reduced funding for the majority of accounts in
the bill. This includes a $1,788,779,000 or 20 percent
reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) below
the fiscal year 2024 level.
In addition to limiting spending, the bill includes several
provisions to rein in the activities of the Administration. For
example, the bill continues language from previous years to:
Prohibit funds for EPA to impose mandatory
reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from manure
management systems.
Prohibit funds to regulate the lead content
of ammunition or fishing tackle under the Toxic
Substances Control Act or any other act.
Prohibit funds for EPA to implement
permitting requirements for livestock emissions under
the Clean Air Act.
Require the Administration to implement
policies that reflect the carbon neutrality of forest
biomass.
Restrict funding for acquisition of lands or
interests in lands from being used for declarations of
taking or complaints in condemnation.
Prohibit funds for computer networks unless
it blocks access to pornography.
Require the use of American iron and steel
in EPA safe drinking water projects.
And the bill adds new provisions to:
Block restrictions on hunting, fishing, and
recreational shooting on Federal lands.
Require the Secretary of the Interior to
issue 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing programs on
time; conduct lease sales in the Central Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning
Area, and in the Alaska region; and conduct Lease Sale
262.
Reinstate leases for critical minerals.
Block EPA's car regulations on light,
medium, and heavy-duty vehicles.
Provide continued access to our public lands
by blocking the Bureau of Land Management's
``Conservation and Landscape Health'' rule and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's ``National Wildlife Refuge
System; Biological Integrity, Diversity, and
Environmental Health'' (BIDEH) rule.
Ensure that ancillary mining activities,
including exploration operations and construction of a
mine access road, are permitted with or without the
discovery of a valuable mineral deposit (Rosemont
decision).
Improve forest management by addressing the
Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. United States
Forest Service decision.
Prohibit funds to consider the social cost
of carbon.
Clarify pesticide labeling.
REPROGRAMMING GUIDELINES
The following are the procedures governing reprogramming
actions for programs and activities funded in the Department of
the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act. The agencies funded in this Act are reminded that these
reprogramming guidelines are in effect, and must be complied
with.
Definitions.--``Reprogramming'' as defined in these
procedures, includes the reallocation of funds from one budget
activity, budget line-item, or program area to another within
any appropriation funded in this Act.
For construction, land acquisition, and forest legacy
accounts, a reprogramming constitutes the reallocation of
funds, including unobligated balances, from one construction,
land acquisition, or forest legacy project to another such
project.
A reprogramming shall also consist of any significant
departure from the program described in the agency's budget
justifications. This includes all proposed reorganizations or
other workforce actions detailed below which affect a total of
10 staff members or 10 percent of the staffing of an affected
program or office, whichever is less, even without a change in
funding. Any change to the organization table presented in the
budget justification shall also be subject to this requirement.
Agencies are reminded that this bill continues longstanding
General Guidelines for Reprogramming that require agencies
funded by this Act to submit reorganization proposals for the
Committees' review prior to their implementation. It is noted
that such reprogramming guidelines apply to proposed
reorganizations, workforce restructure, reshaping, transfer of
functions, or bureau-wide downsizing and include closures,
consolidations, and relocations of offices, facilities, and
laboratories. In addition, no agency shall implement any part
of a reorganization that modifies regional or State boundaries
for agencies or bureaus that were in effect as of the date of
enactment of this Act unless approved, consistent with the
General Guidelines for Reprogramming procedures specified
herein. Any such reprogramming request submitted to the
Committee shall include a description of anticipated benefits,
including anticipated efficiencies and cost-savings, as well as
a description of anticipated personnel impacts and funding
changes anticipated to implement the proposal.
General Guidelines for Reprogramming.--
(a) A reprogramming should be made only when an
unforeseen situation arises, and then only if
postponement of the project or the activity until the
next appropriation year would result in actual loss or
damage.
(b) Any project or activity, which may be deferred
through reprogramming, shall not later be accomplished
by means of further reprogramming, but instead, funds
should again be sought for the deferred project or
activity through the regular appropriations process.
(c) Except under the most urgent situations,
reprogramming should not be employed to initiate new
programs or increase allocations specifically denied or
limited by Congress, or to decrease allocations
specifically increased by the Congress.
(d) Reprogramming proposals submitted to the
Committee for approval will be considered as
expeditiously as possible, and the Committee remind the
agencies that in order to process reprogramming
requests, adequate and timely information must be
provided.
Criteria and Exceptions.--A reprogramming must be submitted
to the Committee in writing prior to implementation if it
exceeds $1,000,000 annually or results in an increase or
decrease of more than 10 percent annually in affected programs
or projects, whichever amount is less, with the following
exceptions:
(a) With regard to the Tribal priority allocations
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of
Indian Education (BIE), there is no restriction on
reprogrammings among these programs. However, the
Bureaus shall report on all reprogrammings made during
a given fiscal year no later than 60 days after the end
of the fiscal year.
(b) With regard to the EPA, the Committee does not
require reprogramming requests associated with the
States and Tribes Partnership Grants or up to a
cumulative total of $5,000,000 from carryover balances
among the individual program areas delineated in the
Environmental Programs and Management account, with no
more than $1,000,000 coming from any individual program
area. No funds, however, shall be reallocated from
individual Geographic Programs.
(c) With regard to the National Park Service (NPS),
the Committee does not require reprogramming requests
associated with the park base within the Park
Management activity in the Operation of the National
Park System Account. The NPS is required to brief the
Committee on spending trends for the park base not
later than 60 days following the enactment of this Act.
Assessments.--``Assessment'' as defined in these procedures
shall refer to any charges, reserves, or holdbacks applied to a
budget activity or budget line-item for costs associated with
general agency administrative costs, overhead costs, working
capital expenses, or contingencies.
(a) No assessment shall be levied against any
program, budget activity, subactivity, budget line-
item, or project funded by the Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act unless such
assessment and the basis therefore are presented to the
Committee in the budget justifications and are
subsequently approved by the Committee. The explanation
for any assessment in the budget justification shall
show the amount of the assessment, the activities
assessed, and the purpose of the funds.
(b) Proposed changes to estimated assessments, as
such estimates were presented in annual budget
justifications, shall be submitted through the
reprogramming process and shall be subject to the same
dollar and reporting criteria as any other
reprogramming.
(c) Each agency or bureau which utilizes assessments
shall submit an annual report to the Committee, which
provides details on the use of all funds assessed from
any other budget activity, line-item, subactivity, or
project.
(d) In no case shall contingency funds or
assessments be used to finance projects and activities
disapproved or limited by Congress or to finance
programs or activities that could be foreseen and
included in the normal budget review process.
(e) New programs requested in the budget should not
be initiated before enactment of the bill without
notification to, and the approval of, the Committee.
This restriction applies to all such actions regardless
of whether a formal reprogramming of funds is required
to begin the program.
Quarterly Reports.--All reprogrammings between budget
activities, budget line-items, program areas, or the more
detailed activity levels shown in this bill, including those
below the monetary thresholds established above, shall be
reported to the Committee within 60 days of the end of each
quarter and shall include cumulative totals for each budget
activity or budget line-item, or construction, land
acquisition, or forest legacy project.
Legacy.--Lands shall not be acquired for more than the
approved appraised value, as addressed in section 301(3) of
Public Law 91- 646, unless such acquisitions are submitted to
the Committee for approval in compliance with these procedures.
Land Exchanges.--Land exchanges, wherein the estimated
value of the Federal lands to be exchanged is greater than
$1,000,000, shall not be consummated until the Committee has
had 30 days in which to examine the proposed exchange. In
addition, the Committee shall be provided advance notification
of exchanges valued between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
Budget Structure.--The budget activity or line-item
structure for any agency appropriation account shall not be
altered without advance approval of the Committee.
OTHER COMMITTEE DIRECTION
Access to Hardrock Minerals.--The United States is
increasingly reliant upon foreign sources for many of the raw
materials needed for our economic and national security.
Additionally, the share of global investments in U.S. mining
projects has dropped precipitously in the last two decades.
Misguided goals by this Administration to conserve 30 percent
of the nation's land and waters by 2030 adds to regulatory
uncertainty for new mining claims and discoveries. Therefore,
the Committee supports continued access to our nation's public
lands to obtain important raw materials, especially in areas of
moderate-to-high mineral potential that will yield resources
that are increasingly essential to our U.S. manufacturers and
critical to our energy and national security sectors.
Additionally, the Committee emphasizes that any
recommendations made by the Interagency Working Group on Mining
Regulations, Laws, and Permitting (87 Fed. Reg. 18811) report,
entitled ``Recommendations to Improve Mining on Public Lands,''
released September 2023, will not impede the development of
domestic mineral resources in a timely, safe, and
environmentally sustainable manner.
Acreage Treated.--The Committee recognizes the Department
of the Interior and the Forest Service's intention to moving
beyond acreage treated as a performance metric towards outcome-
focused measurements that accurately reflect the impact of the
agencies' forest restoration work on wildfire risk reduction
and ecosystem resilience. The Committee believes that utilizing
proven, existing, commercially available advanced decision
support tools and analytics are important for accomplishing
this task and evaluating the real-world outcomes of forest
treatments and ensuring Federal investments yield the highest
returns in terms of risk mitigation and ecosystem health. The
Committee directs the Forest Service, in coordination with the
Department of the Interior, to provide the Committee an update
not later than 45 days following the enactment of this Act
regarding how the agencies will report on outcomes beyond acres
treated and what decision support tools, especially those that
are already commercially available, are needed to accomplish
this task.
Advertising.--The Committee directs all agencies to include
advertising contracting information in its fiscal year 2026
budget justification, including total obligations in fiscal
year 2024 and expected obligations for fiscal years 2025 and
2026 for advertising services, and contracts for the
advertising services with small businesses. For small
businesses, both prime contracts and subcontracts, the agency
shall identify obligations associated with small businesses,
small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned
small businesses, women owned small businesses, and HUBZone
small businesses. The agency shall also report if it has met
its small business goals in each of these categories in fiscal
year 2024.
Bighorn Sheep.--The Committee is aware that the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) use the Western
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' occupied bighorn
habitat maps, telemetry data, and recent bighorn observations
in conducting Risk of Contact analyses and that risk of contact
models are currently being run on a State-wide basis where
sufficient data exists. The Committee directs the agencies to
complete Risk of Contact analyses using the Western Association
of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' data. The Committee expects the
agencies to continue to share findings transparently and
promptly with other Federal land management agencies, State and
local governments, State wildlife agencies, and State and
Federal animal health professionals, including the Agricultural
Research Service, permittees, and stakeholders. The Committee
further directs the Forest Service and BLM to engage the
Agricultural Research Service and the aforementioned
cooperating agencies and participants to ensure the best
professional scientific understanding of where and if disease
transmission occurs, and the degree of that risk, before making
further management decisions that impact permittees.
Bird Collisions on Federal Property.--The Committee
encourages all agencies funded by this Act to continue to
advance best practices to enhance protections for avian species
and continues direction provided in House Report 117-400
regarding bird collisions.
Cost of Litigation and Lack of Transparency.--The Committee
is concerned that many of the legitimate goals of the Forest
Service, EPA and the Department of the Interior jurisdiction
are undermined by litigation filed in an effort to shift land
management decisions from the agencies to the courts,
regardless of merit. It is apparent that many activist groups
are using the Federal court system to stop any activities they
do not support.
The Committee is also concerned with litigation costs
funded with agency discretionary appropriations and
settlement's funded through the mandatory Judgment Fund.
Accordingly, the Committee directs the Department of the
Interior, EPA, and the Forest Service to make publicly
available, and include with each agency's annual budget
submission thereafter, the following information: detailed
reports on the amount of discretionary program funds used;
detailed reports on the amount of mandatory funds from Judgment
Fund; the names of the fee recipients; the names of the Federal
judges; the disposition of the applications (including any
appeals of action taken on the applications); and the hourly
rates of attorneys and expert witnesses stated in the
applications that was awarded, for all Equal Access to Justice
Act (EAJA) fee payments awarded as a result of litigation
against any of the Department of the Interior bureaus, EPA, or
the Forest Service, or their respective employees. The report
shall also include the information listed above for litigation
relating to the Endangered Species Act and the amounts, outside
of EAJA awards, paid in settlement for all litigation,
regardless of the statute litigated.
In addition, the Committee is concerned by the lack of
transparency when a settlement is sealed. The Committee
believes the public has a right to know the resolution to court
actions and how taxpayer funds are used. To that end, the
Committee directs the Department of the Interior, EPA, and the
Forest Service to report to the Committee quarterly on the
number of claims or judgments against each agency that have
been awarded and are under seal.
Customer Service.--The Committee directs all agencies
funded by this Act to comply with title 31 of the United States
Code, including the development of their organizational
priority goals and outcomes such as performance outcome
measures, output measures, efficiency measures, and customer
service measures, as well as developing standards to improve
customer service and incorporation of the standards into the
performance plans. The Departments of the Interior, the Indian
Health Service, the Forest Service, and the EPA shall report on
these efforts not later than 60 days following the enactment of
this Act.
Digitalization Technologies.--The Committee encourages
agencies, where applicable, to explore opportunities to help
communities incorporate digitalization technologies to increase
the resiliency of their infrastructure, enhance safety, and
improve accessibility.
Educational and Outreach Programs.--The Committee strongly
supports academic internships, partnerships, and educational
and outreach programs of the agencies funded through this bill
and encourages them to continue their outreach efforts. The
Committee directs the Departments of the Interior, the Indian
Health Service, the Forest Service, and EPA to report on these
efforts not later than 60 days following the enactment of this
Act.
Environmental Degradation along the Southern Border.--The
Committee notes that illegal entries along the Southern border
can cause undue damage to Federal and Tribal lands, including
accumulating garbage in sensitive environments, destruction of
habitats, and the creation of illegal trails. The Committee
directs the Department of the Interior to provide a report not
later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act
outlining the environmental impacts illegal entries are having
on Federal lands, estimated costs to restore damaged habitats,
and the amount of garbage collected.
Federal Wildland Firefighter Pay.--Federal wildland
firefighters play a critical role in the safety and security of
our nation, especially across the West. For several years,
Federal wildland firefighters have been leaving the Federal
workforce for state and local firefighting agencies and other
organizations due to wage disparities. Recognizing the need to
enhance recruitment and stabilize retention of this critical
workforce, Public Law 117-58 implemented a temporary pay
supplement to help ensure pay competitiveness for Federal
wildland firefighters. This short-term fix provided by Congress
was just one small step to fairly compensate Federal wildland
firefighters, but a permanent pay solution is needed to address
the recruitment and retention challenges the Department of the
Interior and the Forest Service face nationwide. While Congress
continued to analyze legislation to permanently address
wildland firefighter pay, in fiscal year 2024, the Committee
extended the temporary pay supplements, consistent with Public
Law 117-58. Recognizing that it is critical to bring financial
stability to Federal wildland firefighters and maintain a
Federal firefighting workforce now, this bill includes over
$330,000,000 to support a permanent pay fix and a job series
that accurately reflects the valued work wildland firefighters
do to protect communities across the country. The Committee
provides additional funding direction in the Department of the
Interior, Wildland Fire Management and Forest Service, Wildland
Fire Management sections of the bill regarding the permanent
pay fix.
Giant Sequoias.--The Committee remains concerned that over
the past several years, catastrophic wildfires in the State of
California have killed up to nineteen percent of all giant
sequoias in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Committee is aware
that the Forest Service and National Park Service are currently
conducting fuels reduction projects using emergency authorities
in multiple giant sequoia groves. The Committee directs the
National Park Service and Forest Service to continue to
expedite these projects to reduce the risk of wildfire-related
mortality of giant sequoias and to expand the use of these
emergency authorities in additional giant sequoia groves.
Hardrock Minerals.--The Committee recognizes that the need
for hardrock and rare earth mineral production is rising as
technology advances. Given price volatility and the People's
Republic of China's weaponization of its dominance in hardrock
mineral supply chains, the Committee directs agencies funded by
this Act to increase domestic production of hardrock and rare
earth minerals to improve the security and resilience of its
supply chains for advanced technologies, while simultaneously
promoting domestic job growth and economic development.
Not later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act,
the Committee directs the Department of the Interior Office of
the Secretary, in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS), other applicable Department of the Interior bureaus and
Federal agencies, and private enterprise, to provide a report
to the Committee and relevant authorizing committees of
jurisdiction outlining plans to advance a financial support
mechanism using loans, contract-for-differences, offtake
backstops, market maker, and advance market commitments to
mitigate price risks in varied domestically mined or processed
hardrock mineral. Consistent with Section 7002 of the Energy
Act of 2020 (30 U.S. Code Sec. 1606), agencies should focus on
hardrock minerals that are essential to the economic or
national security of the United States; the supply chain of
which is vulnerable to disruption; and serve an essential
function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of
which would have significant consequences for the economic or
national security of the United States. As part of this report,
the agencies should discuss the additional authorities USGS and
other agencies funded by this Act may need to advance this
work, potential cost estimates, and the possibility of
including additional items, such as those that support domestic
fertilizer production, on the next list of critical minerals
published by the Secretary of the Interior. Agencies should
also highlight potential opportunities to leverage private
enterprise and markets.
Indian Country--Narcotics Reduction Task Force.--The
Committee directs the Department of the Interior to enter into
agreements with the Department of Justice and the Department of
Homeland Security to institute an expanded version of the
Agency's Opioid Reduction Task Force created in March 2018. The
Narcotics Reduction Task Force's goal will be to dismantle and
disrupt opioid, heroin, and other dangerous drug distribution
networks in Indian Country by identifying individuals involved
in their transportation, sale, distribution, and use based on
intelligence obtained from cooperating sources, law enforcement
interdiction activities, and current and historical drug
trends, and to use that obtained information to further complex
drug investigations targeting those identified distribution
networks. The Committee directs the Department to submit a
report on the task force not later than 60 days following the
enactment of this Act and includes additional funding direction
within the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).--With the August
4, 2020, enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act (Public
Law 116-152), Congress provided a permanent appropriation of
$900,000,000 per year. The Act also mandated that account
allocations and detailed project information be proposed by the
Administration each year through the President's annual budget
submission, and that such allocations, following review by the
Committee, may be modified through an alternate allocation. A
detailed table showing an LWCF alternate allocation by agency,
account, activity, and project, including lists of specific
Federal land acquisition projects and Forest Legacy Program
projects, is included at the end of this report.
The Committee encourages the Department and the Forest
Service to prioritize recreation access projects that improve
access to public lands that may be surrounded by non-public
lands, which can sometimes be addressed with acquisition of
small parcels.
The Committee will review and revise, as appropriate, any
revisions to the requested list of Federal land acquisition
projects and Forest Legacy Program projects under the LWCF for
fiscal year 2025 prior to enactment of this Act.
Land and Water Conservation Fund--Department of the
Interior.--The Committee includes bill language allowing the
NPS to use up to 7 percent of the funds provided for State
Conservation Grants as matching grants to support State program
administrative costs. These funds will provide States with
additional support to cover administrative costs associated
with the program, which have increased in recent years. The NPS
is to apportion these funds to the States, District of
Columbia, and insular areas on the basis of need as matching
grants to support State administrative costs. Not later than 60
days following the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs
the Department of the Interior to report on the number of
grants awarded and the amount of each grant awarded.
The Committee is aware that the project data sheets
accompanying the President's annual budget submission are not
always the projects that are completed for the Federal land
listed in the account allocation table, particularly for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While the Committee appreciates
and understands that shifting projects may be necessary given
the timeline between the release of the President's budget and
receipt of LWCF funds, the Committee is concerned that Congress
is not fully aware of the intended use of LWCF funding in
instances where projects shift. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Department and the Service to work with the
Committee on how the allocation table and project data sheets
accompanying the President's budget submission are developed as
well as reprogramming and recast guidelines.
The Committee supports the Department's pilot program to
return limited appraisal functions to the Bureaus and directs
the Department to provide the resources necessary to support
the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
pilot program. The Committee further directs the Department to
inform the Committee if additional authority is needed to
transfer funds between accounts to effectively implement the
pilot program.
Additionally, the Committee directs the Department to
immediately make public via the internet any and all current
appraisal policy documents (including but not limited to
reference manuals, handbooks, and statements of policy), and to
make any future modifications to such documents publicly
available no later than five business days following
finalization of such modification. The Committee further
directs the Department to implement necessary changes to the
Departmental Manual on Appraisal and Valuation Services for
Real Property and other appraisal policy documents or guidance,
and ensure that stakeholders, including Bureaus, non-federal
partners, and contract appraisers, are made aware of the
changes. The updates shall adhere to Committee direction
provided immediately below to the Forest Service and shall:
ensure that contract appraisers that have previously appraised
the subject property if otherwise qualified are not excluded;
uphold the requirement that review appraisers not substitute
judgement for that of the contract appraiser; not require
written disclosure by landowners that is not expressly required
by Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions;
and establish a process consistent with 49 CFR 24.102(f) and
Appendix A to allow a landowner and/or non-federal party/
facilitator to provide market evidence for expeditious
consideration and to seek a second appraisal.
Fiscal year 2025 funds provided to the Fish and Wildlife
Service for the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area (proposed)
shall only be used to acquire land easements in areas within
the current Florida congressional districts 11, 16, 18, and 26.
Fiscal year 2025 funds provided to the Fish and Wildlife
Service for the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
shall only be used to acquire land easements in areas within
the current Missouri congressional districts 1, 2, and 5.
Fiscal year 2025 funds provided to the Fish and Wildlife
Service for the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area shall
not be used to acquire land easements in areas within the state
of Wyoming.
The Committee is aware of efforts by the Department to
review the subsurface rights within the Big Cypress National
Preserve and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and
supports the continuation of these efforts.
Land and Water Conservation Fund--Forest Service.--The
Committee directs the Service to consistently apply national
appraisal policy, complete timely appraisals, and encourage the
full partnership of third parties. The Service is directed to
brief the Committee not later than 90 days following the
enactment of this Act regarding updated appraisal and land
policies.
Legacy Restoration Fund.--At the end of this report, the
Committee has included an allocation of Legacy Restoration Fund
(LRF) projects pursuant to the Great American Outdoors Act
(Public Law 116-152).
To ensure proper oversight of LRF funding, the Committee
directs each relevant agency to provide a briefing not later
than 90 days following the enactment of this Act outlining the
total amount of current outstanding deferred maintenance. In
particular, the National Park Service briefing should include a
detailed explanation of the increase in deferred maintenance
needs over the past five years.
Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet.--The Committee is deeply
concerned about the Administration's policy regarding the
purchase of electric vehicles by the Federal government, while
at the same time stalling domestic critical mineral mining
projects that would supply minerals like lithium and copper
that are needed to produce electric vehicles. Until there is a
stable supply of domestic-mined critical minerals, the
Committee does not support using Agency operating budgets for
the purchase of electric vehicles and the Committee notes that
within the Subcommittee's allocation, no funding is included
for agencies under the jurisdiction of this Act to plan, build
out, or transition to electric or zero-emission vehicles and
the associated charging infrastructure.
Multiple-Use Activities on Federal Lands.--The Committee
emphasizes that ensuring responsible multiple-use activities on
U.S. Federal lands and waters is the most appropriate use of
these natural resources. Therefore, the Committee urges all
Federal agencies, in activities related to the enforcement or
promulgation of new and existing regulations, guidance,
policies or initiatives, including withdrawals, conservation
areas, wildlife refuges, and resource management plans, to
adhere to multiple-use principles, as modeled under the various
multiple-use statutes contained in U.S. code.
Marijuana on Public Lands.--The Committee is aware that
trespassers illegally grow marijuana on public lands in
California. These unlawful activities harmfully impact the
public, water, soil, and wildlife. The Committee supports
Forest Service efforts to develop tools to detect and eradicate
grow sites. The Committee directs the Forest Service and the
Bureau of Land Management to continue to cooperate with State,
local, and Tribal governments on survey, reclamation, and
prevention efforts to the maximum extent possible.
Additionally, the Committee directs each agency to convene and
develop a strategy with the Departments of Justice and Homeland
Security to eliminate grow operations that are not sanctioned
by state or Tribal authorities and provide a report to the
Committee on its efforts and the estimated cost for reclamation
not later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act.
Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network
Prioritization.--The Committee notes that the National Mall is
an important and symbolic gathering area for millions of
visitors every year. The Committee is concerned with the lack
of robust and ubiquitous wireless communications coverage on
the National Mall for public safety due to the lack of
permanent telecommunications infrastructure on the buildings
surrounding the area. To ensure first responders have the
communications tools necessary to keep these visitors safe, the
Committee directs the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
and the Director of the National Gallery of Art to work
expeditiously and in good-faith on efforts towards the
necessary completion of building out the FirstNet Network, as
established in section 6202 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and
Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1422; Public Law 112-96),
on their respective buildings along the National Mall.
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
Compliance.--The Committee remains concerned compliance with
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of
1990 is still incomplete, and in certain cases compliance has
been flaunted by offenders of the law. Native American Tribal
governments are entitled to timely and professional responses
to requests for repatriation, and the institutions housing
these remains have a legal and moral obligation to grant those
requests. The Committee looks forward to receiving the report
directed in House Report 118-155 requiring the Department of
the Interior to develop a strategy to ensure full enforcement
and compliance with the law.
Offshore Lease Sales.--The bill includes language requiring
the Secretary of the Interior to issue the 5-year oil and gas
leasing programs on time; conduct lease sales in the Central
Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area, and in the Alaska region; and conduct Lease Sale
262.
Onshore and Offshore Leasing and Permitting Transparency.--
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Interior to submit a
report to the Committee and relevant authorizing Committees,
not later than 30 days following the enactment of this Act and
annually thereafter, with the following relevant information
from the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement: the status of each pending application for a
permit to drill, license for offshore geological or geophysical
surveys, or expression of interest received each month during
the period of 365 days that ends on the date on which the
report is submitted, including the number of applications or
permits received each month; a description of any cause of
delay for pending permits or applications, how long the
application or license has been pending, and a plan and
timeline to complete review of each pending application; the
number of permits, licenses, or applications issued each month;
how each relevant agency determines whether to issue a license
for geological or geophysical surveys, a permit to drill, or
issue, extend, or suspend an oil and gas lease; when such
determinations are sent to the national office for final
approval; the degree to which regional offices exercise
discretion on such final approval; the number of auctioned
leases receiving accepted bids that have not been issued to
winning bidders and the number of days such leases have not
been issued; and a description of the uses of application for
permit to drill fees paid by permit holders during the 5-year
period ending on the date on which the report is submitted.
Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT).--The PILT program
provides compensation to local governments for the loss of tax
revenue resulting from the presence of Federal land in their
county or State. The recommendation includes full funding for
PILT for fiscal year 2025 in Section 113 of Title I General
Provisions.
Pending Applications for Permits to Drill.--The Committee
directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete all
requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable laws that
must be met before issuance of a permit to drill and to issue a
permit for all completed applications to drill that are pending
on the date of the enactment of this Act not later than 30 days
following the enactment of this Act.
Public Access.--The Committee directs the Department of the
Interior and the Forest Service to notify the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations in advance of any proposed project
specifically intending to close an area to recreational
shooting, hunting, or fishing on a nonemergency basis of more
than 30 days.
Public Availability of Data--BLM Expression of Interest
Fees.--The Committee directs the Secretary to publish on the
website of the Department of the Interior not later than 30
days following the enactment of this Act and each month
thereafter for the preceding month nationwide and for each
state and field office: the number of expressions of interest
received by the Department along with the associated acreage;
the number of expressions of interest that can be offered along
with the associated acreage; the number of expressions of
interest that were offered along with the associated acreage;
the number of expressions of interest that are unable to be
offered along with the associated acreage; and, with respect to
each month during the 5-year period ending on the date of
enactment of this Act, the number of offered, pending and not
approved expressions of interest along with the associated
acreage.
Public Availability of Data--Permits to Drill.--The
Committee directs the Secretary of the Interior to publish on
the website of the Department of the Interior not later than 30
days following the enactment of this Act and each month
thereafter: the number of pending and approved applications for
permits to drill in the preceding month nationwide and for each
state and field office; and, with respect to each month during
the 5-year period ending on the date of enactment of this Act,
the number of approved and not approved applications for
permits to drill during such a 5-year period.
Review of Rulemakings.--Not later than 180 days following
the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) to complete a review of rulemakings
promulgated by federal agencies that receive appropriations in
this Act, which were upheld by a final judgment in federal
court as of June 28, 2024, relying in whole or part on the
decision in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense
Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984). The review should include a
list of all such rulemakings upheld, including which of those
rulemakings were major rules under the Congressional Review Act
(5 U.S.C. 804).
Staff Planning for Energy Permitting.--The Committee
directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture to each submit an annual report to the Committee on
Appropriations and the relevant Committees of jurisdiction on
the staffing capacity of each respective agency with respect to
issuing oil, gas, hardrock mining, coal, and renewable energy
leases, as well as rights-of-way, claims, easements, and
permits. For each listed lease and permit type, the report
shall detail the number of staff assigned to process and issue
each respective lease and permit type; a description of how
many staff is needed to meet statutory requirements for each
respective lease and permit type; and how each agency plans to
address technological needs, staffing shortfalls, and turnover
to ensure adequate staffing to process and issue the respective
leases and permits.
STOP Act Efforts.--The Committee recognizes that the Ysleta
Del Sur Pueblo in Texas has made numerous unsuccessful attempts
to negotiate with the Dutch government on the return of several
sacred and cultural patrimony objects being held in a museum
warehouse in the Netherlands. These items were taken from
Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo in 1882 and should be returned
immediately. The Committee is aware the Department of the
Interior and the U.S. Department of State recently began
efforts to help Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo regain possession of
these items of patrimony. Not later than 90 days following the
enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the Department of
the Interior to provide a report outlining efforts to secure
the return of these items and feedback as to whether the STOP
Act (Public Law 117-258) provides necessary authority to the
U.S. government to assist Tribal governments with the recovery
of misappropriated items in foreign countries, or if changes
are required to best assist these Tribal governments.
Additionally, the Committee directs the Department to
provide a briefing to the Committee not later than 90 days
following the enactment of this Act on the implementation of
the STOP Act. The briefing should provide information on which
office within the BIA will administer the implementation,
include recommendations and outcomes from any Tribal
consultations, and identify any necessary resources.
Small Business Aviation.--The Committee notes the role that
qualified, small businesses play in bolstering local economies
and their ability to operate in underserved regions across the
nation. The Committee encourages agencies to explore
opportunities to contract with small businesses--particularly
vendors that are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Section
145 compliant--for aircraft on ground repairs, and the
management of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.
Tribal Consultations.--The Committee continues to stress
the importance of agencies conducting ``true'' and
``meaningful'' government-to-government consultation with
Tribes. While most agency consultations solicit input and
feedback from Tribes, the communication is one way, and
agencies struggle to provide feedback to Tribes. Tribes report
that they do not know whether and how their input is considered
and how final allocations and decisions are made. On decisions
made in consultation with Tribes, the Committee directs
agencies funded in this bill to publish decision rationale in
the context of and in reasonable detail to the Tribal input
received during consultation.
Vacant Grazing Allotments.--The Bureau of Land Management
and the Forest Service are directed, to the greatest extent
practicable, to make vacant grazing allotments available to a
holder of a grazing permit or lease when lands covered by the
holder of the permit or lease are unusable because of drought
or wildfire.
Wildland Fire Cross-Boundary Funding Analysis.--The
Committee recognizes the challenges wildland fire practitioners
face consolidating wildfire mitigation and suppression funding
from multiple funding sources to accomplish a single cross-
boundary project. The Committee directs the Government
Accountability Office to examine existing wildland fire
programs, rules, and authorities at the Department of the
Interior and the U.S. Forest Service that inhibit cross-
boundary work and consider recommendations to streamline
wildland fire funding sources and brief the Committee on its
preliminary findings not later than 180 days following the
enactment of this Act.
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
MANAGEMENT OF LANDS AND RESOURCES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,294,916,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,380,269,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,185,063,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -109,853,000
Budget estimate,.................................... -195,206,000
The Bureau of Land Management (Bureau) was created in 1946
to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public
lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations.
The Committee recommends $1,185,063,000 in new budget
authority for the Management of Lands and Resources
appropriation.
Land Resources.--The Committee provides $286,774,000 for
Land Resources. The Committee notes that as of June 2024, the
Bureau had over 11,700 unprocessed permits. The Committee
remains concerned with the continually increasing number of
unprocessed grazing permits. Within the amount provided for
Land Resources, the Committee recommends $30,000,000 for
prioritization of the analysis, review, processing, and
approval of grazing permits, as well as the administration of
grazing permit renewals.
Wild Horse and Burro Management.--The Committee recommends
$143,000,000 to support continued implementation of the May
2020 plan. Of the amount provided, up to $11,000,000 shall be
used for the administration of humane population growth
suppression strategies, including immunocontraceptive vaccines
and permanent sterilization efforts, prioritizing the
implementation of existing immunocontraceptive vaccines when
appropriate.
The Committee continues to support plans that utilize a
multi-pronged management strategy that includes the use of
fertility control, targeted removals from the most heavily
ecologically impacted and populated areas, expanding off-range
holding facilities, and increasing the number of animals placed
into private care. To better accomplish these goals, the Bureau
should increase public/private partnerships, to include working
with veterans and wild horse organizations. The Bureau must
also ensure that all removals are conducted in strict
compliance with the Bureau's Comprehensive Animal Welfare
Program. The Bureau's management strategy will not include any
sale or actions that result in the destruction of healthy
animals, which continues to be prohibited by this bill.
The Committee restates the need for the Wild Horse and
Burro Task Force to be actively engaged with all relevant
bureaus and agencies having subject matter expertise. The
Bureau is directed to provide quarterly updates to the
Committee on the allocation of resources, achievement of
performance metrics, input from the Task Force, efficacy of
identifying and relocating non-reproducing horses to different
Herd Management Areas, efforts to ensure adequate staffing in
the field, and any proposed changes to the current course of
action.
Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management.--Within the
funding provided for Aquatic Habitat Management, the
recommendation includes $2,500,000 for the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control program. Additionally, within the amount
provided for Wildlife Habitat Management, the Committee
recommends $73,000,000 for sage-grouse habitat, $32,211,000 for
threatened and endangered species, and $20,600,000 for plant
conservation.
Energy and Minerals.--The funding level provided for Energy
and Minerals supports a balanced, all-of-the-above strategy for
energy development to facilitate domestic energy production,
generate revenue, and to support American jobs in the energy
sector.
Resource Protection and Maintenance.--Within the amount
provided for Resource Protection and Maintenance, the
recommendation includes $11,000,000 in Resource Management
Planning for sage-grouse conservation activities and
$29,975,000 for Law Enforcement.
National Conservation Lands.--Within the amount provided
for National Conservation Lands, the Committee recommends
$11,248,000 for National Scenic and Historic Trails for trail
operations, construction, and maintenance projects.
Communication Site Management.--The Committee recommends
$2,000,000 for communications site management. This amount is
offset by $2,000,000 in offsetting collections.
Mining Law Administration.--The Committee recommends
$42,696,000 for mining law administration. This amount is
offset by $74,000,000 in offsetting collections.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee provides the following
additional guidance related to activities funded in this
account.
Aquifer Recharge.--The Committee continues to direct the
Bureau to work with the State of Idaho to provide appropriate
access to Federal lands for the purposes of recharge projects.
The Committee understands that the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility
Act (Sec. 1105 of Public Law 116-260) provides sufficient
authority to the Bureau to allow the use of existing easements
and rights of way to move and percolate water for aquifer
recharge without further permission or additional requirements
and requests an update from the Bureau not later than 60 days
following the enactment of this Act.
Cadastral Survey.--The Committee directs the Bureau to
continue executing the survey requirements of the Hawaiian Home
Lands Recovery Act, Public Law 104-42. When conducting these
surveys, the Committee directs the Bureau to consult Homestead
Associations, as defined under 43 C.F.R. 47.1.
Domestic Coal.--The Committee remains concerned about the
ongoing delays in the review and issuance of lease expansions,
lease by applications, and other authorizations needed for
domestic coal production on Federal lands. The Committee
remains committed to an all-of-the-above energy approach to
meet our growing infrastructure needs, which are reliant upon
metallurgical coal for steelmaking. Therefore, the Committee
directs that the Bureau shall not impose any new moratorium on
coal leasing on Federal land and should immediately begin to
process lease applications under the Federal coal leasing
program in a timely and efficient manner. Additionally, the
Committee looks forward to receiving the report required by
House Report 118-155.
Gay Mine Superfund.--The Committee directs the Bureau to
initiate a reclamation study with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
to address the high walls and pit lakes on the Gay Mine
Superfund Site located on the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho.
The Committee directs the Bureau to consult with the Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes in furtherance of its trust and treaty
responsibilities to the Tribes and engage the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, the EPA, and relevant companies to study potential
reclamation solutions on the Site. The Committee further
directs the Bureau to report to the Committee not later than
180 days following the enactment of this Act on the status of
the study.
Hulen Meadows Pond.--The Committee directs the Bureau to
continue working with Blaine County, Idaho, and interested
community stakeholders to address the increased sediment
buildup in the Hulen Meadows Pond by examining collaborative
solutions to restoring the pond to adequate health through
dredging and other cost-effective measures.
Manned Aircraft.--The Committee encourages the Bureau to
continue analyzing alternatives to its current practices for
management of wild free-roaming horses and burro populations
which includes the use of helicopters and manned fixed-wing
aircraft; analyze private job creation opportunities presented
by both current and alternative management practices; and
continue to monitor the effects of current management practices
on wild-free roaming horse and burro populations. The Committee
directs the Bureau to include feedback on the findings during
the quarterly meetings with the Committee.
National Seed Strategy/Plant Conservation Program.--The
Committee continues to support the Bureau's implementation of
the National Seed Strategy and Plant Conservation Program. The
Committee encourages the Bureau to increase the development and
use of native seed for restoration and rehabilitation across
public lands. The Committee directs the Bureau to brief the
Committee not later than 180 days following the enactment of
this Act on the Bureau's efforts including collaboration with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park
Service on their expansions of the Seeds of Success program
into the Pacific Islands.
North Anchorage Land Agreement.--The Committee recognizes
that the North Anchorage Land Agreement of March 15, 1982, as
amended, and authorized as a matter of Federal law by Sec. 1425
of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of
December 2, 1980, Public Law 96-487, was intended to address
long-standing land entitlement issues in and surrounding the
Municipality of Anchorage and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Not later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act,
the Committee directs the Bureau to provide a briefing, in
coordination with the Appraisal and Valuation Services Office,
on potential plans and estimated costs to complete a land
appraisal and market analysis for the remaining lands
designated for conveyance to Eklutna Inc. through the North
Anchorage Land Agreement and Alaska Native Claims Settlement
Act.
Onshore Wind Projects.--The Committee is aware that the
Bureau did not meet the requirements set forth in Public Law
118-42 before moving forward with the Lava Ridge Wind Project.
The lack of compliance from the Bureau on this requirement when
affected farmers, Tribes, sportsmen, conservationists, the
Japanese American community, and other impacted stakeholders
have all expressed opposition to this plan, furthers distrust
in the Federal government. Most importantly, the Lava Ridge
Wind Project runs afoul of National Park Service laws and
policies and negates the administration's commitment to
protecting cultural landscapes. The Committee strongly condemns
the Bureau for moving forward with a final Environmental Impact
Statement and neglecting to give public comments and feedback
considerable weight when creating an action alternative to the
initial proposal. This bill includes a provision blocking the
Lava Ridge Wind Project from moving forward.
Potash.--The Committee directs the Bureau to continue
processing applications for permits to drill within the
Designated Potash Area, consistent with Secretarial Order 3324,
as approved on December 4, 2012.
Red River Land Survey.--The Committee notes that the John
D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act
(Public Law 116-9), required the Bureau to commission the
necessary gradient boundary survey of the 116-mile stretch of
the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma within two years of
the enactment of the Act. The Committee reminds the Bureau that
Public Law 116-9 explicitly states the survey must be conducted
by one or more independent third-party licensed surveyors who
are selected by the Bureau, in consultation with the Texas
General Land Office, Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office,
Oklahoma Attorney General, and the affected federally
recognized Tribes in the area. Most importantly, the Committee
emphasizes that the law states that surveyors must use the same
methodology established by the Supreme Court in its Oklahoma v.
Texas (1923) decision. The Committee is keenly aware that the
Bureau is currently repudiating and deviating from statutory
instructions through actions that would coerce third-party
surveyors to complete the survey by methods that would result
in an outcome predetermined by Bureau. The Committee directs
the Bureau to work with potential independent third-party
surveyors, the required entities to consult with, and the
relevant Congressional delegation to transparently address
legal and ethical issues and find a path forward that ensures
the survey is completed in compliance with current law. Not
later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act, the
Committee directs the Bureau to provide an update on the status
of selecting an independent third-party licensed surveyor and
the Bureau's plan, developed in coordination with Oklahoma and
Texas Land Offices, Oklahoma Attorney General, and the affected
federally recognized Tribes in the area, to complete the
survey.
Resource Management Plans.--As the Bureau works to update
resource management plans that are over ten years old,
including for the State of Nevada, the Committee directs the
Bureau to conduct robust engagement with State, local, and
Tribal governments, and work to develop plans that adequately
address the needs of impacted communities and provide
opportunities for housing and economic growth.
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.--The Committee
reiterates that the funds from this account are to be used for
activities authorized under Public Law 105-263.
Special Use Permits.--The Committee continues to recognize
the Bureau's role in facilitating special use permits for film
projects on its lands. The Committee encourages the Service to
explore opportunities to expand accessibility to these special
use permits.
Western Solar Plan.--The Committee is aware of the Bureau's
updated plans regarding solar energy development out across the
West. The Committee remains concerned that the impacts to
wildlife, livestock grazing, cultural resources,
transportation, recreation, and wetlands are being ignored
while the Bureau and the Administration continue to focus on
meeting unnecessary clean energy goals that harm America's
overall energy security. The Committee notes that through an
array of recent rulings, the Bureau is creating a track record
of undermining the multiple-use mandate for our public lands.
The Committee directs the Bureau, not later than 45 days
following the enactment of this Act, to provide a report on how
the Bureau has concluded that the Western Solar Plan is
compatible with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act's
multiple use management and why this programmatic environmental
impact statement was not expanded to include all energy
generation.
OREGON AND CALIFORNIA GRANT LANDS
Appropriation enacted, 2024.......................... $115,521,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................ 120,777,000
Recommended, 2025.................................... 107,799,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................ -7,722,000
Budget estimate, 2025.............................. -12,978,000
The Committee recommends $107,799,000 for the Oregon and
California Grant Lands appropriation.
The Committee directs the Bureau to maintain or enhance the
current level of fire protection for western Oregon forestlands
through its agreement with the State of Oregon. The Committee
further directs the Bureau to continue to work with the State
of Oregon on addressing timely payment for costs incurred
pursuant to the agreement.
The Committee encourages the Bureau to utilize available
funding provided by Public Law 117-58, the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act, to accelerate wildfire risk reduction
through timber sales in dry, fire-prone forests in southwest
Oregon, consistent with the direction in the 2016 Southwest
Oregon Resource Management Plan. The Committee also encourages
the Bureau to reduce wildfire risk to communities throughout
the Oregon and California Grant lands.
Timber Targets.--The Committee directs the Bureau to report
its timber sale accomplishments, including commercial treatment
acres sold through timber sales, by district, on reserve land
covered by the 2016 Southwest Oregon Resource Plan. The
Committee expects the Bureau to report these activities in a
manner consistent with the Forest Service, and only count
awarded volume.
RANGE IMPROVEMENTS
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation of not
less than $10,000,000 to be derived from public lands receipts
and Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act lands grazing receipts, as
requested.
SERVICE CHARGES, DEPOSITS, AND FORFEITURES
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $30,000,000 for Service Charges, Deposits, and
Forfeitures. The appropriation is fully offset through
collections.
MISCELLANEOUS TRUST FUNDS
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $26,000,000.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The Committee continues long-standing Administrative
Provisions that facilitate efficient operations.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Originating in 1871, the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) is the oldest Federal conservation agency,
and the only agency in the Federal government whose primary
responsibility is management of biological resources for the
American public.
Budgetary Oversight.--The Committee reminds the Service
that they are required to follow the funding levels outlined
herein, as well as in the table accompanying this report. If
adjustments are required, the Service shall follow
reprogramming guidelines outlined in this report, to include
notifying both the minority and majority of the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations.
The Committee is gravely concerned with the lack of
transparency regarding requested, enacted, and actual funding
amounts used for accounts, programs, and activities. The
Committee directs the Service to revise its budget request and
congressional justification, and all future budget requests and
congressional justifications, to provide a break out of fixed
costs for each account, program, and activity.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,520,273,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,705,572,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,385,096,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -135,177,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -320,476,000
The Committee recommends $1,385,096,000 for Resource
Management.
Ecological Services.--The recommendation includes
$279,025,000 for Ecological Services. Within the Ecological
Service program, funding is provided as follows:
Listing.--The recommendation includes $17,597,000 for
Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing determinations and related
activities. The Committee continues to support the Service's
efforts with local and regional stakeholders to develop
voluntary solutions to conserve targeted species.
The Committee directs the Service to report to the
Committee not later than 60 days following the enactment of
this Act on how the Service notifies potentially affected
landowners or other stakeholders such as those utilizing land
for the purposes of energy development, mining, and grazing,
that a petition has been filed for the consideration of a
species under the ESA.
The Committee is concerned that listing determinations
under the ESA are unduly influenced by litigation and paid
settlements. The Committee encourages the Service to work with
local and regional stakeholders to develop voluntary solutions
to conserve targeted species.
Planning and Consultation.--The recommendation includes
$113,191,000 for timely evaluations and permitting of
development projects to ensure species are protected while
allowing for development that contributes to economic growth
and job creation. This recommendation provides no less than
$4,000,000 for pesticide consultations to provide more
certainty and guidance to applicants for how chemicals can
continue to be available for production of food and fiber in
the United States. The recommendation includes $4,000,000 for
Gulf Coast restoration activities, $10,354,000 for energy
activities, $3,500,000 for NEPA permitting activities, and
$85,706,000 for general program activities.
Conservation and Restoration.--The recommendation includes
$37,605,000 for Conservation and Restoration. The
recommendation provides $1,962,000 for the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act, $3,471,000 for the National Wetlands Inventory,
$7,373,000 for Marine Mammals with a particular focus on
manatees, $3,250,000 for Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystem, $6,611,000
for Environmental Response and Restoration, $400,000 for At
risk species initiative, and $14,538,000 for Candidate
Conservation.
The Committee continues to encourage the Service to foster
cooperation between State and Federal agencies, and local
governments, to study the causes of the recent Unusual
Mortality Event (UME) among Florida manatees and devise
preventive measures for future manatee UMEs.
Recovery.--The recommendation includes $110,632,000 for ESA
recovery activities. The recommendation provides $4,750,000 for
State of the Birds to respond to the urgent needs of critically
endangered birds; $3,000,000 for Prescott Grants, $2,500,000
for the wolf livestock demonstration program, $4,373,000 for
de-listing and down listing, $350,000 for the Grasshopper
Sparrow, and $80,000,000 for general program activities
including $730,000 for Upper Colorado endangered fish recovery
efforts such as draft recovery plans or recovery implementation
strategies.
The recommendation provides $12,000,000 for Recovery
Challenge matching grants. Recovery Challenge grants are to be
used to implement high priority recovery actions as prescribed
in recovery plans to recover federally listed species. In cases
where Recovery Plans are outdated or not finalized, proposed
recovery actions must be supported in other Federal or state
species conservation planning documents, including 5-year
reviews, assessments, and Service-authored reports. Project
partners must provide contributions of at least 50 percent of
the project cost, with the remaining funding coming from
Recovery Challenge funds. Partner contribution calculations may
include in-kind services. Unless an affected State is a partner
on the project, no funds may be awarded to a project until the
project partners have consulted with the state. The Committee
urges the Service to continue its efforts with non-governmental
partners to recover northern aplomado falcons, California
condors, and other similar species.
The Committee notes that the use of biobanking, which is
the preservation of genetic material, including tissues, living
cell lines and gametes, as a tool to preserve the genetic
diversity of species, has enhanced existing recovery efforts
for certain listed species including the black-footed ferret
and Przewalski's horse. Given the expansion of this technology
and practice has the potential to advance the recovery of many
other listed species, the Committee directs the Service to
expand sample collection for biobanking in its recovery
planning and implementation processes.
The Committee supports the Service's recovery efforts
related to the Cape Sable seaside sparrow and directs that not
later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act, the
Service shall report to the Committee on the feasibility of
conducting a comprehensive demographic survey of the Cape Sable
Seaside Sparrow and the funding necessary to begin the captive
breeding efforts necessary to provide for certainty of species
survivability.
Habitat Conservation.--The recommendation for this activity
includes $66,132,000 for voluntary, non-regulatory habitat
conservation partnerships with public and private landowners,
of which $53,869,000 is for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife.
Within the funds provided for Partners, $3,200,000 is for
nutria eradication, $4,875,000 for Klamath River Habitat
Restoration, $1,285,000 is for Washington Regional Fisheries
Enhancement Groups, $643,000 for Salmon Recovery, and
$43,866,000 for general program activities.
The Committee encourages the Service to work in
coordination with the relevant state wildlife and environmental
restoration agencies for Nutria Eradication Projects,
specifically along the Gulf of Mexico and west coast.
The bill provides $12,263,000 for the Coastal program,
which includes $354,000 for Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration,
and $11,541,000 for general program activities.
National Wildlife Refuge System.--The Committee
recommendation includes $504,245,000 for the National Wildlife
Refuge System. Within the amount provided for National Wildlife
Refuge System, funding is provided as follows:
Wildlife and Habitat Management.--The recommendation
includes $2,000,000 for Nutria Eradication, $16,688,000 for
Invasive Species Strike Teams, $2,500,000 for Marine National
Monuments, $22,424,000 for Inventory and Monitoring, and
$193,533,000 for general program activities.
The Committee is aware of efforts by the Service to resolve
an impairment against junior water rights holders in the area
near the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The Committee
continues to encourage the Service to work with local
stakeholders on reaching a collaborative, voluntary, and non-
regulatory solution to resolve the impairment. The
recommendation provides $500,000 to continue efforts focused on
improving water efficiency at the Quivira National Wildlife
Refuge.
The recommendation includes $1,500,000 for the Northeast
Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, of which no
less than $700,000 is for education and research.
The Committee supports the Service's efforts to deploy a
team trained in rapid response and management for quick
containment or eradication of newly detected and
interjurisdictional invasive species such as Nutria and
European Green Crab. In support of the National Priorities of
the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, the Committee directs
the Service to provide a report to the Committee not later than
180 days following the enactment of this Act on the benefits
and costs associated with expanding this model to respond to
invasive species threats under the jurisdiction of other
Federal land management agencies.
The Committee continues to encourage the Service to review
trapping signage and ensure the signage is in good, readable
condition, and to replace any damaged or unreadable signs as
quickly as possible. The Service shall continue reporting on
trapping information to the Committee on an annual basis.
Furthermore, for each refuge listed online as allowing
trapping, the Service is to specify whether the trapping is
conducted by private trappers for recreational purposes and/or
by the government for management purposes. The Committee looks
forward to receiving the briefing on the Service's evaluation
of trapping practices on Service lands as required by House
Report 117-400.
The Committee encourages the Service to work with Federal,
State, Tribal and local governments on beaver conservation and
share best practices on 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.
Refuge Visitor Services.--The recommendation includes
$72,000,000, of which $6,000,000 is for Urban Wildlife
Conservation program and $2,000,000 for Youth and Careers in
Nature.
The Committee directs continued management of the more than
2,500 miles of trails, including significant portions of 15
National Scenic and Historic trails, across 860 miles of public
lands in 21 States that the Service oversees. The Committee
encourages the Service to consider cooperative agreements with
non-profit organizations that support trails through
Infrastructure-National Partnerships.
Refuge Law Enforcement.--The recommendation includes
$52,000,000 for the Service to address needs of states with no
officers stationed within their boundaries and hire additional
officers.
Conservation and Enforcement.--The recommendation includes
$171,561,000 for Conservation and Enforcement. Within the
amount provided for Conservation and Enforcement, funding is
provided as follows:
Migratory Bird Management.--The recommendation provides
$49,214,000 Migratory Bird Management, which includes
$26,027,000 for Conservation and Monitoring, $4,400,000 for
Permits, $1,138,000 for the Federal Duck Stamp program, and
$17,649,000 for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan/
Joint Ventures (JV).
Within the amount provided for Conservation and Monitoring,
$7,294,000 is for Monitoring, $600,000 is for Bird-Livestock
Conflicts, and $17,000,000 is for general program activities.
Where certain bird species such as Canadian geese and
cormorants overwhelm ecosystems near urban centers, such as
around Lake Erie, the Committee encourages the Service to
continue to support control activities by individuals,
corporations, municipalities, States, and Tribes such as public
health control orders or special double-crested cormorant
permits to assure public health. Not later than 180 days
following the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the
Service to identify Federal agencies to partner with in order
to determine a populations control strategy for bird species in
the Great Lakes basin.
The Committee supports the Service's ongoing engagement
with the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee. The Committee
encourages the Service to continue to support best practices to
enhance protection for wildlife and avian species. ePermits.--
The Committee notes concerns remain regarding ongoing backlogs
of the ePermits system for non-native Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed
species for international and interstate movement. The
Committee looks forward to receiving the report as directed by
House Report 118-155.
Law Enforcement.--The recommendation includes $93,754,000
for Law Enforcement, including $3,500,000 to continue the
Service's work with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to combat
international trafficking of counterfeit arts and crafts and to
conduct criminal investigations of alleged violations of the
Indian Arts and Crafts Act (Public Law 101-644), maintains
$8,500,000 for Wildlife Trafficking, $568,000 for the
Everglades, $9,029,000 for increased port inspections,
$70,000,000 for general program activities, and $910,000 for
equipment replacement.
On June 12, 2023, the Service issued its plans and
regulations for implementing the Big Cat Public Safety Act
(Public Law 117-243). The Committee directs the Service to
provide a report to the Committee not later than 120 days
following the enactment of this Act describing resources needed
to fully address violations, expected coordination with other
Federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, and key
stakeholders, as well as plans to raise public awareness on how
to report violations.
International Affairs.--The recommendation includes
$28,593,000, of which $9,900,000 is for International
Conservation. The bill maintains $2,500,000 for Wildlife
Trafficking, $1,000,000 for the Theodore Roosevelt Genius
Prize, and $18,693,000 for International Wildlife Trade which
includes $8,700,000 for permit modernization and $793,000 for
Wildlife Trafficking.
The Committee is concerned that range states managing
wildlife species listed or proposed to be listed under the
Endangered Species Act have not been consulted by the Service.
The CITES requires notification be sent to range states if
stricter domestic measures are considered by a signatory
country. Not later than 90 days following the enactment of this
Act, the Committee directs the Service to provide a report to
the Committee on efforts it has taken to meaningfully consult
with range states on listed species under their management.
Fish and Aquatic Conservation.--The recommendation includes
$191,075,000 for Fish and Aquatic Conservation. Within the
amount provided for Fish and Aquatic Conservation funding is
provided as follows:
National Fish Hatchery System Operations.--The agreement
provides $59,605,000, which includes $550,000 for the Great
Lake Consent Decree, $800,000 for the Aquatic Animal Drug
Approval Partnership as requested, $1,430,000 for National Wild
Fish Health Surveys, $2,750,000 for Klamath Basin restoration
activities, $2,200,000 for mitigation of the Pacific Salmon
Treaty as requested, and $1,475,000 for Washington State Mass
Marking.
Aquatic Habitat and Species Conservation.--The
recommendation includes $107,107,000 for Aquatic Habitat and
Species Conservation. A discussion of the program components
follows below:
Habitat Assessment and Restoration.--The recommendation
includes $41,882,000, of which $200,000 is for the Truckee
River Operating Agreement, $7,164,000 is for the National Fish
Habitat Action Plan, $2,750,000 is for the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement, as requested, and $12,000,000 is for
implementing the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act. The
recommendation maintains $15,000,000 for the National Fish
Passage Program. The Committee directs the Service to continue
working with Tribal partners on fish passage technologies and
fish restoration activities.
Population Assessment and Cooperative Management.--The
recommendation provides $16,620,000, which includes $1,000,000
for Great Lakes Consent Decree, $3,000,000 for Great Lakes Fish
and Wildlife Restoration Act grants, and $818,000 for the Lake
Champlain Sea Lamprey program.
Aquatic Invasive Species.--The recommendation includes
$48,605,000, of which $2,749,000 is for Prevention, $3,500,000
is to prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels allocated
per the enacted levels, and $1,011,000 is for Great Lakes Sea
Lamprey administration costs.
The Committee is aware that Lake Tahoe, which is on
ancestral lands, faces a constant and serious threat from the
introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. This harm
includes impacts to Native American Tribes. The Committee
applauds the Service's partnership with California and Nevada
to implement a prevention program consisting of mandatory boat
inspection and decontamination stations, successful Asian clam
pilot eradication projects, invasive plant control projects,
and the creation of an early detection and rapid response
program. Of the amount made available under this section, no
less than $6,000,000 shall be used for implementing subsection
(d)(2) of Section 5, of Public Law 106-506, as amended. The
recommendation also includes $5,000,000 for the implementation
of the Invasive Species in Alpine Lakes Pilot program, as
authorized by Public Law 117-263, to develop and carry out
effective measures necessary to prevent, control or eradicate
aquatic invasive species in alpine lakes outside of the
National Park System. Additionally, the Committee directs the
Service to continue working with the Washoe Tribe, State,
Federal partners, and other collaborators to combat aquatic
invasive species in Lake Tahoe.
Recognizing the importance of the work conducted by the
Service to combat the serious threat of invasive carp, the
Committee recommendation includes $23,000,000 is for invasive
carp and not less than $3,000,000 for contract fishing, as
requested. The Committee continues to support the Service in
working to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes,
and to control and eradicate them from the Mississippi River,
its six sub-basins, the Upper Mississippi River, Missouri
River, Arkansas-Red White River, Lower Mississippi River,
Tennessee Cumberland River, and Ohio River including Kentucky
Lake and Lake Barkley. Additionally, $2,834,000 is provided for
the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 (NISA) State Plans
and $1,566,000 for NISA implementation which helps control the
spread of invasive carp.
Not later than 120 days following the enactment of this Act
the Committee directs the Service to update the Committee on
advancements since the August 9, 2022, virtual forum on removal
and uses of invasive carp, to include any changes in
opportunities for increased use of harvested invasive carp and
the benefits of holding another one-day forum for Federal,
State, and provincial agencies; academia; industry; and other
stakeholders on invasive carp harvest and product use.
The Committee encourages the Service to pursue technologies
to aid in the elimination, mitigation, or control of aquatic
nuisance species and invasive species that do not result in the
addition of chemical agents to the ecosystem that can lead to
harmful by-products such as algal blooms.
Science Support.--The Committee recommendation provides
$27,431,000 for Science Support which includes $20,931,000 for
Science Partnerships and $6,500,000 for Service Science. The
recommendation includes $1,931,000 for Gulf Coast ecosystem
restoration, $8,000,000 for Chesapeake WILD, and $3,500,000 for
white-nose syndrome.
Within the funding provided, the Committee supports ongoing
efforts to restore and conserve rivercane in the Southeastern
United States, in partnership with local indigenous communities
and universities.
The Committee notes that the health, safety, and security
of shellfish and fish stocks in the Gulf of Mexico is
economically, environmentally, and culturally important to the
Alabama-Mississippi Gulf Coast. The recommendation includes no
less than $2,000,000 for the Service to support necessary
university-based fisheries safety plus fish and shellfish
health monitoring activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Committee recognizes that at-risk species mostly
inhabit private lands, and that the Service cannot accomplish
its mission without fully embracing non-regulatory and
voluntary collaborative conservation efforts with private
landowners. The Committee directs the Service to continue
utilizing grants and other programs, such as the Wildlife
Conservation Initiative, to pursue collaborative species
conservation that leverages in-kind land access and expertise
from private landowners.
American Bison.--The Committee reminds the Service to
consult with the impacted States and Tribal governments on any
actions regarding the introduction or listing of bison. The
Committee directs the Service to comply with the State
definition that bison are livestock under Chapter 81 of the
Montana Code.
Everglades.--The Committee continues its support for
collaborative efforts to protect, restore, and conserve
habitats for one of the greatest ecological treasures of the
United States. The recommendation provides no less than the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level, across multiple programs for
Everglades restoration.
Wildland Fire Response Coordination.--The Committee
encourages the Service to establish formal partnerships, where
appropriate, to develop coordinated response structures for
wildland firefighting in geographically isolated areas near
Service jurisdiction.
CONSTRUCTION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $19,280,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 32,165,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 8,114,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -11,166,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -24,051,000
The Committee recommends $8,114,000 for Construction.
When a construction project is completed or terminated and
appropriated funds remain, the Service may use those balances
to respond to unforeseen reconstruction, replacement, or repair
of facilities or equipment damaged or destroyed by storms,
floods, fires, and similar unanticipated natural events.
COOPERATIVE ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND
The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund
(CESCF; Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act), administered
by the Service's Ecological Services program, provides grant
funding to States and Territories for species and habitat
conservation actions on non-Federal lands, including habitat
acquisition, conservation planning, habitat restoration, status
surveys, captive propagation and reintroduction, research, and
education.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $23,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 14,442,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 23,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +8,558,000
The Committee recommends $23,000,000 for the Cooperative
Endangered Species Conservation Fund.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE FUND
The National Wildlife Refuge Fund shares refuge revenues
and makes payments in lieu of taxes to counties in which
Service lands are located.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $13,228,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 0
Recommended, 2025..................................... 13,228,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +13,228,000
The Committee recommends $13,228,000 for the National
Wildlife Refuge Fund.
NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION FUND
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989
provided matching grants to support projects that protect,
enhance, and restore habitat for wetland-dependent birds and
other wildlife in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $49,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 33,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 49,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +16,000,000
The Committee recommends $49,000,000 for the North American
Wetlands Conservation Fund.
NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $5,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 5,100,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 5,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -100,000
The Committee recommends $5,000,000 for Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation.
MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUND
The Multinational Species Conservation Fund provides
critical technical and financial assistance to local
communities, wildlife authorities, and non-governmental
organizations in range countries for on-the-ground conservation
work.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $20,500,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 21,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 21,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +500,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $21,000,000 for the Multinational
Species Conservation Fund (MSCF) to protect priority species.
The detailed allocation of funding by activity is included in
the table at the end of this report.
STATE AND TRIBAL WILDLIFE GRANTS
The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program provides
grants to States and Federally recognized Tribes, the District
of Columbia, Commonwealths, and Territories to conserve fish
and wildlife and their habitats, with a special focus on at-
risk species that are not hunted or fished.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $72,384,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 73,812,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 73,812,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +1,428,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $73,812,000 for State and Tribal
Wildlife Grants. The detailed allocation of funding by activity
is included in the table at the end of this report.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The Administrative Provisions include long-standing items
that facilitate efficient operations.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The mission of the National Park Service (Service) is to
preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and
values of the national park system for the enjoyment,
education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
Established in 1916, the Service has stewardship
responsibilities for the protection and preservation of the
heritage resources of the national park system, which consists
of 424 separate and distinct units. In addition, the Service
provides support to Tribal, local, and State governments to
preserve culturally significant, ecologically important, and
public recreational lands.
OPERATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $2,888,424,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 3,090,350,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,709,203,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -179,221,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -381,147,000
The Committee recommends $2,709,203,000 for Operation of
the National Park System (ONPS).
The recommendation provides funding for base operations,
specifically for the purpose of maintaining operations and
access to Service units and sites. Offsets are taken from non-
base project accounts.
In addition to the amount provided under this heading, the
Service has received $500,000,000 in supplemental funding for
hiring.
Within the total amount provided, the table below makes
recommendations for specific programs:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers................... $5,300,000
National Trails System............................... 18,856,000
National Networks.................................... 9,143,000
National Park Foundation............................. 15,000,000
Everglades Restoration............................... 11,661,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource Stewardship.--The Committee continues the
directive provided in House Report 117-400 regarding the
distribution of funds for the National Networks.
Everglades Restoration.--The Committee notes the
substantial progress made toward restoration of the Everglades
ecosystem and continues to support this multi-year effort. As
restoration efforts continue, it is encouraged that the
northern headwaters of the Everglades be given special
consideration.
Visitor Services.--The National Capital Area Performing
Arts Program is funded at no less than the enacted level.
Additionally, the Committee is interested in evaluating
opportunities for additional entities with known interest in
the program should additional funding be provided to this
program.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee has included the
following additional guidance with respect to funding provided
under this account:
America's First Frontier.--The Committee urges the Service
to advance interpretive efforts at existing Service sites and
in collaboration with other Federal, State, and local agencies,
including other bureaus within the Department of the Interior,
to detail the start of westward expansion through the Northwest
Territory, which are the territories west of the Ohio River
that opened for settlement pursuant to the Northwest Ordinance,
known as America's First Frontier.
Appalachian Scenic Trail.--The Committee is aware that many
parks, including the Appalachian Scenic Trail, are experiencing
increased visitation and support needs and encourages the
Service to include sufficient resources in future budget
requests to address these needs.
Assateague Island National Seashore.--The Committee looks
forward to receiving the briefing as outlined by House Report
118-155 regarding the jurisdictional authority at the
Assateague Island National Seashore.
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.--The
Committee continues to support the Service's cooperative
agreement with the local coordinating entity for the Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
Blue Ridge Parkway.--The Committee directs the Service to
consider the feasibility of adding edge striping lines in
ongoing and future pavement projects at the Blue Ridge Parkway
between Route 220 and Route 460.
Cedar Creek and Bell Grove National Historic Park.--The
Committee encourages the Service to collaborate with partners
of the Cedar Creek and Bell Grove National Historic Park on
strategies to maximize the coordination and programs of all
partners to enhance the visitor experience. The Committee
directs the Service to develop a plan for its own
interpretation and programming based on the recommendations of
collaborating with these partners and provide a report to the
Committee on its findings.
Chiricahua National Monument.--Not later than 180 days
following the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the
Service to brief the Committee on the impacts of renaming the
Chiricahua National Monument to ``Chiricahua National Park'',
including the potential for increased visitation and economic
benefit to the surrounding community.
Coastal Leases.--The Committee directs the Service to brief
the Committee not later than 180 days following the enactment
of this Act on the status of existing leaseholders with the
Service, including those in coastal regions that have
experienced financial hardship over the last few years, and
existing authorities the Service has with respect to issuing,
negotiating, and extending lease terms.
Columbus Circle.--The Committee recognizes the number of
visitors to our nation's capital each year and encourages the
Service to clean and rehabilitate monuments in the nation's
capital, such as the Columbus Circle and Fountain.
Coordination.--The Committee encourages the Service to
coordinate with local law enforcement in cases where
perpetrators are pursued in local jurisdictions for criminal
activity that occurs within Park Service boundaries of park
units located within proximity of the border, such as Big Bend
National Park.
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.--The
Committee notes the importance of the El Camino Real de los
Tejas National Historic Trail and encourages the Service to
include sufficient resources in future budget requests to
ensure a continued positive visitor experience.
Every Kid Outdoors Program.--Within the funds provided, the
Service should aim to support the work of the Every Kid
Outdoors Program and the Committee encourages the Service to
look for ways to leverage resources in order to maximize
support for the program.
Expanding Access.--The Committee looks forward to receiving
the briefing as outlined by House Report 118-155 on expanding
road and trail access.
Glacier National Park.--The Committee is concerned about
public access to Glacier National Park as a result of the
vehicle reservation system. The Committee is encouraged by the
lifting of the reservation system on the east entrances to the
park and directs the Service to consider alternative approaches
to visitor management that prioritize increasing public access.
The Service should consider the impact on, and opportunities
for, local residents, communities, and Tribes when evaluating
these approaches. The Committee directs the Service to keep the
Committee updated on its plan for alternative approaches.
Habitat Protection.--The Committee continues to encourage
the Service to respond to the urgent landscape-scale needs of
critically endangered forest birds with habitats in national
parks. These species face increased threats and imminent
extinction from non-native mosquitoes that carry avian malaria
and other pathogens.
Hot Springs National Park.--The Committee is aware that
maintenance of the Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs National
Park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, threatens the viability
of a local business operating as a concessionaire within the
building. The Committee directs the National Park Service to
coordinate with the current concessionaire to develop a plan
for maintenance, roof repair, and HVAC installation that would
have minimal impact to business operations and allow the
current concessionaire to continue operations throughout the
duration of the building's maintenance.
Indian Tribe Evacuation Route.--The Committee recognizes
the importance of ensuring that the Hoh Indian Tribe has a
functional tsunami emergency evacuation route. The Committee
directs the Service to continue its work with the Hoh Indian
Tribe to design and construct a horse trail to serve as an
evacuation route and to brief the Committee not later than 60
days following the enactment of this Act on these efforts, and
to provide ongoing updates.
Natchez Trace Parkway.--The Committee encourages the
Service to consider partnerships with local governments to
undertake the maintenance and rehabilitation of completed paved
multi-use trails within the Natchez Trace Parkway.
National Capital Regional Emergency Communications.--The
Committee supports the Service's work to complete the required
reviews and move forward in strengthening the emergency
communications security posture within the National Capital
Region. The Committee directs the Service to provide a report
to Congress not later than 60 days following the enactment of
this Act on (1) the status of activities to address the
recommendations made by the National Capital Region Wireless
Infrastructure Working Group to improve the permanent wireless
communications capabilities within the National Capital Region,
including any challenges that could pose a delay, and (2) the
Service's expectations for when new and upgraded permanent
infrastructure will be in place.
Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Office.--The
Committee is aware of the work the Natural Resource Stewardship
and Science Office does to leverage science capacity with
programs such as Research Learning Centers, Cooperative
Ecosystem Studies Units, and other academic, nonprofit, and
private entities. The Committee encourages the Service to
continue this work.
Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers.--The Committee notes that
Public Law 117-328 authorizes the Service to study the
Kissimmee River and the Little Manatee Wild and Scenic River
for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program. The
Committee directs the Service to complete the authorized
studies in a timely manner. The Committee also recognizes there
is interest in evaluating the Florida National Spring system in
Northern and Central Florida for possible inclusion in the Wild
& Scenic Rivers Program and encourages the Service to keep the
Committee apprised of any planned actions related to these
efforts.
Park Access.--Not later than 180 days following enactment
of this Act, the Committee directs the Service to brief the
Committee on alternative ways to manage park access, including
through existing reservation systems, in order to increase
resources for park system maintenance needs while still
maintaining access and affordability for everyday Americans.
Park Passes.--The Committee encourages the Service to
continue evaluating additional opportunities and locations to
offer annual parking tags for sale at the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, especially in areas with great distance from an
in-person sales location.
Public Input and Report on Lake Powell Recreation.--The
Committee notes that the amount of water at Lake Powell has
rapidly declined over the last several years due to severe
drought conditions. The Committee is disappointed by the
Service's level of communication with impacted groups,
including those that use Lake Powell for recreation, regarding
the Service's decisions related to lake access. Given the
ongoing challenges posed by the changing lake levels and
conditions, to facilitate better engagement and discussions
among groups with mutual interests in maintaining lake access,
the Committee directs the Service to establish a process to
receive, consider, and respond to input from the public on
matters involving public access to, and recreation uses of, the
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The process should also
include establishing timelines and processes for notifying
relevant impacted groups ahead of any change in access to the
lake. The Committee looks forward to receiving the report
outlined in House Report 118-155 regarding the establishment of
a forum or process for public input as described above and
notes that the Service shall continue providing updates to the
Committee on the process.
As part of this effort, the Committee directs the Service
to provide a report not later than 60 days following the
enactment of this Act outlining infrastructure improvements
necessary to maintain public access across Glen Canyon National
Recreation Area and Rainbow Bridge National Monument as
conditions change. The report should include estimated costs
for each location, as well as funding commitments in fiscal
year 2024 and 2025, to ensure continued lake access despite
these changing conditions.
Turfgrass Systems.--The Committee supports the use of
grasses and ornamental plants requiring less water, fertilizer,
and other inputs for landscapes for the National Park Service
and national historic sites, and encourages the Service to
utilize applied research from land-grant university
specialists; train personnel in establishing and maintaining
sustainable landscapes; cooperate with Federal and State
university researchers to identify drought, heat, and pest
resistant grasses for national parks; maximize the amount of
carbon captured by turfgrass systems and reduce carbon output
through enhanced maintenance systems; and enhance ornamental
turfgrass contributions for the appearance of national parks,
monuments, and historic sites.
Visitation.--As the Service develops funding estimates for
sites within the National Park System, the Committee continues
to encourage the Service to consider how annual visitation
trends may impact operations at each park, among other factors.
Wildlife Considerations.--The Committee encourages the
Service to prioritize restoration of current and historic
riparian areas in ways that support beaver populations, use
infrastructure that is beavery friendly, allows for beavers to
construct dams and otherwise influence water flow in lieu of
hard infrastructure where appropriate, and are mindful of the
ways in which beavers can influence landscape.
World War II Memorial.--The Committee recognizes this year
marks the twentieth anniversary of the World War II Memorial's
commemoration and supports the Service's maintenance assessment
efforts and rehabilitation planning for the Memorial. The
Committee supports the Service's maintenance assessment efforts
and rehabilitation planning of the World War II Memorial.
Yosemite Reservation System.--The Committee is concerned
about the impacts of the vehicle reservation system pilot
program at Yosemite National Park, particularly on residents
and local communities, and directs the Service to consider
approaches such as a transportation or shuttle system on the
east side of the park, parking options outside of the
boundaries of the park, discontinuing the vehicle registration
system on the east side of the park, and reducing the hours
during the day that require a vehicle reservation as part of
its effort to identify potential strategies. The Committee
directs the Service to brief the Committee not later than 90
days following the of enactment of this Act on the effort,
along with ongoing updates.
Youth Access to Public Lands.--The Committee is aware of
efforts by the Service to connect youth with the outdoors and
directs the Service to provide a briefing not later than 60
days following the enactment of this Act on funding
opportunities used by the Service to promote access to outdoor
recreation for youth and students.
NATIONAL RECREATION AND PRESERVATION
The National Recreation and Preservation account provides
for outdoor recreation planning, preservation of cultural and
national heritage resources, technical assistance to Federal,
State and local agencies, and administration of Historic
Preservation Fund grants.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $91,233,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 84,423,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 89,593,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -1,640,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +5,170,000
The Committee recommends $89,593,000 for National
Recreation and Preservation. Within the total amount provided,
the table below makes recommendations for specific programs:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Program Recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance.......... $13,000,000
Chesapeake Gateway and Trails........................ 3,027,000
Native American Graves Protection.................... 3,407,000
American Indian and Native Hawaiian.................. 2,750,000
Japanese Confinement Site Grants..................... 4,655,000
9/11 Memorial Act Grants............................. 4,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance.--The Committee
is aware that the Service can use the Rivers, Trails, and
Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program to support outdoor and
water recreation in freshwater tidal estuaries, such as the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and supports these efforts.
Heritage Partnership Programs.--The Committee provides
$29,232,000 for each heritage area to receive no less than the
amount provided in fiscal year 2024.
Additionally, the Committee encourages the Service to urge
the non-federal coordinating entities of the Heritage
Partnership Program to be transparent with the public regarding
operations and use of Federal funding, including making board
meetings open to the public.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee has included additional
guidance with respect to funding provided under this account:
Cultural Programs.--The recommendation includes funding to
support programs for Native American, Native Hawaiian, or
Alaska Native culture and arts development. The Committee
encourages the service to identify barriers to participation in
these programs.
Feasibility Studies.--The Committee encourages the Service
to complete the National Heritage Area feasibility studies
authorized by Public Law 117-339.
Federal Lands to Parks Program.--The Service is directed to
respond to any inquiries or requests in a timely manner
regarding the City of Paducah's property transferred under the
Federal Lands to Parks program.
Japanese Confinement Site Grants.--Public Law 117-328
established the Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement
Education Grants under the Japanese American Confinement Grant
Program. The Committee notes the plans in the budget request
regarding the use of funds for this program and is supportive
of these efforts.
National Historic Landmarks.--The Committee is aware of the
pending application for the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas to be
designated as a National Historic Landmark and encourages the
Service to complete its evaluation of this application in a
timely manner.
Additionally, the Committee encourages the Service to
examine the suitability of including the John Wright House in
Rosewood, Florida in the National Historic Landmarks Program.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND
The Historic Preservation Fund supports the State historic
preservation offices to perform a variety of functions. These
include State management and administration of existing grant
obligations; review and advice on Federal projects and actions;
determinations and nominations to the National Register; Tax
Act certifications; and technical preservation services. The
States also review properties to develop data for planning use.
Funding in this account also supports direct grants to
qualifying organizations for individual preservation projects
and for activities in support of heritage tourism and local
historic preservation.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $188,666,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 151,400,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 168,900,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -19,766,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +17,500,000
The Committee recommends $168,900,000 for historic
preservation.
Competitive Grants.--The Committee directs that no less
than the enacted level be provided to each program within the
Competitive Grants Subactivity.
Semiquincentennial.--The recommendation includes funding
for the Service to continue to administer competitive grants to
honor the semiquincentennial anniversary of the United States
by restoring and preserving sites and structures that
commemorate the founding of the nation. The Committee notes
that such funding is not restricted to sites and structures
owned by State governments.
CONSTRUCTION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $172,255,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 237,183,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 135,616,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -36,639,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -101,567,000
The Committee recommends $135,616,000 for Construction.
National Parks Fire Recovery.--In an effort to ensure that
parks around the country continue to provide for safe and
uninterrupted visitor use of facilities, within funding for
Special Programs, the Committee encourages the Service to
provide funds for emergency and unscheduled projects at sites
around the country impacted by fires in 2023, such as Hurricane
Ridge Day Lodge in Olympic National Park.
CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $12,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 13,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 12,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -1,000,000
The Committee recommends $12,000,000 for the Centennial
Challenge matching grant program.
United States Geological Survey
Originating in 1879, the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) is the primary Federal source of science-based
information on ecosystems, land use, energy and mineral
resources, natural hazards, water use and availability, and
updated maps and images of the Earth's features available to
the public.
SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,455,434,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,578,298,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,374,385,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -81,049,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -203,913,000
The Survey provides critical scientific research and data
to land and water managers in priority ecosystems. This work is
funded through multiple mission areas and accounts. The bill
provides $1,374,385,000 for the United States Geological
Survey.
Ecosystems.--The Committee recommends $291,780,000 for
Ecosystems.
Environmental Health.--The recommendation includes
$26,293,000 for Environmental Health, of which $4,750,000 is
for researching harmful algal blooms and understanding the
prevalence of microcystin toxins in the nation's natural bodies
of water.
The Committee encourages the Survey to continue support for
environmental health workforces that enhance water security in
rural communities, including those in Montana.
The Committee encourages the Survey to participate in the
interagency Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and
Control Act Interagency Working Group efforts.
Species Management Research.--The recommendation includes
$55,490,000 for Species Management Research, of which $500,000
is for the U.S. National Phenology Network and $1,250,000 is
for research on Hawaiian forest birds that face extinction from
non-native mosquitoes carrying avian malaria and other
pathogens.
The Committee directs the Survey to provide a briefing not
later than 120 days following the enactment of this Act on how
it would establish a Mississippi River Restoration and
Resilience Science Center at an existing Survey office and the
initial research priorities the center would focus on based on
the findings of the previous Science Forum directed in House
Report 117-83. The briefing should cover potential work with
the EPA, including improving water quality, protecting and
restoring wildlife and their habitats, preventing the spread of
aquatic invasive species, and improving community resilience to
natural disasters.
The Committee recognizes that a comprehensive, multi-lake,
freshwater fisheries and ecosystem assessment is vital to
regional economies and long-term health of the United States
and encourages the Survey to research and develop systems and
tools for advanced next-generation freshwater biological
assessment and monitoring.
Land Management Research.--The recommendation includes
$52,000,000 for Land Management Research, which includes
$9,000,000, $600,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level,
for the Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Program to
support management and restoration of America's Everglades.
The Committee urges the Survey to continue its work on
native plant research and identify opportunities for the Survey
to increase the use of native plants in land management and
restoration activities. The Committee also encourages the
Survey to continue to support standing up ecoregional native
plant programs that can develop the regionally adapted plant
materials to help improve ecosystem function and resiliency.
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program.--
The recommendation includes $44,500,000 for the Biological
Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, including to
support research on European Green Crab, Coral Disease,
phytoplankton changes in the Great Lakes, and Chronic Wasting
Disease. The recommendation includes $11,000,000 for invasive
carp research, including to prevent the spread into the Great
Lakes, of which $3,000,000 is for research on containing or
eradicating grass carp.
Climate Adaptation Science Centers.--The recommendation
includes $66,115,000 for these centers that provide scientific
data about changes in coastal water levels and flooding,
drought conditions, weather patterns, migratory patterns of
fish and birds, and ecosystems and habitats to State and local
land managers who can use that information to respond to
environmental changes and challenges. The Survey is encouraged
to prioritize the funding needs of the Regional Centers and
expedite the processing of funds to CASC consortia.
Cooperative Research Units Program.--The recommendation
includes $29,880,000 for the Cooperative Research Unit (CRU)
program Of this amount, the Committee provides $800,000 to
establish a new CRU at a land-grant institution within a State
that does not have a Wildlife CRU. Priority should be given to
funding a CRU that can serve the diverse array of terrestrial
ecosystems that encompass those located within the Tennessee
River Basin, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi
Delta.
Great Lakes Science Center.--Funding for the Great Lakes
Science Center is provided at no less than $15,000,000. These
resources will ensure acquisition of information necessary for
fishery management decisions and to support the Center's large
vessels. The Committee supports the Center's partnerships to
operate proven, commercially available, long-endurance uncrewed
surface vehicles (USVs) to collect operational fisheries survey
data.
Energy and Mineral Resources.--The Committee recommends
$100,657,000 for Energy and Mineral Resources.
Mineral Resources.--The Committee directs USGS to explore
including all items on the Department of Energy (DOE) Critical
Materials list on the USGS Critical Mineral List. Further, the
Committee directs USGS to provide a report to the Committee not
later than 75 days after the enactment of this Act that
discusses the methodologies used to determine which new
critical minerals shall be added and a plan to collaborate with
DOE on future updates.
Energy Resources.--The recommendation includes $35,364,000
for Energy Resources. Within the funds provided, the Committee
directs USGS to use no less than $7,500,000 to conduct a new,
state-by-state assessment to quantify the full range of
prospective geothermal resources across all 50 states,
prioritizing regions with less data availability, and including
resources that could be used for enhanced geothermal systems,
deep closed-loop geothermal systems, geothermal systems which
harness heat from temperatures at which water becomes
supercritical, and other innovative geothermal systems,
consistent with 42 U.S. Code 17286 and 30 U.S. Code 1028. The
assessment should model varying depths, including depths of at
least 9 kilometers.
Natural Hazards.--The Committee recommends $190,565,000 for
Natural Hazards.
Earthquake Hazards.--The recommendation includes
$94,651,000 for Earthquake Hazards, including $32,600,000 for
continued development and expansion of the ShakeAlert West
Coast earthquake early warning system as well as capital costs
associated with the system's buildout.
The Committee remains concerned about the lack of knowledge
and offshore real-time instrumentation available for the
Cascadia subduction zone. The Committee encourages the Survey
to continue developing its early earthquake warning system and
consider expanding into locations that will benefit from an
early detection system. The recommendation includes $2,660,000,
equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for the National
Seismic Hazard Model Improvements and Updates, including for
expansion to Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Committee provides $2,700,000 to support the Service's
Subduction Zone Science, including ongoing work with the
National Science Foundation.
Landslide Hazards Program.--The recommendation includes
$14,432,000 for the National Landslide Hazards Reduction
Program.
Water Resources.--The Committee recommends $285,212,000 for
Water Resources.
Water Availability and Use Science.--The recommendation
includes $70,296,000 for the Water Availability and Use Science
Program, $3,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Within the funding provided, the recommendation includes
$1,750,000 for the Saline Lakes Program and provides $1,500,000
for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program. The Committee
also supports the Survey's advancements on understanding
evapotranspiration in the 17 western states and provides
$3,500,000, equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for
OpenET.
The Committee encourages the Survey to prioritize
cooperation with Western state water resource agencies facing
challenges with long-term water sustainability. The Committee
further encourages the program to enhance cooperation with
these agencies through respective Survey State Water Science
Centers which possess local and regional water science
expertise.
The Committee urges the Survey to conduct a new Water-
Resources Investigations Report regarding the groundwater
conditions in the Great Lakes Region. Specifically, the
Committee encourages information specific to indirect ground-
water discharge to the Great Lakes as well as ground-water
recharge rates for the entire watershed to determine the role
of ground water in the hydrologic budget of the Great Lakes.
The Committee notes that robust participation with
universities in the hydrologic sciences is essential to
building a talent pipeline as well as building capacity to
support future hydrological research and operational efforts.
The Committee directs USGS to use $2,000,000 within the Water
Availability and Use Science Program and $2,000,000 within the
National Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program for the
Hydrologic Science Talent Pipeline to continue pursuing
cooperative research agreements with an emphasis on locations
where USGS has pending hydrological facilities and where there
are other Federal operational hydrologic resources.
The Committee also provides $3,000,000 for a training and
development program to attract, train, and develop early career
researchers and workforce that can engage with Tribal groups
and local stakeholders in addressing pressing water issues,
including in the Western Great Basin and Sierra Nevada.
The Committee commends the Survey for its work on mapping
natural springs. The Committee encourages the Survey to
continue working with State, local, and Tribal agencies as well
as other relevant entities, including but not limited to
universities and non-profit institutions, on the requirements
to develop a 2-year pilot program to determine the most
efficient methodology for developing a national inventory and
to brief the Committee not later than 180 days following the
enactment of this Act on its discussions.
The Committee encourages the Survey to provide a briefing
not later than 120 days following the enactment of this Act on
the funding requirements associated with initiating a new
Sinkhole Hazards Program to focus on sinkhole hazard
identification, assessment, and mapping, as well as the
research and development to reduce sinkhole losses and risk.
Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program.--The
recommendation includes $112,976,000 for the Groundwater and
Streamflow Information Program, including $32,000,000 for
Federal Priority streamgages and $500,000 for the Ohio River
super gages to maintain operational capacity within the
existing super-gage network, including in basins with unique
geology, distinct soils, and a significant agricultural
presence.
The Committee recognizes that understanding current and
streamflow conditions is vital to estimating flood frequency
and monitoring civil infrastructure. The recommendation
includes $31,000,000 for the Next-Generation Water Observing
System and the Committee emphasizes support for working with
academic partners using advanced computing techniques to
develop advanced Next-Generation Water Observing Systems.
National Water Quality Program.--The recommendation
includes $85,440,000 for the National Water Quality Program. Of
this amount, the Committee includes $7,490,000 for harmful
algal blooms (HABs), including research on health effects,
particularly in freshwater and coastal ecosystems, and to
monitor, characterize, prevent, and control HABs, and to
provide rapid response alerts to water resource agencies,
health departments, and the public. The Committee supports the
Survey's efforts to fund university-based research grants to
examine how sediment and nutrient pathways relates to the
formation of HABs, the impact of these blooms on vegetation
growth in marine ecosystems, and the impact of vegetation loss
on vulnerable and endangered species, such as the West Indian
manatee.
Water Resources Research Act Program.--Recognizing the role
Water Resources Research Act programs play in addressing local,
State, and regional water issues and assisting in long term
water planning, policy development, and resource management,
the recommendation includes $16,500,000 for this program.
Within the funding provided, at least $12,500,000 is for the
104b annual base grants. Consistent with the fiscal year 2024
enacted bill, the recommendation includes $3,000,000 for
ongoing PFAS research within the Water Resources Research Act
Program.
Core Science Systems.--The recommendation includes
$283,221,000 for Core Science Systems.
National Land Imaging Program.--The recommendation includes
$124,071,000 for the National Land Imaging Program. The
Committee recognizes the need for an on-time and on-budget
delivery of the Landsat Next mission and provides $107,334,000,
as requested, for Landsat Next to ensure the Service can meet
the 2030 launch date.
The Committee recognizes the importance of the Remote
Sensing State Grants Program and provides $2,465,000 to support
these efforts.
Science Synthesis, Analysis, and Research Program.--The
recommendation includes $25,000,000 for the Science Synthesis,
Analysis, and Research Program, including $1,620,000, equal to
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for Advanced Research
Computing.
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program.--The
recommendation includes $43,500,000, equal to the fiscal year
2024 enacted level, for the National Cooperative Geologic
Mapping Program.
National Geospatial Program.--The recommendation includes
$90,650,000 for the National Geospatial Program. Within the
amount provided, $1,350,000 is for the National Digital Trails
project.
The Committee recognizes the importance of landscape-scale,
three-dimensional maps for the Nation and the partnership it
represents between localities, states, the Survey, and myriad
other Federal agencies and includes $43,905,000 for the 3D
Elevation Program, which includes $6,000,000 for the coverage
of Federal lands in the western States. The Committee does not
accept the Survey's funding decrease for 3DEP and expects that,
with the increase in funding provided, the Survey will complete
national coverage by 2026. Additionally, the Survey should
expand collaboration and integration of hydrography data within
3DEP, including developing a detailed plan and budget request
for the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP). Recognizing the
importance of hydrography data, the recommendation includes
$1,000,000 for 3DHP.
Science Support.--The recommendation includes $89,465,000
for Science Support.
Administration and Management.--The recommendation includes
$69,490,000 for Administration and Management, including
$362,000 for the Small Business Program, equal to the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
Facilities.--The recommendation includes $133,485,000 for
facilities, including $79,355,000 for the Rental Payments and
Operations and Maintenance Program and $54,130,000 for Deferred
Maintenance and Capital Improvement to support modernization of
the National Wildlife Health Center.
Chesapeake Bay Program Activities.--The Committee continues
to support the Survey's watershed-wide research, assessment,
monitoring, and modeling that help Chesapeake Bay partners make
informed management decisions to restore and protect the
Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The recommendation provides
no less than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for these
activities.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $211,162,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 242,045,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 199,057,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -12,105,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -42,988,000
The Committee recommends $199,057,000 for the Ocean Energy
Management appropriation. The overall funding level is
partially offset through the collection of rental receipts and
other cost recovery fees totaling $55,000,000, resulting in a
final appropriation of $144,057,000.
Geologic Carbon Sequestration.--The Committee recommends
not less than $2,000,000 for geologic carbon sequestration on
the Outer Continental Shelf as authorized by the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58; 43 U.S.C.
1337(p)(1)(E)). The Committee expects the Bureau to build and
support necessary expertise using funds within Environmental
Programs and Conventional Energy. The Committee is concerned
that the Bureau is not utilizing this authority and expects the
Bureau to complete the necessary technical, safety, and
environmental work needed to implement a carbon sequestration
leasing program as soon as possible.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Offshore Safety and
Environmental Enforcement
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $205,330,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 237,485,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 205,330,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -32,155,000
The Committee recommends $205,330,000 for the Offshore
Safety and Environmental Enforcement appropriation. The overall
funding level is partially offset through the collection of
rental receipts, other cost recovery fees, and inspection fees
totaling $64,000,000, resulting in a final appropriation of
$141,330,000.
The Committee does not provide funding for the proposal in
the budget request to create the renewable energy operations
activity.
Geologic Carbon Sequestration.--The Committee notes there
is strong interest in advancing carbon storage projects that
permanently sequester carbon dioxide in geologic formations.
The recommendation includes $2,000,000 to develop expertise and
capacity for activities related to installation, operations,
inspections, emergency response plans, and decommissioning,
among other roles, in support of direction provided in this
report under the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Rigs to Reefs.--The Committee strongly supports the Rigs to
Reefs program in cooperation with the States and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Bureau is
directed to continue its policies related to extensions for
those entities interested in participating in the program and
to utilize the program to the maximum extent possible.
Blow Out Prevention Technology.--The Committee continues to
encourage the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
(BSEE) to review and consider new and emerging technology,
including alternative procedures or equipment as appropriate
given the best available science and while ensuring that risks
are properly identified and mitigated. BSEE is urged to develop
a testing framework for new technologies that takes into
consideration the cost of testing while still ensuring safety
and effectiveness.
OIL SPILL RESEARCH
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $15,099,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 15,099,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 15,099,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $15,099,000 for the Oil Spill
Research appropriation.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
REGULATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $116,186,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 128,875,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 119,786,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +3,600,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -9,089,000
The Committee recommends $119,786,000 for the Regulation
and Technology appropriation. The detailed allocation of
funding by activity is included in the table accompanying this
report.
Agency Delays.--The Committee is deeply concerned that the
Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement
(Office) has been delinquent in meeting any court ordered
deadlines for issuing supplemental Environmental Impact
Statements (EIS) thus resulting in vacatur of an existing mine
permit. The Committee expects the Office to abide by the
deadlines established and mandated by the court.
ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $162,546,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 175,815,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 168,231,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +5,685,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -7,584,000
The Committee recommends $168,231,000 for the Abandoned
Mine Reclamation Fund appropriation. Of the funds provided,
$33,231,000 are derived from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Fund and $135,000,000 are derived from the general treasury.
The detailed allocation of funding by activity is included in
the table accompanying this report.
Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER)
Program.--The Committee continues bill language directing the
Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSMRE) to
pay the entirety of funds allocated directly to each State and
Tribe not later than 90 days following the enactment of this
Act. Recognizing that all participating States in this program
have primacy, OSMRE is expected to provide technical assistance
to grantees, but it is the participating States' sole
responsibility to approve projects for economic and community
development in conjunction with the priorities in section
403(a) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(a)).
The Committee is aware that no funding has been awarded to
projects in former coal producing counties in western Kentucky.
The Committee encourages participating States and Tribes to
consider geographic proportionality when selecting projects to
receive AMLER grants.
Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI).--The
Committee notes that the ARRI program is designed and
implemented to promote effective reforestation of mined lands
resulting in restored forested lands and ecosystems that
enhances economic and recreational opportunities throughout the
Appalachian Region. To support such efforts, of the funds
provided, the Committee provides no less than $500,000 for
ARRI.
Indian Affairs
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Office of the
Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs (together, ``Indian
Affairs'') programs serve 574 Federally recognized Indian
Tribes, a service population of approximately two million
American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal and Native
communities. BIA provides direct services and funding for
compacts and contracts for Tribes to provide Federal programs
for a wide range of activities necessary for community
development. Programs address Tribal government, natural
resource management, trust services, law enforcement, economic
development, and social service needs.
In preparation for the fiscal year 2025 appropriation bill,
the Subcommittee received oral testimony from approximately 78
witnesses on a variety of topics pertaining to American Indian
and Alaska Native (AI/AN) programs in two days of public
testimony and received written testimony from an additional 43
entities. The Federal Government has a legal and moral
obligation to provide quality services to American Indians and
Alaska Natives. On a nonpartisan basis, the Committee continues
to protect and, where possible, strengthen the budgets for
Indian Country programs in this bill to address long-standing
and underfunded needs.
OPERATION OF INDIAN PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,898,550,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 2,169,386,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,189,150,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +290,600,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +19,764,000
The Committee recommends $2,189,150,000 for Operation of
Indian Programs, which is a $290,600,000 increase above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $19,764,000 above the
President's budget request. The Committee acknowledges the
significant funding needs across Indian country, and the level
of funding provided reflects the Committee's commitment to
advancing the Federal government's trust and treaty
obligations. The Committee understands that fixed costs
continue to rise and flat funding results in a cut to
programmatic dollars. The recommendation accepts all Agency
internal transfers and provides the Agency's requested baseline
capacity, which covers fixed costs from fiscal year 2024 and
for fiscal year 2025.
Tribal Government.--The recommendation includes
$435,571,000 for Tribal Government, $36,584,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Road Maintenance.--The Committee remains concerned about
the poor condition of many roads on Tribal lands which creates
substantial safety hazards and barriers to economic
development. The recommendation includes $42,814,000 for road
maintenance to improve and maintain roads and bridges,
$3,624,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Human Services.--The recommendation includes $176,372,000
for Human Services, $12,625,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level.
Social Services.--The recommendation includes $61,032,000
for Social Services, $8,078,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level. Within the increase provided, the recommendation
includes an additional $5,000,000 above the adjusted fiscal
year 2024 level for Tribes that have not been able to receive
BIA social services activities pursuant to a self-determination
contract or self-governance compact. The Committee directs BIA
to provide a briefing to the Committee not later than 120 days
following the enactment of this Act on Tribes meeting this
requirement and additional funding needs to provide parity.
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).--The recommendation
includes $18,230,000 for the Indian Child Welfare Act.
State child welfare agencies play an important role in
ensuring the safety of Indian children who come into contact
with the State child welfare system. The Committee directs BIA
to work closely with the Administration for Children and
Families (ACF) and the Department of Justice to help these
State agencies maintain and improve upon their responsibilities
required by 42 USC 622(b)(9) to Indian children under ICWA. The
Committee directs BIA to provide a briefing not later than 180
days following the enactment of this Act on its interagency
work with ACF and Tribal consultations, including identifying
any hurdles and obstacles to improving State agencies'
compliance with ICWA.
Housing Program.--The recommendations includes $13,981,000,
$2,042,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, to support
additional housing units and applicants.
Tiwahe.--The report ``Tiwahe: Final Report to Congress''
documents significant achievements, including a reduction in
suicides, recidivism, and removal of children from the
community. It also notes earlier parent/child reunifications,
language revitalization, and improvements to housing and
homelessness among other improvements. For fiscal year 2025,
the Committee expects BIA to continue funding existing Tiwahe
program sites for the same activities at the same amount,
including funding to support women's and children's shelters.
Trust-Natural Resources Management.--The recommendation
includes $339,533,000 for Trust-Natural Resources Management,
$17,184,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Irrigation Operations and Maintenance.--The recommendation
includes $16,511,000 for Irrigation Operations and Maintenance,
$1,242,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Rights Protection Implementation.--The recommendation
includes $50,790,000 for Rights Protection Implementation,
$1,590,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, including
$7,792,000 for the Pacific Salmon Treaty, a $1,000,000 increase
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level. Within this amount,
the recommendation includes funding to support the Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Columbia River in-lieu sites
law enforcement, in-lieu sites operations and maintenance, and
fisheries management, and construction to support
implementation of the Columbia River Basin Settlement
Agreement, and Salmon and Steelhead Inventory as requested.
Tribal Management Development Program.--The recommendation
includes $23,696,000 for the Tribal Management Development
Program, $5,152,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level
and $5,000,000 above the President's budget request, including
$2,523,000 for the Inter-Tribal Buffalo Council.
Agriculture and Range.--The Committee directs BIA to
provide a report not later than 120 days following the
enactment of this Act comparing the distribution of funds for
agriculture programs in the lower 48 to Alaska over the past
five years.
The Committee encourages BIA to continue supporting the
work done in fiscal year 2024 to address the problem of the
European green crab which impacts marine resources for Tribal
communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Forestry.--The Committee directs BIA to provide a briefing
not later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act
outlining resources needed to reinstate the Reindeer Loan
Program to support reindeer for subsistence.
Water Resources.--The recommendation includes $19,312,000
for the Water Resources Program, $1,307,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level, to adequately fund the Water
Management, Planning and Pre-development program to ensure
protection and management of Tribal water resources.
Trust-Real Estate Services.--The recommendation provides
$177,925,000 for Trust-Real Estate Services, $12,038,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The Committee acknowledges BIA's commitment to working with
Tribes to restore Tribal homelands and directs the Agency to
work with those Tribes, such as the Prairie Band Potawatomi
Nation, who have brought forth claims to help them determine
the appropriate settlement structure and terms. The Committee
requests a briefing on the completion of any pending reviews
regarding claims, including successor in interest concerns, not
later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act to
ensure such claims can move forward.
Public Safety and Justice.--The recommendation includes
$746,036,000 for Public Safety and Justice, $190,477,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $94,827,000 above the
President's budget request.
Criminal Investigations and Police Services.--The Committee
recognizes that additional resources are needed to ensure safe
Tribal communities. The recommendation provides $414,778,000
for Criminal Investigations and Police Services, $140,626,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $95,114,000 above
the President's budget request.
The recommendation includes $2,295,677 for the National
School Resource Officer Program, $1,000,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
Consistent with the direction included in the front matter
of this report, the recommendation includes $5,000,000 to
support expanding the Agency's Opioid Reduction Task Force
created in March 2018 to create a Narcotics Reduction Task
Force.
In fiscal year 2024, Congress provided $62,000,000 to
Tribes affected by the McGirt v. Oklahoma decision to ensure
parity of percentage of total need funded with other Tribes in
Indian country. The Committee recognizes that there is
significant outstanding need to implement public safety changes
resulting from the McGirt Supreme Court decision, creating an
immediate and severe shortage of police and investigative
personnel in the expanded Tribal criminal jurisdiction areas.
The fiscal year 2025 recommendation provides $130,000,000 for
these activities, $68,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level. With the additional resources provided for
McGirt, the Committee encourages BIA to consult with impacted
Tribes regarding the distribution of funds.
Detentions/Corrections Programs.--The recommendation
accepts the Agency's transfer of the Juvenile Detention Center
Education program into the Detention/Corrections Programs
funding line and provides a total of $155,463,000 for
Detentions/Corrections Programs, $18,584,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
Law Enforcement Special Initiatives.--The recommendation
includes $40,441,000 for Law Enforcement Special Initiatives,
$15,347,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$14,747,000 above the President's budget request.
Within the increase provided, the recommendation includes
an additional $13,500,000 for the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women Initiative. A total of $30,000,000 is provided
to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women,
including resources for criminal investigators, software
platforms, and evidence recovery equipment. The Committee
directs BIA to work with Tribal and Federal law enforcement
agencies to facilitate sharing law enforcement and public
records data and other technological tools to assist those
agencies in finding missing individuals.
Tribal Courts.--The recommendation includes $55,713,000 for
Tribal Courts, $8,612,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level.
The Committee notes that Tribes that are eligible to
contract or compact for law enforcement may reprogram a portion
of this funding to use it for law enforcement purposes. BIA
should engage with Tribes on how they want funds split between
Tribal Courts and Law Enforcement so Tribes can request a
reprogramming.
Facilities Operations and Maintenance.--The recommendation
provides $21,894,000, $2,315,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level.
Community and Economic Development.--The recommendation
includes $33,004,000, a $2,458,000 increase above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level, to support a total of $5,000,000 for
Native businesses and entrepreneurs to develop and grow their
businesses through the Indian Business Incubator Program.
The Committee also directs BIA to provide a briefing to the
Committee not later than 180 days following the enactment of
this Act on what would be required to develop certifications
for Tribal goods.
Law Enforcement.--To address potential inconsistencies in
the treatment of Tribal eligibilities to receive Federal law
enforcement funding, the Committee directs BIA headquarters to
coordinate activities with field offices that serve affected
Tribes within the State of Texas and consult with such affected
Tribes to ensure State and Federal laws related to criminal
jurisdiction are interpreted consistently. The Committee
directs BIA to brief the Committee not later than 120 days
following the enactment of this Act on the status of these
consultations.
Cartels.--The Committee remains very concerned with reports
of international criminal cartels targeting Tribal communities
for human and drug trafficking. The Committee directs the
Office of Justice Services, in coordination with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security
Investigations, to report to the Committee not later than 180
days following the enactment of this Act regarding resources
currently allocated, activities being conducted, and additional
resources needed to combat illegal criminal cartels targeting
communities located on Tribal lands. The report should also
provide recommended strategies for improving cross-
jurisdictional relationships between Tribes and Federal law-
enforcement agencies to combat international cartel activity on
Indian lands.
Energy Projects.--The Committee encourages BIA to support
investments in new energy projects to reduce the cost of
electricity and support self-determined energy priorities,
including conventional energy projects.
Public Law 83-280 Law Enforcement.--The Committee remains
concerned about the Tribal law enforcement and courts needs of
Tribal governments in Public Law 83-280 States and previously
directed the Bureau to conduct consultations with Tribes
located in these states to determine budgetary needs of Tribal
law enforcement. The Committee is concerned that there are
Tribes subject to Public Law 83-280 that are currently
providing law enforcement services without any funding from BIA
and requests BIA provide a briefing to the Committee not later
than 180 days following the enactment of this Act on the
identified needs. Tribal governments may also opt to use these
funds to enter into agreements with local or state authorities
to provide eligible services.
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $342,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 356,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 356,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +14,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $356,000,000 for contract support costs
incurred by Indian Affairs as required by law. The bill
includes language making available for two years such sums as
are necessary to meet the Federal government's full legal
obligation and prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other
account for any other purpose.
The Committee directs Indian Affairs to provide a briefing
to the Committee not later than 60 days following the enactment
of this Act on providing payments to Tribes and Tribal
organizations for contract support costs associated with Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act agreements
across the Department of the Interior. The briefing is to
include how this would be administered and any anticipated
costs.
PAYMENTS FOR TRIBAL LEASES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $64,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 69,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 69,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +5,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $69,000,000 for Payments for Tribal Leases
incurred by Indian Affairs as required by law. The bill
includes language making available for two years such sums as
are necessary to meet the Federal government's full legal
obligation and prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other
account for any other purpose.
CONSTRUCTION
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $133,780,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 154,771,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 146,296,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +12,516,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -8,475,000
The Committee recommends $146,296,000 for Bureau of Indian
Affairs Construction, $12,516,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level, including $50,791,000 for Public Safety and
Justice and $71,046,000 for Resource Management. The
recommendation also includes $24,459,000 for Other Program
Construction, $2,164,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, to support replacing aging tower infrastructure.
INDIAN LAND AND WATER CLAIM SETTLEMENTS AND MISCELLANEOUS PAYMENTS TO
INDIANS
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $976,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 45,897,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 32,263,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +31,287,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -13,634,000
Bill language provides that funds may be used to implement
settlements pursuant to Public Laws 99-264, 101-618, and 117-
349.
INDIAN GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $13,329,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 14,489,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 20,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +6,671,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +5,511,000
The Committee recommends $20,000,000 for the Indian
Guaranteed Loan Program Account. This level assumes
$399,114,126 in loan volume and $2,850,000 in administrative
expenses.
BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION
OPERATION OF INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) manages a school
system with 183 elementary and secondary schools providing
educational services to approximately 46,000 students in 23
States. BIE also operates two post-secondary institutions and
provides operating grants for 29 Tribally controlled colleges
and universities and two Tribal technical colleges.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,131,617,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,210,690,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,198,216,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +66,599,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -12,474,000
The Committee provides $1,198,216,000 for Operation of
Indian Education Programs, $66,599,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level. The bill continues forward funding for
portions of the elementary and secondary and postsecondary
programs that are identified at the end of this report. The
bill also includes language shifting the availability of
forward funded appropriations from July 1 to June 1.
The Committee acknowledges the significant funding needs
across Indian country, and the level of funding provided
reflects the Committee's commitment to advancing the Federal
government's trust and treaty obligations. The Committee
understands that fixed costs continue to rise and flat funding
results in a cut to programmatic dollars. The recommendation
accepts all Agency internal transfers and provides the Agency's
requested baseline capacity, which covers fixed costs from
fiscal year 2024 and for fiscal year 2025.
Elementary and Secondary Programs (Forward Funded).--The
recommendation includes $733,602,000 for forward funded
Elementary and Secondary Programs, $27,417,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $502,036,000 for Indian School
Equalization Program (ISEP) formula funds, $20,400,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $22,028,000 for Education
Program Enhancements, including the Native Language Immersion
Program, $1,003,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $96,886,000 for Tribal Grant
Support Costs, $1,064,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level.
Post-Secondary Programs (Forward Funded).--The
recommendation includes $138,381,000 for forward funded Post-
Secondary Programs, $10,974,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $3,500,000 above the President's budget
request.
The Committee understands that making post-secondary
education opportunities available to Tribal members is a top
priority of Congress and that the Federal government should
support those seeking education as a path to economic
development and enhanced quality of life. The recommendation
includes $94,926,000 for Tribal Colleges and Universities
(TCU), $7,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
the President's budget request.
The recommendation includes $34,234,000 for Haskell Indian
Nations University (Haskell) and Southwestern Indian
Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), $3,909,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes no less than $2,000,000, the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for Tribal Colleges and
Universities (TCU) Endowment Grants. The Committee directs BIE
to ensure that these grants are distributed equitably among
eligible institutions, to the extent feasible. Any amount not
distributed by September 30 of a given fiscal year may be
redistributed in accordance with Section 107 of the Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act and after
notification to the Committee. The Committee directs BIE to
submit a report not later than 180 days following the enactment
of this Act on how the TCU endowment program might be revised
to increase participation by all institutions.
Elementary and Secondary Programs.--The recommendation
includes $187,171,000 for Elementary and Secondary Programs,
$12,200,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and
$2,000,000 above the President's budget request.
The recommendation includes $24,619,000 to assist with the
unique educational needs of Native students in public schools
through Johnson O'Malley Assistance Grants, $4,080,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $2,000,000 above the
President's budget request.
Post Secondary Programs.--The recommendation includes
$56,201,000 for Post Secondary Programs, $333,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Education Management.--The recommendation includes
$82,861,000 for Education Management, $15,675,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and $4,947,000 above the
President's budget request. Within the funding provided, the
recommendation includes $54,722,000 for Education Program
Management, $15,437,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and $6,469,000 above the President's budget request.
Juvenile Detention Center Education.--The Committee accepts
the Agency's request to move Juvenile Detention Center
Education from the Bureau of Indian Education to the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA). Funding for Juvenile Detention Center
Education is provided within the BIA Public Safety and Justice
Detention/Corrections Programs funding line.
Recruitment and Retention for BIE Teachers and Staff.--The
Committee recognizes that disparities between BIE teacher and
administrative salaries and public elementary and secondary
teacher and administrative salaries may lead to difficulty
recruiting and retaining BIE workforce. The Committee directs
BIE to examine the situation, including examining the use of
ISEP formula funds to increase salaries, especially in states
with a discrepancy between BIE and public elementary and
secondary faculty and administrative salaries and report to the
Committee not later than 120 days following the enactment of
this Act on potential solutions.
Recruitment and Retention of Teachers and Staff at Tribally
Controlled Schools.--The Committee is aware that when Tribes
exercise their self-determination rights to operate BIE-funded
schools under Public Law 100-297 grants or Public Law 93-638
contracts, teachers and staff at those schools are no longer
eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
The Committee directs BIE to brief the Committee not later than
120 days following the enactment of this Act on the impact on
teacher and staff retention and identify administrative
hurdles, statutory barriers, and cost implications of extending
these benefits to the teachers and staff of these schools.
EDUCATION CONSTRUCTION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $234,725,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 310,236,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 270,867,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +36,142,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -39,369,000
The Committee understands that fixed costs continue to rise
and flat funding results in a cut to programmatic dollars.
Consistent with Bureau of Indian Education Operation of Indian
Programs the recommendation provides the Agency's requested
baseline capacity, which covers fixed costs from fiscal year
2024, and for fiscal year 2025.
Education Construction.--The recommendation provides
$270,867,000 for Education Construction, $36,142,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $108,342,000 for Replacement
School Construction and $19,000,000 for Tribal Colleges
Facilities Improvement and Repair.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The bill continues language allowing the use of funds for
direct expenditure, contracts, cooperative agreements,
compacts, and grants.
The bill continues language allowing contracting for the
San Carlos Irrigation Project.
The bill continues language excluding certain
administrative funds from Tribal contracts, grants, compacts,
and cooperative agreements.
The bill continues language allowing Tribes to return
appropriated funds.
The bill continues language prohibiting funding of Alaska
schools.
The bill continues language limiting expansion of grades
and schools in the BIE system allowing for the expansion of
additional grades to schools that meet certain criteria.
The bill continues language specifying the distribution of
indirect and administrative costs for certain Tribes.
The bill continues language providing the Secretary with
the authority to approve satellite locations of existing BIE
schools if a Tribe can demonstrate that establishment of such
locations would provide comparable levels of education as are
being offered at such existing BIE schools and would not
significantly increase costs to the Federal Government.
The bill continues language that allows the funds provided
in Tribal priority allocations to be adjusted if requested by a
Tribe.
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
FEDERAL TRUST PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Congress has designated the Secretary of the Interior as
the trustee delegate with responsibility for approximately 55
million surface acres of land, 57 million acres of subsurface
mineral interests, and management of approximately $8.2 billion
held in trust by the Federal government on behalf of American
Indians, Alaska Natives, and Federally recognized Indian
Tribes. The Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) has
assumed the fiduciary functions previously managed by the
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians. BTFA is
responsible for the financial management of these trust funds
as well as the disbursement of funds and the day-to-day
management on behalf of Tribes and individuals.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $100,009,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 111,277,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 105,277,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +5,268,000
Budget estimate, 2024............................... -6,000,000
The recommendation includes $103,753,000 for Trust and
Program Operations and $1,524,000 for Executive Direction.
The Committee acknowledges the significant funding needs
across Indian country, and the level of funding provided
reflects the Committee's commitment to advancing the Federal
government's trust and treaty obligations. The Committee
understands that fixed costs continue to rise and flat funding
results in a cut to programmatic dollars. The recommendation
provides the Agency's requested baseline capacity, which covers
fixed costs from fiscal year 2024 and for fiscal year 2025.
Departmental Offices
Office of the Secretary
DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $147,418,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 157,890,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 102,292,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -45,126,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -55,598,000
The Committee recommends $102,292,000 for the Office of the
Secretary, Departmental Operations appropriation. Within the
funds provided, the recommendation includes funding for
implementation of the NATIVE Act at the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and not less than $500,000 to carry out land
assessments, appraisals, surveys and other activities in
support of the Secretary's responsibilities under the Hawaiian
Home Lands Recovery Act, including up to $200,000 to add
capacity related to infrastructure programs.
Archusa Dam.--The Committee notes that the Archusa Dam was
constructed by the then-Bureau of Outdoor Recreation in 1971
and is in need of repair. The Committee directs the Secretary
to brief the Committee not later than 60 days following the
enactment of this Act on any financial or management
responsibilities of the Department over the Archusa Dam as well
as any coordination with other relevant Federal agencies,
including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and with local sponsors.
Blockchain.--The Committee is aware that the Department of
the Interior, in coordination with the General Services
Administration (GSA), manages, rents, and oversees thousands of
properties and that the integration and management of the
related government records for such real estate is often
cumbersome. The Committee encourages the Department to consult
with the Office of Science and Technology Policy--which was
authorized in Public Law 117-263 to develop a strategy using
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to maintain a central
depository database on U.S. real estate--to investigate how
emerging technologies could improve the recording of these
assets, including how DLT and federated blockchain might be
employed. The Committee directs the Department to provide a
briefing not later than 180 days following the enactment of
this Act on how these technologies could be employed to improve
the business processes of the Department.
Botanical Science Expertise.--The Committee encourages the
Secretary to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and
the U.S. Geological Survey utilize an appropriate range of
scientific disciplines, such as botanists, restoration
ecologists, biologists, conservation biologists, wildlife
biologists, and other scientific specialties in land management
and restoration decision making, to inform management actions
and decision making.
Grant Funding.--Section 1301 of title 31 of the United
States Code states that appropriations shall be applied only to
the objects for which the appropriations were made. Part 200 of
Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) provides
instruction on administrative requirements, cost principles,
and audit requirements for Federal awards. The Committee notes
that no funds provided in this Act are available to fund
protests or litigation against the Department. The Committee
looks forward to receiving the briefing required by Public Law
118-42.
Interagency Working Group On Mining.--The Committee directs
the Department of the Interior to provide a report not later
than 180 days following the enactment of this Act outlining the
steps the Department will take to create efficiencies in
permitting to ensure new domestic mining will meet national
demand.
Orphaned Wells.--The Committee directs the Department to
implement Section 40601(c) of Public Law 117-58 in accordance
with the language of the law. The Department's guidance on
state formula grants deviates from the language of the law by
adding unauthorized and unintended requirements. The Committee
recognizes the law does not require a state to use funding for
any specific listed purpose, such as measuring and tracking
emissions of methane. Instead, the law defers to each state to
determine, in the best interests of that state, which of the
listed authorized purposes to address with the awarded funds.
The Committee reaffirms the Department is prohibited from
requiring a state to use funds awarded under Section 40601(c)
to address any particular purpose listed in Section
40601(c)(2)(A) or requiring a state to report data on any of
the listed authorized purposes the state chooses not to address
with awarded funds.
Recruitment and Retainment of Staff.--The Committee is
aware of the staffing shortages within Tribal programs,
agencies, and departments and the subsequent problems, delays,
and financial impacts that result from these shortages.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to examine
barriers to hiring and retaining permanent personnel in Tribal-
related positions and report their findings to the Committee
not later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act.
Wild Horse and Burro Task Force.--In fiscal year 2022,
Congress directed the Secretary to establish a Task Force to
bring experts from all relevant agencies together to address
the challenge of wild horses and burros, as outlined in the
report accompanying Public Law 117-103. The Committee expects
the Task Force to continue its monthly meetings. The Committee
has also included additional direction in the Bureau of Land
Management section of this report specifying areas in which the
Task Force should be engaged. The Committee directs the Bureau
of Land Management to continue reporting to the Committee
quarterly on the status of this program and the work of the
Task Force.
Insular Affairs
ASSISTANCE TO TERRITORIES
The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has administrative
responsibility for coordinating Federal policy in the
territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
oversight of Federal programs and funds in the freely
associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $120,107,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 118,309,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 118,689,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -1,418,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +380,000
The Committee recommends $118,689,000 for Assistance to
Territories.
American Samoa Operations Grants.--The recommendation
includes $29,000,000 for American Samoa Operations Grants and
the Committee encourages that not less than $3,000,000 be
allocated for the community college.
Energy Assurance.--Not later than 180 days following the
enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the Office of
Insular Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of
Defense (DOD) and U.S. Department of Energy, to provide a
report to the Committee outlining alternatives to provide
reliable and resilient power to the Freely Associated States,
Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam in the event of an extended
commercial fuel disruption. The alternatives should include
need, siting, required investment, timing, and operations of
portable and deployable nuclear power reactors currently under
development by DOD and private industry which would eliminate
the need for fuel resupply for up to ten years.
COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $3,463,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 813,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 813,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -$2,650,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $813,000 for Compact of Free
Association.
Office of the Solicitor
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $97,950,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 107,526,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 93,964,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,986,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -13,562,000
The Committee recommends $93,964,000 for the salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Solicitor.
Office of the Inspector General
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $67,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 75,500,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 68,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +1,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -7,500,000
The Committee recommends $68,000,000 for salaries and
expenses of the Office of Inspector General.
Department-Wide Programs
WILDLAND FIRE
The Department's Wildland Fire Management account supports
fire activities for the Bureau of Land Management, the National
Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,113,471,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. \1\1,279,510,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,195,086,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +81,615,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -84,424,000
\1\Includes $831,816,000 provided with an emergency designation.
The Committee recommends $1,195,086,000 for Wildland Fire
Management at the Department of the Interior.
Fire Operations.--The recommendation includes $910,086,000
for Wildfire Preparedness and Suppression. This amount includes
$526,429,000 for preparedness, including the funding needed for
the Department to execute the new pay table included in this
bill as a permanent fix ensuring the Federal agencies' ability
to recruit and retain wildland firefighters and maintain
current firefighter capacity. The Department will allocate a
portion of this funding to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for
Tribal nations to provide Tribal wildland firefighters pay
parity with Federal wildland firefighters. The Committee
recommends $383,657,000 for fire suppression operations.
Other Operations.--The bill provides $285,000,000 for other
wildland fire management operations. This includes $255,000,000
for fuels management, $10,000,000 for burned area
rehabilitation, $14,000,000 for fire facilities and $6,000,000
for joint fire science, which when combined with funding in the
U.S. Forest Service, provides $12,000,000 in total.
The Department shall use fire facilities funding to address
the problem of inadequate or unaffordable housing facing
wildland firefighters working in certain geographic locations.
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS RESERVE FUND
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $350,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 360,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 360,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +10,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The bill includes $360,000,000 for the Wildfire Suppression
Operations Reserve Fund, which is $10,000,000 above the enacted
level and equal to the budget request. Of the additional
$2,750,000,000 available for fire suppression operations,
$360,000,000 is provided to the Department of the Interior and
the remaining $2,390,000,000 is available through a transfer
from the Department of Agriculture (Forest Service).
The Committee provides these additional funds and
authorities to ensure that sufficient resources are available
to protect American homes, lands, and wildlife from
catastrophic fires without requiring a transfer of funds from
the very activities that advance forest health and prevent
wildland fires. The Committee expects the Department to use
suppression funds judiciously and continue to work closely with
the Office of Management and Budget and the Forest Service to
accurately account for expenditures and recover costs.
CENTRAL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FUND
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $9,661,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 10,064,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 9,200,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -461,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -864,000
The Committee recommends $9,200,000 for the Central
Hazardous Materials Fund appropriation.
ENERGY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $4,800,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 7,009,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 5,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +200,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -2,009,000
The Committee recommends $5,000,000 for the Energy
Community Revitalization Program. The detailed allocation of
funding by activity is included in the table accompanying this
report.
Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation.--Of the funds
provided, no less than $3,000,000 shall be for State grants for
western States that do not qualify for funding through the
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and have
significant hard rock legacy mines that need to be reclaimed,
but do not have a significant presence of coal mines or oil and
gas legacy infrastructure.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration
NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FUND
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $7,715,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 8,037,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 7,715,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -322,000
The Committee recommends $7,715,000 for the Natural
Resource Damage Assessment Fund appropriation.
Working Capital Fund
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $107,710,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 134,807,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 99,453,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -8,257,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -35,354,000
The Committee recommends $99,453,000 for the Working
Capital Fund.
Office of Natural Resources and Revenue
NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $167,937,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 175,987,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 160,446,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -7,491,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -15,541,000
The Committee recommends $160,446,000 for the Office of
Natural Resources Revenue.
Distribution of Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act
Revenues.--The Committee continues its annual direction to the
Office to distribute revenues from Gulf of Mexico operations in
a manner consistent with current law, including the Gulf of
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-432), as
amended.
General Provisions, Department of the Interior
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Section 101 continues a provision providing for emergency
transfer authority (intra-Bureau) with the approval of the
Secretary when all other emergency funds have been exhausted.
Section 102 continues a provision providing for emergency
transfer authority (Department-wide) with the approval of the
Secretary.
Section 103 continues a provision providing for the use of
appropriations for certain services with the approval of the
Secretary.
Section 104 continues a provision permitting the transfer
of funds between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian
Education, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, and
includes a notification requirement.
Section 105 continues a provision permitting the
redistribution of Tribal priority allocation and Tribal base
funds to address identified, unmet needs, dual enrollment,
overlapping services or inaccurate distribution methodologies.
Section 106 continues a provision allowing Outer
Continental Shelf inspection fees to be collected by the
Secretary of the Interior.
Section 107 continues a provision allowing the Bureau of
Land Management to enter into long-term cooperative agreements
for long-term care and maintenance of excess wild horses and
burros on private land.
Section 108 continues a provision dealing with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's responsibilities for mass marking
of salmonid stocks.
Section 109 continues a provision allowing the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education to perform
reimbursable work more efficiently and effectively.
Section 110 continues bill language establishing a
Department of the Interior Experienced Services Program.
Section 111 continues a provision requiring funds to be
available for obligation and expenditure not later than 60 days
following the enactment of this Act.
Section 112 provides the Secretary of the Interior the
ability to transfer funds among and between the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
Section 113 continues a provision providing funding for the
Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.
Section 114 continues a provision authorizing Tribally
controlled schools access to interagency motor vehicles in the
same manner as if performing activities under the Indian Self
Determination and Education Assistance Act.
Section 115 continues a provision providing the Secretary
of the Interior with certain pay authority for the Appraisal
and Valuation Services Office.
Section 116 prohibits the Secretary from writing or issuing
a proposed or final rule for greater sage-grouse or any
distinct population segment; or to implement any threatened
species or endangered species status of the greater sage-grouse
or any distinct population segment.
Section 117 prohibits funds to implement the Draft Resource
Management Plan Amendment or Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Rangewide Planning referenced
in the Notice titled ``Notice of Availability of the Draft
Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Rangewide Planning''.
Section 118 continues a provision authorizing the National
Park Service to use up to seven percent of State assistance
funds as grants to States for indirect costs.
Section 119 extends the authorization of deposits into the
Historic Preservation Fund.
Section 120 continues a provision providing the Secretary
of the Interior the ability to authorize and execute agreements
to achieve operating efficiencies.
Section 121 amends 54 U.S. Code 103101 to increase the
National Park Service emergency law enforcement ceiling from
$250,000 to $500,000.
Section 122 amends division G of Public Law 113-76 to
continue allowing public and private sources to contribute
money and services to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
(BSEE) through 2029.
Section 123 allows funds previously made available in
Division B of Public Law 115-123 for the National Park
Service--Historic Preservation Fund to remain available through
fiscal year 2026 for the liquidation of valid obligations
incurred during fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
Section 124 deems that the final environmental impact
statement for the Lava Ridge Wind Project shall have no force
or effect.
Section 125 prohibits funds to ban the use of lead
ammunition or tackle on Federal land or water that is made
available for hunting or fishing activities or to issue
regulations relating to the level of lead in ammunition or
tackle to be used on Federal land or water with certain
exceptions.
Section 126 prohibits funds to carry out the program for
Federal employees at the Department of the Interior entitled
``Acknowledging Ecogrief and Developing Resistance'' or any
counseling sessions, workshop, or any other meeting pertaining
to ecological grief, ecogrief, or eco-resilience.
Section 127 prohibits funds to implement the final the rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser
Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for
the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status
for the Southern Distinct Population Segment''.
Section 128 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat''.
Section 129 prohibits funds to implement the threatened
species or endangered species status of the dunes sagebrush
lizard.
Section 130 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue the final rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From
the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife''.
Section 131 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule for North
American Wolverine''.
Section 132 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of
Grizzly Bear in the North Cascades Ecosystem, Washington
State''.
Section 133 prohibits funds for the Secretary of the
Interior to establish an experimental population of the grizzly
bear within the Bitterroot Ecosystem of Montana and Idaho.
Section 134 prohibits funds for the Secretary of the
Interior to implement a proposed or final rule pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act with regard to a fish legally held in
captivity or in a controlled environment in a manner that
maintains physical separation of such fish from any wild
population of the same species.
Section 135 prohibits the introduction of American bison on
the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Section 136 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants''; the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species
and Designating Critical Habitat''; and the final rule titled
``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations
for Interagency Cooperation''.
Section 137 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue Order No. 3368 regarding consent decrees and settlement
agreements.
Section 138 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Conservation and Landscape Health''.
Section 139 prohibits funds for the management of the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument except in compliance with
the approved resource management plan dated February 2020.
Section 140 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and
Plants; Regulations for Interagency Cooperation'', published in
the Federal Register on January 12, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 2373) to
address the Cottonwood decision.
Section 141 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed rule
titled ``National Wildlife Refuge System; Biological Integrity,
Diversity, and Environmental Health''.
Section 142 prohibits funds for the National Park Service
to provide housing to an alien without lawful status under the
immigration laws.
Section 143 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
prepare an environmental impact statement prior to approving a
permit within the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Section 144 requires the Secretary of the Interior issue a
new Record of Decision for the Caldwell Canyon Mine Project.
Section 145 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue
the 5-year oil and gas leasing program and requires the
Secretary to begin preparation of the subsequent oil and gas
leasing program not later than 36 months after conducting the
first lease sale in an existing 5-year program.
Section 146 requires oil and gas lease sales in the Central
Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area, and in the Alaska region.
Section 147 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct Lease Sale 262.
Section 148 reiterates that nothing in this Act shall
affect the Presidential memorandum titled ``Memorandum on
Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer
Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and dated
September 8, 2020; the Presidential memorandum titled
``Memorandum on Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United
States Outer Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and
dated September 25, 2020; the Presidential memorandum titled
``Memorandum on Withdrawal of Certain Areas off the Atlantic
Coast on the Outer Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition''
and dated December 20, 2016; or the ban on oil and gas
development in the Great Lakes described in Section 386 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15941).
Section 149 prohibits funds to implement any restrictions
related to offshore energy leasing carried out pursuant to the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act intended to reduce or
eliminate possible disturbance to the North Pacific right
whale, North Atlantic right whale, or Rice's whale.
Section 150 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales.
Section 151 prohibits funds to implement any recommendation
of the Interagency Working Group on Mining Regulations, Laws,
and Permitting of the Department of the Interior contained in
the report titled ``Recommendations to Improve Mining on Public
Lands''.
Section 152 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Ten-Day Notices and Corrective Action for State
Regulatory Program Issues''.
Section 153 prohibits funds to cancel or suspend oil and
gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or the
National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
Section 154 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Management and Protection of the National Petroleum
Reserve in Alaska'' or any substantially similar rule.
Section 155 prohibits funds to pursue litigation against
the Glacier Range Riders for trademark rights infringement.
Section 156 extends the operation of an existing
hydroelectric project in California.
Section 157 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife''.
Section 158 prohibits funds for the National Park Service
to designate or manage Big Cypress National Preserve as
wilderness.
Section 159 updates enacted offshore decommissioning
language to ensure funding is provided for these activities.
TITLE II--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) was
created by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970, which
consolidated nine programs from five different agencies and
departments. Major EPA programs include air and water quality,
drinking water, hazardous waste, research, pesticides,
radiation, toxic substances, enforcement and compliance
assurance, pollution prevention, Inland oil spill, Superfund,
Brownfields, and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank program.
For fiscal year 2025, the Committee recommends
$7,360,115,000 for the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Committee directs the Agency to follow all guidance in
House Report 117-83 under the headings titled
``Reprogramming'', ``Congressional Budget Justification'',
``Operating Plan'', and ``Workforce and Staffing Plans''.
PFAS.--The Committee notes that the joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 118-42 directed the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the cost
estimates supporting the Agency's final rule titled ``PFAS
National Primary Drinking Water Regulation'' (89 Fed. Reg.
32532). The Committee remains interested in receiving updated
information regarding the number of water systems that will be
impacted by the rule, the impact on ratepayers, and the cost of
compliance with the final rule. The Committee encourages the
Agency to provide technical assistance to water systems to
understand compliance requirements associated with the final
rule.
Additionally, the Committee directs the Agency to submit a
report not later than one year following the enactment of this
Act on the status of the Agency's implementation of the April
19, 2024, memorandum titled ``PFAS Enforcement Discretion and
Settlement Policy Under CERCLA''.
Unobligated Funds.--The Committee directs the Agency to
provide a report not later than 60 days following the enactment
of this Act on the amount of funds obligated under the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund as of the date of enactment of
this Act, including a breakout of all funding amounts obligated
for each of the programs titled National Clean Investment Fund,
Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and Solar for All.
Science and Technology
The Science and Technology (S&T) account funds all EPA
research (including Superfund research activities paid for with
funds transferred into this account from the Hazardous
Substance Superfund account).
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $758,103,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,009,960,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 522,500,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -235,603,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -487,460,000
The Committee provides $522,500,000 for Science and
Technology and recommends that $32,120,000 be transferred to
this account from the Hazardous Substance Superfund account for
ongoing research activities.
Clean Air.--The Committee recognizes the important role
that Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs play in improving air
quality and reducing pollution and directs the Agency to
continue this effort.
Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure Protection.--The
Committee supports the Agency's role as the Sector Risk
Management Agency for the water and wastewater systems sector
and directs that these efforts should be funded at no less than
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
Research: Air and Energy.--Within available funds, the
Committee continues funding for the study outlined under the
heading ``Partnership Research'' contained in the explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 115-141.
Research: National Priorities.--The bill provides
$10,000,000 for extramural research grants, independent of the
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program, to fund high-
priority water quality and availability research by not-for-
profit organizations who often partner with the Agency. Because
these grants are independent of the STAR grant program, the
Agency should strive to award grants in as large an amount as
is possible to achieve the most scientifically significant
research. Funds shall be awarded competitively with priority
given to partners proposing research of national scope and who
provide a 25 percent match. The Agency is directed to allocate
funds to grantees not later than 180 days following the
enactment of this Act.
The Committee remains supportive of the Agency's effort to
prioritize new Federal research that will help farmers,
ranchers, and rural communities manage PFAS impacts in
agricultural settings and communities and provides $9,000,000
to continue this work. The Committee directs the Agency to
continue working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
invest in agronomic research to better understand PFAS uptake
into plants and animals to help reduce PFAS exposure in our
food supply and promote farm viability. This research should
include the investigation of PFAS uptake from residual treated
soils and soil-to-groundwater modeling, as well as the
investigation of PFAS tolerant crops that can grow safely on
contaminated land. The Committee directs the Agency to provide
a briefing not later than 90 days following the enactment of
this Act on these ongoing efforts.
The bill provides $2,475,000 for advancing full scale
applied research and testing capabilities to address threats to
drinking water and drinking water infrastructure, including
cybersecurity research, weatherization equipment, SCADA control
systems, and water tanks at Water Security Test Bed facilities.
Specifically, funding is provided for continuing and ongoing
operations as well as the Agency's proposed Phase 1 and Phase 2
projects to expand capabilities to support cybersecurity
research at the Water Security Test Bed facility.
Research: Safe and Sustainable Water Resources.--The
Committee directs that up to $5,000,000 be used for grants
under section 2007 of America's Water Infrastructure Act
(Public Law 115-270).
Additional Guidance.--The Committee includes the following
additional guidance:
6PPD.--The Committee encourages the Office of Research and
Development to form partnerships with domestic 6PPD
manufacturers and tire manufacturers to evaluate and develop
6PPD alternatives and testing approaches to evaluate
alternatives, and to coordinate with experts in rubber
chemistry to understand anti-degradant and antiozonant
properties. The Committee directs the Agency to provide a
briefing not later than 60 days following the enactment of this
Act on its plans to coordinate with industry experts to advance
alternatives for 6PPD and to provide a progress report on these
plans not later than 180 days following the enactment of this
Act.
Chemical Reviews.--To ensure that the United States can
maintain domestic production of chemicals to support critical
supply chains, the Committee encourages the Agency to continue
investments in the new chemicals program to accelerate the
advancement of new and innovative chemistries. The Committee
directs the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics to
expeditiously develop and implement an improvement plan for the
New Chemicals program to ensure that new chemical reviews are
completed, and science-based determinations are made within the
relevant statutory deadline. The plan should describe how any
action will improve efficiency, transparency, and process flows
in the program, including ensuring continuity and relevant
expertise of review teams, accountability for timeliness of
reviews, and resolution of every submission in the backlog. The
plan should further describe how the Agency will identify
conditions of use based on the submitter's identification of
intended conditions of use, and how it will accelerate its
determinations. The plan should not use an efficiency focus
limited to prioritizing applications within a particular sector
or for particular products.
The Committee directs the Agency to submit its improvement
plan and measurement metrics and report on its progress not
later than six months and not later than twelve months
following the date of enactment of this Act. The Committee
further directs the Agency to utilize authorities under Section
26(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act and the
Intergovernmental Personnel Act to temporarily reassign
personnel to roles that directly support regulatory activities
regarding worker exposure in the New Chemicals and Existing
Chemicals program and report on those reassignments to the
Committee.
Additionally, the Committee is concerned with the Agency's
emerging approach to regulating chemicals under Section 6 of
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the impact to
American competitiveness, jobs, and critical supply chains. The
Committee directs that no funds shall be used to develop,
propose, finalize or issue worker exposure limits under Section
6 of TSCA unless the Agency can demonstrate it has, under a
risk evaluation conducted under TSCA section (6)(B)(4): (1)
completed an assessment of global occupational exposure limits
(OELs); (2) constituted a body of experts in industrial
hygiene, toxicology, engineering, and process safety (including
industry experts) to evaluate the need for a unique EPA
standard; and (3) under TSCA section 9(a)(1), obtained the
agreement of relevant Federal agencies (including the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the
National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH))
that development of an TSCA worker exposure limit is warranted.
Further, in addition to the requirements TSCA has for every
regulation, no funds shall be used to develop, propose or issue
a TSCA worker exposure limit unless it: (1) is above background
levels occurring in the environment; (2) is above naturally
occurring levels in the human body; (3) has undergone an
interagency consultation that is well documented, transparent
and open to comment from all stakeholders for at least 90 days;
and (4) is above the quantification level for a validated
analytical test method.
Furthermore, the Committee is concerned with the Agency's
proposed rulemaking titled ``Procedures for Chemical Risk
Evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act'' (TSCA) (88
Fed. Reg. 74, 292). The Committee encourages the Agency to: (1)
reverse its proposal to no longer assume the use of personal
protective equipment (PPE) in an occupational setting when
making unreasonable risk determinations under TSCA's procedural
framework for conducting risk evaluations; (2) adequately
consider all other Federal occupational health and safety
programs and standards in the risk evaluation process; (3) use
its authority under Section 9 of TSCA to defer risk management
to the appropriate Federal agencies, such as OSHA and the Mine
Safety and Health Administration; (4) allow public comments not
only when changes are made to a final scoping document but also
when changes are made to a draft risk evaluation; and (5)
maintain the definitions of ``best available science'' and
``weight of scientific evidence'' within TSCA procedural
framework for conducting risk evaluations, given that these
requirements are mandated by statute.
Finally, not later than 60 days following the enactment of
this Act, the Committee directs the Agency to provide a
briefing on the status of the implementation of the
manufacturer requested evaluations program and an accounting of
how the funds paid by the manufacturers to the Agency have been
spent.
Chloroprene.--The recommendation provides $1,000,000 from
the Research: Chemical Safety for Sustainability account for
the National Academy of Sciences to study the applicability of
the Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for
chloroprene and whether existing Agency assessments of
chloroprene are consistent with the results of the PBPK model.
Harmful Algal Blooms.--The Committee encourages the Agency
to conduct and support research that promotes scientific
progress towards preventing and controlling harmful algal
blooms (HABs), including research to: (1) develop methods to
monitor, characterize, and predict HABs for early action; (2)
identify and evaluate existing excess nutrient prevention and
treatment technologies; (3) identify emerging nutrient
treatment technologies capable of being scaled up and to evolve
those technologies; and (4) develop best management practices
to help both rural and urban communities reduce excess
nutrients in their watersheds. The Committee provides
$6,000,000 to investigate adverse health effects from exposure
to HABs and cyanobacteria toxins and to develop methods to
monitor, predict, and characterize blooms to allow for early
action.
Additionally, the Committee encourages the Agency to
continue its efforts as a member agency of the Harmful Algal
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act Interagency Working
Group
IRIS Program Integrity.--The Committee directs that no IRIS
assessment shall be used, developed, finalized, peer reviewed,
or issued for chemical substances under review by program
offices outside of the Office of Research and Development.
Additionally, no IRIS assessment shall be used for the basis of
any regulatory, permitting, or enforcement action. Further, no
IRIS assessment, including but not limited to assessments for
inorganic arsenic and formaldehyde, shall be finalized that has
a reference dose, reference concentration, or inhalation unit
risk at or below background concentration levels in air, water,
soil, or sediment.
Student Contracting.--The bill includes language in Title
II Administrative Provisions providing authority for the Office
of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of
Water to contract directly with individuals or indirectly with
institutions or nonprofit organizations, without regard to 41
U.S.C. 5, for the temporary or intermittent personal services
of students or recent graduates. The Committee looks forward to
the briefing outlined in House Report 118-155.
Testing Alternatives.--The Committee is concerned about the
Agency's decision to eliminate the 2025 and 2035 deadlines from
its Work Plan to reduce, and ultimately replace, testing on
dogs, rabbits and other mammals with more efficient and cost-
effective New Approach Methodologies. The Committee directs the
Agency to submit a report not later than 180 days following the
enactment of this Act detailing progress the Agency has made
since 2021 to reduce animal testing. The report should include
changes in animal use, annual costs of the Agency's animal
testing, a timeline for the further reduction and replacement
of testing on vertebrate animals, and a description of Agency
efforts to retire animals no longer needed for research.
Environmental Programs and Management
The Environmental Programs and Management (EPM) account
encompasses a broad range of abatement, prevention,
enforcement, and compliance activities, and personnel
compensation, benefits, travel, and expenses for all programs
of the Agency except Science and Technology, Hazardous
Substance Superfund, Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust
Fund, Inland Oil Spill Programs, and the Office of Inspector
General.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $3,178,028,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 4,406,988,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,250,445,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -927,583,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -2,156,543,000
The Committee recommends $2,250,445,000 for Environmental
Programs and Management.
Clean Air.--The Committee recognizes the important role
that Clean Air Allowance Trading Programs play in improving air
quality and reducing pollution, including monitoring and data
collection throughout the Northeast and supports continued
operation of the program.
Environmental Protection: National Priorities.--The bill
provides $35,000,000. The Committee directs that funds be used
for a competitive grant program for qualified non-profit
organizations to provide technical assistance for improved
water quality or safe drinking water, adequate wastewater to
small systems, or individual private well owners. The Agency
shall provide $26,000,000 for Grassroots Rural and Small
Community Water Systems Assistance Act, for activities
specified under Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300j-1(e)(8)). The Agency is directed to provide
funding to the most qualified and experienced non-profit
organizations in providing technical assistance to small water
systems and to issue the grant awards from this program on an
annual basis. The Agency is also directed to provide $3,450,000
for grants to qualified not-for-profit organizations for
technical assistance for individual private well owners, with
priority given to organizations that currently provide
technical and educational assistance to individual private well
owners. The Agency is directed to provide on a national and
multi-State regional basis, $1,250,000 for grants to qualified
organizations, for the sole purpose of providing on-site
training and technical assistance for wastewater systems. The
Agency is directed to provide $4,300,000 for grants that may be
awarded on a non-competitive basis to qualified non-profit
national and multistate regional organizations with
demonstrated experience in providing technical assistance
support to small and rural systems and communities for the
purpose of providing technical assistance to small and rural
communities that have been recipients of Community Project
Funding in fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, or in this Act, for
assistance that includes, but is not limited to, preparing
necessary documentation or application materials, complying
with program requirements, and obtaining additional financial
or technical resources. The Agency shall require each grantee
to provide a minimum 10 percent match, including in-kind
contributions. The Agency is directed to allocate funds to
grantees within 180 days following the enactment of this Act.
Geographic Programs.--The bill provides $651,226,000. In
addition to the amounts provided under this heading, the
Committee notes that fiscal year 2025 funding is also provided
to the Geographic Programs through the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).--The Committee
remains concerned by the rise in harmful algal blooms (HABs)
throughout the Great Lakes, including in the western Lake Erie
basin, Green Bay, and Saginaw Bay, and urges the Agency to
focus on HAB reduction efforts in Great Lakes regions where
nutrient loading contributes the most to HABs by investing GLRI
funding in innovative projects, including wetland and other
natural infrastructure projects. The Committee directs the
Agency to provide a briefing on its current and historical
allocation of funds among the five focus areas, with a focus on
Area 3 (nutrients) and Area 4 (habitat). Additionally, as the
Agency distributes funds across the five focus areas, Tribal-
related activities should be maintained at not less than
$15,000,000.
Chesapeake Bay.--From within the amount provided, at least
$10,000,000 is for nutrient and sediment removal grants, at
least $10,000,000 is for small watershed grants to control
polluted runoff from urban, suburban, and agricultural lands,
and at least $8,000,000 is for state-based implementation in
the most effective basins.
Puget Sound.--The Committee recommends $54,000,000 for
Puget Sound, which shall be allocated in the same manner as
directed in House Report 112-331.
Long Island Sound.--The Committee directs the Agency to
utilize up to $2,000,000 of the funding provided for the Long
Island Sound program to execute a Long Island Sound Study with
existing academic partners with expertise in oceanography,
chemistry, atmospheric science, hydrology, and marine biology.
Expanded research initiatives such as these are needed to
collect and develop more data, as well as the modeling tools
necessary for the continued protection and management of the
Sound.
South Florida.--Within the funds provided, $1,000,000 shall
be for the expansion of the water quality and ecosystem health
monitoring and prediction network which uses cutting-edge
technologies for long-term monitoring of Florida waters,
including molecular, algal, ocean floor, and seagrasses.
Lake Champlain.--The Committee recommends $25,000,000 for
the Lake Champlain program. Funds should be allocated through
the Lake Champlain Basin Program Process to support
implementation of Section 120 of the Clean Water Act, including
partnering with States, local organizations, and other
stakeholders working to address challenges in the area such as
phosphorous pollution, toxic substances, biodiversity, and
aquatic invasive species, and to make the lake and surrounding
communities and ecosystems more resilient.
Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program.--
The Committee expects the Agency to continue to use funds from
the appropriate Geographic Programs to address invasive species
in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
Pesticide Licensing.--The Committee directs the Agency to
consider pesticide usage data, existing conservation practice
data, real- world studies on the impact of spray drift on
ground water and surface water, and sub-county level species
range maps when conducting Endangered Species Act reviews of
pesticides. Additionally, the Committee encourages the Agency
to coordinate with and seek input from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and impacted stakeholders when designing pilot
projects or mitigation actions related to impacts of pesticides
on listed species and their designated critical habitat before
publishing any proposed interim decision or interim decision.
The Committee also directs the Agency to allow applicants or
other third parties to develop biological assessments as part
of their application. The Committee also recommends that the
Agency ensure that any epidemiological study or data considered
by the Agency for regulatory decision making in the pesticide
review process meets existing data quality requirements and can
be verified and independently reviewed by the Agency. The
Committee encourages the Agency to update its guidance to
ensure the above criteria are met.
Finally, the Committee encourages the Agency to evaluate
ways to streamline the registration process for biopesticides.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).--Of the
funds provided under this program area, not less than
$9,000,000 is for implementation of a Federal permit program
for coal combustion residuals in non-participating States, as
authorized under section 4005(d)(2)(B) of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6945(d)(2)(B)), or to provide technical
assistance to States establishing their own permitting program
under section 4005(d) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6945(d)). The Committee remains concerned with the
significant delays in finalizing the Federal permit program,
for which it has provided significant funding in recent years
to develop, finalize, and implement, and directs the Agency
finalize the program as soon as possible.
Additionally, the Committee remains concerned about the
Agency's implementation of the final rules titled ``Hazardous
and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion
Residuals From Electric Utilities; A Holistic Approach to
Closure Part A: Deadline To Initiate Closure'' published in the
Federal Register on August 28, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 53516) and
``Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of CCR;
A Holistic Approach to Closure Part B: Alternate Demonstration
for Unlined Surface Impoundments'' published in the Federal
Register on November 12, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 72506),
specifically the Agency's denials and limited conditional
approvals of requests for extensions or alternative. The
Committee is particularly concerned about the impact of the
Agency's implementation of these rules on the reliability of
the electric grid. The Committee looks forward to receiving the
report outlined in House Report 118-155.
The Committee is aware of the Agency's efforts related to
recycling and encourages the Agency to work with stakeholders
on recycling definitions and product labeling. Additionally,
the Committee encourages the Agency to work with stakeholders
to develop effective reuse and refill systems.
The Committee recognizes the critical role plastics play in
modern society. Advanced recycling can enable more of the
plastics relied upon today to be repurposed and reused. The
Committee encourages the Agency to incorporate advanced
recycling into its programs and strategies to improve
collection and reuse of materials.
The Committee notes the potential need for dependable bio-
based and U.S.-grown plastic alternatives. Not later than 180
days following the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs
the Agency to provide a briefing on efforts to explore
alternatives, such as United States-based hemp, and how such
alternatives may be used as a cost-efficient alternative in
government-produced or funded materials, and report back to the
Committee on these expanded efforts not later than 90 days
following the enactment of this Act.
The Committee encourages the Agency to continue efforts to
track textile waste and notes that the Agency measures the
generation, recycling, composting, combustion with energy
recovery and landfilling of textile material in municipal solid
waste. The Committee directs the Agency to provide a briefing
not later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act
regarding past and current efforts on textile waste. The
Committee also encourages the Agency to incorporate textiles as
a material into subsequent work stemming from the National
Recycling Strategy.
Protecting Estuaries and Wetlands: National Estuary
Program/Coastal Waterways.--From within the amount provided,
the Committee provides $850,000 per estuary for National
Estuary Program (NEP) grants funded under Section 320 of the
Clean Water Act. An additional $2,500,000 is provided for
competitive grants. The Committee encourages the Agency to work
in consultation with the NEP directors to identify worthy
projects and activities. In addition to the amount provided
under this heading, Public Law 117-58 provides $26,400,000 for
the NEP for fiscal year 2025.
Ensure Safe Water.--Within available funds, the Committee
provides no less than $5,000,000 for the Agency's continued
work within the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program
related to Class VI wells for geologic sequestration to help
develop expertise and capacity at the Agency. These funds
should be used by the Agency to expeditiously review and
process Class VI permits and primacy applications from States
and Tribes. In addition, the Committee provides $1,200,000 to
support regulator education and training programs in
conjunction with States or an association of States.
Additionally, the Committee directs the Agency to promptly
undertake necessary improvements to promote process
efficiencies that increase the number of completed reviews and
decisions on the Class VI applications and primacy applications
related to Class VI. Doing so will allow greater predictability
for applicants, investors, and States and Tribes seeking to
address emissions, particularly for projects with higher
volumes, that are in an advanced state of readiness planning,
and have signed off-take agreements.
In addition to the amount provided under this heading, the
Committee notes that Public Law 117-58 provides $5,000,000 for
fiscal year 2025 for this effort.
Additionally, the Committee continues the directive from
House Report 117-400 requiring the Agency to provide an annual
report to the Committee on the status of Class VI injection
well primacy applications within the UIC Program. The report
shall include the status and progress of current primacy
applications, including a projected timeline for final
decisions on the applications.
Additionally, the Committee encourages the Agency to
develop a regulatory pathway for basalt and other mafic rock
formations for long-term geologic sequestration under the Class
VI program. The Committee directs the Agency to provide a
briefing on these efforts not later than 90 days following the
enactment of this Act.
Ensure Clean Water.--The Committee supports the work of the
WaterSense, Urban Waters, and Trash Free Waters programs and
encourages the continuance of these programs.
The Committee directs the Agency to continue and expand its
work coordinating with Federal, State, local, and Tribal
agencies to monitor and reduce transboundary hazardous
contaminants in U.S.-British Columbia transboundary watersheds,
including the Kootenai watershed. These efforts should be
funded at no less than the enacted level.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee has included the
following additional guidance with respect to funding provided
under this account:
Administrator Priorities.--The Agency is directed to submit
a report not later than 90 days following the enactment of this
Act that identifies how any fiscal year 2022, 2023, and 2024
funding was used, by account, program area, and program
project. Each activity funded should include a justification
for the effort and any anticipated results.
Biointermediate.--The Committee directs the Agency to
provide a briefing not later than 90 days following the
enactment of this Act on the implementation of 40 CFR
80.1476(g)(2)(ii)(B)(1) regarding the extent to which batches
of the same type of biointermediate product produced from
different feedstocks or facilities can be commingled in an off-
site storage tank.
Carbon Capture at Biofuels Facilities.--The Committee
directs the Agency provide a briefing not later than 90 days
following the enactment of this Act on how the Agency plans to
evaluate biofuel or biointermediate facilities that have
installed carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies
under the Renewable Fuel Standard program.
Carbon Capture Permitting.--The Committee directs the
Agency to provide a briefing not later than 90 days following
the enactment of this Act on how the Agency reviews carbon
capture projects, including the regulatory process and relevant
statutes that require permitting applications and any
streamlining of the Agency's environmental permitting
requirements.
Efforts to Combat Citrus Greening.--The Committee is aware
that citrus greening is one of the most serious diseases
affecting citrus and has caused citrus production to drop
catastrophically by 90 percent in Florida alone since 2005.
Therefore, the Committee urges the Agency to explore all
available, scientifically sound options to address citrus
greening.
Electric Vehicle Study.--Not later than 180 days following
the enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the Agency to
provide a report to the Committee analyzing the amount of
particle pollution released from the brakes and tires of
electric vehicles.
Ethylene Oxide.--The Committee is aware that the National
Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) is
conducting a scientific review of the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality's 2020 Ethylene Oxide Carcinogenic Dose-
Response Assessment Development Support Document. Therefore,
the Committee directs that the Agency take no further action
that relies on the IRIS value of ethylene oxide unless the IRIS
value is fully consistent with the findings of the NASEM
scientific review and directs the Agency to revise any action
taken by the Agency that relies on the IRIS value to make it
consistent with the findings of the NASEM study.
Materials.--The Committee notes that current regulations
consider slag produced from basic oxygen furnace and open
hearth furnace steel production as nonhazardous waste. The
Committee directs the Agency to treat slag produced from
electric arc furnace steel mills also as nonhazardous.
National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and
Recycling Organics.--The Committee is aware of several comments
submitted to the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss
and Waste and Recycling Organics expressing concern that the
importance of rendering as a way to reduce food waste was not
adequately captured. The Committee notes that prior Agency
strategies on food waste included rendering as a key waste
management strategy. The Committee directs the Agency to
provide a briefing not later than 60 days following the
enactment of this Act to explain the shift in importance of
rendering in the Agency's final food waste strategy.
Nonattainment Report.--The Committee directs the Agency to
provide a report not later than 60 days following the enactment
of this Act on the resources and funding the Agency believes
are necessary to address extreme nonattainment areas, and how
the Agency will work with local, State, and relevant Federal
agencies in nonattainment areas where Federal sources are
significant cause for nonattainment.
Outstanding Permits and Requests for Technical
Assistance.--The Committee reminds the Agency that it is
directed to review, as quickly as possible, all outstanding
permits for activities in the U.S. Territories. Additionally,
the Committee directs the Agency to coordinate with the
Department of Defense and provide technical assistance as
requested for such activities. This effort is important for
U.S. national security interests in order to deter aggression
by China in the area and to promote responsible economic
development locally.
Pre-Commercial Thinning.--The Committee directs the Agency
to follow the guidance included in the joint explanatory
statement accompanying Public Law 117-103.
Prescribed Burns.--The Committee is aware that there are
various local, State, and Federal standards, and cross-
jurisdictional activities, including prescribed burns on
Federal forestland, that impact a local air district's
compliance with air quality standards and encourages the Agency
to identify and appropriately consider these various inputs
when evaluating compliance.
Additionally, the Committee directs the Agency to identify
ways to reduce the administrative burden on States and Tribes
that use the exceptional events rule for prescribed burns. The
Committee directs the Agency to provide a briefing on all of
these efforts not later than 60 days following the enactment of
this Act.
Re-refining.--The Committee supports efforts by the Agency
to promote the benefits and uses of re-refined oil, to improve
the United States' energy security and address waste oil
concerns.
Reorganization.--The Committee acknowledges the Agency's
intent to work with the agriculture industry through the
reorganization of staff within the Office of the Administrator
to create an Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (the
Office). However, the Committee remains concerned about the
impact of the Agency's actions on agricultural production and
rural America. While the Agency has indicated that the Office
serves as the primary liaison between stakeholders and the
Agency, the Committee also directs the Office to coordinate
with the Agency's program offices to educate and inform program
office staff about agricultural production so that the program
office staff better understand the agricultural industry and
the impact Agency actions could have on the industry. Further,
the Committee directs the Office to coordinate consultation
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) before the
Agency takes any actions that have the potential to impact
agriculture so that the impacts of these actions on the
industry can be minimized. The Agency is directed to brief the
Committee every quarter regarding both the external and
internal actions taken by the Office and the plans of the
Office to reduce the impact of future Agency actions on
agriculture. Further, the Committee directs the Agency to
provide an annual report to the Committees detailing the
consultation actions undertaken with the USDA.
Rulemakings.--The bill includes a funding prohibition on
the Agency's final rule titled ``Standards of Performance for
New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions
Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector
Climate Review''. The Committee is aware of concerns related to
the impact of this rule on marginal wells.
Additionally, the bill includes a funding prohibition on
the Agency's final rule titled ``Accidental Release Prevention
Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act;
Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention''. The
Committee is aware of concerns that the rule requires
overreaching requirements for hazard evaluations, emergency
preparedness, and chemical information disclosure, which could
result in substantial costs to refineries and could disrupt
risk reduction efforts by diverting resources from proven
accident prevention initiatives.
Rodenticides.--The Committee directs the Agency to continue
to update and refine its draft Rodenticide Strategy to include
stakeholder input on the feasibility of mitigation measures, as
well as from the scientific community that has studied and
measured how well the practices minimize rodenticide exposures
by nontarget wildlife, listed species, and critical habitats.
Sale of E15.--The Committee is concerned about the time it
takes the Agency to respond to petitions from Governors of
several States requesting to remove the 1- pound per square
inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for summer
gasoline-ethanol blended fuels containing 10 percent ethanol
(E10), and urges the Agency to respond to any future petitions
in a more timely manner and consistent with statutory
deadlines.
Small Refinery Relief.--The Committee recognizes that the
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) under Clean Air Act Section
211(o)(9) provides that the Agency may exempt small refineries
from compliance with the RFS in certain circumstances and that
a small refinery ``may at any time petition the Administrator
for an extension of the exemption . . . for the reason of
disproportionate economic hardship''. The Committee directs
that the Agency make determinations about small refinery
exemption petitions consistent with the findings of the impact
of compliance costs on small refiners in the November 3, 2022,
GAO report titled ``Renewable Fuel Standard: Actions Needed to
Improve Decision-Making in the Small Refinery Exemption
Program''.
Veto Authority.--The Committee remains concerned with the
Agency's use of Clean Water Act section 404(c) veto authority
and opposes the Agency's use of this authority while an
application for a section 404 permit is pending.
Wildfire Smoke.--Not later than 90 days following the
enactment of this Act, the Committee directs the Agency to
provide a briefing on how the Agency can improve wildfire smoke
monitoring, and what resources may be required to integrate
smoke and health data with existing wildfire data at the
National Interagency Fire Center.
Office of Inspector General
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) provides audit,
evaluation, and investigation products and advisory services
for EPA programs and operations.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $43,250,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 65,257,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 43,250,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -22,007,000
The Committee recommends $43,250,000 for the Office of
Inspector General (OIG). In addition, the Committee recommends
$13,979,000 as a transfer to this account from the Hazardous
Substance Superfund account.
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
The Buildings and Facilities account provides for the
design and construction of EPA-owned facilities as well as for
the repair, extension, alteration, and improvement of
facilities used by the Agency. The funds are used to correct
unsafe conditions, protect health and safety of employees and
Agency visitors, and prevent deterioration of structures and
equipment.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $40,676,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 105,569,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 40,676,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -64,893,000
The Committee recommends $40,676,000 for Buildings and
Facilities.
The Committee strongly encourages the Agency to continue
prioritizing funding for projects that reduce the Agency's use
of commercially leased space. Additionally, given the
prevalence and impact of drought across the country, the
Committee supports the prioritization of funding for building
repairs at facilities that specialize in groundwater research.
Hazardous Substance Superfund
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
The Superfund program is operated by EPA subject to annual
appropriations from a dedicated trust fund and from general
revenues. Funds are transferred from this account to the Office
of Inspector General (OIG) and Science and Technology accounts
for Superfund related activities.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $537,700,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 661,167,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 661,167,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +123,467,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $661,167,000 for the Hazardous
Substance Superfund program. The Committee recommends that
$13,979,000 be transferred to the Office of Inspector General,
and $32,120,000 be transferred to the Science and Technology
account.
In addition to amounts provided under this heading, the
Committee notes that Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
estimates that the Superfund program will receive
$1,967,000,000 in tax receipts authorized by Public Law 117-58
and Public Law 117-169.
Superfund Cleanup.--The Committee recommends $346,221,000.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee includes the following
additional guidance with respect to funding provided under this
account:
Hudson River.--The Committee directs the Agency to brief
the Committee not later than 90 days following the enactment of
this Act on the cleanup of the Hudson River Superfund site,
including the status of the sediment programs, five-year
review, and future development of plans for cleanup.
New and Emerging Technologies.--Consistent with prior year
guidance to collaborate with the private sector to use the best
available technologies to increase the rate of cleanups of
Superfund sites around the country, the Committee directs the
Agency to provide a report, not later than 60 days following
the enactment of this Act, outlining progress made toward
incorporating in situ remediation technologies to restore
Superfund sites and return them to productive use, as well as
related water quality remediation projects.
Upper Columbia River.--The Committee is aware of concerns
regarding the listing of the Upper Columbia River Site on the
National Priorities List and directs that the Agency not list
the site without the support of State and local government
officials.
Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program
In addition to State resources, the Leaking Underground
Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund provides funding to clean up
sites, enforces necessary corrective actions, and recovers
costs expended from the Fund for cleanup activities.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $89,214,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 108,870,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 80,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -9,214,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -28,870,000
The Committee recommends $80,000,000 for the Leaking
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program.
Inland Oil Spill Programs
This appropriation provides funds to prepare for and
prevent releases of oil and other petroleum products in
navigable waterways. In addition, EPA is reimbursed for
incident specific response costs through the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund managed by the United States Coast Guard.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $20,711,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 27,803,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 19,600,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -1,111,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -8,203,000
The Committee recommends $19,600,000 for the Inland Oil
Spill Program.
State and Tribal Assistance Grants
The State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account
provides grant funds for programs operated primarily by State,
Tribal, local, and other governmental partners.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $4,418,938,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 4,528,039,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 3,680,203,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -738,735,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -847,836,000
The Committee recommends $3,680,203,000. In addition, the
Committee notes that Public Law 117-58 appropriates
$11,621,000,000 for fiscal year 2025, making the fiscal year
2025 program level $15,291,203,000.
Community Project Funding (CPF) Grants.--From within funds
provided for capitalization grants for the Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund (SRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
(SRF), the Committee recommends $553,936,004 from the Clean
Water SRF and $479,541,446 from the Drinking Water SRF for
special project grants for the construction of drinking water,
wastewater, and storm water infrastructure and for water
quality protection. Each project shall provide not less than 20
percent matching funds from non-Federal sources, unless
approved for a waiver. Applicable Federal requirements that
would apply to a Clean Water SRF or Drinking Water SRF project
grant recipient shall apply to a grantee receiving a special
project grant under this section. The Committee notes that the
following funding sources are to be treated as non-Federal
funds and can be used to meet the non-Federal matching fund
requirement: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Community Development Block Grant program; U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural Development Program; Appalachian Regional
Commission grants; and Delta Regional Authority grants. Funding
made available to jurisdictions through the American Rescue
Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-92) are considered Federal
funds and may not be applied towards the non-Federal cost share
requirement. A detailed list of projects is located in the
table titled ``Interior and Environment Incorporation of
Community Project Funding Items'' at the end of this report.
The Committee remains frustrated by the large number of CPF
recipients that have still not received funding and directs the
Agency to continue to provide updates to the Committee on plans
to provide funding in a more timely manner.
Brownfields Program.--The Committee directs that at least
10 percent of such grants be provided to areas in which at
least 20 percent of the population has lived under the poverty
level over the past 30 years as determined by censuses and the
most recent Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates as
described in the bill. In addition to the amount provided under
this heading, Public Law 117-58 provides $300,000,000 for the
Brownfields program for fiscal year 2025.
Targeted Airshed Grants.--The Committee directs that these
grants shall be distributed on a competitive basis to
nonattainment areas that the Agency determines are ranked as
the top five most polluted areas relative to annual ozone or
particulate matter 2.5 standards, as well as the top five areas
based on the 24-hour particulate matter 2.5 standard where the
design values exceed the 35 mg/m3 standard. To determine these
areas, the Agency shall use the most recent design values
calculated from validated air quality data. The Committee notes
that these funds are available for emission reduction
activities deemed necessary for compliance with national
ambient air quality standards and included in a State
Implementation Plan submitted to EPA.
Stormwater Centers of Excellence.--The Committee recognizes
the importance of addressing stormwater and stormwater runoff
in the different regions of the country. To address both the
near- and long-term issues, the bill provides $5,000,000 for
the grant program authorized in Section 50217(b) of Public Law
117-58 and the Committee encourages the Agency to prioritize
awarding the funds to establish the centers of excellence as
expeditiously as possible.
Categorical Grant: Resource Recovery and Hazardous Waste
Grants.--The bill includes a provision to spend categorical
grant funds for the purpose of providing grants to assist
States in the development and implementation of State programs
for the control of coal combustion residuals under section 2301
of the Water and Waste Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-322). The
Committee directs the Agency to allocate $4,000,000 from the
Hazardous Waste Financial Assistance categorical grants program
project for this purpose. The Committee remains frustrated that
prior-year funding for this purpose has not yet been provided
to States and directs the Agency to provide the funding to
States as soon as practicable. The Committee also notes that
funds awarded under the authority provided by this Act are not
subject to section 3011 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (Public
Law 89-272).
Additionally, the Committee recommends that categorical
grant funding be used for a pilot program to improve recycling
in rural communities with a priority on communities in which
there is not more than one material recovery facility located
within a 75-mile radius. The pilot should consider solutions
such as increasing the number of transfer stations, expanding
curbside recycling collection, and leveraging public-private
partnerships for collecting and transporting recyclable
material.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee includes the following
additional guidance with respect to funding provided under this
account:
Authorities.--The Committee directs the Agency to provide a
briefing not later than 60 days following the enactment of this
Act on the Agency's current authorities to transfer funding to
binational financial institutions to address needs in the
United States.
Class 8 Trucks.--The Committee is aware of several programs
to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and
encourages the Agency to coordinate with the Department of
Transportation and the Department of Energy in administering
funding for reducing emissions in the transportation sector.
Small and Rural Water Systems.--The Committee is aware of
water infrastructure needs within small and rural communities
and directs the Agency to work with States to encourage
prioritizing Federal funding in rural areas and for small water
systems.
Stormwater Systems Service Life.--The Committee notes that
plans to address the service life of sewer systems can be an
important component of infrastructure planning and recommends
that that the Agency continue encouraging States to consider
the benefits of projects that incorporate plans to extend the
useful life of the system when utilizing Federal funding.
Use of Iron and Steel.--The Committee emphasizes that any
coating processes that are applied to the external surface of
iron and steel components that otherwise qualify under the
procurement preference shall not render such products
ineligible for the procurement preference regardless of where
the coating processes occur, provided that final assembly of
the products occur in the United States.
Water Infrastructure Projects.--The Committee notes that
the Agency is authorized to provide funding for architectural,
engineering, planning, design, construction, and related
activities in connection with the construction of high priority
water and wastewater facilities in the area of the United
States-Mexico Border, and that projects related to water supply
like desalination plants, irrigation lining, stormwater
draining, and other water availability projects are authorized
to be funded by this program should they be determined as high
priority.
Water Pipe Leak Detection.--The Committee is concerned
about the impact of water loss from pipeline leaks on the
availability of affordable drinking water and on the long-term
integrity of water and wastewater infrastructure and encourages
the Agency to consider the best available leak prevention
technologies as part of its State and Tribal Assistance Grants
decision-making processes.
Water Treatment.--The Committee recommends that the Agency
encourage States to consider innovative and cost-effective ways
to evaluate water treatment solutions, including pilot projects
for water treatment projects.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAM
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $72,274,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 80,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 72,274,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -7,726,000
The Committee recommends $72,274,000 for the Water
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to assist Tribes with their environmental program
implementation and to enter into cooperative agreements.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to collect and obligate certain pesticide fees in
accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to assess certain fees under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to collect and obligate certain hazardous waste
electronic manifest fees in accordance with the Solid Waste
Disposal Act.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to transfer funds appropriated for the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative to other Federal agencies in
support of restoration activities.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the use of
certain accounts for construction, alteration, repair,
rehabilitation, and restoration of facilities, up to $300,000
per project.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to make certain Clean Water Act grants to tribes.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the
Administrator to provide grants to implement the Southeast New
England Watershed Restoration Program.
The bill directs the availability of $2,500,000 of funds
for the National Estuary program as competitive grants.
The bill continues a provision authorizing the Office of
Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of
Water to use up to $2,000,000 to hire students and recent
graduates as contractors on a temporary or intermittent basis.
TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES
Department of Agriculture
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,033,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -33,000
The Committee recommends $1,000,000 for the Office of the
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment.
FOREST SERVICE
The U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) manages 193
million acres of National Forests, Grasslands, and a Tallgrass
Prairie, across 44 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
and cooperates with States, other Federal agencies, Tribes, and
private landowners to sustain the Nation's forests and
grasslands. The Forest Service administers a wide variety of
programs and activities that sustain the health, diversity, and
productivity of forests and grasslands to include forest and
rangeland research, State and private forestry assistance,
cooperative forest health management, international operations,
National Forest System management, and wildland fire
management.
Helicopters.--The Committee directs the Forest Service to
provide a report, not later than 120 days following the
enactment of this Act, on its efforts to continually modernize
the helicopter fleet and related equipment.
Lake Tahoe Basin.--The Environmental Protection Agency has
identified Lake Tahoe as a priority watershed. The Committee
directs the Forest Service to support the implementation of
Public Law 106-506, as amended, and restoration efforts in the
greater Lake Tahoe fireshed, at no less than the fiscal year
2024 enacted levels for hazardous fuels, vegetation and
watershed, and forest cooperative health efforts.
MAPLand Act.--The Committee urges the Forest Service to
continue to work with the Department of the Interior and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to jointly develop and adopt
interagency standards to ensure compatibility and
interoperability among Federal databases for the collection and
dissemination of outdoor recreation data related to Federal
lands and used to depict locations at which recreation uses are
available to the public.
Mutual Aid Agreement.--The Committee urges the Forest
Service, in collaboration with the Department of the Interior,
to provide a briefing to the Committee not later than 120 days
following the enactment of this Act identifying impediments
hindering Department of Defense mutual aid assistance from
Department of Defense fire services, like the Vandenberg Space
Force Base and others, from participating in the emergency
response to active wildland fires occurring on Department of
the Interior or Forest Service controlled forests or parklands.
Staffing.--The Committee directs that full time employees
or FTE equivalents, who were hired utilizing temporary or one-
time fund sources, may be reassigned to a different program
area that has unmet staffing needs to carry out funding
projects such as those in the areas of rangeland management,
watershed ecology, grazing, and rangeland hazardous fuels
reduction.
Stewardship Contracts.--The Committee notes its interest in
updates to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 that
allow third party contractors (including mills or other timber
harvesting company, state and local governments, or other
concerned entity) the ability to propose their own stewardship
contracts as long as 10 percent of the timber in the contract
is salvage. The Committee acknowledges that this method could
help the Forest Service know what type of contract will receive
bids in the future.
Stibnite Gold Project.--The Committee appreciates the
Forest Service's work on the Stibnite Gold Project and expects
the Forest Service to continue to prioritize issuing a final
record of decision (ROD) prior to the close of the calendar
year. Therefore, the Committee directs the Forest Service to
move forward with publishing a final environmental impact
statement and draft ROD, in coordination with the concurrent
work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinions, to
ensure a final ROD is achievable in this calendar year. The
Committee notes that the Biological Opinion work and any
concerns that may arise in the Biological Opinions can be
addressed concurrently during the objection/resolution period
of the final NEPA process.
Transmission Lines.--The Committee recognizes the severe
threat of wildfire in western states, especially in areas with
dense populations. In recent years, utility companies with
above ground transmission lines have been found liable for
inadvertently starting fires from sparking electric boxes or
sagging transmission lines, which resulted in not only
significant economic damage but loss of life. A study has shown
that undergrounding high-voltage transmission lines reduces the
risk of wildfire by 99 percent. As the lead Federal agency to
fight wildland fire, the Committee strongly encourages the
Forest Service to work within their existing authorities with
state and local governments with decision making authority to
require the undergrounding of new transmission lines,
especially in areas with dry conditions and high density or
suburban populations.
White Oak.--The Committee is aware that the Forest Service
is actively engaged in developing research and management
strategies to ensure the sustainability of the White Oak
species. The Committee directs the Forest Service to continue
working with various land managers to improve upon strategies
for white oak regeneration and update the Committee on the
agency's ongoing efforts to develop a strategy to regenerate
white oak.
FOREST SERVICE OPERATIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,150,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,187,066,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,035,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -115,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -152,066,000
The Committee recommends $1,035,000,000 for Forest Service
Operations.
FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $300,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 315,624,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 299,760,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -240,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -15,864,000
The Committee recommends $299,760,000 for Forest and
Rangeland Research.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA).--The recommendation
includes $32,000,000 for FIA.
Joint Fire Science.--The Committee directs the Forest
Service to provide $6,000,000 to the Joint Fire Science
program, which combined with funding in the Department of the
Interior, includes $12,000,000 in total.
The Committee encourages the Forest Service to continue to
cultivate work through the Joint Fire Science program with a
broad network of academic researchers to address research needs
that enhance resilience to wildfires and better address
fundamental connections and interactions across all temporal
phases of wildfires. The Committee urges the Governing Board to
respond to the recommendations included in the Report of the
Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, including
by establishing mechanisms to partner with the National Science
Foundation and the Department of Defense.
Research and Development Programs.--The recommendation
includes $54,000,000 for base research activities. The
Committee encourages the Forest Service to focus its efforts on
research and development related to wildfire, watersheds, and
wood products.
National Agroforestry Center.--The Committee provides
$2,000,000 to support the work of the National Agroforestry
Center to advance the health, diversity, and productivity of
working lands, waters, and communities through agroforestry.
Northwest Wildland and Rangeland Fire Science Research.--
The Committee recognizes the growing economic and ecological
threat wildfires pose to communities in the Northwest. The
Committee directs the Forest Service to partner with a land-
grant institution with a demonstrated history of forest and
rangeland wildfire research in the Northwest region to advance
the design and implementation of geographically, ecologically,
and culturally relevant science-based treatments at scale
across public, private, and Tribal forests and rangelands. The
Committee provides $5,000,000 to develop this initiative and
expects that all stakeholders, including industry, be included
in this effort.
Nurseries.--The Committee is concerned by the lack of seed
and nursery stock in the U.S and directs the Forest Service to
work with states and partners to collect seed, expand stock and
capacity at existing nurseries, and assist in opening new
nurseries.
Short Rotation Woody Crops.--The Committee is aware of the
Forest Service's ongoing efforts related to research on short
woody crops and the benefits related to uses in mine
reclamation and as agricultural buffers, in addition to aiding
in salinity issues. The Committee strongly encourages the
Forest Service to continue collaborative efforts across the
country.
Solid Wood Products.--The Committee recognizes that Forest
Service Research and Development undertakes a range of carbon
accounting research including improving and estimating forest
carbon inventories at the national, State, and local levels, as
well as on understanding the effects of forest management and
disturbances on forest carbon stocks and change in forest
carbon over time. The Committee notes the Forest Service's
ongoing research on improving quantitative techniques to
characterize forest carbon using biometrics or remote sensing
and geospatial analysis approaches may be considered carbon
accounting research. The Committee supports the future
development of forest and solid wood products carbon
measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification digital
platform.
Research Funding Priorities.--For the following research
initiatives, funding for geographically-based items is in
addition to funds otherwise provided to individual research
stations and therefore is not to be factored into base
allocations.
--$3,000,000 for university-led research and partnerships
to better understand fires in the wildland-urban interface,
improve workforce development for wildfire management
professionals, and improve the safety and efficiency of
wildland firefighting techniques.
--$1,500,000 to continue Forest Products Laboratory
university partnerships to optimize biomass commercialization,
including lumber standards, mass timber construction, and
durability.
--$3,000,000 for research on forest-based cellulose
nanomaterials, including material forms, manufacturing
processes, and technology transfer.
STATE, PRIVATE, AND TRIBAL FORESTRY
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $303,306,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 305,408,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 282,960,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -20,346,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -22,448,000
The Committee recommends $282,960,000 for State, Private,
and Tribal Forestry. The detailed allocation of funding by
program and activity is included in the table accompanying this
report. Program directives and specific funding requirements
are noted in the following narrative. All funding for specific
programs or directives is in addition to funds otherwise
provided to States and regions through the formular and
competitive grant process and therefore is not to be factored
into those allocations.
State Fire Capacity Grants.--The Committee recognizes the
Forest Service's efforts to create fire-resilient communities
utilizing active fuel reduction treatments and collaboration
with municipal water and fire agencies to improve critical
infrastructure and expand wildfire response capabilities in the
Lake Tahoe Basin and urges the Forest Service to support the
implementation of Public Law 106-506, as amended. To support
these implementation efforts, the Committee provides up to
$10,000,000 for projects to improve critical infrastructure and
expand wildfire response capabilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
International Programs and Trade.--The recommendation
includes $21,000,000 for International Programs and Trade, of
which $2,000,000 is for the Forest Service to utilize existing
university partnerships to expand work in areas including, but
not limited to, deterring illegal logging, promoting trade in
wood products, supporting migratory species, researching
invasive species, and collaborating with local communities and
indigenous peoples.
Invasive Species.--The Committee strongly encourages the
Forest Service to address high priority invasive species,
pests, and diseases, including the Emerald Ash Borer, bark
beetle, glossy buckthorne, amur honeysuckle, and Callery pear.
Urban Agroforestry.--The Committee encourages the Forest
Service to explore opportunities to support urban agroforestry
efforts that combine food and tree cultivation to improve
carbon storage, public health, and local food access.
Urban Heat Vulnerabilities.--The Committee is concerned
that shrinking urban tree canopies result in unsafe heat
vulnerabilities and encourages the Forest Service to engage in
multi-organizational collaborations that prioritize tree
plantings to increase canopy cover in areas that are most
vulnerable and severely affected by urban heat.
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,863,557,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 2,007,149,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,866,465,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +2,908,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -140,684,000
The Committee recommends $1,866,465,000 for the National
Forest System.
Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness.--The recommendation
provides $3,000,000 to support infrastructure and trails
development and to build the capacity of local user groups and
partnership organizations for all National Recreation Areas
administered by the Forest Service and established after 1997;
$2,000,000 to continue implementation of the Native American
Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act and to
engage with Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian
organizations to promote sustainable native tourism activities
and to identify areas where technical assistance, training and
cultural tourism development support is needed; $750,000 for
the maintenance of rural airstrips; and $500,000 to support
infrastructure and trails development and to build airstrip
capacity of local user groups and partnership organizations.
Grazing Management.--The recommendation provides $6,300,000
for grazing management for the Forest Service to address the
backlog of allotments still requiring National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and documentation. Within the amount
provided, the Forest Service is expected to administer existing
permits to ensure grazing will be sustained at the appropriate
levels.
Hazardous Fuels Management.--The recommendation provides
$202,000,000 for fuels management activities and does not
transfer the program to Wildland Fire Management as requested.
Of the funds made available for fuels management, $30,000,000
is provided for Wood Innovation Grants and $8,000,000 is
provided for the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes
(SWERI), including additional funds to create a new Interior
West Institute in the State of Nevada, as is consistent with
Public Law 108-317. As such, the funds shall be equally divided
between the three existing SWERI universities and the new
institute. The Committee directs the Forest Service to
coordinate with Northern Arizona University, New Mexico
Highlands University, and Colorado State University and the
State of Nevada to provide an update to the Committee not later
than 90 days following the enactment of this Act on the actions
taken related to the creation of the new institute.
Vegetation and Watershed Management.--The recommendation
provides $30,000,000 for Vegetation and Watershed Management.
The Committee encourages the Forest Service conduct additional
outreach to water users to utilize existing vegetation and
watershed management funding to demonstrate the value of
restoring aquatic ecosystems to build resilience to natural
hazards in source watersheds. The Committee directs the Forest
Service to report to the Committee not later than 90 days
following enactment of this Act regarding creation and
implementation of the Water Source Protection Program as
authorized in Public Law 115-334 to foster public and private
partnerships between agricultural producers, businesses,
cities, and the Forest Service to improve watershed and forest
health.
Additional Guidance.--The Committee provides the following
additional guidance related to activities funded in this
account.
Agency Timber Target.--The Committee recognizes that timber
harvesting is a critical component of managing National
Forests. With nationwide timber harvesting levels far below the
amount permitted under current forest plans, the Committee
directs the Forest Service to maximize its authorities and
supplemental funding provided in Public Law 117-58 to increase
its capacity to reach the output goal of four billion board
feet, in conjunction with its hazardous fuels reduction and
strategic vegetation management work.
The Committee notes support for the personal use firewood
program as many rural residents rely on firewood cut and
gathered from National Forests to heat their homes. However,
the Committee directs the agency to separate personal use
firewood from commercial forest products when calculating
timber accomplishments and cut and sold reports.
The Committee is concerned that Region 1 has consistently
missed its board feet goals with over 500 million board feet
tied up in litigation last year. The Committee directs the
Forest Service to provide the Committee with a report not later
than 240 days following the enactment of this Act on efforts to
coordinate with the Department of Justice Environment and
Natural Resources Division and relevant stakeholders and state
agencies on pending litigation, steps during the NEPA process
to avoid litigation, and efforts to utilize authorities given
to the Forest Service by Congress.
Angeles National Forest.--The Committee recognizes the
progress the Forest Service has made to reopen water recreation
sites in the Angeles National Forest that have been closed for
more than five years. The Committee remains concerned about the
lack of open and publicly accessible recreation sites within
National Forest land in North Los Angeles County. Accordingly,
the Committee encourages the Forest Service to continue
prioritizing the reopening of water recreation sites within the
Angeles National Forest that have been closed for longer than
five years, and to evaluate opportunities to reopen recreation
sites in the Angeles National Forest that have been closed to
the public.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail.--The Committee
encourages the Forest Services to coordinate internally across
forests and regions and externally with the National Park
Service for the administration of the Appalachian National
Scenic Trail.
Communication Sites Permitting.--The Committee urges the
Forest Service to continue to work with the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration to summarize,
simplify, and standardize permitting regulations and
requirements to ensure both timely action and responsible
stewardship in order to make progress toward national broadband
objectives. The bill includes language to permit the Forest
Service to collect funds to cover the costs of administering
the communications site program.
Good Neighbor Authority (GNA).--The Committee recognizes
the positive impact of existing authorities, such as the GNA,
have made on National Forest System lands in areas at high risk
of wildfire. The Committee encourages the Forest Service to
continue engagement with States and Tribes on GNA projects
wherever applicable, especially in areas with high risk of
fire.
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL).--The
Committee acknowledges the passage of Public Law 117-328 and
the unique role the LBL plays in protecting natural resources
and wildlife, promoting environmental conservation education,
and preserving over 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and
open lands on the peninsula between Kentucky and Barkley Lakes
in Kentucky and Tennessee. Therefore, the Committee encourages
the Forest Service to allocate annual appropriated funding at
least commensurate with the enacted level to accomplish
deferred maintenance projects, to support recreation and
heritage activities, and to improve transportation corridors
and bridges, consistent with Public Law 117-328. The Committee
directs the Forest Service to provide a list of deferred
maintenance projects and a cost estimate of these projects at
the National Recreation Area and brief the Committee not later
than 90 days following the enactment of this Act.
Pat Harrison Waterway District (PHWD).--The Committee
directs the Forest Service to continue collaborating with the
PHWD and the Smith County, Mississippi, Board of Supervisors on
expanding economic development and outdoor recreation
opportunities on the Bienville National Forest. The Committee
again strongly encourages the Forest Service to schedule and
meaningfully participate in quarterly meetings with PHWD and
the Smith County, Mississippi, Board of Supervisors to
establish and implement a plan to pursue regional, rural
economic development and new outdoor recreation activities on
the Bienville National Forest.
Pisgah National Forest.--The Committee is concerned about
the destructive impact of overuse in the Wilson Creek area in
the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. Specifically, the
Committee requests that the Forest Service engage the State of
North Carolina, Caldwell County, and stakeholder groups in
meaningful dialogue to address the problem of overuse of the
Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic area with the goal of identifying
and implementing strategies that will help restore and protect
the ecosystem and report back to the Committee not later than
90 days following the enactment of this Act on the status.
Seedling Supplies.--The Committee encourages the Forest
Service to work with States and partners to support activities
that increase regional seedling supplies across subprograms,
including establishment and expansion of Federal nurseries and
seed extractories.
Timber Workforce Shortages.--The Committee is concerned
that ongoing and widespread workforce shortages continue to
negatively impact the Forest Service's ability to meet timber
harvest targets, develop and execute landscape-scale forest
management projects, and effectively work with established
forest collaboratives. The Committee understands that the
lengthy hiring process, which may include duplicative
background checks, is a significant contributing factor to
hiring challenges. The Committee therefore urges the Service to
utilize existing flexibilities and authorities, including
requesting direct hire authority from the Office of Personnel
Management, to streamline and accelerate the hiring process for
timber program-related positions.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $156,130,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 158,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 157,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +870,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -1,000,000
The Committee recommends $157,000,000 for Capital
Improvement and Maintenance. As in previous years, this amount
is offset with a scoring credit related to the Roads and Trails
Fund.
National Scenic and Historic Trails.--The Committee directs
the Forest Service to continue to provide specific trail
operation, maintenance, and construction funding and
accomplishment data for the National Scenic and Historic Trails
in future budget justifications. The Committee recommends no
less than $15,000,000 for National Scenic and Historic Trails
funding.
Employee Housing.--The Committee directs the Forest Service
to prioritize, when possible, the maintenance of aging employee
housing facilities that lack direct access to clean water and
drinking water. This includes, but is not limited to, building
out infrastructure that allows for consistent access to water
utilities, such as the employee housing located in Bridgeport,
CA.
The Committee directs the Forest Service to provide a
briefing not later than 120 days following the enactment of
this Act on possible opportunities, using Administrative Site
Leasing authorities, to partner for investment in unused
facilities that may facilitate long-term leasing arrangements
to expand housing options for forest industry employees.
Legacy Roads and Trails Consideration of Factors.--The
Committee urges the Forest Service to prioritize road washouts
that have limited emergency access for rural communities,
access for tribes to exercise treaty rights, access for
stewardship and other projects, utility access, and for pre-
existing investments in aquatic restoration priorities
alongside water quality considerations. Additionally, the
Committee recognizes the importance of funding to address the
core tenants of the program related to water quality, which is
distinct from wildfire related work.
ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS SPECIAL ACTS
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $664,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 664,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 664,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $664,000 for Acquisition of Lands
for National Forests Special Acts.
ACQUISITION OF LANDS TO COMPLETE LAND EXCHANGES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $150,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 150,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 150,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $150,000 for Acquisition of Lands
to Complete Land Exchanges under the Act of December 4, 1967
(16 U.S.C. 484a).
RANGE BETTERMENT FUND
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,719,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,719,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,719,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $1,719,000 for the Range
Betterment Fund, to be derived from grazing receipts from
National Forests, pursuant to Public Law 94-579, and to be used
for range rehabilitation, protection, and improvements
including seeding, reseeding, fence construction, weed control,
water development, and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement in
16 western States.
GIFTS, DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS FOR FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $45,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 45,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 45,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $45,000 for Gifts, Donations and
Bequests for Forest and Rangeland Research.
MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL FOREST LANDS FOR SUBSISTENCE USES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,099,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 1,099,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,099,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends $1,099,000 for the Management of
National Forest Lands for Subsistence Uses in Alaska.
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $2,312,654,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. \1\2,550,442,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,407,735,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +95,081,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -142,707,000
\1\Includes $1,363,184,000 provided with an emergency designation.
The Committee recommends $2,407,735,000 for Wildland Fire
Management. The bill funds base fire suppression resources
consistent with the Stephen Sepp Wildfire Suppression Funding
and Forest Management Activities Act as discretionary instead
of as emergency, as was proposed in the fiscal year 2025 budget
request.
Fire Operations.--The Committee recommends $192,000,000 for
preparedness, $1,011,000,000 for suppression operations, and
$1,204,735,000 for salaries and expenses, which includes the
funding needed for the Forest Service to execute the new pay
table included in this bill as a permanent fix ensuring the
Federal agencies' ability to recruit and retain wildland
firefighters and maintain current firefighter capacity.
Casualty Assistance Program.--The Committee understands the
need for a robust casualty assistance program for wildland
firefighters and support personnel who are critically injured,
ill, or deceased. The Committee encourages the Forest Service
to continue its efforts to provide support and build out its
casualty assistance program to meet the needs of its employees.
Firefighting Technologies.--The Committee directs the
Forest Service to evaluate new firefighting technologies
including flexible, fiberglass-band mesh to support the safety
and efficiency of wildland firefighters. The Committee directs
the Forest Service to report back on this evaluation not later
than 280 days following the enactment of this Act.
The Forest Service is directed to brief the Committee, not
later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act, with an
update on the feasibility of utilizing Container Aerial Fire
Fighting Systems.
Middle Fire Leaders Academy.--The Committee understands the
need to provide additional opportunities for retention and
growth of mid-career firefighters and support personnel. The
Committee encourages the Forest Service to determine the steps
necessary to establish a Middle Fire Leaders Academy as
outlined in the recent Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management
Commission Report, dated September 2023.
Wildfire Forecasting.--The Committee understands the
benefits of AI-based tools supporting the next generation of
wildland fire observations and how they can accomplish the
goals of early fire detection, prediction, and prevention.
These tools can help provide firefighters and commanders with
enhanced awareness using real time data while building a
database of observations to better predict the spread of fire,
shorten response times, and save lives and property. The
Committee includes $1,000,000 for the Forest Service to utilize
an existing partnership with a public research university in a
fire prone, western state with proximity to the National
Interagency Fire Center to develop AI-based wildfire activity
forecasting and modeling tools.
WILDFIRE SUPRESSION OPERATIONS RESERVE FUND
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $2,300,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 2,390,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,390,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +90,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The bill includes $2,390,000,000 for the Wildfire
Suppression Operations Reserve Fund, which is $90,000,000 above
the enacted level and equal to the budget request. Of the
additional $2,750,000,000 available for fire suppression
operations, $2,390,000,000 is provided to the Forest Service
and the remaining $360,000,000 is available through a transfer
from the Department of the Interior.
The Committee provides these additional funds and
authorities to ensure that sufficient funds are available to
protect American homes, lands, and wildlife from catastrophic
fires without requiring a transfer of funds from the very
activities that advance forest health and prevent wildland
fires. The Committee expects the Forest Service to use
suppression funds judiciously and continue to work closely with
the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of the
Interior to accurately account for expenditures and recover
costs.
COMMUNICATIONS SITE ADMINISTRATION
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
The bill includes language permitting amounts collected in
fiscal year 2024 for Communications Site Administration to be
deposited and subsequently transferred to the ``National Forest
System'' account.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS, FOREST SERVICE
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
The Committee has included administrative provisions that
provide further direction on the use and transfer of
appropriated funds provided to the Forest Service including:
Permitting the purchase of passenger motor vehicles and
proceeds from the sale of aircraft may be used to purchase
replacement aircraft.
Allowing funds for certain employment contracts.
Allowing funds to be used for purchase and alteration of
buildings.
Allowing for acquisition of certain lands and interests.
Allowing expenses for certain volunteer activities.
Providing for the cost of uniforms.
Providing for debt collections on certain contracts.
Providing for the transfer of funds between accounts
affected by the Forest Service budget restructure.
Providing for the transfer of funds to the Wildland Fire
Management appropriation for forest firefighting, emergency
rehabilitation, and fire preparedness.
Limiting the transfer of Wildland Fire Management funds
between the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture.
Providing the transfer of funds for Hazardous Fuels
Management and urgent rehabilitation.
Allowing funds to be used through the Agency for
International Development for work in foreign countries and to
support other forestry activities outside of the United States.
Allowing the Forest Service, acting for the International
Program, to sign certain funding agreements with foreign
governments and institutions as well as with certain domestic
agencies.
Authorizing the expenditure or transfer of funds for wild
horse and burro activities.
Prohibiting the transfer of funds under the Department of
Agriculture transfer authority under certain conditions.
Limiting the transfer of funds for the Working Capital Fund
and Department Reimbursable Program (also known as Greenbook
charges).
Limiting funds to support the Youth Conservation Corps and
Public Lands Corps.
Limiting the use of funds for official reception and
representation expenses.
Providing for matching funds for the National Forest
Foundation.
Allows funds to be advanced to the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation.
Allows for certain cooperative agreements to support the
work of forest or grassland collaboratives.
Allowing funds to be used for technical assistance for
rural communities.
Allowing funds for payments to counties in the Columbia
River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Allowing funds to be used for the Older Americans Act.
Prohibiting the assessment of funds for the purpose of
performing fire, administrative, and other facilities
maintenance, and decommissioning.
Limiting funds to reimburse the Office of General Counsel
at the Department of Agriculture.
Permitting eligible employees to be considered a Federal
employee.
Requiring regular reporting of unobligated balances.
Department of Health and Human Services
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
The provision of Federal health services to Indians is
based on a treaty and trust relationship between Indian Tribes
and the U.S. Government first set forth in the 1830s by the
United States Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall
and numerous treaties, statutes, constitutional provisions, and
international laws have reconfirmed this relationship.
Principal among these is the Snyder Act of 1921, which provides
the basic authority for most Indian health services provided by
the Federal government to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides primary health care
and disease prevention services to approximately 2.8 million
American Indians and Alaska Natives through a network of over
600 hospitals, clinics, and health stations on or near Indian
reservations. Facilities are predominantly located in rural
primary care settings and are managed by IHS, Tribal, and urban
Indian health programs.
Current Services.--The Committee acknowledges the
significant funding needs across Indian Country, and the level
of funding provided reflects the Committee's commitment to
advancing the Federal government's trust and treaty
obligations. The Committee understands that fixed costs
continue to rise and flat funding results in a cut to
programmatic dollars. Therefore, the recommendation provides
$344,567,000 for the Agency's requested Current Services, which
covers fixed costs from fiscal year 2024 and for fiscal year
2025, for key health services to ensure increases go directly
to programs.
The Committee directs IHS to provide a detailed spend plan
for Current Services provided not later than 60 days following
the enactment of this Act, including a timeline for when the
funds will be distributed.
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $4,948,731,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 5,641,232,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 5,274,783,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +326,052,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -366,449,000
The recommendation includes $5,274,783,000 that is
available for obligation in fiscal year 2025 for the Indian
Health Services Account, $326,052,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level. This includes $4,684,029,000 provided as a
fiscal year 2025 advance and $590,754,000 recommended in this
bill and available in this fiscal year. These funds are
available for two years unless otherwise specified.
The recommendation provides $83,522,000 to fund the most
recent estimate of the cost of staffing at new facilities.
Funds may not be allocated to a facility until such facility
has achieved beneficial occupancy status. The Committee
understands that amounts required for staffing new facilities
continue to evolve, due in part to when facilities achieve
beneficial occupancy. The Committee expects IHS to update the
Committee as beneficial occupancy dates or cost estimates
change.
Clinical Services.--The recommendation includes
$4,751,364,000 in budget year appropriations for Clinical
Services, $290,431,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level.
Hospitals and Health Clinics.--The recommendation includes
$2,845,868,000 for Hospitals and Health Clinics, $295,354,000
above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The Committee recognizes the importance of Tribal
Epidemiology Centers (TEC) which conduct epidemiology and
public health functions critical to the delivery of health care
services for Tribal and urban Indian communities. The
recommendation includes $44,433,000 for TECs, $10,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The Committee does not accept the IHS's proposal to move
the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund within the Hospitals
and Health Clinics funding. The recommendation provides
$75,472,000 for the Indian Health Care Improvement Fund, which
is $1,334,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $7,000,000, $4,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for IHS to expand, in
coordination with Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs),
the Produce Prescription Pilot to implement a produce
prescription model to increase access to produce and other
traditional foods among its service population. The Committee
encourages IHS to provide a briefing to the Committee not later
than 90 days following the enactment of this Act on the
distribution of funds and implementation efforts.
The recommendation includes $6,000,000, $500,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level, to continue Alzheimer's and
related dementia activities. These funds will enable awardees
to continue to implement locally developed models of culturally
appropriate screening, diagnostics, and management of people
living with Alzheimer's and other related dementia. This
funding also supports the Dementia ECHO program, designed to
support clinicians and caregivers to strengthen their knowledge
and care around dementia for Tribal patients.
The recommendation includes $3,000,000, $1,000,000 above
the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, for Improving Maternal
Health. The Committee directs IHS to provide a briefing to the
Committee not later than 180 days following the enactment of
this Act on the planned use of funds including hiring and staff
training.
Dental Health.--The recommendation includes $283,085,000
for Dental Health services, $30,524,000 above the fiscal year
2024 enacted level and $7,000,000 above the President's budget
request.
The Committee recognizes the importance of Dental Support
Centers (DSC) in providing technical support, training, and
assistance in clinical and preventive efforts of the dental
program. Many IHS dentists practice in isolated areas without
immediate access to specialty services. DSCs provide them with
the necessary expertise and experience they need to address
challenging oral health demands. The Committee includes
$8,000,000, $4,000,000 over the fiscal year 2024 level, to
continue expanding DSCs to all 12 service areas with the
flexibility to regionalize DSC operations as needed. The
Committee directs IHS to provide a briefing to the Committee
not later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act on
how IHS allocated the additional funds, including where and how
it expanded DSCs across its service areas and if it
regionalized any DSC operations to provide their services more
efficiently.
The Committee commends IHS for its successful installation
of the dental records system. The Committee provides
$6,500,000, $3,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 level, for
managing the current Electronic Dental Records (EDR) system.
The Committee directs IHS to provide a briefing to the
Committee not later than 120 days following the enactment of
this Act on the impact of past funding to manage the EDR
system, as well as the challenges IHS is still facing as the
program is being implemented. The Committee also directs IHS to
expand efforts in planning and developing greater data and
information exchange between the electronic health records
system and the EDR system.
Mental Health.--The recommendation includes $140,746,000
for Mental Health/Social Services, $10,981,000 above the fiscal
year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $2,000,000 for a new behavioral
health pilot program to support no more than 10 pilots that
award grants to an Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or
consortium of Indian Tribes to operate and implement special
behavioral health programs authorized by the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1665 et seq.) on or near an Indian
Reservation. The Committee directs that grants should be
awarded for two years and should be no less than $10,000 and no
more than $100,000 each year and should not increase State
administrative costs or the benefits provided in any program.
The Committee directs IHS to provide a report to the Committee
not less than one year after enactment of this Act on the
status and outcomes of the pilot.
Alcohol and Substance Abuse.--The recommendation includes
$282,389,000, $15,753,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, for Alcohol and Substance Abuse programs.
Purchase and Referred Care.--The recommendation includes
$1,048,804,000, $52,049,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, for Purchase and Referred Care (PRC).
The Committee is aware that some IHS areas are considered
Purchased and Referred Care Dependent and Tribes in PRC-
dependent areas must rely solely on this funding for emergency,
hospital, and special health care services. The Committee
recognizes the importance of these funds for PRC-Dependent
areas and directs IHS to provide a report to the Committee not
later than 90 days following the enactment of this Act on the
funding distribution methodology and how PRC-dependent areas,
including those in California, are receiving the necessary PRC
funds needed to purchase lifesaving care for Tribal members.
The Committee directs IHS to examine the policies for the
PRC program to fund extremely high travel costs associated with
patient travel for emergent or acutely urgent medical
priorities in remote frontier states and provide a report not
later than 120 days following the enactment of this Act on
necessary resources associated with creating a special pilot
program to address this concern.
Preventative Health.--The recommendation includes
$219,035,000 for Preventative Health, $15,189,000 above the
fiscal year 2024 enacted level and equal to the President's
budget request.
Other Services.--The recommendation includes $304,384,000
for Other Services, $20,432,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $7,000,000 above the President's budget
request.
The Committee recognizes the Federal trust responsibility
to provide health care services to American Indian and Alaska
Native citizens and acknowledges that approximately seventy-one
percent live in urban areas. The recommendation includes
$99,992,000, $9,573,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level and $5,000,000 above the President's budget request, for
Urban Indian Health programs.
The recommendation includes $89,252,000 for Indian Health
Professions programs, $8,684,000 above the fiscal year 2024
enacted level and $8,000,000 above the President's budget
request. The Committee continues to support Indian Health
Professions programs and expects IHS to allocate the increase
provided across all programs, including the Scholarship
Program, Loan Repayment Program, Indians Into Medicine Program
(INMED), American Indians into Nursing (RAIN) Program, and the
American Indians into Psychology Programs. The Committee
understands that payments under the Loan Repayment Program and
certain amounts received under the Scholarship Program are not
excluded from gross income for tax purposes. The Committee
directs IHS, in consultation with other applicable Federal
agencies, to provide a report to the Committee not later than
120 days following the enactment of this Act on the potential
costs associated with excluding payments from these two grant
programs from being taxed.
The Committee reminds IHS that any grant made under Sec.
112 of Amend Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Public Law 94-
437) to the Quentin N. Burdick American Indians Into Nursing
Program is not intended to reduce the eligibility of any other
applicants to receive grants under Sec. 112 of Amend Indian
Health Care Improvement Act. The Committee directs IHS to
report to the Committee not later than 30 days following the
enactment of this Act on actions taken to ensure that the
regional location of the Quentin N. Burdick American Indians
Into Nursing Program grant recipient does not disqualify other
applicants to receive grants under Sec. 112 of Amend Indian
Health Care Improvement Act.
The Committee directs IHS to continue its collaboration
with Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) on graduate medical education
and provide quarterly reports updating the Committee on its
progress in bringing additional coordinated training
opportunities to Tribal communities.
Staffing.--The Committee recognizes the vital role health
care staff play in Tribal communities across the nation and
that staffing shortages and the subsequent problems, delays,
and financial impacts that result from these shortages. The
Committee directs IHS to provide a report to the Committee not
later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act
examining barriers to hiring and retaining permanent personnel
across all IHS programs, including the staff of the Purchase
and Referred Care program. The report should also outline
specific recommendations to address staffing shortages.
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $1,051,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 2,036,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 2,036,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +985,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $2,036,000,000 for contract support costs
incurred by the agency as required by law. It does not include
the Administration's request for Administrative Costs. The bill
continues language making available such sums as are necessary
to meet the Federal government's full legal obligation and
prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other account for any
other purpose. In addition, the bill includes language
specifying carryover funds may be applied to subsequent years'
contract support costs.
PAYMENTS FOR TRIBAL LEASES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $149,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 400,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 400,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +251,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... 0
The Committee recommends an indefinite appropriation
estimated to be $400,000,000 for Payments for Tribal Leases
incurred by the agency as required by law. It does not include
the Administration's request for Administrative Costs. The bill
includes language making available such sums as necessary to
meet the Federal government's full legal obligation and
prohibits the transfer of funds to any other account for any
other purpose.
INDIAN HEALTH FACILITIES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $813,183,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 993,825,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 850,864,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. +37,681,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -142,961,000
The Committee recommends $850,864,000 for Indian Health
Facilities for fiscal year 2025. This includes $506,854,000 in
fiscal year 2024 advance appropriations and an additional
$344,010,000 provided in this bill and made available in this
fiscal year.
The Committee continues advance appropriations for programs
advanced in fiscal year 2024 and expands advance appropriations
to the Indian Health Facilities Sanitation Facilities
Construction and Health Care Facilities Construction accounts.
The recommendation provides $7,856,000 to fund the most
recent estimate of the cost of staffing at new facilities.
Funds may not be allocated to a facility until such facility
has achieved beneficial occupancy status. The Committee
understands that amounts required for staffing new facilities
continue to evolve, due in part to when facilities achieve
beneficial occupancy. The Committee expects IHS to update the
Committee as beneficial occupancy dates or cost estimates
change.
Health Care Facilities Construction.--The recommendation
includes $185,702,000 for Health Care Facilities Construction,
$3,023,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level.
The recommendation includes $14,000,000, for Staff
Quarters, $3,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted level,
for staff housing across the IHS health care delivery system to
support the recruitment and retention of quality healthcare
professionals across Indian country.
Equipment.--The Committee is aware that certain
jurisdictions have adopted de-energization protocols to reduce
the risks of catastrophic wildfires. While these protocols are
useful in limiting loss of life in affected communities, they
can also have dire consequences for Tribal Health Programs
located in impacted areas. To increase the resilience of these
facilities, the recommendation includes $8,000,000 to purchase
generators, $5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2024 enacted
level, including for IHS, Tribal Health Programs, and Urban
Indian Organizations located in areas impacted by de-
energization events. In procuring backup generators, the
Committee directs the Indian Health Service to determine the
most cost-effective method, which may include leasing. In
determining the most cost-effective procurement method, the
Committee directs the Service to account for life-cycle
maintenance costs associated with direct ownership and clinics'
capabilities to maintain these generators.
The Committee is aware that there have been advancements in
laboratory equipment that operate with zero water input or
connection to municipal water systems. To mitigate the impact
on AI/AN communities affected by constrained resources, the
Committee encourages IHS, when modernizing medical equipment,
to consider water efficiency and zero water systems when
feasible. In addition, the Committee directs IHS to provide a
report to the Committee within 180 days following the enactment
of this Act on potential plans to implement laboratory systems
that have no to little impact on the water supply in the
communities they reside.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
The bill continues a provision providing services at
certain rates.
The bill continues a provision allowing payments for
telephone service in private residences in the field, purchase
of motor vehicles, aircraft, and reprints.
The bill continues a provision allowing the purchase and
erection of modular buildings.
The bill continues a provision that provides funds for
uniforms.
The bill continues a provision allowing funding to be used
for attendance at professional meetings.
The bill continues a provision allowing health care to be
extended to non-Indians at Indian Health Service facilities,
subject to charges, and for the expenditure of collected funds.
The bill continues a provision allowing transfers of funds
from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the
Indian Health Service.
The bill continues the provision prohibiting limitations on
certain Federal travel and transportation expenses.
The bill continues the provision requiring that
Departmental assessments to be identified in annual budget
justifications.
The bill continues a provision allowing the de-obligation
and re- obligation of funds applied to self-governance funding
agreements.
The bill continues a prohibition on the expenditure of
funds to implement new eligibility regulations.
The bill continues a provision permitting certain
reimbursements for goods and services provided to Tribes.
The bill continues a provision providing that
reimbursements for training, technical assistance, or services
include total costs.
The bill continues a provision for housing allowances for
civilian medical personnel.
The bill continues a provision prohibiting changes in
organizational structure without advance notification to
Congress.
National Institutes of Health
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS), an agency within the National Institutes of Health,
was authorized in section 311(a) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA) and in section 126(g) of the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986 to conduct certain research and
worker training activities associated with the Nation's
Hazardous Substance Superfund program.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $79,714,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 83,035,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 75,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -4,714,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -8,035,000
The Committee recommends $75,000,000 for the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The Committee
continues to support the Worker Training Program, which trains
workers to safely work in hazardous environments and respond in
emergency situations. NIEHS is encouraged to continue its work
supporting communities' capacity to respond to pandemics and
disasters.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), an agency in the Department of Health and Human
Services, was created in section 104(i) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA). The Agency's mission is to serve the public through
responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe
environments and prevent harmful toxic exposures.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $81,619,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 85,020,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 76,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -5,619,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -9,020,000
The Committee recommends $76,000,000 for the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
OTHER RELATED AGENCIES
Executive Office of the President
COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was established
by Congress under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA). The Office of Environmental Quality, which provides
professional and administrative staff for the Council, was
established in the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of
1970. CEQ has statutory responsibility for overseeing Federal
agency implementation of the requirements of NEPA and assists
in coordinating environmental programs among the Federal
agencies in the Executive Branch.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $4,629,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 4,676,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 1,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,629,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -3,676,000
The Committee recommends $1,000,000 for the CEQ.
The Committee is troubled with CEQ's lack of response to
Congressional inquiries and oversight requests. The Committee
reminds CEQ of the outstanding and unanswered requests from
Congress and directs CEQ to respond to these requests as soon
as possible.
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is an
independent Federal agency charged with investigating
industrial chemical accidents.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $14,400,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 17,400,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 13,824,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -576,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -3,576,000
The Committee recommends $13,824,000 for the Salaries and
Expenses appropriation.
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $0
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 3,500,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 0
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -3,500,000
The Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR) was
established by Public Law 93-531 to plan and conduct relocation
activities associated with the settlement of a land dispute
between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. The Committee
does not recommend new appropriations for fiscal year 2025;
however, a total of $3,060,000 is made available from
unobligated balances for fiscal year 2025 operations of ONHIR.
ONHIR Closeout.--The Committee directs ONHIR to work with
the Department of the Interior, including the Interior Business
Center, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Office of Management
and Budget to develop a plan for closing the office.
Acknowledging that ONHIR has largely completed its mission, the
Committee directs ONHIR to provide a report to the Committee
not later than 180 days following the enactment of this Act
outlining plans for closing the office, including a timeline
and the necessary steps, a proposal for clients still waiting
to be relocated, and a determination of which Federal agencies
will be handling any remaining steps. The Committee directs
ONHIR to consult with the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe
throughout the entire process.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development
PAYMENT TO THE INSTITUTE
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $13,482,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 13,982,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 13,125,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -357,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -857,000
The Committee recommends $13,125,000 for the Institute of
American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development.
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum
and research complex, with 21 museums and galleries, 8 research
centers, a library, archives, and the National Zoological Park,
and more than 200 Smithsonian Affiliates in nearly every State,
Puerto Rico, and Panama.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $892,855,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 960,200,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 837,802,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -55,053,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -122,398,000
The Committee recommends $837,802,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the Smithsonian Institution.
Access to Smithsonian Programs.--The Committee encourages
the Smithsonian to continue efforts to build public engagement
and connect the public with knowledge, resources, and expertise
of the Smithsonian in communities across the Nation.
Museum Security.--The Committee encourages the Smithsonian
to evaluate the adoption of advanced, commercially available
technology, including technology that can provide real-time,
anonymized visitor count data for valuable insights into viewer
engagement, exhibit popularity, and to enable a higher-quality
guest experience. Additionally, the Committee encourages the
Smithsonian to consider the effectiveness of introducing
technology of this kind to supplement their existing visitor
data systems.
New Museums.--The Committee supports the intent of Congress
that the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum and the
National Museum of the American Latino be located on or near
the National Mall, to the extent practicable.
FACILITIES CAPITAL
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $197,645,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 200,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 121,913,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -75,732,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -78,087,000
The Committee recommends $121,913,000 for Facilities
Capital.
Pod 6.--The Committee understands that this is the final
request for the construction of Pod 6 at the Museum Support
Center and fully funds the request of $17,380,000.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is one of the world's premier
galleries with millions of visitors annually.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $174,760,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 188,453,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 171,050,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,710,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -17,403,000
The Committee recommends $171,050,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the National Gallery of Art.
REPAIR, RESTORATION AND RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $34,480,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 27,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 17,266,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -17,214,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -9,734,000
The Committee recommends $17,266,000 for Repair,
Restoration and Renovation of buildings at the National Gallery
of Art. The recommendation also includes bill language related
to the design and construction of an off-site art storage
facility in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $32,293,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 32,300,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 32,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -293,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -300,000
The Committee recommends $32,000,000 for Operations and
Maintenance of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts.
CAPITAL REPAIR AND RESTORATION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $12,633,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 13,430,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 6,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -6,633,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -7,430,000
The Committee recommends $6,000,000 for Capital Repair and
Restoration for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-637)
established the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars as the official memorial to President Wilson and as a
non-partisan forum for tackling global issues through
independent research and open dialogue.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $15,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 14,100,000
Recommended, 2024..................................... 12,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -2,100,000
The Committee recommends $12,000,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars.
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
National Endowment for the Arts
GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $207,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 210,100,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 203,895,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,105,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -6,205,000
The Committee recommends $203,895,000 for the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA). NEA provides funding to support
arts education, celebrate the Nation's cultural heritage, and
promote access to the arts in communities across the United
States.
America 250 Activities.--The Committee emphasizes support
for NEA's efforts leading up to America's Semiquincentennial
and encourages NEA to prioritize America 250 Activities that
educate and engage communities about the past, present, and
future of our Nation.
Collaboration with State and Regional Arts Councils.--The
Committee includes funding to continue the longstanding
collaborative relationship between NEA and these councils.
State governments match NEA grant funds to support programs
that respond to local needs in arts education, community
development, cultural preservation, and arts access. The
recommendation directs that NEA allocate no less than 40
percent of its program funds to this program.
Creative Forces.--The Committee commends NEA on its
partnership with the Departments of Defense and Veterans
Affairs, on the ``Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts
Network''. This partnership provides creative arts therapies
and arts engagement strategies that promote healing and support
the reintegration of service members and veterans recovering
from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues.
Increasing Access to the Arts.--The Committee recognizes
the progress and commitment NEA has made to advance access to
the arts. The Committee strongly encourages NEA to continue to
make grants accessible and available to eligible entities,
including faith-based and community-based organizations,
especially in underserved and rural communities. The Committee
directs NEA to report to the Committee on its outreach and
education efforts to increase engagement and grant access to
prospective applicants.
The Committee directs NEA to continue to work with relevant
stakeholders, including Members of Congress, on identifying
ways to increase outreach and engagement with underserved
communities and regions.
Program Direction.--As in previous years, the bill includes
language to provide grant program direction to NEA. With the
exception of established honorific programs, grant funding to
individual artists is strictly prohibited.
Tribal Engagement.--The Committee encourages NEA to
continue support for projects that promote the culture,
language, and related arts of indigenous peoples' communities,
including American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native
Hawaiians.
National Endowment for the Humanities
GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $207,000,000
Budget estimate, 2024................................. 200,100,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 203,895,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -3,105,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... +3,795,000
The Committee recommends $203,895,000 for the National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH programs support
cultural infrastructure projects, education programs, and
advanced scholarly research as well as providing resources for
exhibitions, documentaries, and the preservation of historic
collections.
America 250 Activities.--The Committee commends NEH for its
efforts in preparation of America's Semiquincentennial and
encourages NEH to prioritize grant opportunities for local
museums interested in hosting historical programming ahead of
the celebration.
Artificial Intelligence.--The Committee appreciates NEH's
growing interest in examining human perspectives on Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. The
Committee supports NEH's recent launch of its Dangers and
Opportunities of Technology program and Humanities Research
Centers on AI program. The Committee encourages NEH to continue
supporting these efforts and seek further venues to examine
humanities perspectives and ethical implications of these
rapidly expanding technology fields. Further, the Committee
encourages NEH to support and include primarily undergraduate
and non-research-intensive institutions in these efforts to
provide a wider workforce pipeline of students graduating with
AI humanities perspectives and ethical implications literacy.
Challenge Grants.--The Committee recognizes the sunset of
the Infrastructure and Capacity Building grants and accepts the
Administration's request to decrease funding for these
activities. The recommendation provides $6,250,000 for
Challenge Grants.
Collaboration with State and Regional Humanities
Councils.--The Committee commends NEH for its ongoing,
successful collaboration with State humanities councils in each
of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. The Committee
directs NEH to continue to provide no less than 40 percent of
its program funds to support the work of these councils and
maintain the longstanding collaborative relationship between
NEH and these councils. The recommendation provides $68,395,000
to support Federal and State partnerships.
Diaspora Groups.--The Committee recognizes the cultural
contributions of diaspora groups from nations and communities
across the world to the United States and appreciates the value
in preserving their traditions. The Committee recognizes the
important work NEH is doing to support the archiving of
stories, documents, and other materials from cultural diasporas
worldwide. The Committee urges NEH to strengthen its
partnerships with, and funding opportunities for cultural
organizations across the country to collect additional stories,
documents and materials from families and institutions
dedicated to diaspora communities, including Eastern Europe,
particularly among the former Soviet Union.
Documenting the American Experience.--The Committee
recognizes the need to document the American experience,
including the production of books and pamphlets similar to the
American Guide Series, and encourages NEH to explore ways to
support and chronicle American life across the country.
Increasing Access to the Humanities.--The Committee
recognizes the progress and commitment NEH has made to advance
access to the humanities. The Committee strongly encourages NEH
to continue to make grants accessible and available to eligible
entities, including faith-based and community-based
organizations, especially in underserved and rural communities.
The Committee directs NEH to continue to report to the
Committee on its outreach and education efforts to increase
engagement and grant access to prospective applicants.
Outreach and Engagement.--The Committee continues to
recognize the power of NEH grants to provide humanities
programming access to underserved populations and regions. The
Committee directs NEH to continue to work with relevant
stakeholders, including Members of Congress, on ways to
increase outreach and engagement with underserved communities
and regions.
Tribal and Native Hawaiian Heritage and Culture.--The
Committee commends NEH for its ongoing support to American
Indian and Alaska Native communities in preserving their
cultural and linguistic heritage through the Documenting
Endangered Languages program and the preservation and access
grants that enable American Indian and Alaska Native
communities to preserve and make their cultural artifacts
broadly accessible. The Committee encourages NEH to expand its
support to Native Hawaiian communities to ensure access to and
preservation of their cultural artifacts and practices.
Veterans Programs.--The Committee commends NEH for its
support of grant programs to benefit wounded warriors and to
ensure educational opportunities for veterans and service
members transitioning to civilian life. The Committee supports
the programs that State humanities councils, in conjunction
with NEH, have developed and delivered to veterans, their
families, and caregivers.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS, NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE
HUMANITIES
The bill continues the prohibition on the use of funds for
grants and contracts which do not include the text of 18 U.S.C.
1913.
The bill continues the prohibition on the use of
appropriated funds but continues to permit the use of non-
appropriated funds for reception expenses.
The bill continues to allow the chairperson of the National
Endowment for the Arts to approve small grants under certain
circumstances.
Commission of Fine Arts
The Commission of Fine Arts was established in 1910 to
advise the government on questions of art and architecture and
preserve the symbolic significance of the nation's capital. The
Commission's work includes advice on designs for parks, public
buildings, public art, as well as the design of national
monuments, coins and medals, and overseas American military
cemeteries. The Commission also administers the National
Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs program.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $3,661,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 3,857,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 3,600,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -61,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -257,000
The Committee recommends $3,600,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the Commission of Fine Arts.
National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $5,000,000
Budget Estimate, 2025................................. 5,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 4,950,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -50,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -50,000
The National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs program was
established in Public Law 99-190 to support organizations that
perform, exhibit, and/or present the arts in the nation's
capital. The Committee recommends $4,950,000.
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of
our Nation's historic resources and advises the President and
Congress on national historic preservation policy.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $8,585,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 9,544,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 8,375,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -210,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -1,169,000
The Committee recommends $8,375,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Sec. 106 Digital Map.--The Committee notes that Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act can often be a
cumbersome process. To inform the Advisory Council's decision-
making, reduce timelines on environmental reviews, and
accelerate the pace of permitting, the Committee directs the
Advisory Council to provide a briefing not later than 180 days
following the enactment of this Act on the scope of work and
estimated cost to develop a geospatial framework for and
protocols of an integrated map of sites eligible for the
National Register under Section 106. As part of the briefing,
the Council should discuss how the map will not publicly
display historic properties Federal agencies must withhold from
disclosure or historic properties on Tribal lands.
National Capital Planning Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The National Capital Planning Act of 1952 designated the
National Capital Planning Commission as the central planning
agency for the Federal government in the National Capital
Region. The three major functions of the Commission are
preparing the Federal elements of the National Capital
Comprehensive Plan; preparing the Federal Capital Improvement
Program; and reviewing plans and proposals submitted to the
Commission.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $8,750,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 8,849,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 8,700,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -50,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -149,000
The Committee recommends $8,700,000 for Salaries and
Expenses of the National Capital Planning Commission.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
In 1980, Congress passed legislation creating a 65-member
Holocaust Memorial Council with the mandate to create and
oversee a living memorial/museum to victims of the Holocaust.
The museum opened in April 1993. Construction costs for the
museum came solely from donated funds raised by the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum Campaign, and appropriated funds were
used for planning and development of programmatic components,
overall administrative support, and annual commemorative
observances. Since the opening of the museum, appropriated
funds have been provided to pay for the ongoing operating costs
of the museum as authorized by Public Law 102-529 and Public
Law 106-292.
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $65,231,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 74,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 65,231,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -8,769,000
The Committee recommends $65,231,000 for the Holocaust
Memorial Museum.
Salaries and Expenses.--The recommendation includes
$58,967,000 for salaries and expenses, including $2,000,000 to
enhance the Museum's education programming on the Holocaust and
genocide prevention, as authorized by the Never Again Education
Act (Public Law 116-141). The Committee notes the importance of
understanding the state of Holocaust education across the
country and encourages the Museum to share sound methodologies
and approaches for educating students with State and local
education agencies, elementary schools and secondary schools,
and other organizations.
Repair and Rehabilitation.--The recommendation includes
$4,000,000 for Repair and Rehabilitation.
Outreach Initiatives.--The recommendation includes
$1,264,000 for Outreach Initiatives.
Equipment Replacement.--The recommendation includes
$1,000,000 for Equipment Replacement.
The Committee notes that funding provided for the Holocaust
Memorial Museum is made available for two years, as requested,
except for $1,000,000 for the Museum's equipment replacement
program which is available for three years.
Presidio Trust
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $90,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 45,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 0
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. -90,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -45,000,000
The Committee does not recommend funding for the Presidio
Trust.
United States Semiquincentennial Commission
Appropriation enacted, 2024........................... $15,000,000
Budget estimate, 2025................................. 100,000,000
Recommended, 2025..................................... 15,000,000
Comparison:
Appropriation, 2024................................. 0
Budget estimate, 2025............................... -85,000,000
The Committee recommends $15,000,000 for the United States
Semiquincentennial Commission.
TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
(INCLUDING RESCISSION OF FUNDS)
Section 401 continues a provision prohibiting activities to
promote public support or opposition to legislative proposals.
Section 402 continues a provision making funds available
only for the current fiscal year unless expressly provided
otherwise in this Act.
Section 402 continues a provision making funds available
only for the current fiscal year unless expressly provided
otherwise in this Act.
Section 403 continues a provision providing restrictions on
departmental assessments unless approved by the Committee on
Appropriations.
Section 404 continues a limitation on accepting and
processing applications for patents and on the patenting of
Federal lands.
Section 405 continues a provision regarding the payment of
contract support costs for prior fiscal years.
Section 406 continues a provision addressing the payment of
contract support costs for fiscal year 2025.
Section 407 continues a provision providing that the
Secretary of Agriculture shall not be considered in violation
of certain provisions of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
Resources Planning Act solely because more than 15 years have
passed without revision of a forest plan, provided that the
Secretary is working in good faith to complete the plan
revision.
Section 408 continues a provision limiting preleasing,
leasing, and related activities within the boundaries of
National Monuments.
Section 409 continues a provision which restricts funding
for acquisition of lands or interests in lands from being used
for declarations of taking or complaints in condemnation.
Section 410 continues a provision which prohibits no-bid
contracts and grants except under certain circumstances.
Section 411 continues a provision which requires public
disclosure of certain reports.
Section 412 continues a provision which delineates the
grant guidelines for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Section 413 continues a provision which delineates the
program priorities for programs managed by the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Section 414 continues a provision requiring the Department
of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Forest
Service, and Indian Health Service to provide the Committees on
Appropriations quarterly reports on the status of balances of
appropriations.
Section 415 continues a provision extending certain
authorities through fiscal year 2025 allowing the Forest
Service to renew grazing permits.
Section 416 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to maintain or establish a computer network unless such
network is designed to block access to pornography websites.
Section 417 continues a provision requiring the humane
treatment of wild horses and burros.
Section 418 continues a provision to extend the authority
of the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act.
Section 419 continues a provision setting requirements for
the use of American iron and steel for certain loans and
grants.
Section 420 continues a provision providing authority for
the Secretary of the Interior to enter into training agreements
and to transfer excess equipment and supplies for wildfires.
Section 421 continues a provision providing a one-year
extension of the current recreation fee authority.
Section 422 continues a provision requiring advanced
approval of the reprogramming of funds in this Act.
Section 423 continues a provision through fiscal year 2025
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to consider local contractors when awarding
contracts for certain activities on public lands.
Section 424 extends the authority for the Shasta-Trinity
Marina fee for one year.
Section 425 continues a provision extending for one year
the Interpretive Association authority.
Section 426 continues a provision extending the Forest
Botanical Products Fee Collection authority.
Section 427 continues a provision regarding Tribal leases.
Section 428 continues a provision extending the Forest
Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund.
Section 429 continues a provision requiring the allocation
of funds from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund and Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Section 430 continues a provision addressing carbon
emissions from forest biomass.
Section 431 continues a provision regarding small remote
incinerators in Alaska.
Section 432 continues a provision regarding timber sales in
Alaska.
Section 433 continues a provision providing transfer
authority to the Federal Highway Administration for the
National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund.
Section 434 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to promulgate or implement any regulation requiring the
issuance of permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act for
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor, or methane
emissions resulting from biological processes associated with
livestock production.
Section 435 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to implement any provision in a rule if that provision
requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from
manure management systems.
Section 436 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to regulate the lead content of ammunition or fishing
tackle.
Section 437 continues a provision providing for a wildland
firefighter pay cap waiver.
Section 438 continues a provision extending authorization
for Alaska Native regional health entities.
Section 439 modifies the Wildfire Funding and Forest
Management Act to extend the reporting requirement timeline
from 90 days to 180 days and to require an accounting of all
spending in the first two quarters of the succeeding fiscal
year attributable to suppression operations in the report year.
Section 440 prohibits the use of funds to limit
recreational shooting, fishing, and hunting on Federal lands
except for public safety.
Section 441 amends section 6(a) of the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act.
Section 442 rescinds Inflation Reduction Act funds for the
National Park Service that have been designated for the
Presidio Trust.
Section 443 prohibits funds for certain Executive Orders
relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Section 444 prohibits funds for COVID-19 mask or vaccine
mandates.
Section 445 prohibits funds to promote or advance Critical
Race Theory.
Section 446 prohibits funds to fly or display certain flags
at agencies funded by this Act.
Section 447 prohibits funds to discriminate against a
person who speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely held
religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or
should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.
Section 448 prohibits funds for the American Climate Corps.
Section 449 prohibits funds for eight executive orders
related to Administration actions on climate change.
Section 450 prohibits the development or implementation of
guidance related to the valuation of ecosystem and
environmental services and natural assets in Federal regulatory
decision-making.
Section 451 amends Section 10101 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 regarding the use of mining claims
for ancillary activities.
Section 452 prohibits funds to enforce Public Land Order
7917 (88 Fed. Reg. 6308 (January 31, 2023)).
Section 453 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reinstate certain hardrock mineral leases.
Section 454 prohibits funds to consider or incorporate the
Social Cost of Carbon.
Section 455 incorporates by reference H.R. 548 (Eastern
Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act) and Title
III of H.R. 7408 (America's Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act)
as ordered to be reported on April 16, 2024, by the Committee
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.
Section 456 authorizes special base rates of pay for
wildland firefighters.
Section 457 authorizes wildland fire incident response
premium pay.
Section 458 prohibits funds to require or request, as a
condition of the issuance, renewal, or extension of any Forest
Service or Bureau of Land Management permit, lease, allotment,
easement, or other land use and occupancy, arrangement, the
transfer, or relinquishment of any water right, in whole, or in
part, granted under State law.
Section 459 allows for a land conveyance to provide flood
protection for March Air Force Base and surrounding areas.
Section 460 prohibits funds for the Climate Justice
Alliance.
Section 461 prohibits funds for the Smithsonian Institution
for partnerships or activities associated with the Hong Kong
Economic and Trade Offices.
Section 462 prohibits funds to withdraw any Federal land
from any form of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the
public land laws, location, entry, or patent under the general
mining laws, or disposition under the mineral leasing, mineral
materials, or geothermal leasing laws unless such withdrawal is
authorized by an Act of Congress.
Section 463 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed rule
titled ``Revising Scope of the Mining Sector of Projects That
Are Eligible for Coverage Under Title 41 of the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation Act''.
Section 464 prohibits funds to revise any regulation
pursuant to section 17(o) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
226(o)) relating to oil and gas development of outstanding and
reserved mineral rights on the Allegheny National Forest.
Section 465 amends the Thye-Blatnik Act to address
appraisal values.
Section 466 requires the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works to issue any guidance documents relating to the
implementation of the final rule titled ``Revised Definition of
`Waters of the United States'; Conforming,'' within 15 days of
enactment of this Act.
Section 467 prohibits funds for certain labeling activities
that are inconsistent with a human health assessment performed
pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act.
Section 468 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``Supplemental Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards
for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source
Category''.
Section 469 prohibits funds to approve a waiver submitted
to the Environmental Protection Agency by the State of
California pursuant to Section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act for
the State of California's Amendments to its rule titled ``Small
Off-Road Engine Regulations: Transition to Zero Emissions''.
Section 470 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``Federal `Good Neighbor Plan' for the 2015 Ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standards''.
Section 471 transfers certain Inflation Reduction Act
balances to the Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Inspector General.
Section 472 prohibits funds for the final rule titled ``New
Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From
New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric
Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas
Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating
Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule''.
Section 473 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed
interim registration review decision and draft risk assessment
addendum for ethylene oxide described in the notice titled
``Pesticide Registration Review; Proposed Interim Decision and
Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for Ethylene Oxide; Notice of
Availability'' unless the Commissioner of Food and Drugs
certifies the rule will not adversely impact the availability
of ethylene oxide to sterilize medical products in the United
States.
Section 474 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years
2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles''.
Section 475 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty
Vehicles-Phase 3''.
Section 476 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality
Certification Improvement Rule''.
Section 477 prohibits funds for the Interagency Working
Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.
Section 478 prohibits funds to implement the interim
guidance titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Guidance on
Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change''.
Section 479 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Regulations Revisions''.
Section 480 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Regulations Revisions Phase 2''.
Section 481 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and
Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources:
Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review''.
Section 482 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk
Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Safer Communities
by Chemical Accident Prevention''.
Section 483 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: Revisions and
Confidentiality Determinations for Petroleum and Natural Gas
Systems''.
Section 484 prohibits funds to implement the proposed rule
titled ``Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and
Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source
Category''.
Section 485 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal
of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy
CCR Surface Impoundments''.
Section 486 prohibits funds to ban the use of aerially
applied fire retardant.
Section 487 prohibits funds to implement a regulation
issued by the State of California that classifies metal
shredding facilities as hazardous waste treatment facilities.
Section 488 requires the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to submit a report outlining a plan to
qualify any fuel derived from waste plastic or waste tires as
cellulosic biofuel under section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act.
Section 489 extends Good Neighbor Authorities.
Section 490 prohibits funds to enforce regulations to
implement subsection (c) of section 136 of the Clean Air Act or
otherwise enforce a charge on methane emissions under section
136.
Section 491 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review''.
Section 492 codifies the State of Florida's Clean Water Act
section 404 program.
Section 493 prohibits funds to develop, finalize, issue, or
use assessments under the Integrated Risk Information System
(IRIS).
Section 494 prohibits funds to finalize the Upper Columbia
River, Washington site under the General Superfund Section of
the proposed rule entitled ``National Priorities List''.
Section 495 prohibits funds to finalize or take actions on
the draft environmental impact statement titled ``Land
Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions
Across the National Forest System''.
Section 496 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particulate Matter''.
Section 497 establishes a Spending Reduction Account.
Allocation of Funds From the National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund--Fiscal Year 2025
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding
State(s) Station or Unit Name Project Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Fire and Aviation, Alaska Fire Service $8,300,000
Galena Zone. Galena Joint
Administrative
Office Replacement
(with FWS).
AZ Arizona Strip District Nixon Site Repairs 3,700,000
and Quail Hill
Access Road Repairs.
AZ Colorado River Partners Point Boat 2,300,000
District. Dock and Ramp
Replacement.
CA Northern California Combined California 7,800,000
and Central Recreation
California Districts. Rehabilitation.
CO Northwest and Colorado Facilities 6,500,000
Southwest Districts. Repair and Upgrade.
FL Jupiter Inlet Jupiter Inlet Shore 2,000,000
Outstanding Natural Stabilization.
Area.
ID Boise District, Idaho Idaho Fire and 6,200,000
Falls District, Twin Administrative Site
Falls District, and Repairs.
Idaho State Office.
ID National Interagency 415-Duane Graves 6,000,000
Fire Center. Building Replacement.
MT/SD Eastern Montana/ Montana Dakotas 5,400,000
Dakotas, North Recreation, Roads,
Central Montana, and Dams, and Building
Western Montana Repair Project.
Districts.
NM Albuquerque and Las Albuquerque and Las 5,000,000
Cruces Districts. Cruces Recreation
Site Repairs.
NV Elko District......... Elko District Office 2,600,000
Building Replacement
and Repairs.
NV Winnemucca District... Orovada Crew Quarters 1,700,000
McDermitt
Replacement.
OR Medford and Northwest Oregon Bridge 4,400,000
Districts. Rehabilitation.
OR Medford District...... Galice Number 2 2,200,000
Bridge Replacement.
OR Northwest, Medford, Western Oregon 1,500,000
and Roseburg District Projects.
Districts.
OR Roseburg District..... Roseburg District 3,800,000
Office and Security
Deficiency Repairs.
OR Vale District......... Vale District 2,300,000
Building Renovation.
UT Canyon County District Crescent Wash Dam 4,200,000
Decommissioning.
WY High Desert, High Wyoming Safety of 4,250,000
Plains, and Wind Dams Repairs and
River-Bighorn Basin Maintenance--Phase
Districts. IV.
Total, Project Funds.. ..................... 80,150,000
Program Administration ..................... 2,850,000
(Indirect Costs).
Contingency Fund...... ..................... 12,000,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total, Bureau of Land ..................... $95,000,000
Management*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Total amount is net of FY 2025 sequestration and previously unavailable
funds.
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding
State(s) Station or Unit Name Project Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Koyukuk/Nowitna/Innoko Replacement of the $8,000,000
National Wildlife Galena Headquarters
Refuges. (with BLM).
IL Crab Orchard National Modernize Public Use 27,300,000
Wildlife Refuge. Facilities, Repair
Seismic Issues, and
Improve Recreational
Access--Phase II.
WY National Elk Refuge... Replace Visitor 17,200,000
Center and Deferred
Maintenance
Retirement at
National Elk Refuge.
Multiple National Wildlife National Maintenance 30,000,000
Refuges. Action Team--Year 5.
Multiple National Wildlife Salary Funding for 4,400,000
Refuges. Supplemental
Conservation
Workforce--Year 4.
Total, Project Funds.. ..................... 86,900,000
Program Administration ..................... 2,850,000
(Indirect Costs).
Contingency Fund...... ..................... 5,250,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total, U.S. Fish and ..................... $95,000,000
Wildlife Service*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Total amount is net of FY 2025 sequestration and previously unavailable
funds.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Station or Unit
State(s) Name Project Funding Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK Denali National Replace Ghiglione $16,000,000
Park and Preserve. Bridge.
AL Horseshoe Bend Repair Tour Road.. 6,000,000
National Military
Park.
AL, MS, TN Natchez Trace Rehabilitate Water 10,000,000
Parkway. and Wastewater
Systems.
AR Buffalo National Address Park 10,800,000
River. Infrastructure
and Housing
Deferred
Maintenance.
AZ, NV Lake Mead National Replace Water 74,642,000
Recreation Area. Tanks and Water
Treatment Systems.
CA Mojave National Rehabilitate South 38,300,000
Preserve. Kelbaker and
Kelso-Cima Roads.
CA Redwood National Remove Prairie 25,000,000
and State Parks. Creek Logging
Roads.
CA Sequoia and Kings Rehabilitate and 35,100,000
Canyon National Replace Lodgepole
Parks. Housing--Phase I.
CA Yosemite National Replace Tuolumne 81,300,000
Park. Meadows
Wastewater Plant.
CO Rocky Mountain Rehabilitate 10,700,000
National Park. Kawuneeche
Visitor Center
and
Administration
Building.
CT,Appalachian Rehabilitate Trail 15,000,000
NH, VT National Scenic Sections in New
Trail. England.
DC White House and Rehabilitate 45,000,000
President's Park. Utilities Project
H--Phase I.
DE First State Rehabilitate 3,000,000
National Ramsey House.
Historical Park.
FL Dry Tortugas Rehabilitate or 20,000,000
National Park. Replace Fort
Jefferson Docks.
GA Andersonville Repair and 13,000,000
National Historic Preserve Roads
Site, and Bridges in
Chattahoochee Georgia.
River National
Recreation Area,
Chickamauga and
Chattanooga
National Military
Park, Jimmy Carter
National
Historical Park,
Kennesaw Mountain
National
Battlefield Park,
Martin Luther
King, Jr. National
Historical Park.
GU War in the Pacific Preserve World War 2,600,000
National II Structures.
Historical Park.
HI Haleakala National Replace the 7,000,000
Park. Potable Water
Catchment.
HI Hawaii Volcanoes Rehabilitate Mauna 12,500,000
National Park. Loa Lookout Road.
IA Effigy Mounds Rehabilitate 5,000,000
National Monument. Visitor Center.
ID Minidoka National Preserve Three 5,000,000
Historic Site. Historic
Structures.
IL Lincoln Home Replace Exterior 8,900,000
National Historic Pavement Surfaces
Site. on Walkways,
Streets, and
Parking Areas.
IN George Rogers Clark Preserve Memorial 4,600,000
National Envelope and
Historical Park. Bronze Elements.
KS Tallgrass Prairie Rehabilitate 6,300,000
National Preserve. Lantry Area and
Spring Hill Barn.
KY Mammoth Cave Repair and Replace 29,680,000
National Park. Utility
Infrastructure--P
hase I.
LA Jean Lafitte Rehabilitate 14,400,000
National Chalmette
Historical Park National Cemetery.
and Preserve.
MD Chesapeake and Ohio Repair Potomac 74,000,000
Canal National River Dams 4 and
Historical Park. 5.
MI Isle Royale Rehabilitate 4,000,000
National Park. Washington Harbor
Dock.
MN Voyageurs National Rehabilitate Rainy 6,100,000
Park. Lake and Ash
River Roads.
MO Gateway Arch Preserve Features 12,000,000
National Park. and Systems of
the Old
Courthouse--Phase
II.
MP American Memorial Replace Waterlines 15,000,000
Park.
MT Glacier National Replace Utility 33,350,000
Park. Systems.
NC Cape Hatteras Replace Fort 7,000,000
National Seashore Raleigh and
and Fort Raleigh Frisco Water
National Historic Systems.
Site.
ND Theodore Roosevelt Repave Route 10... 4,500,000
National Park.
NE Scotts Bluff Repair Summit Road 6,400,000
National Monument. and Parking Areas.
NJ, NY Gateway National Address Deferred 40,000,000
Recreation Area. Maintenance at
Multiple Sites.
NJ, PA Delaware Water Gap Demolish Hazardous 40,000,000
National Structures and
Recreation Area. Rehabilitate
Historic
Buildings--Phase
I.
NM Carlsbad Caverns Replace Main Water 8,000,000
National Park. Distribution
System.
NY Gateway National Replace Shoreline 55,000,000
Recreation Area. Stabilization
Structures--Phase
II.
OH Cuyahoga Valley Demolish Excess 33,206,000
National Park. Structures.
OK Chickasaw National Repair and 5,120,000
Recreation Area. Preserve Roads
and Parking Areas.
OR John Day Fossil Rehabilitate 9,162,000
Beds National Visitor Center
Monument. and Cant Ranch
House.
PA Gettysburg National Rehabilitate 31,319,000
Military Park. Historic
Structures and
Replace Water
Lines.
PA Valley Forge Rehabilitate 32,500,000
National Buildings for
Historical Park. Leasing and
Demolish Obsolete
Structures.
PR San Juan National Preserve 9,000,000
Historic Site. Lighthouse and
Austria Bastion.
RI Blackstone River Preserve Slater 9,000,000
Valley National and Wilkinson
Historical Park. Mills.
SC Congaree National Repair and 4,000,000
Park, Cowpens Preserve Roads in
National South Carolina.
Battlefield, Kings
Mountain National
Military Park,
Ninety Six
National Historic
Site.
SD Badlands National Rehabilitate 15,000,000
Park. Building for
Headquarters and
Concession
Operations, and
Demolish
Structures.
TX Lake Meredith Repair and 4,200,000
National Preserve Roads
Recreation Area. and Parking Areas.
UT Canyonlands Rehabilitate 34,726,000
National Park. Utilities and
Communication
Infrastructure.
VA Shenandoah National Rehabilitate 20,000,000
Park. Headquarters
Water System.
VI Virgin Islands Repair Lameshur 3,700,000
National Park. Bay Road.
WA Mount Rainier Rehabilitate 65,600,000
National Park. Paradise
Wastewater
Systems.
WA Olympic National Rehabilitate 27,699,000
Park. Barnes Point
Wastewater
Systems.
WI Apostle Islands Rehabilitate Outer 3,400,000
National Lakeshore. Island Dock.
WV New River Gorge Repair Rend Trail 20,000,000
National Park and and Bridges.
Preserve.
WY Grand Teton Rehabilitate ``4 8,120,000
National Park. Lazy F Ranch''
Cabins for
Housing.
Multiple National Park Units Maintenance Action 25,000,000
Teams.
Total, Project .................. 1,165,924,000
Funds.
Program .................. 19,950,000
Administration
(Indirect Costs).
Project Management. .................. 46,816,000
Contingency Fund... .................. 97,310,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total, National .................. $1,330,000,000
Park Service*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Total amount is net of FY 2025 sequestration and previously unavailable
funds.
BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding
State(s) Station or Unit Name Project Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AZ Shonto Preparatory Shonto Preparatory $27,364,000
School. School Employee
Housing New
(Replacement) or
Improvement Repair.
NM Kinteel Campus........ Kinteel Campus 61,700,000
Renovation and
Replacement of
School Facility.
Total, Project Funds.. ..................... 89,064,000
Program Administration ..................... 2,850,000
(Indirect Costs).
Contingency Fund...... ..................... 3,086,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total, Bureau of ..................... $95,000,000
Indian Education*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Total amount is net of FY 2025 sequestration and previously unavailable
funds.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Station or Unit
State(s) Name Project Funding Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MT Beaverhead- Beaverhead- $1,985,000
Deerlodge National Deerlodge
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
ID, MT Bitterroot National Bitterroot 3,011,000
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
MT Custer Gallatin Beartooth 260,000
National Forest. Bunkhouses
Housing
Renovation.
ND Dakota Prairie Maah Daah Hey 390,000
Grasslands. Trail Bridge
Replacements.
MT Flathead National Lindbergh Lake 785,000
Forest. Campground
Deferred
Maintenance and
Resource
Protection.
MT Helena-Lewis and Helena-Lewis and 2,685,000
Clark National Clark National
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
ID Idaho Panhandle Idaho Panhandle 7,446,000
National Forests. National Forests
Deferred
Maintenance.
MT Kootenai National Kootenai National 1,330,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
MT Lolo National Lolo National 7,334,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
ID Nez Perce- Nez Perce- 1,745,000
Clearwater Clearwater
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
CO Arapahoe-Roosevelt Arapahoe-Roosevelt 1,112,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
WY Bighorn National Bighorn National 3,818,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
SD Black Hills Black Hills 5,079,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
CO Grand Mesa, Grand Mesa, 2,336,000
Uncompahgre, and Uncompahgre, and
Gunnison National Gunnison National
Forests. Forests Deferred
Maintenance.
WY Medicine Bow-Routt Wyoming Campground 400,000
National Forests. Deferred
Maintenance.
NE Nebraska National Nebraska National 924,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
CO Pike and San Isabel Pike and San 5,189,000
National Forests. Isabel National
Forests Deferred
Maintenance.
CO Rocky Mountain Rocky Mountain 5,077,000
Region. Region Deferred
Maintenance.
CO Rio Grande National Rio Grande 895,000
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
CO San Juan National San Juan National 1,545,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
WY Shoshone National Shoshone National 917,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
CO White River White River 1,472,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
AZ Apache-Sitgreaves Apache-Sitgreaves 1,000,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
NM Carson National Carson National 4,975,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
AZ Coconino National Coconino National 16,165,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
AZ Coronado National Coronado National 1,250,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
NM Gila National Quemado Lake 3,225,000
Forest. Recreation Areas
Reconstruction
and Accessibility
Upgrades.
AZ Kaibab National Kaibab National 550,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
NM Sante Fe National Sante Fe National 850,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
UT Ashley National Ashley National 7,324,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
WY Bridger-Teton Grey's River 2,000,000
National Forest. Corridor Phase 3.
ID Caribou-Targhee Caribou-Targhee 3,805,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
UT Dixie National Dixie National 4,215,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
UT Fishlake National Forest-Wide Road 330,000
Forest. Deferred
Maintenance.
UT Manti-LaSal Manti-LaSal 2,080,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
ID Intermountain Idaho Airstrip.... 750,000
Region.
ID Salmon-Challis Salmon-Challis 1,450,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
ID Sawtooth National Big Smoky 730,000
Forest. Administration
Site Housing
Deferred
Maintenance.
CA Angeles National Angeles National 3,715,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
CA Cleveland National Renovate Falcon 860,000
Forest. Group Campground
and Trails.
CA Inyo National Inyo National 240,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
CA Klamath National Russian Wilderness 695,000
Forest. Pacific Crest
Trail and Feeder
Trails Deferred
Maintenance.
CA,Lake Tahoe Basin Lake Tahoe Basin 450,000
Management Unit. Management Unit
Deferred
Maintenance.
CA Lassen National McCarthy Point 102,000
Forest. Lookout
Recreation Rental
Restoration.
CA Los Padres National Facilities Repairs 1,385,000
Forest.
CA Mendocino National Fouts Springs 120,000
Forest. Critical Water
Systems Repairs.
CA Modoc National Forest-wide 800,000
Forest. Recreation Site
Maintenance.
CA Plumas National Beckwourth 605,000
Forest. District Office
Water System
Replacement.
CA San Bernardino Applewhite 1,256,000
National Forest. Campground and
Picnic Area
Accessibility
Improvements.
CA Shasta Trinity Historic 335,000
National Forest. Recreation Cabin
and Barn Roof
Replacement.
CA Sierra National Administrative and 6,767,000
Forest. Recreation
Facilities
Rehabilitation.
CA Six Rivers National Six Rivers 1,255,000
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
CA Stanislaus National Stanislaus 240,000
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
OR Columbia River Historic Multnomah 1,100,000
Gorge National Falls Lodge
Scenic Area. Critical
Accessibility,
Utility, and
Security System
Upgrades.
WA Colville National Colville National 6,940,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
OR Fremont-Winema Cottonwood 186,000
National Forest. Campground Trail
Bridge
Replacement.
WA Gifford Pinchot North Fork Guard 200,000
National Forest. Station
Restoration.
WA Mount Baker- Mount Baker- 4,131,000
Snoqualmie Snoqualmie
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
OR Mt. Hood National Lake Branch Bridge 750,000
Forest. Replacement.
WA Okanogan-Wenatchee Okanogan-Wenatchee 6,650,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
OR, WA Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest 3,200,000
Region. Region Deferred
Maintenance.
OR Siuslaw National Quarters and 2,165,000
Forest. Facilities
Deferred
Maintenance
Reduction.
OR Umpqua National South Umpqua 1,268,000
Forest. Transportation
Remediation and
Watershed
Improvement to
Aid in Critical
Access and
Aquatic Organism
Passage.
OR Wallowa Whitman Wallowa Whitman 6,600,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
OR Willamette National Toilet Replacement 1,169,000
Forest. and Composting
Toilet Conversion
Project.
GA Chattahoochee- Lake Conasauga 2,665,000
Oconee National Recreation Area
Forest. Rehabilitation.
KY Daniel Boone Great Meadows 325,000
National Forest. Water System
Replacement.
VA George Washington Grindstone 4,600,000
and Jefferson Recreation Area
National Forests. Wastewater
Treatment Plant
Replacement.
KY Land Between the Brandon Spring 5,757,000
Lakes National Housing
Recreation Area. Replacement.
AL National Forests in Payne Lake Dam 900,000
Alabama. Spillway
Rehabilitation.
FL National Forests in New Osceola Office 5,442,000
Florida. Site.
MS National Forests in National Forests 11,608,000
Mississippi. in Mississippi
Deferred
Maintenance.
AR Ozark-St. Francis Ozark-St. Francis 3,170,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
PA Allegheny National Allegheny National 1,074,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
WI Chequamegon-Nicolet Chippewa 1,230,000
National Forest. Campground Shower
House
Reconstruction.
MN Chippewa National Chippewa National 443,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
VT Green Mountain and Green Mountain and 1,519,000
Finger Lakes Finger Lakes
National Forests. National Forests
Deferred
Maintenance.
MI Hiawatha National Hiawatha National 1,377,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
IN Hoosier National Tipsaw and Buzzard 932,000
Forest. Roost Recreation
Areas
Rehabilitation.
MO Mark Twain National Mark Twain 4,068,000
Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
WV Monongahela Monongahela 1,697,000
National Forest. National Forest
Deferred
Maintenance.
MI Ottawa National Hunter Walking 360,000
Forest. Trail and
Trailhead Rehab.
IL Shawnee National Forest-wide Toilet 295,000
Forest. Replacements.
MN Superior National FR152 S. Brule 1,520,000
Forest. River Bridge
Replacement.
OH Wayne National Wayne National 646,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
NH White Mountain Corridor 11 Andro 730,000
National Forest. Snowmobile Trail
Maintenance/
Reroute.
AK Chugach National Chugach National 5,104,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
AK Tongass National Tongass National 6,223,000
Forest. Forest Deferred
Maintenance.
AZ, CA,Research and Research and 13,592,000
MT, MI, NC, Development. Development
NH, PR, OR, Deferred
UT, WI, WV Maintenance.
Total, Project .................. 234,895,000
Funds.
2025 Sequestration .................. 16,245,000
(5.7%).
Administrative .................. 21,000,000
Funds.
Contingency Fund... .................. 12,860,000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total, U.S. Forest .................. $285,000,000
Service*.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Total amount is net of FY 2025 sequestration and previously unavailable
funds.
ALLOCATION OF FUNDS: LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND FISCAL YEAR 2025
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State(s) Agency--Account--Activity--Project Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Secretary
Departmental Operations
Appraisal and Valuation Services-- ................................................ 19,000,000
Federal Lands.
Tribal LWCF Land Acquisition....... ................................................ 8,000,000
Total, Office of the Secretary............................................... 27,000,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Office of the Secretary.......................... 27,000,000
Total 2024 Sequestered Budget Authority...................................... 1,083,000
Total New Budget Authority, Office of the Secretary.......................... 27,483,563
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (1,566,563)
Bureau of Land Management
Land Acquisition
Acquisition Management............. ................................................ 8,527,000
Recreational Access................ ................................................ 20,500,000
Inholdings, Emergencies & Hardships ................................................ 13,309,000
CO............................. South San Juan Project Area..................... 9,000,000
CA............................. Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail............. 8,000,000
MT............................. Blackfoot River Watershed....................... 7,000,000
NM............................. La Cienega Area of Critical Environmental 4,500,000
Concern.
UT............................. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area........... 5,700,000
ID............................. Craters of the Moon National Monument........... 2,400,000
ID............................. Boise Foothills................................. 200,000
Subtotal, Land Acquisition Projects.............................................. 36,800,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Bureau of Land Management........................ 79,136,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 4,224,081
Total New Budget Authority, Bureau of Land Management........................ 79,439,999
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (4,528,080)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Land Acquisition
Highlands Conservation Act (P.L. 108-421)............................................ 10,000,000
Land Acquisition Management.......................................................... 18,028,000
Sportsmen/Recreational Access........................................................ 18,500,000
Inholdings/Emergencies and Hardships................................................. 13,215,000
Exchanges............................................................................ 1,591,000
Land Protection Planning............................................................. 493,000
FL............................. Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area (proposed). 2,000,000
AR............................. Cache River National Wildlife Refuge............ 500,000
Mult........................... Dakota Grassland Conservation Area (ND, SD)..... 8,000,000
FL............................. Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge 8,000,000
and Conservation Area.
Mult........................... Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Wildlife Management 6,000,000
Area (ND, SD).
Mult........................... Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife 750,000
Refuge (IA, MN).
ME............................. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.......... 1,500,000
CA............................. Grasslands Wildlife Management Area............. 1,000,000
Mult........................... Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife 2,000,000
Refuge (CT, MA, NH, VT).
OR............................. Willamette Valley Conservation Area............. 1,800,000
MD............................. Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge............. 750,000
CA............................. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife 4,500,000
Refuge.
IN............................. Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge........... 1,000,000
VA............................. Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife 1,000,000
Refuge.
MO............................. Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge..... 500,000
Mult........................... Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge (CT, MA, 1,500,000
ME, NH, NY, RI).
CA............................. Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge............ 1,000,000
ME............................. Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge............ 1,000,000
IL............................. Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge.......... 500,000
CA............................. Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area........... 1,000,000
Mult........................... Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife 500,000
Refuge (IL, MO).
Mult........................... Bear River Watershed Conservation Area (ID, MT, 2,750,000
UT).
FL............................. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.............. 1,500,000
KY............................. Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge........... 1,000,000
SC............................. Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge............... 1,000,000
ID............................. Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge............... 3,000,000
Mult........................... Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (FL, GA).... 5,000,000
Mult........................... Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge (IL, WI).... 3,290,000
NC............................. Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge.......... 1,000,000
MT............................. Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area.......... 1,500,000
Subtotal, Land Acquisition Projects.............................................. 64,840,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Fish and Wildlife Service--Land Acquisition.......... 126,667,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority............................... 6,797,529
Total New Budget Authority, Fish and Wildlife Service--Land Acquisition.......... 127,115,028
Total 2025 Sequester............................................................. (7,245,557)
Cooperative Endangered Species Fund
Species Recovery Land Acquisition.................................................... 14,162,000
Habitat Conservation Plan Acquisition................................................ 26,000,000
Total, Cooperative Endangered Species Fund................................... 40,162,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Fish and Wildlife Service--Cooperative Endangered 40,162,000
Species Fund.
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 2,314,599
Total New Budget Authority, Fish and Wildlife Service--Cooperative Endangered 40,135,102
Species Fund.
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (2,287,701)
Total, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service........................................ 166,829,000
Total Net Budget Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service................... 166,829,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 9,112,128
Total New Budget Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service................... 167,250,129
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (9,533,257)
National Park Service
Land Acquisition and State Assistance
State Conservation Grants............................................................ 151,185,000
LWCF Outdoor Recreation Legacy Grants................................................ 125,000,000
State Conservation Grants Administration............................................. 14,500,000
Subtotal, State Assistance........................................................... 290,685,000
American Battlefield Protection Program (P.L. 113-287)............................... 20,000,000
Acquisition Management............................................................... 18,500,000
Recreational Access.................................................................. 20,000,000
Emergencies, Hardships, Relocations, and Deficiencies................................ 5,000,000
Inholdings, Donations, and Exchanges................................................. 24,000,000
MD............................. Historic Preservation Training Center........... 1,100,000
Mult........................... Statue of Liberty National Monument (NJ, NY).... 5,000,000
CA............................. Golden Gate National Recreation Area............ 7,000,000
WA............................. San Juan Island National Historic Park.......... 5,920,000
CA............................. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 2,890,000
Mult........................... Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military 500,000
Park (GA, TN).
MD............................. Catoctin Mountain Park.......................... 300,000
Subtotal, Land Acquisition 22,710,000
Projects.
Total Net Budget Authority, National Park Service............................ 400,895,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 24,392,505
Total New Budget Authority, National Park Service............................ 399,260,334
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (22,757,839)
U.S. Forest Service
Land Acquisition.....................................................................
Acquisition Management............................................................... 13,508,000
Recreation Access.................................................................... 12,000,000
Critical Inholdings/Wilderness....................................................... 13,500,000
Cash Equalization.................................................................... 250,000
CA............................. Sequoia National Forest......................... 9,500,000
CA............................. Tahoe National Forest........................... 5,000,000
WA............................. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests............. 8,000,000
AZ............................. Prescott National Forest........................ 10,500,000
AK............................. Chugach National Forest I....................... 5,000,000
CO............................. Rio Grande National Forest...................... 5,281,000
NM............................. Cibola National Forest.......................... 10,000,000
GA............................. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests........... 6,156,000
AL............................. National Forests in Alabama..................... 3,850,000
MT............................. Lolo National Forest, Phase I................... 7,500,000
OR............................. Mt. Hood National Forest........................ 6,000,000
UT............................. Fishlake National Forest........................ 5,000,000
SC............................. Francis Marion And Sumter National Forests...... 4,000,000
CO............................. San Juan National Forest I...................... 3,500,000
MT............................. Kootenai National Forest........................ 1,600,000
MT............................. Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest I.......... 1,740,000
Subtotal, Land Acquisition Projects.............................................. 92,627,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Forest Service--Land Acquisition..................... 131,885,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority............................... 7,180,430
Total New Budget Authority, Forest Service--Land Acquisition..................... 132,242,386
Total 2025 Sequester............................................................. (7,537,816)
Forest Legacy Program
Administrative Funds................................................................. 8,000,000
MT............................. Stimson Timberland Legacy....................... 10,200,000
UT............................. Zion Connectivity Project....................... 3,000,000
VT............................. Hazen's Notch................................... 2,260,000
AZ............................. The Sonoita Creek Wildlife Corridor............. 2,200,000
OK............................. Musket Mountain Forest.......................... 15,915,000
ID............................. Spirit of Mt Spokane Phase 2A................... 8,000,000
WA............................. Spirit of Mt Spokane Phase 2B................... 5,060,000
NC............................. Roanoke River Bottomlands Forest................ 3,000,000
OR............................. Tualatin Mountain Forest........................ 5,765,000
CA............................. Brushy Mountain Phase 4, Eel River Peninsula.... 11,675,000
GA............................. Upatoi Ravines.................................. 13,500,000
FL............................. Avalon Woodland Ravines......................... 3,705,000
IA............................. Catfish Creek Headwaters........................ 1,975,000
Subtotal, Forest Legacy Projects................................................. 86,255,000
Total Net Budget Authority, Forest Service--Forest Legacy Program............ 94,255,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 5,307,856
Total New Budget Authority, Forest Service-Forest Legacy..................... 94,323,589
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (5,376,445)
Total Net Budget Authority, U.S. Forest Service.............................. 226,140,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 12,488,286
Total New Budget Authority, U.S. Forest Service.............................. 226,565,975
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (12,914,261)
Total, Land and Water Conservation Fund Net Budget Authority Fiscal Year 2025 900,000,000
Total 2024 Previously Sequestered Budget Authority........................... 51,300,000
Total New Budget Authority................................................... 900,000,000
Total 2025 Sequester......................................................... (51,300,000)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
House of Representatives Reporting Requirements
The following items are included in accordance with various
requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following is a statement of
general performance goals and objectives for which this measure
authorizes funding:
The Committee on Appropriations considers program
performance, including a program's success in developing and
attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing
funding recommendations.
PROGRAM DUPLICATION
No provision of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program, a program that was included in any
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance.
TRANSFERS OF FUNDS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following table is submitted
describing the transfer of funds in the accompanying bill.
APPROPRIATION TRANSFERS RECOMMENDED IN THE BILL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account to which
Account from which transfer is made Amount transfer is made Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of the Interior, National not specified.......... Department of not specified
Park Service. Transportation,
Federal Highway
Administration.
Department of the Interior, BIA, not specified.......... Indian forest land not specified
Operation of Indian Programs. assistance accounts.
Department of the Interior, BIA, up to $7,664,000....... Office of the Secretary up to $7,664,000
Operations of Indian Programs.
United States Customs and Border not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Protection. Interior, BIA,
Operations of Indian
Programs.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of not specified.......... Bureau of Reclamation.. not specified
Indian Affairs Construction.
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Interior, BIA,
Operation of Indian
Programs; BIE,
Operation of Indian
Education Programs;
Office of the
Solicitor, Salaries
and Expenses; Office
of the Secretary,
Departmental
Operations.
Department of the Interior, Office of not specified.......... Bureau of Indian not specified
the Secretary. Affairs, Bureau of
Indian Education,
Bureau of Trust Fund
Administration.
Department of the Interior, not specified.......... Secretary of not specified
Administrative Provisions. Agriculture.
Department of the Interior, Wildland $50,000,000............ Secretary of $50,000,000
Fire Management. Agriculture.
Department of the Interior, Wildland not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Fire Management. Interior, for
repayment of advances
made during
emergencies.
Department of the Interior, Wildfire $360,000,000........... Forest Service, $360,000,000
Suppression Reserve Fund. Wildland Fire
Management, and
Department of the
Interior, Wildland
Fire Management.
Department of the Interior, Energy not specified.......... Any Department of the not specified
Community Revitalization Program. Interior account.
Department of the Interior, Intra- not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Bureau (sec. 101). Interior, Intra-
Bureau, for emergency
purposes as specified.
Department of the Interior, not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Department-Wide (sec. 102). Interior, Department-
Wide, for emergency
purposes as specified.
Transfer prior appropriations from not specified.......... Indian trust management not specified
BIA, BIE and BTFA (sec. 104). and reform.
Tribal priority allocations (sec. not specified.......... Address Tribal funding not specified
105). inequities.
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau not specified.......... Orderly transition to not specified
of Indian Education (sec. 112). separate accounts.
Environmental Protection Agency, not specified.......... Other Federal Agencies. not specified
Hazardous Substance Superfund.
Environmental Protection Agency, $13,979,000............ Environmental $13,979,000
Hazardous Substance Superfund. Protection Agency,
Office of Inspector
General.
Environmental Protection Agency, $32,120,000............ Environmental $32,120,000
Hazardous Substance Superfund. Protection Agency,
Science and Technology.
Environmental Protection Agency, up to $368,000,000..... Any Federal Department up to $368,000,000
Administrative Provisions. or Agency for Great
Lakes Restoration
Initiative and Great
Lakes Water Quality
Agreement.
Forest Service, Capital Improvement not specified.......... General Treasury....... not specified
and Maintenance.
Forest Service, Wildland Fire not specified.......... Other appropriations not specified
Management. accounts previously
transferred.
Forest Service, Wildland Fire not specified.......... Forest Service, not specified
Management. National Forest System.
Forest Service, Wildfire Suppression $2,390,000,000......... Forest Service, $2,390,000,000
Operations Reserve Fund. Wildland Fire
Management, and
Department of the
Interior, Wildland
Fire Management.
Forest Service appropriations........ not specified.......... Effects of budget not specified
restructuring.
Forest Service, Administrative not specified.......... Department of the not specified
Provisions. Interior, Bureau of
Land Management for
wild horse and burro
management.
Forest Service, Administrative up to $82,000,000...... USDA, Working Capital up to $82,000,000
Provisions. Fund.
Forest Service, All Accounts......... not specified.......... Forest Service, not specified
Wildland Fire
Management.
Forest Service, Wildland Fire up to $50,000,000...... Department of the up to $50,000,000
Management, Administrative Provision. Interior.
Forest Service, Administrative up to $82,000,000...... USDA, Working Capital up to $82,000,000
Provisions. Fund.
Forest Service, Administrative up to $14,500,000...... USDA, Greenbook........ up to $14,500,000
Provisions.
Forest Service, Administrative up to $3,000,000....... National Forest up to $3,000,000
Provisions. Foundation,
Administrative
Provision.
Forest Service, Administrative up to $3,000,000....... National Fish and up to $3,000,000
Provisions. Wildlife Foundation.
National Gallery of Art, Repair, $5,651,000............. Smithsonian Institution not specified
Restoration, and Renovation of
Buildings.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESCISSION OF FUNDS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following describes rescissions
recommended in the accompanying bill:
Section 442 rescinds Inflation Reduction Act funds for the
National Park Service that have been designated for the
Presidio Trust.
Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change
is proposed is shown in roman):
Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change
is proposed is shown in roman):
400 YEARS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COMMISSION ACT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS.
(a) Strategic Plan.--The Commission shall prepare a strategic
plan for the activities of the Commission carried out under
this Act.
(b) Final Report.--Not later than [July 1, 2025] July 1,
2026, the Commission shall complete and submit to Congress a
final report that contains--
(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended
by the Commission; and
(3) the findings and recommendations of the
Commission.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
(a) Date of Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on
[July 1, 2025] July 1, 2026.
(b) Transfer of Documents and Materials.--Before the date of
termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission shall
transfer all documents and materials of the Commission to the
National Archives or another appropriate Federal entity.
* * * * * * *
----------
TITLE 54, UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
SUBTITLE I--NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 1031--APPROPRIATIONS AND ACCOUNTING
* * * * * * *
Sec. 103101. Availability and use of appropriations
(a) Credits of Receipts for Meals and Quarters Furnished
Federal Government Employees in the Field.--Cash collections
and payroll deductions made for meals and quarters furnished by
the Service to employees of the Federal Government in the field
and to cooperating agencies may be credited as a reimbursement
to the current appropriation for the administration of the
System unit in which the accommodations are furnished.
(b) Availability for Expense of Recording Donated Land.--
Appropriations made for the Service shall be available for any
expenses incident to the preparation and recording of title
evidence covering land to be donated to the United States for
administration by the Service.
(c) Use of Funds for Law Enforcement and Emergencies.--
(1) In general.--Funds, not to exceed [$250,000]
$500,000 per incident, available to the Service may be
used, with the approval of the Secretary, to--
(A) maintain law and order in emergency and
other unforeseen law enforcement situations;
and
(B) conduct emergency search and rescue
operations in the System.
(2) Replenishment of funds.--If the Secretary expends
funds under paragraph (1), the funds shall be
replenished by a supplemental appropriation for which
the Secretary shall make a request as promptly as
possible.
(d) Contribution for Annuity Benefits.--
(1) In general.--Necessary amounts are appropriated
for reimbursement, pursuant to the Policemen and
Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act amendments of
1957 (Public Law 85-157, 71 Stat. 391), to the District
of Columbia on a monthly basis for benefit payments by
the District of Columbia to United States Park Police
annuitants under section 12 of the Policemen and
Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act (ch. 433, 39
Stat. 718), to the extent that those payments exceed
contributions made by active Park Police members
covered under the Policemen and Firemen's Retirement
and Disability Act.
(2) Nonavailability of appropriations to the
service.--Appropriations made to the Service are not
available for the purpose of making reimbursements
under paragraph (1).
(e) Waterproof Footwear.--Appropriations for the Service that
are available for the purchase of equipment may be used for
purchase of waterproof footwear, which shall be regarded and
listed as System equipment.
* * * * * * *
----------
PUBLIC LAW 113-76
* * * * * * *
DIVISION G--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
* * * * * * *
CONTRIBUTION AUTHORITY
Sec. 113. In fiscal years 2014 through [2024] 2029, the
Secretary of the Interior may accept from public and private
sources contributions of money and services for use by the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management or the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement to conduct work in support of the
orderly exploration and development of Outer Continental Shelf
resources, including preparation of environmental documents
such as impact statements and assessments, studies, and related
research.
* * * * * * *
----------
OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT
* * * * * * *
Sec. 18. Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program.--(a) The
Secretary, pursuant to procedures set forth in [subsections (c)
and (d) of this section, shall prepare and periodically
revise,] this section, shall issue every five years and
maintain an oil and gas leasing program to implement the
policies of this Act. The leasing program shall consist of a
schedule of proposed lease sales indicating, as precisely as
possible, the size, timing, and location of leasing activity
which he determines will best meet national energy needs for
the five-year period following its approval or reapproval. Such
leasing program shall be prepared and maintained in a manner
consistent with the following principles:
(1) Management of the outer Continental Shelf shall
be conducted in a manner which considers economic,
social, and environmental values of the renewable and
nonrenewable resources contained in the outer
Continental Shelf, and the potential impact of oil and
gas exploration on other resource values of the outer
Continental Shelf and the marine, coastal, and human
environments.
(2) Timing and location of exploration, development,
and production of oil and gas among the oil- and gas-
bearing physiographic regions of the outer Continental
Shelf shall be based on a consideration of--
(A) existing information concerning the
geographical, geological, and ecological
characteristics of such regions;
(B) an equitable sharing of developmental
benefits and environmental risks among the
various regions;
(C) the location of such regions with respect
to, and the relative needs of, regional and
national energy markets;
(D) the location of such regions with respect
to other uses of the sea and seabed, including
fisheries, navigation, existing or proposed
sealanes, potential sites of deepwater ports,
and other anticipated uses of the resources and
space of the outer Continental Shelf;
(E) the interest of potential oil and gas
producers in the development of oil and gas
resources as indicated by exploration or
nomination;
(F) laws, goals, and policies of affected
States which have been specifically identified
by the Governors of such States as relevant
matters for the Secretary's consideration;
(G) the relative environmental sensitivity
and marine productivity of different areas of
the outer Continental Shelf; and
(H) relevant environmental and predictive
information for different areas of the outer
Continental Shelf.
(3) The Secretary shall select the timing and
location of leasing, to the maximum extent practicable,
so as to obtain a proper balance between domestic
energy security, the potential for environmental
damage, the potential for the discovery of oil and gas,
and the potential for adverse impact on the coastal
zone.
(4) Leasing activities shall be conducted to assure
receipt of fair market value for the lands leased and
the rights conveyed by the Federal Government.
(5) Each five-year program shall include at least two
Gulf of Mexico region-wide lease sales per year.
(b) The leasing program shall include estimates of the
appropriations and staff required to--
(1) obtain resource information and any other
information needed to prepare the leasing program
required by this section;
(2) analyze and interpret the exploratory data and
any other information which may be compiled under the
authority of this Act;
(3) conduct environmental studies and prepare any
environmental impact statement required in accordance
with this Act and with section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4332(2)(C)); and
(4) supervise operations conducted pursuant to each
lease in the manner necessary to assure due diligence
in the exploration and development of the lease area
and compliance with the requirement of applicable laws
and regulations, and with the terms of the lease.
(c)(1) During the preparation of any proposed leasing program
under this section, the Secretary shall invite and consider
suggestions for such program from any interested Federal
agency, including the Attorney General, in consultation with
the Federal Trade Commission, and from the Governor of any
State which may become an affected State under such proposed
program. The Secretary may also invite or consider any
suggestions from the executive of any affected local government
in such an affected State, which have been previously submitted
to the Governor of such State, and from any other person.
(2) After such preparation and at least sixty days prior to
publication of a proposed leasing program in the Federal
Register pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the
Secretary shall submit a copy of such proposed program to the
Governor of each affected State for review and comment. The
Governor may solicit comments from those executives of local
governments in his State which he, in his discretion,
determines will be affected by the proposed program. If any
comment by such Governor is received by the Secretary at least
fifteen days prior to submission to the Congress pursuant to
such paragraph (3) and includes a request for any modification
of such proposed program, the Secretary shall reply in writing,
granting or denying such request in whole or in part, or
granting such request in such modified form as the Secretary
considers appropriate, and stating his reasons therefor. All
such correspondence between the Secretary and Governor of any
affected State, together with any additional information and
data relating thereto, shall accompany such proposed program
when it is submitted to the Congress.
(3) Within nine months after the date of enactment of this
section, the Secretary shall submit a proposed leasing program
to the Congress, the Attorney General, and the Governors of
affected States, and shall publish such proposed program in the
Federal Register. Each Governor shall, upon request, submit a
copy of the proposed leasing program to the executive of any
local government affected by the proposed program.
(d)(1) Within ninety days after the date of publication of a
proposed leasing program, the Attorney General may, after
consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, submit comments
on the anticipated effects of such proposed program upon
competition. Any State, local government, or other person may
submit comments and recommendations as to any aspect of such
proposed program.
(2) At least sixty days prior to approving a proposed leasing
program, the Secretary shall submit it to the President and the
Congress, together with any comments received. Such submission
shall indicate why any specific recommendation of the Attorney
General or a State or local government was not accepted.
(3) After the leasing program has been approved by the
Secretary, or after eighteen months following the date of
enactment of this section, whichever first occurs, no lease
shall be issued unless it is for an area included in the
approved leasing program and unless it contains provisions
consistent with the approved leasing program, except that
leasing shall be permitted to continue until such program is
approved and for so long thereafter as such program is under
judicial or administrative review pursuant to the provisions of
this Act.
(e) The Secretary shall review the leasing program approved
under this section at least once each year. He may revise and
reapprove such program, at any time, and such revision and
reapproval, except in the case of a revision which is not
significant, shall be in the same manner as originally
developed.
(f) Subsequent Leasing Programs.--
(1) In General.--Not later than 36 months after
conducting the first lease sale under an oil and gas
leasing program prepared pursuant to this section, the
Secretary shall begin preparing the subsequent oil and
gas leasing program under this section.
(2) Requirement.--Each subsequent oil and gas leasing
program under this section shall be approved by not
later than 180 days before the expiration of the
previous oil and gas leasing program.
[(f)] (g) The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish
procedures for--
(1) receipt and consideration of nominations for any
area to be offered for lease or to be excluded from
leasing;
(2) public notice of and participation in development
of the leasing program;
(3) review by State and local governments which may
be impacted by the proposed leasing;
(4) periodic consultation with State and local
governments, oil and gas lessees and permittees, and
representatives of other individuals or organizations
engaged in activity in or on the outer Continental
Shelf, including those involved in fish and shellfish
recovery, and recreational activities; and
(5) consideration of the coastal zone management
program being developed or administered by an affected
coastal State pursuant to section 305 or section 306 of
the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C.
1454, 1455).
Such procedures shall be applicable to any significant revision
or reapproval of the leasing program.
[(g)] (h) The Secretary may obtain from public sources, or
purchase from private sources, any survey, data, report, or
other information (including interpretations of such data,
survey, report, or other information) which may be necessary to
assist him in preparing any environmental impact statement and
in making other evaluations required by this Act. Data of a
classified nature provided to the Secretary under the
provisions of this subsection shall remain confidential for
such period of time as agreed to by the head of the department
or agency from whom the information is requested. The Secretary
shall maintain the confidentiality of all privileged or
proprietary data or information for such period of time as is
provided for in this Act, established by regulation, or agreed
to by the parties.
[(h)] (i) The heads of all Federal departments and agencies
shall provide the Secretary with any nonprivileged or
nonproprietary information he requests to assist him in
preparing the leasing program and may provide the Secretary
with any privileged or proprietary information he requests to
assist him in preparing the leasing program. Privileged or
proprietary information provided to the Secretary under the
provisions of this subsection shall remain confidential for
such period of time as agreed to by the head of the department
or agency from whom the information is requested. In addition,
the Secretary shall utilize the existing capabilities and
resources of such Federal departments and agencies by
appropriate agreement.
[(i)] (j) Application.--This section shall not apply to the
scheduling of any lease sale in an area of the outer
Continental Shelf that is adjacent to the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin
Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
* * * * * * *
----------
MINERAL LEASING ACT
* * * * * * *
Sec. 17. (a) All lands subject to disposition under this Act
which are known or believed to contain oil or gas deposits may
be leased by the Secretary.
(b)(1)(A) All lands to be leased which are not subject to
leasing under paragraph (2) shall be leased as provided in this
paragraph to the highest responsible qualified bidder by
competitive bidding under general regulations in units of not
more than 2,560 acres, except in Alaska, where units shall be
not more than 5,760 acres. Such units shall be as nearly
compact as possible. Lease sales shall be conducted by oral
bidding, except as provided in subparagraph (C). Lease sales
shall be held for each State where eligible lands are available
at least quarterly and more frequently if the Secretary of the
Interior determines such sales are necessary. Eligible lands
comprise all lands subject to leasing under this Act and not
excluded from leasing by a statutory or regulatory prohibition.
Available lands are those lands that have been designated as
open for leasing under a land use plan developed under section
202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and
that have been nominated for leasing through the submission of
an expression of interest, are subject to drainage in the
absence of leasing, or are otherwise designated as available
pursuant to regulations adopted by the Secretary. A lease shall
be conditioned upon the payment of a royalty at a rate of not
less than 16\2/3\ percent in amount or value of the production
removed or sold from the lease or, in the case of a lease
issued during the 10-year period beginning on the date of
enactment of the Act titled ``An Act to provide for
reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14'', 16\2/
3\ percent in amount or value of the production removed or sold
from the lease. The Secretary shall accept the highest bid from
a responsible qualified bidder which is equal to or greater
than the national minimum acceptable bid, without evaluation of
the value of the lands proposed for lease. Leases shall be
issued within 60 days following payment by the successful
bidder of the remainder of the bonus bid, if any, and the
annual rental for the first lease year. All bids for less than
the national minimum acceptable bid shall be rejected.
(B) The national minimum acceptable bid shall be $10 per acre
during the 10-year period beginning on the date of enactment of
the Act titled ``An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant
to title II of S. Con. Res. 14''. Thereafter, the Secretary,
subject to paragraph (2)(B), may establish by regulation a
higher national minimum acceptable bid for all leases based
upon a finding that such action is necessary: (i) to enhance
financial returns to the United States; and (ii) to promote
more efficient management of oil and gas resources on Federal
lands. Ninety days before the Secretary makes any change in the
national minimum acceptable bid, the Secretary shall notify the
Committee on Natural Resources of the United States House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the United States Senate. The proposal or
promulgation of any regulation to establish a national minimum
acceptable bid shall not be considered a major Federal action
subject to the requirements of section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
(C) In order to diversify and expand the Nation's onshore
leasing program to ensure the best return to the Federal
taxpayer, reduce fraud, and secure the leasing process, the
Secretary may conduct onshore lease sales through Internet-
based bidding methods. Each individual Internet-based lease
sale shall conclude within 7 days.
(2)(A)(i) If the lands to be leased are within a special tar
sand area, they shall be leased to the highest responsible
qualified bidder by competitive bidding under general
regulations in units of not more than 5,760 acres, which shall
be as nearly compact as possible, upon the payment by the
lessee of such bonus as may be accepted by the Secretary.
(ii) Royalty shall be 16\2/3\ percent in amount of value of
production removed or sold from the lease subject to section
17(k)(1)(c).
(iii) The Secretary may lease such additional lands in
special tar sand areas as may be required in support of any
operations necessary for the recovery of tar sands.
(iv) No lease issued under this paragraph shall be
included in any chargeability limitation associated
with oil and gas leases.
(B) For any area that contains any combination of tar sand
and oil or gas (or both), the Secretary may issue under this
Act, separately--
(i) a lease for exploration for and extraction of tar
sand; and
(ii) a lease for exploration for and development of
oil and gas.
(C) A lease issued for tar sand shall be issued using the
same bidding process, annual rental, and posting period as a
lease issued for oil and gas, except that the minimum
acceptable bid required for a lease issued for tar sand shall
be $10 per acre.
(D) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or alter any
requirement under section 26 that a permittee under a permit
authorizing prospecting for tar sand must exercise due
diligence, to promote any resource covered by a combined
hydrocarbon lease.
(c) Additional Rounds of Competitive Bidding.--Land made
available for leasing under subsection (b)(1) for which no bid
is accepted or received, or the land for which a lease
terminates, expires, is cancelled, or is relinquished, may be
made available by the Secretary of the Interior for a new round
of competitive bidding under that subsection.
(d) All leases issued under this section, as amended by the
Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987, shall
be conditioned upon payment by the lessee of a rental of not
less than $3 per acre per year during the 2-year period
beginning on the date the lease begins for new leases, and
after the end of that 2-year period, $5 per acre per year for
the following 6-year period, and not less than $15 per acre per
year thereafter, or, in the case of a lease issued during the
10-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the Act
titled ``An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title
II of S. Con. Res. 14'', $3 per acre per year during the 2-year
period beginning on the date the lease begins, and after the
end of that 2-year period, $5 per acre per year for the
following 6-year period, and $15 per acre per year thereafter.
A minimum royalty in lieu of rental of not less than the rental
which otherwise would be required for that lease year shall be
payable at the expiration of each lease year beginning on or
after a discovery of oil or gas in paying quantities on the
lands leased.
(e) Term of Lease.--
(1) In general.--Any lease issued under this section,
including a lease for tar sand areas, shall be for a
primary term of 10 years.
(2) Continuation of lease.--A lease described in
paragraph (1) shall continue after the primary term of
the lease for any period during which oil or gas is
produced in paying quantities.
(3) Additional extensions.--Any lease issued under
this section for land on which, or for which under an
approved cooperative or unit plan of development or
operation, actual drilling operations were commenced
and diligently prosecuted prior to the end of the
primary term of the lease shall be extended for 2 years
and for any period thereafter during which oil or gas
is produced in paying quantities.
(f) At least 45 days before offering lands for lease under
this section, and at least 30 days before approving
applications for permits to drill under the provisions of a
lease or substantially modifying the terms of any lease issued
under this section, the Secretary shall provide notice of the
proposed action. Such notice shall be posted in the appropriate
local office of the leasing and land management agencies. Such
notice shall include the terms or modified lease terms and maps
or a narrative description of the affected lands. Where the
inclusion of maps in such notice is not practicable, maps of
the affected lands shall be made available to the public for
review. Such maps shall show the location of all tracts to be
leased, and of all leases already issued in the general area.
The requirements of this subsection are in addition to any
public notice required by other law.
(g) The Secretary of the Interior, or for National Forest
lands, the Secretary of Agriculture, shall regulate all
surface-disturbing activities conducted pursuant to any lease
issued under this Act, and shall determine reclamation and
other actions as required in the interest of conservation of
surface resources. No permit to drill on an oil and gas lease
issued under this Act may be granted without the analysis and
approval by the Secretary concerned of a plan of operations
covering proposed surface-disturbing activities within the
lease area. The Secretary concerned shall, by rule or
regulation, establish such standards as may be necessary to
ensure that an adequate bond, surety, or other financial
arrangement will be established prior to the commencement of
surface-disturbing activities on any lease, to ensure the
complete and timely reclamation of the lease tract, and the
restoration of any lands or surface waters adversely affected
by lease operations after the abandonment or cessation of oil
and gas operations on the lease. The Secretary shall not issue
a lease or leases or approve the assignment of any lease or
leases under the terms of this section to any person,
association, corporation, or any subsidiary, affiliate, or
person controlled by or under common control with such person,
association, or corporation, during any period in which, as
determined by the Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of
Agriculture, such entity has failed or refused to comply in any
material respect with the reclamation requirements and other
standards established under this section for any prior lease to
which such requirements and standards applied. Prior to making
such determination with respect to any such entity the
concerned Secretary shall provide such entity with adequate
notification and an opportunity to comply with such reclamation
requirements and other standards and shall consider whether any
administrative or judicial appeal is pending. Once the entity
has complied with the reclamation requirement or other standard
concerned an oil or gas lease may be issued to such entity
under this Act.
(h) The Secretary of the Interior may not issue any lease on
National Forest System Lands reserved from the public domain
over the objection of the Secretary of Agriculture.
(i) No lease issued under this section which is subject to
termination because of cessation of production shall be
terminated for this cause so long as reworking or drilling
operations which were commenced on the land prior to or within
sixty days after cessation of production are conducted thereon
with reasonable diligence, or so long as oil or gas is produced
in paying quantities as a result of such operations. No lease
issued under this section shall expire because operations or
production is suspended under any order, or with the consent,
of the Secretary. No lease issued under this section covering
lands on which there is a well capable of producing oil or gas
in paying quantities shall expire because the lessee fails to
produce the same unless the lessee is allowed a reasonable
time, which shall be not less than sixty days after notice by
registered or certified mail, within which to place such well
in producing status or unless, after such status is
established, production is discontinued on the leased premises
without permission granted by the Secretary under the
provisions of this Act.
(j) Whenever it appears to the Secretary that lands owned by
the United States are being drained of oil or gas by wells
drilled on adjacent lands, he may negotiate agreements whereby
the United States, or the United States and its lessees, shall
be compensated for such drainage. Such agreements shall be made
with the consent of the lessees, if any, affected thereby. If
such agreement is entered into, the primary term of any lease
for which compensatory royalty is being paid, or any extension
of such primary term, shall be extended for the period during
which such compensatory royalty is paid and for a period of one
year from discontinuance of such payment and so long thereafter
as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.
(k) If, during the primary term or any extended term of any
lease issued under this section, a verified statement is filed
by any mining claimant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 7
of the Multiple Mineral Development Act of August 13, 1954 (68
Stat. 708), as amended (30 U.S.C. 527), whether such filing
occur prior to enactment of the Mineral Leasing Act Revision of
1960 or thereafter, asserting the existence of a conflicting
unpatented mining claim or claims upon which diligent work is
being prosecuted as to any lands covered by the lease, the
running of time under such lease shall be suspended as to the
lands involved from the first day of the month following the
filing of such verified statement until a final decision is
rendered in the matter.
(l) The Secretary of the Interior shall, upon timely
application therefor, issue a new lease in exchange for any
lease issued for a term of twenty years, or any renewal
thereof, or any lease issued prior to August 8, 1946, in
exchange for a twenty-year lease, such new lease to be for a
primary term of five years and so long thereafter as oil or gas
is produced in paying quantities and at a royalty rate of not
less than 16\2/3\ percent in amount of value of the production
removed or sold from such leases, except that the royalty rate
shall be 16\2/3\ percent in amount or value of the production
removed or sold from said leases as to (1) such leases, or such
parts of the lands subject thereto and the deposits underlying
the same, as are not believed to be within the productive
limits of any producing oil or gas deposit, as such productive
limits are found by the Secretary to have existed on August 8,
1946; and (2) any production on a lease from an oil or gas
deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, by a well or
wells drilled within the boundaries of the lease, and which is
determined by the Secretary to be a new deposit; and (3) any
production on or allocated to a lease pursuant to an approved
cooperative or unit plan of development or operation from an
oil or gas deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, on
land committed to such plan, and which is determined by the
Secretary to be a new deposit, where such lease, or a lease for
which it is exchanged, was included in such plan at the time of
discovery or was included in a duly executed and filed
application for the approval of such plan at the time of
discovery.
(m) For the purpose of more properly conserving the natural
resources of any oil or gas pool, field, or like area, or any
part thereof (whether or not any part of said oil or gas pool,
field, or like area, is then subject to any cooperative or unit
plan of development or operation), lessees thereof and their
representatives may unite with each other, or jointly or
separately with others, in collective adopting and operating
under a cooperative or unit plan of development or operation of
such pool, field, or like area, or any part thereof, whenever
determined and certified by the Secretary of the Interior to be
necessary or advisable in the public interest. The Secretary is
thereunto authorized, in his discretion, with the consent of
the holders of leases involved, to establish, alter, change, or
revoke drilling, producing, rental, minimum royalty, and
royalty requirements of such leases and to make such
regulations with reference to such leases, with like consent on
the part of the lessees, in connection with the institution and
operation of any such cooperative or unit plan as he may deem
necessary or proper to secure the proper protection of the
public interest. The Secretary may provide that oil and gas
leases hereafter issued under this Act shall contain a
provision requiring the lessee to operate under such a
reasonable cooperative or unit plan, and he may prescribe such
a plan under which such lessee shall operate, which shall
adequately protect the rights of all parties in interest,
including the United States.
Any plan authorized by the preceding paragraph which includes
lands owned by the United States may, in the discretion of the
Secretary, contain a provision whereby authority is vested in
the Secretary of the Interior, or any such person, committee,
or State or Federal officer or agency as may be designated in
the plan, to alter or modify from time to time the rate of
prospecting and development and the quantity and rate of
production under such plan. All leases operated under any such
plan approved or prescribed by the Secretary shall be excepted
in determining holdings or control under the provisions of any
section of this Act.
When separate tracts cannot be independently developed and
operated in conformity with an established well-spacing or
development program, any lease, or a portion thereof, may be
pooled with other lands, whether or not owned by the United
States, under a communitization or drilling agreement providing
for an apportionment of production or royalties among the
separate tracts of land comprising the drilling or spacing unit
when determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be in the
public interest, and operations or production pursuant to such
an agreement shall be deemed to be operations or production as
to each such lease committed thereto.
Any lease issued for a term of twenty years, or any renewal
thereof, or any portion of such lease that has become the
subject of a cooperative or unit plan of development or
operation of a pool, field, or like area, which plan has the
approval of the Secretary of the Interior, shall continue in
force until the termination of such plan. Any other lease
issued under any section of this Act which has heretofore or
may hereafter be committed to any such plan that contains a
general provision for allocation of oil or gas shall continue
in force and effect as to the land committed so long as the
lease remains subject to the plan: Provided, That production is
had in paying quantities under the plan prior to the expiration
date of the term of such lease. Any lease heretofore or
hereafter committed to any such plan embracing lands that are
in part within and in part outside of the area covered by any
such plan shall be segregated into separate leases as to the
lands committed and the lands not committed as of the effective
date of unitization: Provided, however, That any such lease as
to the nonunitized portion shall continue in force and effect
for the term thereof but for not less than two years from the
date of such segregation and so long thereafter as oil or gas
is produced in paying quantities. The minimum royalty or
discovery rental under any lease that has become subject to any
cooperative or unit plan of development or operation, or other
plan that contains a general provision for allocation of oil or
gas, shall be payable only with respect to the lands subject to
such lease to which oil or gas shall be allocated under such
plan. Any lease which shall be eliminated from any such
approved or prescribed plan, or from any communitization or
drilling agreement authorized by this section, and any lease
which shall be in effect at the termination of any such
approved or prescribed plan, or at the termination of any such
communitization or drilling agreement, unless relinquished,
shall continue in effect for the original term thereof, but for
not less than two years, and so long thereafter as oil or gas
is produced in paying quantities.
The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, on such
conditions as he may prescribe, to approve operating, drilling,
or development contracts made by one or more lessees of oil or
gas leases, with one or more persons, associations, or
corporations whenever, in his discretion, the conservation of
natural products or the public convenience or necessity may
require it or the interests of the United States may be best
subserved thereby. All leases operated under such approved
operating, drilling, or development contracts, and interests
thereunder, shall be excepted in determining holdings or
control under the provisions of this Act.
The Secretary of the Interior, to avoid waste or to promote
conservation of natural resources, may authorize the subsurface
storage of oil or gas, whether or not produced from federally
owned lands, in lands leased or subject to lease under this
Act. Such authorization may provide for the payment of a
storage fee or rental on such stored oil or gas or, in lieu of
such fee or rental, for a royalty other than that prescribed in
the lease when such stored oil or gas is produced in
conjunction with oil or gas not previously produced. Any lease
on which storage is so authorized shall be extended at least
for the period of storage and so long thereafter as oil or gas
not previously produced is produced in paying quantities.
(n)(1)(A) The owner of (1) an oil and gas lease issued prior
to the date of enactment of the Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing
Act of 1981 or (2) a valid claim to any hydrocarbon resources
leasable under this section based on a mineral location made
prior to January 21, 1926, and located within a special tar
sand area shall be entitled to convert such lease or claim to a
combined hydrocarbon lease for a primary term of ten years upon
the filing of an application within two years from the date of
enactment of that Act containing an acceptable plan of
operations which assures reasonable protection of the
environment and diligent development of those resources
requiring enhanced recovery methods of development or mining.
For purposes of conversion, no claim shall be deemed invalid
solely because it was located as a placer location rather than
a lode location or vice versa, notwithstanding any previous
adjudication on that issue.
(B) The Secretary shall issue final regulations to implement
this section within six months of the effective date of this
Act. If any oil and gas lease eligible for conversion under
this section would otherwise expire after the date of this Act
and before six months following the issuance of implementing
regulations, the lessee may preserve his conversion right under
such lease for a period ending six months after the issuance of
implementing regulations by filing with the Secretary, before
the expiration of the lease, a notice of intent to file an
application for conversion. Upon submission of a complete plan
of operations in substantial compliance with the regulations
promulgated by the Secretary for the filing of such plans, the
Secretary shall suspend the running of the term of any oil and
gas lease proposed for conversion until the plan is finally
approved or disapproved. The Secretary shall act upon a
proposed plan of operations within fifteen months of its
submittal.
(C) When an existing oil and gas lease is converted to a
combined hydrocarbon lease, the royalty shall be that provided
for in the original oil and gas lease and for a converted
mining claim, 16\2/3\ percent in amount or value of production
removed or sold from the lease.
(2) Except as provided in this section, nothing in the
Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981 shall be construed to
diminish or increase the rights of any lessee under any oil and
gas lease issued prior to the enactment of such Act.
(o) Certain Outstanding Oil and Gas.--(1) Prior to the
commencement of surface-disturbing activities relating to the
development of oil and gas deposits on lands described under
paragraph (5), the Secretary of Agriculture shall require,
pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Secretary, that such
activities be subject to terms and conditions as provided under
paragraph (2).
(2) The terms and conditions referred to in paragraph (1)
shall require that reasonable advance notice be furnished to
the Secretary of Agriculture at least 60 days prior to the
commencement of surface disturbing activities.
(3) Advance notice under paragraph (2) shall include each of
the following items of information:
(A) A designated field representative.
(B) A map showing the location and dimensions of all
improvements, including but not limited to, well sites
and road and pipeline accesses.
(C) A plan of operations, of an interim character if
necessary, setting forth a schedule for construction
and drilling.
(D) A plan of erosion and sedimentation control.
(E) Proof of ownership of mineral title.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to affect any
authority of the State in which the lands concerned are located
to impose any requirements with respect to such oil and gas
operations.
(4) The person proposing to develop oil and gas deposits on
lands described under paragraph (5) shall either--
(A) permit the Secretary to market merchantable
timber owned by the United States on lands subject to
such activities; or
(B) arrange to purchase merchantable timber on lands
subject to such surface disturbing activities from the
Secretary of Agriculture, or otherwise arrange for the
disposition of such merchantable timber, upon such
terms and upon such advance notice of the items
referred to in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of
paragraph (3) as the Secretary may accept.
(5)(A) The lands referred to in this subsection are those
lands referenced in subparagraph (B) which are under the
administration of the Secretary of Agriculture where the United
States acquired an interest in such lands pursuant to the Act
of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961 and following), but does not
have an interest in oil and gas deposits that may be present
under such lands. This subsection does not apply to any such
lands where, under the provisions of its acquisition of an
interest in the lands, the United States is to acquire any oil
and gas deposits that may be present under such lands in the
future but such interest has not yet vested with the United
States.
(B) This subsection shall only apply in the Allegheny
National Forest.
(p) Deadlines for Consideration of Applications for
Permits.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 10 days after the
date on which the Secretary receives an application for
any permit to drill, the Secretary shall--
(A) notify the applicant that the application
is complete; or
(B) notify the applicant that information is
missing and specify any information that is
required to be submitted for the application to
be complete.
(2) Issuance or deferral.--Not later than 30 days
after the applicant for a permit has submitted a
complete application, the Secretary shall--
(A) issue the permit, if the requirements
under the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 and other applicable law have been
completed within such timeframe; or
(B) defer the decision on the permit and
provide to the applicant a notice--
(i) that specifies any steps that the
applicant could take for the permit to
be issued; and
(ii) a list of actions that need to
be taken by the agency to complete
compliance with applicable law together
with timelines and deadlines for
completing such actions.
(3) Requirements for deferred applications.--
(A) In general.--If the Secretary provides
notice under paragraph (2)(B), the applicant
shall have a period of 2 years from the date of
receipt of the notice in which to complete all
requirements specified by the Secretary,
including providing information needed for
compliance with the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969.
(B) Issuance of decision on permit.--If the
applicant completes the requirements within the
period specified in subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall issue a decision on the permit
not later than 10 days after the date of
completion of the requirements described in
subparagraph (A), unless compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and
other applicable law has not been completed
within such timeframe.
(C) Denial of permit.--If the applicant does
not complete the requirements within the period
specified in subparagraph (A) or if the
applicant does not comply with applicable law,
the Secretary shall deny the permit.
(q) Fee for Expression of Interest.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall assess a
nonrefundable fee against any person that, in
accordance with procedures established by the Secretary
to carry out this subsection, submits an expression of
interest in leasing land available for disposition
under this section for exploration for, and development
of, oil or gas.
(2) Amount of fee.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B),
the fee assessed under paragraph (1) shall be
$5 per acre of the area covered by the
applicable expression of interest.
(B) Adjustment of fee.--The Secretary shall,
by regulation, not less frequently than every 4
years, adjust the amount of the fee under
subparagraph (A) to reflect the change in
inflation.
* * * * * * *
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PUBLIC LAW 99-338
AN ACT To authorize the continued use of certain lands within the
Sequoia National Park by portions of an existing hydroelectric project.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to issue a
permit for ten years, and may issue not more than [3] 7
renewals of equivalent duration, for portions of an existing
hydroelectric project, known as the Kaweah Project [of Southern
California Edison Company], to continue to occupy and use lands
of the United States within Sequoia National Park as necessary
for continued operation and maintenance.
* * * * * * *
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EXTENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND DELIVERING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ACT
* * * * * * *
DIVISION B--DISASTER RELIEF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
* * * * * * *
TITLE VII--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
* * * * * * *
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS TITLE
Sec. 1701. (a)(1) If services performed by the designated
employees under paragraph (2) of this subsection at the
Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture
during [2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024] calendar years 2021
through 2025 are determined by the Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, to be primarily
related to emergency wildland fire suppression activities, any
premium pay for such services shall be disregarded in
calculating the aggregate of such employee's basic pay and
premium pay for purposes of a limitation under section 5547(a)
of title 5, United States Code, or under any other provision of
law, whether such employee's pay is paid on a biweekly or
calendar year basis. Any Services during a given calendar year
that generate payments payable in the subsequent calendar year
shall be disregarded in applying this subsection
(2) The premium pay waiver under paragraph (1) of
this subsection shall apply to individuals serving as
wildland firefighters and as fire management response
officials, including regional fire directors, deputy
regional fire directors, agency officials who directly
oversee fire operations, and fire management officers,
and individuals serving on incident management teams
(IMTs), at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC),
at Geographic Area Coordinating Centers (GACCs), and at
Operations centers.
(3) The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture
shall provide a report to Congress detailing the number
of positions, including by occupation, grade, and the
aggregate pay by type of pay for each individual who
receives pay authorized under subsection (a)(1).
(b) Any overtime pay for services described in subsection (a)
that is payable under an authority outside of title 5, United
States Code, shall be disregarded in calculating any annual
limit on the amount of overtime pay payable in [2021 or 2022 or
2023 or 2024] calendar years 2021 through 2025.
(c) Any pay that is disregarded under either subsection (a)
or (b) shall be disregarded in calculating such employee's
aggregate pay for purposes of applying the limitation in
section 5307 of title 5, United States Code, during [2021 or
2022 or 2023 or 2024] calendar years 2021 through 2025.
(d)(1) Pay that is disregarded under subsection (a) or (b)
shall not cause the aggregate of the employee's basic pay and
premium pay for the applicable calendar year to exceed the rate
of basic pay payable for a position at level II of the
Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States
Code, as in effect at the end of such calendar year.
(2) For purposes of applying this subsection to an
employee who would otherwise be subject to the premium
pay limits established under section 5547 of title 5,
United States Code, ``premium pay'' means the premium
pay paid under the provisions of law cited in section
5547(a).
(3) For purposes of applying this subsection to an
employee under a premium pay limit established under an
authority other than section 5547 of title 5, United
States Code, the agency responsible for administering
such limit shall determine what payments are considered
premium pay.
(4) For the purpose of applying this subsection,
``basic pay'' includes any applicable locality-based
comparability payment under section 5304 of title 5,
United States Code, any applicable special rate
supplement under section 5305 of such title, or any
equivalent payment under a similar provision of law.
(e) This section shall take effect as if enacted on January
1, 2021.
(f) If application of this section results in the payment of
additional premium pay to a covered employee of a type that is
normally creditable as basic pay for retirement or any other
purpose, that additional pay shall not--
(1) be considered to be basic pay of the covered
employee for any purpose; or
(2) be used in computing a lump-sum payment to the
covered employee for accumulated and accrued annual
leave under section 5551 or section 5552 of title 5,
United States Code, or other similar provision of law.
(g) Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of
Agriculture shall jointly provide to the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate,
the Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry, the
House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the House of
Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and
the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform,
a framework to modernize the wildland firefighting workforce
beginning in fiscal year 2022.
* * * * * * *
----------
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION FUNDING AND FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ACT
DIVISION O--WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION FUNDING AND FOREST MANAGEMENT
ACTIVITIES ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE I--WILDFIRE AND DISASTER FUNDING ADJUSTMENT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 104. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than [90] 180 days after the end
of the fiscal year for which additional new budget authority is
used, pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(F)(i) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
901(b)(2)(F)(i)), as added by section 102 of this division, the
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture (as
applicable), in consultation with the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, shall--
(1) prepare an annual report with respect to the
additional new budget authority;
(2) submit to the Committees on Appropriations, the
Budget, and Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations,
the Budget, and Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate the annual report prepared under paragraph (1);
and
(3) make the report prepared under paragraph (1)
available to the public.
(b) Components.--The annual report prepared under subsection
(a)(1) shall--
(1) document obligations and outlays of the
additional new budget authority for wildfire
suppression operations;
(2) identify risk-based factors that influenced
management decisions with respect to wildfire
suppression operations;
(3) analyze a statistically significant sample of
large fires, including an analysis for each fire of--
(A) cost drivers;
(B) the effectiveness of risk management
techniques and whether fire operations strategy
tracked the risk assessment;
(C) any resulting ecological or other
benefits to the landscape;
(D) the impact of investments in wildfire
suppression operations preparedness;
(E) effectiveness of wildfire suppression
operations, including an analysis of resources
lost versus dollars invested;
(F) effectiveness of any fuel treatments on
fire behavior and suppression expenditures;
(G) levels of exposure experienced by
firefighters;
(H) suggested corrective actions; and
(I) any other factors the Secretary of the
Interior or Secretary of Agriculture (as
applicable) determines to be appropriate;
(4) include an accounting of overall fire management
and spending by the Department of the Interior or the
Department of Agriculture, which shall be analyzed by
fire size, cost, regional location, and other factors,
and shall include an accounting of any spending in the
first two quarters of the succeeding fiscal year that
is attributable to suppression operations in the fiscal
year for which the report was prepared;
(5) describe any lessons learned in the conduct of
wildfire suppression operations; and
(6) include any other elements that the Secretary of
the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture (as
applicable) determines to be necessary.
* * * * * * *
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COASTAL BARRIER RESOURCES ACT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 6. EXCEPTIONS TO LIMITATIONS ON EXPENDITURES.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 5, the appropriate
Federal officer, after consultation with the Secretary, may
make Federal expenditures and may make financial assistance
available within the System for the following:
(1) Any use or facility necessary for the
exploration, extraction, or transportation of energy
resources which can be carried out only on, in, or
adjacent to a coastal water area because the use or
facility requires access to the coastal water body.
(2) The maintenance or construction of improvements
of existing Federal navigation channels (including the
Intracoastal Waterway) and related structures (such as
jetties), including the disposal of dredge materials
related to such maintenance or construction.
(3) The maintenance, replacement, reconstruction, or
repair, but not the expansion, of publicly owned or
publicly operated roads, structures, or facilities that
are essential links in a larger network or system.
(4) Military activities essential to national
security.
(5) The construction, operation, maintenance, and
rehabilitation of Coast Guard facilities and access
thereto.
(6) Any of the following actions or projects, if a
particular expenditure or the making available of
particular assistance for the action or project is
consistent with the purposes of this Act:
(A) Projects for the study, management,
protection, and enhancement of fish and
wildlife resources and habitats, including
acquisition of fish and wildlife habitats and
related lands, stabilization projects for fish
and wildlife habitats, and recreational
projects.
(B) Establishment, operation, and maintenance
of air and water navigation aids and devices,
and for access thereto.
(C) Projects under chapter 2003 of title 54,
UnitedStates Code, and the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et
seq.).
(D) Scientific research, including
aeronautical, atmospheric, space, geologic,
marine, fish and wildlife, and other research,
development, and applications.
(E) Assistance for emergency actions
essential to the saving of lives and the
protection of property and the public health
and safety, if such actions are performed
pursuant to sections 402, 403, and 502 of the
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
and section 1362 of the National Flood
Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4103) and are
limited to actions that are necessary to
alleviate the emergency.
(F) Maintenance, replacement, reconstruction,
or repair, but not the expansion (except with
respect to United States route 1 in the Florida
Keys), of publicly owned or publicly operated
roads, structures, and facilities.
(G) Nonstructural projects for shoreline
stabilization that are designed to mimic,
enhance, or restore a natural stabilization
system.
(7) Use of a sand source within a System unit by
Federal coastal storm risk management projects or their
predecessor projects that have used a System unit for
sand to nourish adjacent beaches outside the System
pursuant to section 5 of the Act of August 18, 1941
(commonly known as the ``Flood Control Act of 1941'')
(55 Stat. 650, chapter 377; 33 U.S.C. 701n) at least
once between December 31, 2008, and December 31, 2023,
in response to an emergency situation prior to December
31, 2023.
(b) Existing Federal Navigation Channels.--For purposes of
subsection (a)(2), a Federal navigation channel or a related
structure is an existing channel or structure, respectively, if
it was authorized before the date on which the relevant System
unit or portion of the System unit was included within the
System.
(c) Expansion of Highways in Michigan.--The limitations on
the use of Federal expenditures or financial assistance within
the System under subsection (a)(3) shall not apply to a
highway--
(1) located in a unit of the System in Michigan; and
(2) in existence on the date of the enactment of the
Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990.
(d) Services and Facilities Outside System.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2)
and (3) of this subsection, limitations on the use of
Federal expenditures or financial assistance within the
System under section 5 shall not apply to expenditures
or assistance provided for services or facilities and
related infrastructure located outside the boundaries
of unit T-11 of the System (as depicted on the maps
referred to in section 4(a)) which relate to an
activity within that unit.
(2) Prohibition of flood insurance coverage.--No new
flood insurance coverage may be provided under the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et
seq.) for any new construction or substantial
improvements relating to services or facilities and
related infrastructure located outside the boundaries
of unit T-11 of the System that facilitate an activity
within that unit that is not consistent with the
purposes of this Act.
(3) Prohibition of hud assistance.--
(A) In general.--No financial assistance for
acquisition, construction, or improvement
purposes may be provided under any program
administered by the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development for any services or
facilities and related infrastructure located
outside the boundaries of unit T-11 of the
System that facilitate an activity within that
unit that is not consistent with the purposes
of this Act.
(B) Definition of financial assistance.--For
purposes of this paragraph, the term
'`financial assistance'' includes any contract,
loan, grant, cooperative agreement, or other
form of assistance, including the insurance or
guarantee of a loan, mortgage, or pool of
mortgages.
* * * * * * *
----------
OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1993
* * * * * * *
TITLE X--NATURAL RESOURCE PROVISIONS
* * * * * * *
Subtitle B--Hardrock Mining Claim Maintenance Fee
SEC. 10101. FEE.
(a) Claim Maintenance Fee.--
(1) Lode mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel
sites.--The holder of each unpatented lode mining
claim, mill site, or tunnel site, located pursuant to
the mining laws of the United States before, on, or
after August 10, 1993, shall pay to the Secretary of
the Interior, on or before September 1 of each year, to
the extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts,
a claim maintenance fee of $100 per claim or site,
respectively. Such claim maintenance fee shall be in
lieu of the assessment work requirement contained in
the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28-28e) and the
related filing requirements contained in section 314
(a) and (c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1744 (a) and (c)).
(2) Placer mining claims.--The holder of each
unpatented placer mining claim located pursuant to the
mining laws of the United States before, on, or after
August 10, 1993, shall pay to the Secretary of the
Interior, on or before September 1 of each year, the
claim maintenance fee described in subsection (a)(1),
for each 20 acres of the placer claim or portion
thereof. Such claim maintenance fee shall be in lieu of
the assessment work requirement contained in the Mining
Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28 to 28e) and the related
filing requirements contained in section 314(a) and (c)
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
(43 U.S.C. 1744(a) and (c)).
(b) Time of Payment.--The claim main tenance fee under
subsection (a) shall be paid for the year in which the location
is made, at the time the location notice is recorded with the
Bureau of Land Management. The location fee imposed under
section 10102 shall be payable not later than 90 days after the
date of location.
(c) Oil Shale Claims Subject to Claim Maintenance Fees Under
Energy Policy Act of 1992.--This section shall not apply to any
oil shale claims for which a fee is required to be paid under
section 2511(e)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law
102-486; 106 Stat. 3111; 30 U.S.C. 242).
(d) Waiver.--(1) The claim maintenance fee required under
this section may be waived for a claimant who certifies in
writing to the Secretary that on the date the payment was due,
the claimant and all related parties--
(A) held not more than 10 mining claims, mill sites,
or tunnel sites, or any combination thereof, on public
lands; and
(B) have performed assessment work required under the
Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28-28e) to maintain the
mining claims held by the claimant and such related
parties for the assessment year ending on noon of
September 1 of the calendar year in which payment of
the claim maintenance fee was due.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), with respect to any
claimant, the term ``related party'' means--
(A) the spouse and dependent children (as defined in
section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), of
the claimant; and
(B) a person who controls, is controlled by, or is
under common control with the claimant.
For purposes of this section, the term control includes actual
control, legal control, and the power to exercise control,
through or by common directors, officers, stockholders, a
voting trust, or a holding company or investment company, or
any other means.
(3) If a small miner waiver application is determined
to be defective for any reason, the claimant shall have
a period of 60 days after receipt of written
notification of the defect or defects by the Bureau of
Land Management to: (A) cure such defect or defects, or
(B) pay the $100 claim maintenance fee due for such
period.
(e) Security of Tenure.--
(1) In general.--
(A) In general.--A claimant shall have the
right to use, occupy, and conduct operations on
public land, with or without the discovery of a
valuable mineral deposit, if--
(i) such claimant makes a timely
payment of the location fee required by
section 10102 and the claim maintenance
fee required by subsection (a); or
(ii) in the case of a claimant who
qualifies for a waiver under subsection
(d), such claimant makes a timely
payment of the location fee and
complies with the required assessment
work under the general mining laws.
(B) Operations defined.--For the purposes of
this paragraph, the term ``operations'' means--
(i) any activity or work carried out
in connection with prospecting,
exploration, processing, discovery and
assessment, development, or extraction
with respect to a locatable mineral;
(ii) the reclamation of any disturbed
areas; and
(iii) any other reasonably incident
uses, whether on a mining claim or not,
including the construction and
maintenance of facilities, roads,
transmission lines, pipelines, and any
other necessary infrastructure or means
of access on public land for support
facilities.
(2) Fulfillment of federal land policy and management
act.--A claimant that fulfills the requirements of this
section and section 10102 shall be deemed to satisfy
the requirements of any provision of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act that requires the payment of
fair market value to the United States for use of
public lands and resources relating to use of such
lands and resources authorized by the general mining
laws.
(3) Savings clause.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to diminish the rights of entry, use, and
occupancy, or any other right, of a claimant under the
general mining laws.
* * * * * * *
----------
TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
PART III--EMPLOYEES
* * * * * * *
SUBPART D--PAY AND ALLOWANCES
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 53--PAY RATES AND SYSTEMS
* * * * * * *
Sec.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--GENERAL SCHEDULE PAY RATES
* * * * * * *
5332a. Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--GENERAL SCHEDULE PAY RATES
* * * * * * *
SEC. 5332A. SPECIAL BASE RATES OF PAY FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``firefighter'' means an employee who--
(A) is a firefighter within the meaning of
section 8331(21) or section 8401(14);
(B) in the case of an employee who holds a
supervisory or administrative position and is
subject to subchapter III of chapter 83, but
who does not qualify to be considered a
firefighter within the meaning of section
8331(21), would otherwise qualify if the
employee had transferred directly to that
position after serving as a firefighter within
the meaning of that section;
(C) in the case of an employee who holds a
supervisory or administrative position and is
subject to chapter 84, but who does not qualify
to be considered a firefighter within the
meaning of section 8401(14), would otherwise
qualify if the employee had transferred
directly to that position after performing
duties described in section 8401(14)(A) for at
least 3 years; or
(D) in the case of an employee who is not
subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or
chapter 84, holds a position that the Office of
Personnel Management determines would satisfy
subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) if the employee
were subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or
chapter 84;
(2) the term ``General Schedule base rate'' means an
annual rate of basic pay established under section 5332
before any additions, such as a locality-based
comparability payment under section 5304 or 5304a or a
special rate supplement under section 5305;
(3) the term ``special base rate'' means an annual
rate of basic pay payable to a wildland firefighter,
before any additions or reductions, that replaces the
General Schedule base rate otherwise applicable to the
wildland firefighter and that is administered in the
same manner as a General Schedule base rate; and
(4) the term ``wildland firefighter'' means a
firefighter--
(A) who is employed by the Forest Service or
the Department of the Interior; and
(B) the duties of the position of whom
primarily relate to fires occurring in forests,
range lands, or other wildlands, as opposed to
structural fires.
(b) Special Base Rates of Pay.--
(1) Entitlement to special rate.--Notwithstanding
section 5332, a wildland firefighter is entitled to a
special base rate at grades 1 through 15, which shall--
(A) replace the otherwise applicable General
Schedule base rate for the wildland
firefighter;
(B) be basic pay for all purposes, including
the purpose of computing a locality-based
comparability payment under section 5304 or
5304a; and
(C) be computed as described in paragraph (2)
and adjusted at the time of adjustments in the
General Schedule.
(2) Computation.--
(A) In general.--The special base rate for a
wildland firefighter shall be derived by
increasing the otherwise applicable General
Schedule base rate for the wildland firefighter
by the following applicable percentage for the
grade of the wildland firefighter and rounding
the result to the nearest whole dollar:
(i) For GS-1, 42 percent.
(ii) For GS-2, 39 percent.
(iii) For GS-3, 36 percent.
(iv) For GS-4, 33 percent.
(v) For GS-5, 30 percent.
(vi) For GS-6, 27 percent.
(vii) For GS-7, 24 percent.
(viii) For GS-8, 21 percent.
(ix) For GS-9, 18 percent.
(x) For GS-10, 15 percent.
(xi) For GS-11, 12 percent.
(xii) For GS-12, 9 percent.
(xiii) For GS-13, 6 percent.
(xiv) For GS-14, 3 percent.
(xv) For GS-15, 1.5 percent.
(B) Hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly
rates.--When the special base rate with respect
to a wildland firefighter is expressed as an
hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate, the
special base rate shall be computed from the
appropriate annual rate of basic pay derived
under subparagraph (A) in accordance with the
rules under section 5504(b).
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER IV--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS
* * * * * * *
Sec. 5343. Prevailing rate determinations; wage schedules; night
differentials
(a) The pay of prevailing rate employees shall be fixed and
adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the
public interest in accordance with prevailing rates. Subject to
section 213(f) of title 29, the rates may not be less than the
appropriate rates provided by section 206(a)(1) of title 29. To
carry out this subsection--
(1) the Office of Personnel Management shall define,
as appropriate--
(A) with respect to prevailing rate employees
other than prevailing rate employees under
paragraphs (B) and (C) of section 5342(a)(2) of
this title, the boundaries of--
(i) individual local wage areas for
prevailing rate employees having
regular wage schedules and rates; and
(ii) wage areas for prevailing rate
employees having special wage schedules
and rates;
(B) with respect to prevailing rate employees
under paragraphs (B) and (C) of section
5342(a)(2) of this title, the boundaries of--
(i) individual local wage areas for
prevailing rate employees under such
paragraphs having regular wage
schedules and rates (but such
boundaries shall not extend beyond the
immediate locality in which the
particular prevailing rate employees
are employed); and
(ii) wage areas for prevailing rate
employees under such paragraphs having
special wage schedules and rates;
(2) the Office of Personnel Management shall
designate a lead agency for each wage area;
(3) subject to paragraph (5) of this subsection, and
subsections (c)(1)-(3) and (d) of this section, a lead
agency shall conduct wage surveys, analyze wage survey
data, and develop and establish appropriate wage
schedules and rates for prevailing rate employees;
(4) the head of each agency having prevailing rate
employees in a wage area shall apply, to the prevailing
rate employees of that agency in that area, the wage
schedules and rates established by the lead agency, or
by the Office of Personnel Management, as appropriate,
for prevailing rate employees in that area; and
(5) the Office of Personnel Management shall
establish wage schedules and rates for prevailing rate
employees who are United States citizens employed in
any area which is outside the several States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
the territories and possessions of the United States,
and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
(b) The Office of Personnel Management shall schedule full-
scale wage surveys every 2 years and shall schedule interim
surveys to be conducted between each 2 consecutive full-scale
wage surveys. The Office may schedule more frequent surveys
when conditions so suggest.
(c) The Office of Personnel Management, by regulation, shall
prescribe practices and procedures for conducting wage surveys,
analyzing wage survey data, developing and establishing wage
schedules and rates, and administering the prevailing rate
system. The regulations shall provide--
(1) that, subject to subsection (d) of this section,
wages surveyed be those paid by private employers in
the wage area for similar work performed by regular
full-time employees, except that, for prevailing rate
employees under paragraphs (B) and (C) of section
5342(a)(2) of this title, the wages surveyed shall be
those paid by private employers to full-time employees
in a representative number of retail, wholesale,
service, and recreational establishments similar to
those in which such prevailing rate employees are
employed;
(2) for participation at all levels by
representatives of organizations accorded recognition
as the representatives of prevailing rate employees in
every phase of providing an equitable system for fixing
and adjusting the rates of pay for prevailing rate
employees, including the planning of the surveys, the
drafting of specifications, the selection of data
collectors, the collection and the analysis of the
data, and the submission of recommendations to the head
of the lead agency for wage schedules and rates and for
special wage schedules and rates where appropriate;
(3) for requirements for the accomplishment of wage
surveys and for the development of wage schedules and
rates for prevailing rate employees, including, but not
limited to--
(A) nonsupervisory and supervisory prevailing
rate employees paid under regular wage
schedules and rates;
(B) nonsupervisory and supervisory prevailing
rate employees paid under special wage
schedules and rates; and
(C) nonsupervisory and supervisory prevailing
rate employees described under paragraphs (B)
and (C) of section 5342(a)(2) of this title;
(4) for proper differentials, as determined by the
Office, for duty involving unusually severe working
conditions or unusually severe hazards, and for any
hardship or hazard related to asbestos, such
differentials shall be determined by applying
occupational safety and health standards consistent
with the permissible exposure limit promulgated by the
Secretary of Labor under the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970;
(5) rules governing the administration of pay for
individual employees on appointment, transfer,
promotion, demotion, and other similar changes in
employment status; and
(6) for a continuing program of maintenance and
improvement designed to keep the prevailing rate system
fully abreast of changing conditions, practices, and
techniques both in and out of the Government of the
United States.
(d)(1) A lead agency, in making a wage survey, shall
determine whether there exists in the local wage area a number
of comparable positions in private industry sufficient to
establish wage schedules and rates for the principal types of
positions for which the survey is made. The determination shall
be in writing and shall take into consideration all relevant
evidence, including evidence submitted by employee
organizations recognized as representative of prevailing rate
employees in that area.
(2) When the lead agency determines that there is a number of
comparable positions in private industry insufficient to
establish the wage schedules and rates, such agency shall
establish the wage schedules and rates on the basis of--
(A) local private industry rates; and
(B) rates paid for comparable positions in private
industry in the nearest wage area that such agency
determines is most similar in the nature of its
population, employment, manpower, and industry to the
local wage area for which the wage survey is being
made.
(e)(1) Each grade of a regular wage schedule for
nonsupervisor prevailing rate employees shall have 5 steps
with--
(A) the first step at 96 percent of the prevailing
rate;
(B) the second step at 100 percent of the prevailing
rate;
(C) the third step at 104 percent of the prevailing
rate;
(D) the fourth step at 108 percent of the prevailing
rate; and
(E) the fifth step at 112 percent of the prevailing
rate.
(2) A prevailing rate employee under a regular wage schedule
who has a work performance rating of satisfactory or better, as
determined by the head of the agency, shall advance
automatically to the next higher step within the grade at the
beginning of the first applicable pay period following his
completion of--
(A) 26 calendar weeks of service in step 1;
(B) 78 calendar weeks of service in step 2; and
(C) 104 calendar weeks of service in each of steps 3
and 4.
(3) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel
Management, the benefits of successive step increases shall be
preserved for prevailing rate employees under a regular wage
schedule whose continuous service is interrupted in the public
interest by service with the armed forces or by service in
essential non-Government civilian employment during a period of
war or national emergency.
(4) Supervisory wage schedules and special wage schedules
authorized under subsection (c)(3) of this section may have
single or multiple rates or steps according to prevailing
practices in the industry on which the schedule is based.
(f) A prevailing rate employee is entitled to pay at his
scheduled rate plus a night differential--
(1) amounting to 71/2 percent of that scheduled rate
for regularly scheduled nonovertime work a majority of
the hours of which occur between 3 p.m. and midnight;
and
(2) amounting to 10 percent of that scheduled rate
for regularly scheduled nonovertime work a majority of
the hours of which occur between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.
A night differential under this subsection is a part of basic
pay.
(g)(1) For a prevailing rate employee described in section
5342(a)(2)(A) who is a wildland firefighter, as defined in
section 5332a(a), the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary
of the Interior (as applicable) shall increase the wage rates
of that employee by an amount (determined at the sole and
exclusive discretion of the applicable Secretary after
consultation with the other Secretary) that is generally
consistent with the percentage increases given to wildland
firefighters in the General Schedule under section 5332a.
(2) An increased wage rate under paragraph (1) shall be basic
pay for the same purposes as the wage rate otherwise
established under this section.
(3) An increase under this subsection may not cause the wage
rate of an employee to increase to a rate that would produce an
annualized rate in excess of the annual rate for level IV of
the Executive Schedule.
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 55--PAY ADMINISTRATION
* * * * * * *
Sec.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER V--PREMIUM PAY
* * * * * * *
[5544. Wage-board overtime and Sunday rates; computation.]
5544. Wage-board overtime, Sunday rates, and other premium pay.
* * * * * * *
5545c. Incident response premium pay for employees engaged in wildland
firefighting.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER V--PREMIUM PAY
* * * * * * *
Sec. 5544. [Wage-board overtime and Sunday rates; computation] Wage-
board overtime, Sunday rates, and other premium pay
(a) An employee whose pay is fixed and adjusted from time to
time in accordance with prevailing rates under section 5343 or
5349 of this title, or by a wage board or similar
administrative authority serving the same purpose, is entitled
to overtime pay for overtime work in excess of 8 hours a day or
40 hours a week. However, an employee subject to this
subsection who regularly is required to remain at or within the
confines of his post of duty in excess of 8 hours a day in a
standby or on-call status is entitled to overtime pay only for
hours of duty, exclusive of eating and sleeping time, in excess
of 40 a week. The overtime hourly rate of pay is computed as
follows:
(1) If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed
on a basis other than an annual or monthly basis,
multiply the basic hourly rate of pay by not less than
one and one-half.
(2) If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed
on an annual basis, divide the basic annual rate of pay
by 2,087, and multiply the quotient by one and one-
half.
(3) If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed
on a monthly basis, multiply the basic monthly rate of
pay by 12 to derive a basic annual rate of pay, divide
the basic annual rate of pay by 2,087, and multiply the
quotient by one and one-half.
An employee subject to this subsection whose regular work
schedule includes an 8-hour period of service a part of which
is on Sunday is entitled to additional pay at the rate of 25
percent of his hourly rate of basic pay for each hour of work
performed during that 8-hour period of service. For employees
serving outside the United States in areas where Sunday is a
routine workday and another day of the week is officially
recognized as the day of rest and worship, the Secretary of
State may designate the officially recognized day of rest and
worship as the day with respect to which the preceding sentence
shall apply instead of Sunday. Time spent in a travel status
away from the official duty station of an employee subject to
this subsection is not hours of work unless the travel (i)
involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is
incident to travel that involves the performance of work while
traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or
(iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or
controlled administratively (including travel by the employee
to such event and the return of the employee from such event to
the employee's official duty station). The first and third
sentences of this subsection shall not be applicable to an
employee who is subject to the overtime pay provisions of
section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. In the case
of an employee who would, were it not for the preceding
sentence, be subject to the first and third sentences of this
subsection, the Office of Personnel Management shall by
regulation prescribe what hours shall be deemed to be hours of
work and what hours of work shall be deemed to be overtime
hours for the purpose of such section 7 so as to ensure that no
employee receives less pay by reason of the preceding sentence.
(b) An employee under the Office of the Architect of the
Capitol who is paid on a daily or hourly basis and who is not
subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of this
title is entitled to overtime pay for overtime work in
accordance with subsection (a) of this section. The overtime
hourly rate of pay is computed in accordance with subsection
(a)(1) of this section.
(c) The provisions of this section, including the last two
sentences of subsection (a) and the provisions of section
5543(b), shall apply to a prevailing rate employee described in
section 5342(a)(2)(B).
(d) A prevailing rate employee described in section
5342(a)(2)(A) shall receive incident response premium pay under
the same terms and conditions that apply to a covered employee
under section 5545c if that employee--
(1) is employed by the Forest Service or the
Department of the Interior; and
(2)(A) is a wildland firefighter, as defined in
section 5332a(a); or
(B) is certified by the applicable agency to perform
wildland fire incident-related duties during the period
the employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying
incident (as defined in section 5545c(a)).
* * * * * * *
SEC. 5545C. INCIDENT RESPONSE PREMIUM PAY FOR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED IN
WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on Oversight and
Accountability of the House of Representatives;
(C) the Committee on Agriculture of the House
of Representatives;
(D) the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate;
(F) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(G) the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate; and
(H) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate;
(2) the term ``covered employee'' means an employee
of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior
who is--
(A) a wildland firefighter, as defined in
section 5332a(a); or
(B) certified by the applicable agency to
perform wildland fire incident-related duties
during the period that employee is deployed to
respond to a qualifying incident;
(3) the term ``incident response premium pay'' means
pay to which a covered employee is entitled under
subsection (c);
(4) the term ``prescribed fire incident'' means a
wildland fire originating from a planned ignition in
accordance with applicable laws, policies, and
regulations to meet specific objectives;
(5) the term ``qualifying incident''--
(A) means--
(i) a wildfire incident, a prescribed
fire incident, or a severity incident;
or
(ii) an incident that the Secretary
of Agriculture or the Secretary of the
Interior determines is similar in
nature to an incident described in
clause (i); and
(B) does not include an initial response
incident that is contained within 36 hours; and
(6) the term ``severity incident'' means an incident
in which a covered employee is pre-positioned in an
area in which conditions indicate there is a high risk
of wildfires.
(b) Eligibility.--A covered employee is eligible for incident
response premium pay under this section if--
(1) the covered employee is deployed to respond to a
qualifying incident; and
(2) the deployment described in paragraph (1) is--
(A) outside of the official duty station of
the covered employee; or
(B) within the official duty station of the
covered employee and the covered employee is
assigned to an incident-adjacent fire camp or
other designated field location.
(c) Entitlement to Incident Response Premium Pay.--
(1) In general.--A covered employee who satisfies the
conditions under subsection (b) is entitled to premium
pay for the period in which the covered employee is
deployed to respond to the applicable qualifying
incident.
(2) Computation.--
(A) Formula.--Subject to subparagraphs (B)
and (C), premium pay under paragraph (1) shall
be paid to a covered employee at a daily rate
of 450 percent of the hourly rate of basic pay
of the covered employee for each day that the
covered employee satisfies the requirements
under subsection (b), rounded to the nearest
whole cent.
(B) Limitation.--Premium pay under this
subsection may not be paid--
(i) with respect to a covered
employee for whom the annual rate of
basic pay is greater than that for step
10 of GS-10, at a daily rate that
exceeds the daily rate established
under subparagraph (A) for step 10 of
GS-10; or
(ii) to a covered employee in a total
amount that exceeds $9,000 in any
calendar year.
(C) Adjustments.--
(i) Assessment.--The Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior shall assess the difference
between the average total amount of
compensation that was paid to covered
employees, by grade, in fiscal years
2023 and 2024.
(ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days
after the date that is 1 year after the
effective date of this section, the
Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior shall jointly
publish a report on the results of the
assessment conducted under clause (i).
(iii) Administrative actions.--After
publishing the report required under
clause (ii), the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior, in consultation with the
Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, may, in the sole and
exclusive discretion of the Secretaries
acting jointly, administratively adjust
the amount of premium pay paid under
this subsection (or take other
administrative action) to ensure that
the average annual amount of total
compensation paid to covered employees,
by grade, is more consistent with such
amount that was paid to those employees
in fiscal year 2023.
(iv) Congressional notification.--Not
later than 3 days after an adjustment
made, or other administrative action
taken, under clause (iii) becomes
final, the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary of the Interior shall
jointly submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a notification
regarding that adjustment or other
administrative action, as applicable.
(d) Treatment of Incident Response Premium Pay.--Incident
response premium pay under this section--
(1) is not considered part of the basic pay of a
covered employee for any purpose;
(2) may not be considered in determining a covered
employee's lump-sum payment for accumulated and accrued
annual leave under section 5551 or section 5552;
(3) may not be used in determining pay under section
8114 (relating to compensation for work injuries);
(4) may not be considered in determining pay for
hours of paid leave or other paid time off during which
the premium pay is not payable; and
(5) shall be disregarded in determining the minimum
wage and overtime pay to which a covered employee is
entitled under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29
U.S.C. 201 et seq.).
* * * * * * *
Sec. 5547. Limitation on premium pay
(a) An employee may be paid premium pay under sections 5542,
5545(a), (b), and (c), 5545a, 5545c, 5546(a) and (b), and 5550
only to the extent that the payment does not cause the
aggregate of basic pay and such premium pay for any pay period
for such employee to exceed the greater of--
(1) the maximum rate of basic pay payable for GS-15
(including any applicable locality-based comparability
payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law
and any applicable special rate of pay under section
5305 or similar provision of law); or
(2) the rate payable for level V of the Executive
Schedule.
(b)(1) Subject to regulations prescribed by the Office of
Personnel Management, subsection (a) shall not apply to an
employee who is paid premium pay by reason of work in
connection with an emergency (including a wildfire emergency)
that involves a direct threat to life or property, including
work performed in the aftermath of such an emergency.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), no employee referred to in
such paragraph may be paid premium pay under the provisions of
law cited in subsection (a) if, or to the extent that, the
aggregate of the basic pay and premium pay under those
provisions for such employee would, in any calendar year,
exceed the greater of--
(A) the maximum rate of basic pay payable for GS-15
in effect at the end of such calendar year (including
any applicable locality-based comparability payment
under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any
applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or
similar provision of law); or
(B) the rate payable for level V of the Executive
Schedule in effect at the end of such calendar year.
(3) Subject to regulations prescribed by the Office of
Personnel Management, the head of an agency may determine that
subsection (a) shall not apply to an employee who is paid
premium pay to perform work that is critical to the mission of
the agency. Such employees may be paid premium pay under the
provisions of law cited in subsection (a) if, or to the extent
that, the aggregate of the basic pay and premium pay under
those provisions for such employee would not, in any calendar
year, exceed the greater of--
(A) the maximum rate of basic pay payable for GS-15
in effect at the end of such calendar year (including
any applicable locality-based comparability payment
under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any
applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or
similar provision of law); or
(B) the rate payable for level V of the Executive
Schedule in effect at the end of such calendar year.
(c) The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe
regulations governing the methods of applying subsection (b)(2)
and (b)(3) to employees who receive premium pay under section
5545(c) or 5545a, or to firefighters covered by section 5545b
who receive overtime pay for hours in their regular tour of
duty, and the method of payment to such employees. Such
regulations may limit the payment of such premium pay on a
biweekly basis.
(d) This section shall not apply to any employee of the
Federal Aviation Administration or the Department of Defense
who is paid premium pay under section 5546a.
(e) Any supplemental pay resulting from receipt of the level
1 border patrol rate of pay or the level 2 border patrol rate
of pay under section 5550 shall be considered premium pay in
applying this section.
* * * * * * *
----------
ACT OF JUNE 22, 1948 (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE THYE-BLATNIK ACT)
AN ACT To safeguard and consolidate certain areas of exceptional public
value within the Superior National Forest, State of Minnesota, and for
other purposes
Sec. 5. The Secretary of the Treasury, upon the certification
of the Secretary of Agriculture, shall pay to the State of
Minnesota, at the close of each fiscal year from any national-
forest receipts not otherwise appropriated a sum of money
equivalent to three-quarters of 1 per centum [of the fair
appraised value of such] of the highest fair appraised value,
including the historical fair appraised value, as determined by
the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with this section,
of such national-forest lands as may be situated within the
area described in section 2 of this Act at the end of each
fiscal year; and the payments made hereunder shall be
distributed to each of the three aforesaid counties in
conformity with the fair appraised value of such national-
forest lands in each county: Provided, That the fair appraised
value of the lands shall be determined by the Secretary of
Agriculture at ten-year intervals and his determination shall
be conclusive and final: Provided further, That the first
payment to the State of Minnesota under the provisions of this
section shall not be due until the close of the first full
fiscal year after approval of this Act: And provided further,
That the provisions of the Act of May 23, 1908 (35 Stat. 260),
and of section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911, as amended (36
Stat. 961; 38 Stat. 441), shall not be applicable to the
national-forest lands to which this section applies.
----------
AGRICULTURAL ACT OF 2014
* * * * * * *
TITLE VIII--FORESTRY
* * * * * * *
Subtitle C--Reauthorization of Other Forestry-Related Laws
* * * * * * *
SEC. 8206. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Authorized restoration services.--The term
``authorized restoration services'' means similar and
complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed
restoration services carried out--
(A) on Federal land, non-Federal land, and
land owned by an Indian tribe; and
(B) by either the Secretary or a Governor or
county, as applicable, pursuant to a good
neighbor agreement.
(2) County.--The term ``county'' means--
(A) the appropriate executive official of an
affected county; or
(B) in any case in which multiple counties
are affected, the appropriate executive
official of a compact of the affected counties.
(3) Federal land.--
(A) In general.--The term ``Federal land''
means land that is--
(i) National Forest System land; or
(ii) public land (as defined in
section 103 of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1702)); or
(iii) National Park System land; or
(iv) National Wildlife Refuge Land.
(B) Exclusions.--The term ``Federal land''
does not include--
(i) a component of the National
Wilderness Preservation System;
(ii) Federal land on which the
removal of vegetation is prohibited or
restricted by Act of Congress or
Presidential proclamation (including
the applicable implementation plan); or
(iii) a wilderness study area.
(4) Forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration
services.--
(A) In general.--The term ``forest,
rangeland, and watershed restoration services''
means--
(i) activities to treat insect- and
disease-infected trees;
(ii) activities to reduce hazardous
fuels; and
(iii) any other activities to restore
or improve forest, rangeland, and
watershed health, including fish and
wildlife habitat.
(B) Exclusions.--The term ``forest,
rangeland, and watershed restoration services''
does not include--
(i) construction, reconstruction,
repair, or restoration of paved or
permanent roads or parking areas, other
than the reconstruction, repair, or
restoration of a National Forest
System, Bureau of Land Management,
National ParkService, or National
Wildlife Refuge managed road that is--
(I) necessary to carry out
authorized restoration services
pursuant to a good neighbor
agreement; and
(II) in the case of a
National Forest System road
that is determined to be
unneeded in accordance with
section 212.5(b)(2) of title
36, Code of Federal Regulations
(as in effect on the date of
enactment of the Wildfire
SuppressionFunding and Forest
Management Activities Act),
decommissioned in accordance
with subparagraph (A)(iii)--
(aa) in a manner that
is consistent with the
applicable travel
management plan; and
(bb) not later than 3
years after the date on
which the applicable
authorized restoration
services project is
completed; or
(ii) construction, alteration, repair
or replacement of public buildings or
works.
(5) Good neighbor agreement.--The term ``good
neighbor agreement'' means a cooperative agreement or
contract (including a sole source contract) entered
into between the Secretary and a Governor or county, as
applicable, to carry out authorized restoration
services under this section.
(6) Governor.--The term ``Governor'' means the
Governor or any other appropriate executive official of
an affected State or Indian tribe or the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico.
(7) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
(8) National forest system road.--The term ``National
Forest System road'' has the meaning given the term in
section 212.1 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations
(as in effect on the date of enactment of the Wildfire
Suppression Fundingand Forest Management Activities
Act).
(9) Road.--The term ``road'' has the meaning given
the term in section 212.1 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of
this Act).
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with
respect to National Forest System land; and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with
respect to Bureau of Land Management land.
(b) Good Neighbor Agreements.--
(1) Good neighbor agreements.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may enter into
a good neighbor agreement with a Governor or
county to carry out authorized restoration
services in accordance with this section.
(B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall
make each good neighbor agreement available to
the public.
(2) Timber sales.--
(A) In general.--Subsections (d) and (g) of
section 14 of the National Forest Management
Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a(d) and (g)) shall
not apply to services performed under a good
neighbor agreement.
(B) Approval of silviculture prescriptions
and marking guides.--The Secretary shall
provide or approve all silviculture
prescriptions and marking guides to be applied
on Federal land in all timber sale projects
conducted under this section.
(C) Treatment of revenue.--
(i) In general.--Funds received from
the sale of timber by a Governor of a
State under a good neighbor agreement
shall be retained and used by the
Governor--
(I) to carry out authorized
restoration services on Federal
land under the good neighbor
agreement; and
(II) if there are funds
remaining after carrying out
subclause (I), to carry out
authorized restoration services
on Federal land within the
State under other good neighbor
agreements.
(ii) Termination of effectiveness.--
The authority provided by this
subparagraph terminates effective
October 1, [2024] 2025.
(3) Retention of nepa responsibilities.--Any decision
required to be made under the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with
respect to any authorized restoration services to be
provided under this section on Federal land shall not
be delegated to a Governor or county.
(4) Receipts.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, any payment made by a county to the Secretary
under a project conducted under a good neighbor
agreement shall not be considered to be monies received
from National Forest System, Bureau of Land Management,
National ParkSystem, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
land, as applicable.
* * * * * * *
----------
PUBLIC LAW 101-512
* * * * * * *
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
* * * * * * *
Minerals Management Service
LEASING AND ROYALTY MANAGEMENT
For expenses necessary for minerals leasing and environmental
studies, regulation of industry operations, and collection of
royalties, as authorized by law; for enforcing laws and
regulations applicable to oil, gas, and other minerals leases,
permits, licenses and operating contracts; and for matching
grants or cooperative agreements, including the purchase of not
to exceed eight passenger motor vehicles for replacement only;
$197,028,000, of which not less than $65,552,000 shall be
available for royalty management activities: Provided, That
funds appropriated under this Act shall be available for the
payment of interest in accordance with 30 U.S.C. 1721 (b) and
(d): Provided further, That not to exceed $3,000 shall be
available for reasonable expenses related to promoting
volunteer beach and marine cleanup activities: Provided
further, That notwithstanding 5 U.S.C. 5901(a), as amended,
hereafter the uniform allowance for each uniformed employee of
the Minerals Management Service shall not exceed $400 annually:
Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of
law, $8,000 under this head shall be available for refunds of
overpayments in connection with certain Indian leases in which
the Director of the Minerals Management Service concurred with
the claimed refund due: [Provided further, That notwithstanding
section 3302 of title 31, United States Code, any moneys
hereafter received as a result of the forfeiture of a bond or
other security by an Outer Continental Shelf permittee, lessee,
or right-of-way holder that does not fulfill the requirements
of its permit, lease, or right-of-way or does not comply with
the regulations of the Secretary, or as a bankruptcy
distribution or settlement associated with such failure or
noncompliance, shall be credited to a separate account
established in the Treasury for decommissioning activities and
shall be available to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation to
cover the cost to the United States of any improvement,
protection, rehabilitation, or decommissioning work rendered
necessary by the action or inaction that led to the forfeiture
or bankruptcy distribution or settlement, to remain available
until expended: Provided further, That amounts deposited into
the decommissioning account may be allocated to the Bureau of
Safety and Environmental Enforcement for such costs: Provided
further, That any moneys received for such costs currently held
in the Ocean Energy Management account shall be transferred to
the decommissioning account: Provided further, That any portion
of the moneys so credited shall be returned to the bankruptcy
estate, permittee, lessee, or right-of-way holder to the extent
that the money is in excess of the amount expended in
performing the work necessitated by the action or inaction
which led to their receipt or, if the bond or security was
forfeited for failure to pay the civil penalty, in excess of
the civil penalty imposed.] Provided further, That
notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code,
any moneys hereafter received as a result of the forfeiture of
a bond or other security by an Outer Continental Shelf
permittee, lessee, or right-of-way holder that does not fulfill
the requirements of its permit, lease, or right-of-way or does
not comply with the regulations of the Secretary, or as a
bankruptcy distribution or settlement associated with such
failure or noncompliance, shall be credited to a separate
account established in the Treasury for decommissioning
activities and shall be available to the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management without further appropriation or fiscal year
limitation to cover the cost to the United States or any entity
conducting any improvement, protection, rehabilitation, or
decommissioning work rendered necessary by the action or
inaction that led to the forfeiture or bankruptcy distribution
or settlement, to remain available until expended: Provided
further, That amounts deposited into the decommissioning
account may be allocated to the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement for such costs: Provided further,
That any moneys received for such costs currently held in the
Ocean Energy Management account shall be transferred to the
decommissioning account: Provided further, That only such
portion of the moneys so credited that are in excess of the
amount expended in performing the work necessitated by the
action or inaction which led to their receipt or, if the bond
or security was forfeited for failure to pay the civil penalty,
in excess of the civil penalty imposed shall be returned to the
bankruptcy estate, permittee, lessee, or right-of-way holder.
Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of
law, $68,200,000 shall be deducted from Federal onshore mineral
leasing receipts prior to the division and distribution of such
receipts between the States and the Treasury and shall be
credited to miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury.
* * * * * * *
CHANGES IN APPLICATION OF EXISTING LAW
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following statements are
submitted describing the effect of provisions in the
accompanying bill, which directly or indirectly change the
application of existing law. In most instances these provisions
have been included in prior appropriations Acts.
The bill includes the following changes in application of
existing law:
OVERALL BILL
Providing that certain appropriations remain available
until expended, or extending the availability of funds beyond
the fiscal year where programs or projects are continuing but
for which legislation does not specifically authorize such
extended availability.
Limiting, in certain instances, the obligation of funds for
particular functions or programs. These limitations include
restrictions on the obligation of funds for administrative
expenses, travel expenses, the use of consultants, and
programmatic areas within the overall jurisdiction of a
particular agency.
Limiting official entertainment or reception and
representation expenses for selected agencies in the bill.
Continuing ongoing activities of certain critical Federal
agencies or programs, which require re-authorization or other
legislation which has not been enacted.
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
MANAGEMENT OF LANDS AND RESOURCES
Providing funds to the Bureau for the management of lands
and resources.
Permitting the use of fees for processing applications for
permit to drill.
Permitting the use of mining fee collections for program
operations.
Permitting the use of fees from communication site rentals.
OREGON AND CALIFORNIA GRANT LANDS
Providing funds for the Oregon and California Grant Lands.
Authorizing the transfer of certain collections from the
Oregon and California Land Grants Fund to the Treasury.
RANGE IMPROVEMENTS
Allowing certain funds to be used for range improvements.
SERVICE CHARGES, DEPOSITS, AND FORFEITURES
Allowing the use of certain collected funds for certain
administrative costs and operation of termination of certain
facilities.
Allowing the use of funds on any damaged public lands.
Authorizing the Secretary to use monies from forfeitures,
compromises or settlements for improvement, protection, and
rehabilitation of public lands under certain conditions.
MISCELLANEOUS TRUST FUNDS
Allowing certain contributed funds to be advanced for
administrative costs and other activities of the Bureau.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Permitting the Bureau to enter into agreements with public
and private entities, including States.
Permitting the Bureau to manage improvements to which the
United States has title.
Permitting the payment of rewards for information on
violations of law on Bureau lands.
Providing for cost-sharing arrangements for printing
services.
Permitting the Bureau to conduct certain projects for State
governments on a reimbursable basis.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Limits funding for Endangered Species Act programs.
STATE AND TRIBAL WILDLIFE GRANTS
Designating funding for grant programs.
Apportioning funding to States and territories.
Establishing cost shares.
Reapportioning unobligated balances.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Providing that programs may be carried out by direct
expenditure, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and
reimbursable agreements with public and private entities.
Providing for repair of damage to public roads.
Providing options for the purchase of land not to exceed
$1.
Permitting cost-shared arrangements for printing services.
Permitting the acceptance of donated aircraft.
Providing that fees collected for non-toxic shot review and
approval shall be available without further appropriation for
the expenses of non-toxic shot review related expenses.
National Park Service
Designating funds for various programs.
Providing for National Park Medical Service Fund.
National Recreation and Preservation
Providing for expenses not otherwise provided for.
Historic Preservation
Providing funding by program.
Requiring a match in the Save America's Treasures program.
Provides that individual projects are only available for
one grant.
Provides for approval of projects.
Providing for expenses derived from the Historic
Preservation Fund.
Provides for semiquincentennial anniversary competitive
grants.
Construction
Providing that a single procurement may be issued for any
project funded in fiscal year 2025 with a future phase
indicated in the National Park Service 5-year Line Item
Construction Plan.
Providing that the solicitation and contract shall contain
the availability of funds clause.
Providing that fees may be made available for the cost of
adjustments and changes within the original scope of effort for
projects funded by the Construction appropriation.
Providing that the Secretary of the Interior shall consult
with the Committees on Appropriations in accordance with
reprogramming thresholds prior to making any changes authorized
by this section.
CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE
Providing funds for Centennial Challenge projects with no
less than 50 percent of the cost of each project derived from
non-Federal sources.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Allowing certain franchise fees to be available for
expenditure without further appropriation to extinguish or
reduce liability for certain possessory interests.
Providing for the retention of administrative costs under
certain Land and Water Conservation Fund programs.
Allowing National Park Service funds to be transferred to
the Federal Highway Administration for purposes authorized
under 23 U.S.C. 204 for reasonable administrative support
costs.
United States Geological Survey
SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH
Providing funds to classify lands as to their mineral and
water resources.
Providing funds to give engineering supervision to power
permittees and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensees.
Providing funds to administer the minerals exploration
program, conduct inquiries into economic conditions affecting
mining and materials processing industries and related
activities.
Providing funds to publish and disseminate data relative to
the foregoing activities.
Limiting funds for the conduct of new surveys on private
property without permission.
Limiting funds for cooperative topographic mapping or water
resource data collection and investigations.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Providing funds for contracting for topographic maps and
surveys.
Allowing funds to be used for certain contracting,
construction, maintenance, acquisition, and representation
expenses.
Providing for payment of compensation and expenses of
persons employed by the Survey in the negotiation and
administration of interstate compacts.
Permitting the use of certain contracts, grants, and
cooperative agreements, including agreements with Tribes.
Recognizing students and recent graduates as Federal
employees for the purposes of travel and work injury
compensation.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Providing that certain fees offset appropriations.
Limiting funding for reasonable expenses related to
volunteer beach and marine cleanup activities.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Providing that certain fees offset appropriations.
Requiring that not less than 50 percent of inspection fees
expended be used on personnel, expanding capacity and reviewing
applications for permit to drill.
OIL SPILL RESEARCH
Providing that funds shall be derived from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund.
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
REGULATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Permitting payment to State and Tribal personnel for travel
and per diem expenses for training.
Permitting the use of certain offsetting collections from
permit fees.
ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND
Allowing the use of debt recovery to pay for debt
collection.
Allowing that certain funds made available under title IV
of Public Law 95-987 may be used for any required non-Federal
share of the cost of certain projects.
Allowing funds to be used for travel expenses of State and
Tribal personnel while attending certain OSM training.
Providing that funds shall be paid to certain qualifying
entities for economic and community development in conjunction
with reclamation priorities.
Requiring payments within 90 days of enactment.
Reduced salaries and expenses funding if payments are not
made.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
OPERATION OF INDIAN PROGRAMS
Limiting funds for official reception and representation
expenses.
Limiting funds for welfare assistance payments, except for
disaster relief.
Allowing Tribal priority allocation funds to be used for
unmet welfare assistance costs.
Limiting funds for housing improvement, land acquisition,
road maintenance, attorney fees, litigation support, land
records improvement, hearings and appeals, and the Navajo-Hopi
Settlement Program.
Allowing the transfer of certain forestry funds.
Allowing the use of funds to purchase uniforms or other
identifying articles of clothing for personnel.
Allowing the transfer of funds to the Office of the
Secretary for trust, probate, and administrative functions.
Allowing BIA to accept transfers from U.S. Customs and
Border Protection for reconstruction or repair of roads.
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS
Prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other account.
Payment for Tribal Leases
Prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other account.
CONSTRUCTION
Providing for the transfer of Navajo irrigation project
funds to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Providing Safety of Dams funds on a non-reimbursable basis.
Allowing reimbursement of construction costs from the
Bureau of Trust Funds Administration.
Providing that funds are available for Federal field
communication capabilities.
INDIAN GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Limiting funds for administrative expenses and for
subsidizing total loan principal.
Bureau of Indian Education
OPERATION OF INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Allowing Tribal Priority Allocation funds to be used for
unmet welfare assistance costs.
Providing forward-funding for school operations of Bureau-
funded schools and other education programs.
Limiting funds for education-related administrative cost
grants.
Allowing the use of funds to purchase uniforms or other
identifying articles of clothing for personnel.
EDUCATION CONSTRUCTION
Limiting the control of construction projects when certain
timeframes have not been met.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Allowing the use of funds for direct expenditure,
contracts, cooperative agreements, compacts, and grants.
Allowing contracting for the San Carlos Irrigation Project.
Limiting the use of funds for certain contracts, grants,
and cooperative agreements.
Providing that there is no impact on the trust
responsibility for Tribes that return appropriations.
Prohibiting funding of Alaska schools.
Limiting the number of schools and the expansion of grade
levels in individual schools.
Specifying distribution of indirect and administrative
costs for certain Tribes.
Limiting the expansion of satellite school locations.
Allowing Tribal Priority Allocation funds to be used to
execute adjustments requested by Indian Tribes.
Bureau of Trust Fund Administration
FEDERAL TRUST PROGRAMS
Limiting the amount of funding available for the settlement
support.
Allowing transfers to other Department of the Interior
accounts.
Providing no-year funding for certain Indian Self-
Determination Act grants.
Exempting quarterly statements for Indian trust accounts
$15 or less.
Requiring annual statements and records maintenance for
Indian trust accounts.
Limiting use of funds to correct administrative errors in
Indian trust accounts.
Permitting the use of recoveries from erroneous payments
pursuant to Indian trust accounts.
Exempting reconciliation of Special Deposit Accounts with
low balances in certain circumstances.
Allowing for limited aggregation of trust accounts of
individuals whose whereabouts are unknown.
Departmental Offices
Office of the Secretary, Salaries and Expenses
Allowing the use of certain funds for official reception
and representation expenses.
Permitting payments to former Bureau of Mines workers.
Designating funds for Indian land, mineral, and resource
valuation activities.
Permitting funds for Indian land, mineral, and resource
valuation activities to be transferred to and merged with the
Bureau of Indian Affairs ``Operation of Indian Programs'' and
Bureau of Indian Education ``Operation of Indian Education
Programs'' account and the Bureau of Trust Funds
Administration, ``Federal Trust Programs'' account.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Allowing certain payments authorized for the Payments in
Lieu of Taxes Program to be retained for administrative
expenses.
Providing that the amounts provided are the only amounts
available for payments authorized under chapter 69 of title 31,
United States Code.
Providing that in the event sums appropriated are
insufficient to make the full payments then the payment to each
local government shall be made proportionally.
Providing that the Secretary may make adjustments to
payment to individual units of local government to correct for
prior overpayments or underpayments.
Providing that no Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program payment
be made to otherwise eligible units of local government if the
computed amount of the payment is less than $100.
Insular Affairs
ASSISTANCE TO TERRITORIES
Designating funds for various programs and for salaries and
expenses of the Office of Insular Affairs.
Allowing audits of the financial transactions of the
Territorial and Insular governments by the GAO.
Providing grant funding under certain terms of the
Agreement of the Special Representatives on Future United
States Financial Assistance for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Providing for capital infrastructure in various
Territories.
Allowing appropriations for disaster assistance to be used
as non-Federal matching funds for hazard mitigation grants.
Administrative Provisions, Insular Affairs
Allowing, at the request of the Governor of Guam, for
certain discretionary or mandatory funds to be used to assist
securing certain rural electrification loans through the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
DEPARTMENT-WIDE PROGRAMS
Wildland Fire Management
Permitting the repayments of funds transferred from other
accounts for firefighting.
Designating funds for hazardous fuels and burned area
rehabilitation.
Permitting the use of funds for lodging and subsistence of
firefighters.
Permitting the use of grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements for hazardous fuels reduction, including cost-
sharing and local assistance.
Permitting cost-sharing of cooperative agreements with non-
Federal entities under certain circumstances.
Providing for local competition for hazardous fuels
reduction activities.
Permitting reimbursement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for
consultation activities under the Endangered Species Act.
Providing certain terms for leases of real property with
local governments.
Providing for the transfer of funds between the Department
of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture for wildland
fire management.
Providing funds for support of Federal emergency response
actions.
Allowing for international forestry assistance to or
through the Department of State.
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS RESERVE FUND
Providing for the transfer of funds for wildfire
suppression operations.
ENERGY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM
Providing that funds are available for program management
and oversight.
Providing that funds may be expended for directly or
through grants.
Providing that funds are not available for CERCLA
obligations.
WORKING CAPITAL FUND
Prohibiting use of funds to establish reserves in the
working capital fund except for limited exceptions.
Allowing assessments for reasonable charges for training
services at the National Indian Program Center and use of these
funds under certain conditions.
Providing space and related facilities or the lease of
related facilities, equipment or professional services of the
National Indian Program Training Center to State, local and
Tribal employees or other persons for cultural, educational or
recreational activities.
Providing that the Secretary may enter into grants and
cooperative agreements to support the Office of Natural
Resource Revenue's collection and disbursement of royalties,
fees, and other mineral revenue proceeds, as authorized by law.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
Allowing acquisition and sale of certain aircraft.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue
Designating funds for mineral revenue management
activities.
Allowing certain refunds of overpayments in connection with
certain Indian leases.
GENERAL PROVISIONS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Section 101 continues a provision providing for emergency
transfer authority (intra-Bureau) with the approval of the
Secretary when all other emergency funds have been exhausted.
Section 102 continues a provision providing for emergency
transfer authority (Department-wide) with the approval of the
Secretary.
Section 103 continues a provision providing for the use of
appropriations for certain services with the approval of the
Secretary.
Section 104 continues a provision permitting the transfer
of funds between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian
Education, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, and
includes a notification requirement.
Section 105 continues a provision permitting the
redistribution of Tribal priority allocation and Tribal base
funds to address identified, unmet needs, dual enrollment,
overlapping services or inaccurate distribution methodologies.
Section 106 continues a provision allowing Outer
Continental Shelf inspection fees to be collected by the
Secretary of the Interior.
Section 107 continues a provision allowing the Bureau of
Land Management to enter into long-term cooperative agreements
for long-term care and maintenance of excess wild horses and
burros on private land.
Section 108 continues a provision dealing with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's responsibilities for mass marking
of salmonid stocks.
Section 109 continues a provision allowing the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education to perform
reimbursable work more efficiently and effectively.
Section 110 continues bill language establishing a
Department of the Interior Experienced Services Program.
Section 111 continues a provision requiring funds to be
available for obligation and expenditure not later than 60 days
following the enactment of this Act.
Section 112 provides the Secretary of the Interior the
ability to transfer funds among and between the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
Section 113 continues a provision providing funding for the
Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.
Section 114 continues a provision authorizing Tribally
controlled schools access to interagency motor vehicles in the
same manner as if performing activities under the Indian Self
Determination and Education Assistance Act.
Section 115 continues a provision providing the Secretary
of the Interior with certain pay authority for the Appraisal
and Valuation Services Office.
Section 116 prohibits the Secretary from writing or issuing
a proposed or final rule for greater sage-grouse or any
distinct population segment; or to implement any threatened
species or endangered species status of the greater sage-grouse
or any distinct population segment.
Section 117 prohibits funds to implement the Draft Resource
Management Plan Amendment or Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Rangewide Planning referenced
in the Notice titled ``Notice of Availability of the Draft
Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact
Statement for Greater Sage-Grouse Rangewide Planning''.
Section 118 continues a provision authorizing the National
Park Service to use up to seven percent of State assistance
funds as grants to States for indirect costs.
Section 119 extends the authorization of deposits into the
Historic Preservation Fund.
Section 120 continues a provision providing the Secretary
of the Interior the ability to authorize and execute agreements
to achieve operating efficiencies.
Section 121 amends 54 U.S. Code 103101 to increase the
National Park Service emergency law enforcement ceiling from
$250,000 to $500,000.
Section 122 amends division G of Public Law 113-76 to
continue allowing public and private sources to contribute
money and services to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
(BSEE) through 2029.
Section 123 allows funds previously made available in
Division B of Public Law 115-123 for the National Park
Service--Historic Preservation Fund to remain available through
fiscal year 2026 for the liquidation of valid obligations
incurred during fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
Section 124 deems that the final environmental impact
statement for the Lava Ridge Wind Project shall have no force
or effect.
Section 125 prohibits funds to ban the use of lead
ammunition or tackle on Federal land or water that is made
available for hunting or fishing activities or to issue
regulations relating to the level of lead in ammunition or
tackle to be used on Federal land or water with certain
exceptions.
Section 126 prohibits funds to carry out the program for
Federal employees at the Department of the Interior entitled
``Acknowledging Ecogrief and Developing Resistance'' or any
counseling sessions, workshop, or any other meeting pertaining
to ecological grief, ecogrief, or eco-resilience.
Section 127 prohibits funds to implement the final the rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser
Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for
the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status
for the Southern Distinct Population Segment.''
Section 128 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat''.
Section 129 prohibits funds to implement the threatened
species or endangered species status of the dunes sagebrush
lizard.
Section 130 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue the final rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From
the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife''.
Section 131 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule for North
American Wolverine''.
Section 132 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of
Grizzly Bear in the North Cascades Ecosystem, Washington
State''.
Section 133 prohibits funds for the Secretary of the
Interior to establish an experimental population of the grizzly
bear within the Bitterroot Ecosystem of Montana and Idaho.
Section 134 prohibits funds for the Secretary of the
Interior to implement a proposed or final rule pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act with regard to a fish legally held in
captivity or in a controlled environment in a manner that
maintains physical separation of such fish from any wild
population of the same species.
Section 135 prohibits the introduction of American bison on
the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Section 136 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants''; the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species
and Designating Critical Habitat''; and the final rule titled
``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations
for Interagency Cooperation''.
Section 137 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue Order No. 3368 regarding consent decrees and settlement
agreements.
Section 138 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Conservation and Landscape Health''.
Section 139 prohibits funds for the management of the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument except in compliance with
the approved resource management plan dated February 2020.
Section 140 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue
the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and
Plants; Regulations for Interagency Cooperation'', published in
the Federal Register on January 12, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 2373) to
address the Cottonwood decision.
Section 141 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed rule
titled ``National Wildlife Refuge System; Biological Integrity,
Diversity, and Environmental Health''.
Section 142 prohibits funds for the National Park Service
to provide housing to an alien without lawful status under the
immigration laws.
Section 143 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
prepare an environmental impact statement prior to approving a
permit within the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Section 144 requires the Secretary of the Interior issue a
new Record of Decision for the Caldwell Canyon Mine Project.
Section 145 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue
the 5-year oil and gas leasing program and requires the
Secretary to begin preparation of the subsequent oil and gas
leasing program not later than 36 months after conducting the
first lease sale in an existing 5-year program.
Section 146 requires oil and gas lease sales in the Central
Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, the Western Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area, and in the Alaska region.
Section 147 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct Lease Sale 262.
Section 148 reiterates that nothing in this Act shall
affect the Presidential memorandum titled ``Memorandum on
Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer
Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and dated
September 8, 2020; the Presidential memorandum titled
``Memorandum on Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United
States Outer Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition'' and
dated September 25, 2020; the Presidential memorandum titled
``Memorandum on Withdrawal of Certain Areas off the Atlantic
Coast on the Outer Continental Shelf From Leasing Disposition''
and dated December 20, 2016; or the ban on oil and gas
development in the Great Lakes described in Section 386 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15941).
Section 149 prohibits funds to implement any restrictions
related to offshore energy leasing carried out pursuant to the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act intended to reduce or
eliminate possible disturbance to the North Pacific right
whale, North Atlantic right whale, or Rice's whale.
Section 150 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales.
Section 151 prohibits funds to implement any recommendation
of the Interagency Working Group on Mining Regulations, Laws,
and Permitting of the Department of the Interior contained in
the report titled ``Recommendations to Improve Mining on Public
Lands''.
Section 152 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Ten-Day Notices and Corrective Action for State
Regulatory Program Issues''.
Section 153 prohibits funds to cancel or suspend oil and
gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or the
National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
Section 154 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Management and Protection of the National Petroleum
Reserve in Alaska'' or any substantially similar rule.
Section 155 prohibits funds to pursue litigation against
the Glacier Range Riders for trademark rights infringement.
Section 156 extends the operation of an existing
hydroelectric project in California.
Section 157 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reissue the final rule titled ``Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife''.
Section 158 prohibits funds for the National Park Service
to designate or manage Big Cypress National Preserve as
wilderness.
Section 159 updates enacted offshore decommissioning
language to ensure funding is provided for these activities.
TITLE II--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Providing for operating expenses in support of research and
development.
Designating funding for National Priorities research as
specified in the report accompanying this Act.
Allowing for the operation of aircraft.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS AND MANAGEMENT
Allowing hire and maintenance of passenger motor vehicles
and operation of aircraft and purchase of reprints and library
memberships in societies or associations which issue
publications to members only or at a price to members lower
than to subscribers who are not members.
Limiting amounts for official representation and reception
expenses.
Designating funding for National Priorities as specified in
the report accompanying this Act.
Designating funding for Geographical programs as specified
in the report accompanying this Act.
Allocation of certain appropriated funds for the Chemical
Risk Review and Reduction program project.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SUPERFUND
Allowing distribution of funds to purchase services from
other agencies under certain circumstances.
Allowing for the operation of aircraft.
Providing for the transfer of funds within certain agency
accounts.
LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK PROGRAM
Providing for grants to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.
INLAND OIL SPILL PROGRAM
Allowing for the operation of aircraft.
STATE AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS
Specifying funding for capitalization grants for the Clean
Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
Specifying funding for Community Project Funding grants.
Designating funds for specific sections of law.
Providing waivers for certain uses of Clean Water and
Drinking Water State Revolving Funds for State administrative
costs for grants to federally-recognized Indian Tribes and
grants to specific Territories and Freely Associated States.
Requiring that 10 percent of Clean Water and 14 percent of
Drinking Water funds shall be used by States for forgiveness of
principal or negative interest loans.
Prohibiting the use of funds for jurisdictions that permit
development or construction of additional colonia areas.
Requiring State matching funds for certain grants to Alaska
Native Villages and specifying certain allocation of funds.
Requiring a portion of grant funding for brownfields grants
for persistent poverty communities and territories.
Providing for targeted airshed grants in accordance with
report accompanying the Act.
Designating Save Our Seas 2.0 Act funding for
administrative expenses and providing for certain grants.
Providing that America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018
grants may be awarded to Tribes.
Providing for additional funding for Solid Waste Disposal
Act.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Requiring loans and commitments to be in accordance with
law and regulation.
Prohibiting the use of funds for loans unless certain
certifications are made.
Allowing for the collection, transfer, and obligation of
certain fees.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Allowing awards for grants to Federally-recognized Indian
Tribes.
Authorizing the collection and obligation of pesticide
registration service fees.
Allowing the transfer of funds from the ``Environmental
Programs and Management'' account to support the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative and providing for certain interagency
agreements and grants to various entities in support of this
effort.
Providing amounts for construction, alteration, repair,
rehabilitation, and renovation of facilities.
Authorizing the collection and obligation of Electronic
Manifest fees.
Authorizing the collection and obligation of TSCA fees.
Providing for grants to federally recognized Tribes.
Authorizing grants to implement certain watershed
restoration.
Providing amounts for competitive grants under the National
Estuary Program.
Allowing for the use of aircraft from certain funds.
Authorizing certain temporary hiring of contractors.
TITLE III--RELATED AGENCIES
FOREST SERVICE
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Providing funds for one administrative support staff for
the office.
FOREST SERVICE OPERATIONS
Providing funds for Forest Service Operations.
FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH
Designating funds for the forest inventory and analysis
program.
Providing for the use of funds for Fire Science Research.
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM
Depositing funds for certain purposes.
Provides for fee grazing credits.
Provides for certain base salaries and expenses.
ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS SPECIAL ACTS
Requiring that funding for the program is derived from
forest receipts.
ACQUISITION OF LANDS TO COMPLETE LAND EXCHANGES
Requiring that funding for the program is derived from
funds deposited by State, county, or municipal governments and
non-Federal parties pursuant to Land Sale and Exchange Acts.
RANGE BETTERMENT FUND
Providing that fifty percent of monies received from
grazing fees shall be used for range improvements and limiting
administrative expenses to six percent.
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
Permitting the use of funds for emergency rehabilitation
and to support emergency response and wildfire suppression.
Allowing the use of wildland fire funds to repay advances
from other accounts.
Allowing for the transfer of prior year balances.
Allowing reimbursement of States for certain wildfire
emergency activities.
Allowing funding to support to Federal emergency response.
Providing for cooperative agreements.
Designating funds for suppression.
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS RESERVE FUND
Allowing for the transfer of funds.
COMMUNICATIONS SITE ADMINISTRATION
Allowing for the deposit and transfer of amounts collected.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Permitting the purchase of passenger motor vehicles and
proceeds from the sale of aircraft may be used to purchase
replacement aircraft.
Allowing funds for certain employment contracts.
Allowing funds to be used for purchase and alteration of
buildings.
Allowing for acquisition of certain lands and interests.
Allowing expenses for certain volunteer activities.
Providing for the cost of uniforms.
Providing for debt collections on certain contracts.
Providing for the transfer of funds between accounts
affected by the Forest Service budget restructure.
Providing for the transfer of funds to the Wildland Fire
Management appropriation for forest firefighting, emergency
rehabilitation and fire preparedness.
Limiting the transfer of wildland fire management funds
between the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture.
Providing the transfer of funds for hazardous fuels
management and urgent rehabilitation.
Allowing funds to be used through the Agency for
International Development for work in foreign countries and to
support other forestry activities outside the United States.
Allowing the Forest Service, acting for the International
Program, to sign certain funding agreements with foreign
governments and institutions as well as with certain domestic
agencies.
Authorizing the expenditure or transfer of funds for wild
horse and burro activities.
Prohibiting the transfer of funds under the Department of
Agriculture transfer authority under certain conditions.
Limiting the transfer of funds for the Working Capital Fund
and Department Reimbursable Program (also known as Greenbook
charges).
Limiting funds to support the Youth Conservation Corps and
Public Lands Corps.
Limiting the use of funds for official reception and
representation expenses.
Providing for matching funds for the National Forest
Foundation.
Allows funds to be advanced to the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation.
Allows for certain cooperative agreements to support the
work of forest or grassland collaboratives.
Allows funds for fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 to
be used for expenses associated with primary and secondary
schooling for dependents of agency personnel stationed in
Puerto Rico, who are subject to transfer and reassignment to
other locations in the United States.
Allowing funds to be used for technical assistance for
rural communities.
Allowing funds for payments to counties in the Columbia
River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Allowing funds to be used for the Older Americans Act.
Prohibiting the assessment of funds for the purpose of
performing fire, administrative, and other facilities
maintenance and decommissioning.
Limiting funds to reimburse the Office of General Counsel
at the Department of Agriculture.
Permitting eligible employees to be considered Federal
employees.
Requiring regular reporting of unobligated balances.
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES
Provides advance appropriations for fiscal year 2026.
Providing that Tribal contract and grant funding is deemed
obligated at the time of grant or contract award and remains
available until expended.
Designating funding for certain purposes and time periods.
Allowing funds available for two fiscal years to be used in
the second year of availability.
Requiring certain amounts received by Tribes and Tribal
organizations to be reported and accounted for.
Providing for the collection of individually identifiable
health information relating to the Americans with Disabilities
Act by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribes and Tribal
organizations.
Permitting the use of Indian Health Care Improvement Fund
resources for facilities improvement and providing no-year
funding availability.
Requiring reporting to Congress before funds made available
for the Electronic Health Record system may be obligated.
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS
Prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other account.
Providing funds obligated but not expended to be used for
subsequent fiscal year costs.
PAYMENT FOR TRIBAL LEASES
Prohibiting the transfer of funds to any other account.
INDIAN HEALTH FACILITIES
Providing advance appropriations for fiscal year 2026.
Allowing funds to be used for purchase of land.
Providing for TRANSAM equipment to be purchased from the
Department of Defense.
Prohibiting the use of funds for sanitation facilities for
new homes funded by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Providing services at certain rates.
Allowing payments for telephone service in private
residences in the field, purchase of motor vehicles, aircraft,
and reprints.
Allowing the purchase and erection of modular buildings.
Allowing funds to be used for uniforms.
Allowing funding to be used for attendance at professional
meetings.
Allowing health care to be extended to non-Indians at
Indian Health Service facilities, subject to charges, and for
the expenditure of collected funds.
Allowing transfers of funds from the Department of Housing
and Urban Development to the Indian Health Service.
Prohibiting limitations on certain Federal travel and
transportation expenses.
Requiring departmental assessments to be identified in
annual budget justifications.
Allowing de-obligation and re-obligation of funds applied
to self-governance funding agreements.
Prohibiting the expenditure of funds to implement new
eligibility regulations.
Permitting certain reimbursements for goods and services
provided to Tribes.
Providing that reimbursements for training, technical
assistance, or services include total costs.
Allowing housing allowances for civilian medical personnel.
Prohibiting changes in organizational structure without
advance notification to Congress.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH
Providing for the conduct of health studies, testing, and
monitoring.
Limiting the number of toxicological profiles.
Executive Office of the President
COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Limiting the use of funds for official reception and
representation expenses.
Designating the appointment and duties of the chairman.
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Permitting use of funds for hire of passenger vehicles,
uniforms, or allowances with per diem rate limitations.
Limiting the number of senior level positions.
Designating the individual appointed to the position of
Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency as the
Inspector General of the Board.
Directing use of personnel and limiting position
appointments.
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation
Providing that funds in this and prior appropriations Acts
shall be used to relocate persons certified as eligible.
Providing that no person can be evicted unless a
replacement home is provided.
Providing that no relocatee is provided with more than one
new or replacement home.
Providing that the Office shall relocate any certified
eligible relocatee.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development
Providing funds to become available on July 1, 2025.
Smithsonian Institution
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Limiting certain lease terms.
Providing for purchase, rental, repair, and cleaning of
uniforms.
Designating funds for certain programs and providing no-
year funds.
Providing that funds may be used to support American
overseas research centers.
Allowing for advance payments to independent contractors
performing research services or participating in official
Smithsonian presentations.
Providing for Federal appropriations designated for lease
or rent payments to be expended as rent payable and deposited
into the general trust funds for expenses associated with the
purchase of a portion of a building and not to be construed as
Federal debt service or an obligation of the Federal
Government.
Providing no appropriated funds may be used to directly
service debt incurred to finance the cost of acquiring a
portion of a building and specifying notification requirements
if the acquisition is sold.
Requiring advance notification of the Appropriations
Committees prior to building acquisition.
Facilities Capital
Designating funds for certain services.
National Gallery of Art
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Allowing payment in advance for membership in library,
museum, and art associations or societies.
Allowing for purchase, repair, and cleaning of uniforms for
guards and employees and allowances therefor.
Allowing purchase or rental of devices for protecting
buildings and contents thereof, and maintenance, alteration,
improvement, and repair of buildings, approaches, and grounds.
Providing for restoration and repair of works of art by
contract under certain circumstances.
REPAIR, RESTORATION, AND RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS
Providing lease agreements of no more than 10 years
addressing space needs created by renovations under the Master
Facilities Plan.
Providing funds for the design and construction of a
facility in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
Permitting the Gallery to perform work by contract under
certain circumstances.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Allowing for hire of passenger vehicles and services.
National Endowment for the Humanities
GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION
Allowing obligation of National Endowment for the
Humanities current and prior year funds from gifts, bequests,
and devises of money for which equal amounts have not
previously been appropriated.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS, NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE
HUMANITIES
Prohibiting the use of funds for grants and contracts which
do not include the text of 18 U.S.C. 1913.
Prohibiting the use of appropriated funds and permitting
the use of non-appropriated funds for reception expenses.
Allowing the chairperson of the National Endowment for the
Arts to approve small grants under certain circumstances.
Commission of Fine Arts
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Permitting the charging and use of fees for its
publications and accepting gifts related to the history of the
Nation's Capital.
Providing that one-tenth of one percent of funds provided
may be used for official reception and representation expenses.
National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs
Continuing a provision to adjust eligibility criteria.
National Capital Planning Commission
Providing that one-quarter of one percent may be used for
official reception and representational expenses.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Designating funds for certain purposes.
Extending the availability of appropriations.
United States Semiquincentennial Commission
Designating funds for certain purposes.
TITLE IV--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 401 continues a provision prohibiting activities to
promote public support or opposition to legislative proposals.
Section 402 continues a provision making funds available
only for the current fiscal year unless expressly provided
otherwise in this Act.
Section 402 continues a provision making funds available
only for the current fiscal year unless expressly provided
otherwise in this Act.
Section 403 continues a provision providing restrictions on
departmental assessments unless approved by the Committee on
Appropriations.
Section 404 continues a limitation on accepting and
processing applications for patents and on the patenting of
Federal lands.
Section 405 continues a provision regarding the payment of
contract support costs for prior fiscal years.
Section 406 continues a provision addressing the payment of
contract support costs for fiscal year 2025.
Section 407 continues a provision providing that the
Secretary of Agriculture shall not be considered in violation
of certain provisions of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
Resources Planning Act solely because more than 15 years have
passed without revision of a forest plan, provided that the
Secretary is working in good faith to complete the plan
revision.
Section 408 continues a provision limiting preleasing,
leasing, and related activities within the boundaries of
National Monuments.
Section 409 continues a provision which restricts funding
for acquisition of lands or interests in lands from being used
for declarations of taking or complaints in condemnation.
Section 410 continues a provision which prohibits no-bid
contracts and grants except under certain circumstances.
Section 411 continues a provision which requires public
disclosure of certain reports.
Section 412 continues a provision which delineates the
grant guidelines for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Section 413 continues a provision which delineates the
program priorities for programs managed by the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Section 414 continues a provision requiring the Department
of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Forest
Service, and Indian Health Service to provide the Committees on
Appropriations quarterly reports on the status of balances of
appropriations.
Section 415 continues a provision extending certain
authorities through fiscal year 2025 allowing the Forest
Service to renew grazing permits.
Section 416 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to maintain or establish a computer network unless such
network is designed to block access to pornography websites.
Section 417 continues a provision requiring the humane
treatment of wild horses and burros.
Section 418 continues a provision to extend the authority
of the Forest Service Facility Realignment and Enhancement Act.
Section 419 continues a provision setting requirements for
the use of American iron and steel for certain loans and
grants.
Section 420 continues a provision providing authority for
the Secretary of the Interior to enter into training agreements
and to transfer excess equipment and supplies for wildfires.
Section 421 continues a provision providing a one-year
extension of the current recreation fee authority.
Section 422 continues a provision requiring advanced
approval of the reprogramming of funds in this Act.
Section 423 continues a provision through fiscal year 2025
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to consider local contractors when awarding
contracts for certain activities on public lands.
Section 424 extends the authority for the Shasta-Trinity
Marina fee for one year.
Section 425 continues a provision extending for one year
the Interpretive Association authority.
Section 426 continues a provision extending the Forest
Botanical Products Fee Collection authority.
Section 427 continues a provision regarding Tribal leases.
Section 428 continues a provision extending the Forest
Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund.
Section 429 continues a provision requiring the allocation
of funds from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy
Restoration Fund and Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Section 430 continues a provision addressing carbon
emissions from forest biomass.
Section 431 continues a provision regarding small remote
incinerators in Alaska.
Section 432 continues a provision regarding timber sales in
Alaska.
Section 433 continues a provision providing transfer
authority to the Federal Highway Administration for the
National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund.
Section 434 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to promulgate or implement any regulation requiring the
issuance of permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act for
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor, or methane
emissions resulting from biological processes associated with
livestock production.
Section 435 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to implement any provision in a rule if that provision
requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from
manure management systems.
Section 436 continues a provision prohibiting the use of
funds to regulate the lead content of ammunition or fishing
tackle.
Section 437 continues a provision providing for a wildland
firefighter pay cap waiver.
Section 438 continues a provision extending authorization
for Alaska Native regional health entities.
Section 439 modifies the Wildfire Funding and Forest
Management Act to extend the reporting requirement timeline
from 90 days to 180 days and to require an accounting of all
spending in the first two quarters of the succeeding fiscal
year attributable to suppression operations in the report year.
Section 440 prohibits the use of funds to limit
recreational shooting, fishing, and hunting on Federal lands
except for public safety.
Section 441 amends section 6(a) of the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act.
Section 442 rescinds Inflation Reduction Act funds for the
National Park Service that have been designated for the
Presidio Trust.
Section 443 prohibits funds for certain Executive Orders
relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Section 444 prohibits funds for COVID-19 mask or vaccine
mandates.
Section 445 prohibits funds to promote or advance Critical
Race Theory.
Section 446 prohibits funds to fly or display certain flags
at agencies funded by this Act.
Section 447 prohibits funds to discriminate against a
person who speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely held
religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or
should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.
Section 448 prohibits funds for the American Climate Corps.
Section 449 prohibits funds for eight executive orders
related to Administration actions on climate change.
Section 450 prohibits the development or implementation of
guidance related to the valuation of ecosystem and
environmental services and natural assets in Federal regulatory
decision-making.
Section 451 amends Section 10101 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 regarding the use of mining claims
for ancillary activities.
Section 452 prohibits funds to enforce Public Land Order
7917 (88 Fed. Reg. 6308 (January 31, 2023)).
Section 453 requires the Secretary of the Interior to
reinstate certain hardrock mineral leases.
Section 454 prohibits funds to consider or incorporate the
Social Cost of Carbon.
Section 455 incorporates by reference H.R. 548 (Eastern
Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act) and Title
III of H.R. 7408 (America's Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act)
as ordered to be reported on April 16, 2024, by the Committee
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives.
Section 456 authorizes special base rates of pay for
wildland firefighters.
Section 457 authorizes wildland fire incident response
premium pay.
Section 458 prohibits funds to require or request, as a
condition of the issuance, renewal, or extension of any Forest
Service or Bureau of Land Management permit, lease, allotment,
easement, or other land use and occupancy, arrangement, the
transfer, or relinquishment of any water right, in whole, or in
part, granted under State law.
Section 459 allows for a land conveyance to provide flood
protection for March Air Force Base and surrounding areas.
Section 460 prohibits funds for the Climate Justice
Alliance.
Section 461 prohibits funds for the Smithsonian Institution
for partnerships or activities associated with the Hong Kong
Economic and Trade Offices.
Section 462 prohibits funds to withdraw any Federal land
from any form of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the
public land laws, location, entry, or patent under the general
mining laws, or disposition under the mineral leasing, mineral
materials, or geothermal leasing laws unless such withdrawal is
authorized by an Act of Congress.
Section 463 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed rule
titled ``Revising Scope of the Mining Sector of Projects That
Are Eligible for Coverage Under Title 41 of the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation Act''.
Section 464 prohibits funds to revise any regulation
pursuant to section 17(o) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C.
226(o)) relating to oil and gas development of outstanding and
reserved mineral rights on the Allegheny National Forest.
Section 465 amends the Thye-Blatnik Act to address
appraisal values.
Section 466 requires the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works to issue any guidance documents relating to the
implementation of the final rule titled ``Revised Definition of
`Waters of the United States'; Conforming,'' within 15 days of
enactment of this Act.
Section 467 prohibits funds for certain labeling activities
that are inconsistent with a human health assessment performed
pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act.
Section 468 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``Supplemental Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards
for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source
Category''.
Section 469 prohibits funds to approve a waiver submitted
to the Environmental Protection Agency by the State of
California pursuant to Section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act for
the State of California's Amendments to its rule titled ``Small
Off-Road Engine Regulations: Transition to Zero Emissions''.
Section 470 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``Federal `Good Neighbor Plan' for the 2015 Ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standards''.
Section 471 transfers certain Inflation Reduction Act
balances to the Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Inspector General.
Section 472 prohibits funds for the final rule titled ``New
Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From
New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric
Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas
Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating
Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule''.
Section 473 prohibits funds to finalize the proposed
interim registration review decision and draft risk assessment
addendum for ethylene oxide described in the notice titled
``Pesticide Registration Review; Proposed Interim Decision and
Draft Risk Assessment Addendum for Ethylene Oxide; Notice of
Availability'' unless the Commissioner of Food and Drugs
certifies the rule will not adversely impact the availability
of ethylene oxide to sterilize medical products in the United
States.
Section 474 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years
2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles''.
Section 475 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty
Vehicles-Phase 3''.
Section 476 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality
Certification Improvement Rule''.
Section 477 prohibits funds for the Interagency Working
Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.
Section 478 prohibits funds to implement the interim
guidance titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Guidance on
Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change''.
Section 479 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Regulations Revisions''.
Section 480 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``National Environmental Policy Act Implementing
Regulations Revisions Phase 2''.
Section 481 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and
Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources:
Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review''.
Section 482 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk
Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Safer Communities
by Chemical Accident Prevention''.
Section 483 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: Revisions and
Confidentiality Determinations for Petroleum and Natural Gas
Systems''.
Section 484 prohibits funds to implement the proposed rule
titled ``Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and
Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source
Category''.
Section 485 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal
of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy
CCR Surface Impoundments''.
Section 486 prohibits funds to ban the use of aerially
applied fire retardant.
Section 487 prohibits funds to implement a regulation
issued by the State of California that classifies metal
shredding facilities as hazardous waste treatment facilities.
Section 488 requires the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to submit a report outlining a plan to
qualify any fuel derived from waste plastic or waste tires as
cellulosic biofuel under section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act.
Section 489 extends Good Neighbor Authorities.
Section 490 prohibits funds to enforce regulations to
implement subsection (c) of section 136 of the Clean Air Act or
otherwise enforce a charge on methane emissions under section
136.
Section 491 prohibits funds for the final rule titled
``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units
Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review''.
Section 492 codifies the State of Florida's Clean Water Act
section 404 program.
Section 493 prohibits funds to develop, finalize, issue, or
use assessments under the Integrated Risk Information System
(IRIS).
Section 494 prohibits funds to finalize the Upper Columbia
River, Washington site under the General Superfund Section of
the proposed rule entitled ``National Priorities List''.
Section 495 prohibits funds to finalize or take actions on
the draft environmental impact statement titled ``Land
Management Plan Direction for Old-Growth Forest Conditions
Across the National Forest System''.
Section 496 prohibits funds to implement the final rule
titled ``Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particulate Matter''.
Section 497 establishes a Spending Reduction Account.
Appropriations Not Authorized by Law
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following table lists the
appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not
authorized by law:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THE FY 2025 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL PREPARED IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PURSUANT TO SECTION
308(A) OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974
[In millions of dollars]
COMPARISON WITH BUDGET RESOLUTION
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(A) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table compares
the levels of new budget authority provided in the bill with
the appropriate allocation under section 302(b) of the Budget
Act.
[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
302(b) Allocation This Bill
---------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Budget
Authority Outlays Authority Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with Committee
allocations to its subcommittees: Subcommittee
on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Discretionary............................... 41,228 .............. \1\41,228 50,526
Mandatory................................... .............. .............. \1\64 52
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
NOTE.--The bill reported to the House contains an additional $2,750 million in discretionary budget authority
and $945 million in associated outlays for those recommended amounts, which are designated as being for
wildfire suppression operations. Pursuant to section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (P.L. 118-5), these amounts are
considered adjustments to the discretionary spending limits.
FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
308(a)(1)(B) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
following table contains five-year projections associated with
the budget authority provided in the accompanying bill as
provided to the Committee by the Congressional Budget Office.
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection of outlays associated with the
recommendation:
2025............................................. \1\21,795
2026............................................. 12,663
2027............................................. 4,644
2028............................................. 919
2029 and future years............................ -5,387
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
308(a)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Congressional Budget Office has provided the following
estimates of new budget authority and outlays provided by the
accompanying bill for financial assistance to State and local
governments.
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Authority Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial assistance to State and \1\5,722 1,530
local governments for 2025.......
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
In compliance with clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII (118th
Congress) the following hearings were used to develop the
fiscal year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Title of Hearing Witnesses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 16, 2024.................. Fiscal Year 2025 Mr. Mark
Budget Request Lichtenstein,
for the United National Budget
States Forest Director, U.S.
Service. Forest Service
.................. Mr. Randy Moore,
Chief, U.S.
Forest Service
April 30, 2024.................. Fiscal Year 2025 Mr. Faisal Amin,
Budget Request Chief Financial
for the Officer,
Environmental Environmental
Protection Agency. Protection Agency
.................. The Honorable
Michael S. Regan,
Administrator,
Environmental
Protection Agency
May 1, 2024..................... Fiscal Year 2025 The Honorable
Budget Request Roselyn Tso,
for the India Director, Indian
Health Service. Health Service
.................. Ms. Jillian
Curtis, Director
of the Office of
Finance and
Accounting,
Indian Health
Service
May 1, 2024.................... Fiscal Year 2025 Ms. Kaywin
Budget Request Feldman,
for the Arts and Director,
Humanities. National Gallery
of Art
.................. Dr. Maria Rosario
Jackson, Chair,
National
Endowment for the
Arts
.................. Ms. Shelly C.
Lowe, Chair,
National
Endowment for the
Humanities
May 7, 2024.................... American Indian Mr. Lee Juan
and Alaska Native Tyler, Chairman,
Public Witness Fort Hall
Day 1 Morning Business Council
Session. of the Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes
.................. Ms. Whitney
Gravelle,
President,
Chippewa Ottawa
Resource
Authority
.................. Mr. Kirk Francis,
Chief of the
Penobscot Indian
Nation, United
South and Eastern
Tribes
Sovereignty
Protection Fund
(USET SPF)
.................. Mr. Robert
Blanchard,
Chairman, Bad
River Band of the
Lake Superior
Tribe of Chippewa
Indians
.................. Mr. Grant Johnson,
President,
Prairie Island
Indian Community
.................. Mr. Darrell Seki,
Sr., Chairman,
Red Lake Band of
Chippewa Indians
.................. Mr. Kevin Dupuis,
Sr., Chairman,
Fond du Lac Band
of Lake Superior
Chippewa
.................. Mr. Jason
Schlender,
Administrator,
Great Lakes
Indian Fish and
Wildlife
Commission
.................. Mr. Austin Lowes,
Chairman, Sault
Ste. Marie Band
of Chippewa
Indians
.................. Mr. George W.
Thompson, Vice
President, Lac du
Flambeau Band of
Lake Superior
Chippewa
.................. Mr. Henry Fox,
Vice Chairman,
White Earth
Nation
.................. Mr. Dana Sam
Buckles,
Councilman,
Assiniboine and
Sioux Tribes of
the Fort Peck
Reservation
.................. Ms. Carole
Lankford,
Councilwoman,
Confederated
Salish and
Kootenai Tribes
of the Flathead
Reservation
.................. Mr. Joseph
Rosette,
Councilman,
Chippewa Crab
Tribe
.................. Ms. Ashleigh
Weeks, General
Manager,
Assiniboine and
Sioux Rural Water
Supply System
.................. Mr. Marvin
Weatherwax, Jr.,
Councilman,
Blackfeet Tribe
of Montana
.................. Mr. George Jay
Ball, Councilman,
Fort Belknap
Indian Community
.................. Ms. Shere Wright-
Plank,
Councilwoman,
Rosebud Sioux
Tribe
.................. Mr. Ervin Carlson,
President, Inter-
Tribal Buffalo
Council
.................. Mr. Frank Star
Comes Out,
President, Oglala
Sioux Tribe
.................. Mr. Frank Adams,
Chief, Upper
Mattaponi Tribe
.................. Mr. Stephen
Adkins, Chief,
Chickahominy
Tribe
May 7, 2024..................... American Indian Jeffery Gill,
and Alaska Native Councilor, Seneca
Public Witness Nation
Day 1 Afternoon
Session.
.................. Wema Supernaw,
Chairwoman,
Quapaw Nation
.................. Carson Ball, Self
Governance
Coordinator,
Muscogee (Creek)
Nation (MCN)
.................. Chuck Hoskin, Jr.,
Principal Chief,
Cherokee Nation
.................. John Pettigrew,
Acting Chief of
Police, Oglala
Sioux Tribe-Dept.
of Public Safety
.................. Julius T. Murray,
III, Chairman,
Ute Indian Tribe
of the Uintah and
Ouray Reservation
.................. Dustin Klatush,
Chairman,
Confederated
Tribes of the
Chehalis
Reservation
.................. Cindy Marchand,
Secretary,
Confederated
Tribes of the
Colville
Reservation
.................. Maulian Bryant,
Ambassador,
Penobscot Nation
.................. Darnell Maria,
Executive
Director, Ramah
Navajo Chapter
.................. Thora Padilla,
Chairwoman,
Mescalero Apache
Tribe
.................. Victoria
Kitchenyan,
Chairwoman,
Winnebago Tribe
.................. Greg Hitchcock,
Vice Chairman,
Cowlitz Indian
Tribe
.................. Jeremy Takala,
Councilman,
Confederated
Tribes and Bands
of the Yakama
Nation
.................. Ron Allen,
Chairman and CEO,
Jamestown
S'Klallam Tribe
.................. Brian Harris,
Chief, Catawba
Nation
.................. Gloria O'Neill,
President and
CEO, Cook Intel
Tribal Council/
Alyce Spotted
Bear and Walter
Soboleff
Commission on
Native Children
.................. Jill Sherman-
Warne,
Councilwoman,
Hoopa Valley
Tribe
.................. Catalina Villa
Montes,
Treasurer,
Riverside-San
Bernardino County
Indian Health,
Inc
.................. Russell Attebery,
Chairman, Karuk
Tribe
.................. Charmaine
McDarment,
Chairperson, Tule
River Indian
Tribe
May 8, 2024..................... American Indian Robert Miguel,
and Alaska Native Chairman, Ak-Chin
Public Witness Indian Community
Day 2 Morning
Session.
.................. Sherry J. Parker,
Chairwoman,
Hualapai Tribe
.................. Stephen Roe Lewis,
Governor, Gila
River Indian
Community
.................. Ervin Chavez,
Executive Board
President, Dine
Bi Olta School
Board Association
.................. Derrick Leslie,
Tribal Education
Department
Director, White
Mountain Apache
Tribe
.................. Buu Nguyen,
President, Navajo
Nation
.................. Tesia Zientek,
Board President,
National Indian
Education
Association
.................. Anhiwake Rose,
Vice President of
Congressional and
Federal
Relations,
American Indian
Higher Education
Consortium
.................. Shawna Allison
Becenti, Head of
School, Navajo
Preparatory
School
.................. Gjermundson Jake,
Board President,
Ramah Navajo
School Board,
Inc. (RNSB)
.................. Cecilia Fire
Thunder,
President, Oglala
Lakota Nation
Education
Coalition
.................. Troy Lunderman,
Human Resources
Director, St.
Francis Indian
School
.................. Ryan Wilson,
President, Oglala
Lakota/National
Alliance to Save
Native Languages
.................. Llyod Miller,
Counsel
.................. Dr. Valerie J.
Grussing, PHD,
Executive
Director,
National
Association of
Tribal Historic
Preservation
Officers (NATHPO)
.................. Nicholas Lovesee,
Director of
Policy, Native
American Finance
Officers
Association
(NAFOA)
.................. Aurene Martin,
Treasurer, Board
of Directors for
the National
Indian Child
Welfare
Association
.................. William F. Smith,
Chairman and
Alaska Area
Representative,
National Indian
Health Board
.................. Todd Wilson,
Executive
Director,
National Council
of Urban Indian
Health (NCUIH)
.................. Jon Brady,
President, Native
American Church
of North America
.................. Verlon Jose,
Chairman, Tohono
O'odham Nation
.................. Lawrence Mirabal,
Vice President of
Operations, The
Institute of
American Indian
Arts
.................. Lionel Haskie,
Director of
Operations,
Navajo
Agricultural
Products Industry
May 8, 2024..................... American Indian Michael Douglas,
and Alaska Native VP/Chief Legal
Public Witness Officer,
Day 2 Afternoon Southeast Alaska
Session. Regional Health
Corporation, and
Intertribal
Health Care
.................. Mary Jane Miles,
Vice Chairman,
Nez Perce Tribe
.................. Willow Hetrick-
Price, Executive
Director, Chugach
Regional
Resources
Commission
.................. Donna Galbreath,
Senior Medical
Director,
Southcentral
Foundation
.................. Quinton Swanson,
Chairman,
Shoalwater Bay
Indian Tribe
.................. Esther Lucero,
President and
CEO, Seattle
Indian Health
Board
.................. Abigail Echo-Hawk,
Director,
Executive Vice
President, Urban
Indian Health
Institute,
Seattle Indian
Health Board
.................. Guy Capoeman,
President,
Quinault Indian
Nation
.................. Ed Johnstone,
Chairman,
Northwest Indian
Fisheries
Commission
(NWIFC)
.................. Nikolaus Lewis,
Chairman,
Northwest
Portland Area
Indian Health
Board
.................. Cody Desautel,
President,
Intertribal
Timber Council
.................. Corinne Sams,
Chairwoman,
Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fish
Commission
.................. Michael Rondeau,
CEO, Cow Creek
Band of Umpqua
Tribe of Indians
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS AND CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ITEMS
The following table is submitted in compliance with clause
9 of rule XXI and lists the congressional earmarks (as defined
in paragraph (e) of clause 9) contained in the bill or in this
report. Neither the bill nor the report contain any limited tax
benefits or limited tariff benefits as defined in paragraphs
(f) or (g) of clause 9 of rule XXI.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Comparative Statement of New Budget Authority
The following table provides the amounts recommended by the
Committee compared with the budget estimates by account.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
MINORITY VIEWS
Due to serious concerns about spending levels and partisan
policy riders, we are unable to support the bill as written.
The ramifications of this bill would reach every corner of the
country. It would damage our public lands, promote dirty
energy, jeopardize biodiversity, and obstruct our response to
the climate crisis.
This bill completely disregards the reality of a warming
planet and ignores the need for us to do more, not less to
combat climate change. By cutting efforts to reduce carbon
emissions, slashing community resiliency programs, and
requiring fossil fuels lease sales in the Outer Continental
Shelf and on public lands while prohibiting clean energy
projects, the bill unwinds our response to climate change and
promotes dirty energy.
The bill curtails the progress that has been made to ensure
that all people enjoy the same degree of protection from
environmental and health hazards. It abandons communities who
currently bear a disproportionate share of the negative
environmental consequences, which includes large swaths of
rural America that many of our Republican colleagues represent.
The bill also slashes funding for enforcement of the clean
air and clean water acts, which will lead to increased levels
of pollution and create an unfair playing field in which
polluters have the advantage.
The bill cuts the National Park Service by 6 percent. This
cut means fewer park rangers to protect and preserve the
natural and cultural resources in our national parks and
jeopardizes the visitor experience.
The bill also significantly reduces funding for the Arts
and Humanities agencies, such as the Smithsonian Institution
and the National Gallery of Art, which are cut by 12 and 10
percent respectively. The arts have incredible value as a
positive tool for economic development, education, and
community building and we will strenuously oppose these cuts in
the final spending agreement.
There are areas of bipartisanship, and we support the
inclusion of authorizing language necessary for the
administration to carry out its permanent pay reforms for
Federal wildland firefighters. The bill also continues the
Committees' efforts to address treaty and trust obligations on
a bipartisan basis.
Finally, the bill includes an exhaustive list of anti-
environment riders that seek to derail any effort to combat
climate change, accelerate ecosystem decline, and vacate the
commitment to conserve America's fragile lands and natural
resources. And sadly, the bill pushes the harmful Republican
agenda and contains numerous discriminatory riders which are so
divisive and negatively impact millions of Americans.
The majority of Americans support becoming carbon neutral
by 2050 and they support taking responsibility for future
generations. The austere and irresponsible cuts in this bill do
not align with their values.
Democrats are at the table and ready to pass legislation
that protects our environment, our public lands, and the health
and safety of the American people. We look forward to working
on improving this bill as it advances through the process.
Rosa L. DeLauro.
Chellie Pingree.
[all]